Dear God

Dear God,

I am confused.

Just last month, an estimate of seven million pilgrims, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, went to see the Pope celebrate mass in Luneta. Add to that another million or two who packed the streets of Manila and Tacloban just to have a glance of the Pope.

Then, the Pope himself called me an example of the vitality and youthfulness of the Church. Saint John Paul II even once called my people, the Filipinos, phenomenal.

What a way to describe myself and my people.

But as much as I would like to believe that my people are phenomenal and myself, as a nation, is vibrant and youthful, I cannot do it. In fact, I am far from being close to that. Sadly, it is the highest form of irony that others see me positively but I see in myself the exact opposite.

Let me tell you why.

Based on my recent memory, some politicians and their cohorts ransacked the nation’s coffers, stealing a whooping amount of ten billion pesos, not a single centavo has been returned as of today. High ranking officials take advantage of their position so as to amass unimaginable wealth, a fortune which could have uplifted lives of millions of my people. It could be heard from the news almost every day how criminals kidnap women and children, many of them are abused and, worse, murdered. Likewise, children who brave the busy streets just to earn a handful of spare change, and families, whose members usually number to more than five, who live in a shack, are becoming a permanent fixture. Convicts, who should be stripped off of their freedom, are living the life of kings behind bars, the officials therein act as their servants. Loopholes of our government system are being exposed in that departments clash, leaders blatantly disregard the laws, and aspirants would have to do anything just to get hold of power and fame, to the utmost prejudice of my common people. A sudden outburst of rain could cause an emphatic flood all throughout the locality, which may claim hundreds of lives in just a single day, thanks to the cutting of trees, the citizens who do not comply with ordinances, and the improper disposal of trash, evidence of which is omnipresent. My own people killing each other, others even massacre some, casualties include the innocent, just because they believe in different religion and ideology. Take for example the case of the forty-four heroes who perished in Mamasapano.

Hence, the way I see myself – corruption is ubiquitous, politicians are greedy, crime and poverty rate is constantly mounting, criminals are empowered, system in the government is decaying, environment is a mess, struggle in the South is endless. As a consequence, my people are low-spirited and I seemingly am a hopeless nation.

That is why I am writing to you right now. In my almost five centuries of existence, this is my first time to do this. This is how desperate I am.

I really am becoming hopeless, for my people have tried all the possible ways to turn my hapless situation around but to no avail time and again. Instead, everything is becoming worse as years go by. My people are starting to turn their back against me, leaving me for another country, as for them greener pastures are nowhere to be found in me. All these make me downhearted and restless.

I really need your help, God.

Yes, I know that You could only do much and that the effort to make a change should come and start from each and every individual, but someone needs to start and at least inspire and motivate my people. And that is what I am asking You – for You to enlighten the minds of my people. For one of them will be the one who will lead by example and will inspire all the others to start a revolution within, while all the others will be the ones who will make that decision of a lifetime to choose who will be that one to lead them to such much needed revolution. God, I now zero-in my prayer on the enlightenment of the minds of my people, because our fate depends on them.

I have long dreamt of seeing myself as corruption-free where compassionate leaders rule, with minimal crime and poverty rate, where government system functions as a well-oiled machine, a green and healthy environment, and my people living hand in hand despite differences in many things. I believe that this dream is attainable.

And when that historic day comes, I could shout to the whole world that I am indeed a vibrant and youthful nation. By then, I could confidently say that my people are phenomenal. By then, I would no longer be confused, just a nation full of hope and carefree people.

P.S.

May the forty-four fallen heroes find their eternal reward for what they have sacrificed for me.

Truly Yours,

The Philippines