“United we stand…..”

Surely,   Filipinos  are  familiar  with this  phrase that completes  with  “….divided  we fall”.   It  has  been used by  nations,  by people  and even in songs.  The  basic  concept  of  this  saying  is  “unless  the people  are  united,  it  is  easily  destroyed”.   Are  we  on the verge of  “self-destruction?”.   Are   we united  enough  for  the country  to be more  progressive  and have  a  healthy condition?  Perhaps  not,  perhaps  in some specific  issues,  or  we  simply  do not  believe  in that  concept  at  all.  But  definitely there is  a good  reason  not  to believe in it…after  all  it  is  just   a “fable”.    The  motto  was  in fact  attributed  to Aesop –  “Aesop’s  fables” – remember?,  as  youngsters  we  learned a lot  about  Aesop  who was  known  to  be  a slave  and story-teller  who could have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BCE.   Aesop’s   fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today.  Stories such as The Fox and the Grapes (from which the idiom  “sour grapes” derives), The Tortoise and the Hare, The North Wind and the Sun, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Ant and the Grasshopper are well-known throughout the world.  

But what is a fable?  Merriam-Webster  dictionary  has  defined it  as  a short tale  to  teach  a  moral lesson,  legends  or  myths  collectively,  an untruth,  a  falsehood.   But isn’t  it that  we  Filipinos  believe  so much  on “legends,  the untruth,  on a falsehood”.    In  fact  we  do,  because  there  are  lots of them  scattered  around  the  entire  country.    The  politicians themselves  are  good   examples!  Not  all  of them  are,  but  “most”,  if not  all  are  the “personification”  of  the  “fables!”   We believe  in the promises  of  politicians.  As much as  we  believe  in the  saying  “promises  are  made  to be broken”.   How many  times  promises  have  been broken?.  But  what  the  Filipinos  hardly  know  is  that  this   “broken  promise..” adage  came  from an unknown  source.   It  is just  amazing how  Philippine  politicians  believe  in  that  saying   while they  could  instead  be  more  appreciated should  they  adapt   a  more  believable  motto,  which goes like this:   “Promise only what you can deliver.  Then deliver more than you promise”. – (from  an unknown  author  as well) 

Anyway,  allow  me to  go back  to unity.   Unity  is  suffering  in the Philippines.   And the country  is  breaking apart  into  pieces.   Everyone struggles for  his/her  own  survival.   The same  is true with the politicians,  since  they belong to different political parties  with diverse  ideologies  the tendency  is  to  act  in  various directions.   And  the only  way by which laws  are  enacted is  when  a  coalition is  formed  between   political parties  under pretext of having agreed in some  terms, of  course  in return for juicy  concessions.  However,   at   times,  the  result  is  the contrary.    Projects  on development   are  not implemented  because    “political bickering” ensues  among the  politicians and political  parties.   But  if  projects  finally get underway,  political  leaders,  local  administration,  the government   itself,  are  already  about  to be changed,  and the projects  are  eventually  stopped  halfway  and  discontinued.  Who suffers? –  the  people,  and they  suffer a lot!  The Philippines is  clearly  “disunited.   There is an impression of  an  increasing disunity  among  those  who are supposed  to lead  the country to  progress  and to provide the  much needed  assistance,  comfort  and protection to the Filipino people.  Unfortunately,   nothing  is  taking place.   Well,  it is no longer  a  surprise  for  us,  because   we have  gotten ourselves  used  to the times  of  life in the  Philippines.   There is  though  one  thing good about us,  Filipinos –  and that is our  resiliency  to bounce  back  after suffering  a  fall.   Therefore,   we  could  only  rely upon our   own  determination  and  will  to bounce back each time we fall. 

Filipinos  are  known to afford  a  smile  though faced  with adversaries.  Maybe,    it  is  that   quality  that  makes  the country  survive.  Whether  or  not  it is an attribute that we should maintain  to survive  is yet to be  proven.   But,  as far as  what  could  be  observed,  the  Filipinos’ smile  on the face   is  able  to cover  the  pains and sufferings  they  keep within.

I  can’t  say  much folks..  have  a  great  day ahead…Eric