STOP! THINK ABOUT IT! :)

It was a Thursday night. I went out with friends for coffee, had some chitchat and went bumming around just to detoxify and wind down our action-packed hell week. Dwelling upon what things to accomplish just so to formally end my semester, I remembered that I still have to work on my photoblog for my Posc 1 class.

PHOTOBLOG!!?!

whoah! ...

There are a lot of things to consider just so to fulfill this task.

First and foremost: of course the TOPIC!

I’m really not into blogging and stuff so I think apparently it would be a bit hard...

Relentlessly reminding myself of working on with the topic with regards to the Philippine politics itself, concepts and national issues continue to pop out of my system-- poverty, graft and corruption, dubious politicians and leaders, overpopulation, oil price increase and rollbacks, and even the sensationalized issues round the senate with regards to the bills and propositions, constitutional reformation conspiracies, unlawful crimes and killings and even corpses brought about by tragedies--- issues that are typically seen newsflash after newsflash.

With such list of predicaments the country is facing at present,
I realized that our COUNTRY is indeed PROBLEMATIC.

...

awww! such a nostalgic scene...

Sad as it may appear, but really there are a lot of things to act upon in order for us to build this nation... a much better nation that is.

POVERTY

One significant issue the country is facing nowadays... contemplating the headlines in the spreadsheets and in news scenes, i guess it all boils down to our national predicament against the existence of poverty. In the Philippines, manifestations of poverty are distinctly evident that’s why as of present times we are still backtracked and we tend to belong to the so called alliance of the third-world nations.

Nowadays, poverty in the Philippines gets so much alarming because obviously, every year its state tends to worsen. The country has not been able to protract its growth with regards to economic stability which sequentially results in obliterating poverty or if not, at least, diminishing it to a satisfactory level.

POVERTY in the country is largely attributed with the dramatic rapid increase in its POPULATION.

Every year the population increases at a rate of 2.36% which indicates that more than 5,000 Filipinos are born on a daily basis. With this, it is projected that by the year 2015 the Filipino population will reach at about 111 million.

So what’s with these numbers????

Well, there’s really nothing for us to worry about if only our country is at its stable economic condition. However, in reality, we know that it is DEFINITELY NOT.

Rapid population increase and poverty is primarily linked with one another. It is said that the larger the family, the greater the chance that it would likely be poor. This is maybe because there would be a greater number of people to which a certain amount of resources would be allocated. This, SCARCITY would be a common place.

In response to the growing predicament of poverty in the country the government seems shabby in the approval and endorsement of the popular bill,

House bill 5034!

aka the REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL...

which for a fact, I believe everyone gets to be aware of...

a bill which promotes modern family planning such as the use of condoms and other birth control methods. Considering the fact that most of us are basically under the Catholic Religion, the sanction of this house bill is nevertheless a big issue in the country at present.

A big issue indeed!

This shot is taken at the St. Therese Child of Jesus Parish gate, where my dormitory is located at. And at every given time I pass by the chapel along my way home, I often hear priest's stating views upon this issue.

Well but of course, it is the Catholic Church more than anyone else should be the first cluster that is totally against the approval of the said bill.

Population control is largely dependent upon the responsible parenthood as for their firm stand. Married couples as for them should have the liberty to decide for the number of children they wanted to have. Moreover, they shouldn't be affected by social or legal intimidation and the government has no right to interfere with these.

On the contrary the proponents believes that the catholic church are spreading nothing but negative propaganda to the Filipino people. This bill is not antilife but rather proquality life

This will not only strengthen the family as a unit but also optimize care for children who will have more opportunities to be educated, healthy and productive.

This issue primarily denotes that indeed the catholic church still has its power and supremacy that can transcend Philippine Politics. This phenomenon had its foundation during the Spanish colonization period prolonged in a three century time span that brought forth mainly the culture needless to say, the religion that we still possess as of today.

However, analyzing this sensationalized political issue, I believe that both parties are commendable for their good arguments. But if you would ask me what would be my stand? well i think its time for us to open our minds and be practical..with the present condition of our country... well.. i guess im much more with the PRO..

well..well..well...

Another thing which is interconnected with the subsistence of poverty in the Philippines is the wide-spread materialization of corruption.

I suppose that if corruption in a country is present, poverty can be a naturally existing phenomenon, or so, vice versa.

With the tradition and type of politics that we have which is primarily dominated by the so called "Filipino elites", it is not impossible that their authority and power would be used in uplifting personal advantages and interests.

A money-making business or opportunity.

Poverty is not directly a consequence of high population growth; rather it is a consequence of enormous government money lost to graft and corruption.

These are some of the major predicaments and issues that our country ius facing nowadays. Upon realization of what state does our country situates, I felt really really bad and helpless should i say.

I believe that even though Filipinos are aware of the factors that worsens the state of the Philippines, we, on the contrary still tends to remain oblivious.

Sad but true...

Is it because we are nothing but a living example of an aborted nation? Or is it because we still don’t have a collective idea amongst us and we are better off as self-minding individuals?

Whatever the root cause is I suppose we should at least take part and give even a small time and effort for the betterment of the country. Little things could be a good start such as abiding simple laws and having concern for our country. If we yearn for change, it should start on ourselves; the individual level and eventually a change in a bigger scope will follow. Cliché as it may sound, but why don’t we try? I think there’s no better thing to do. Who knows it might work. Better yet, as the saying goes, let’s believe in the philosophy- there’s no harm on trying!

Let's STOP and THINK ABOUT IT!

- Lynn Antonette L. Dungao

Posc 1 B