3 stars and a sun

i was reading an article on why Ninoy would weep if he were alive today. To quote the last lines...

"My heart and my sympathies are with you Ninoy. You are a truly great man, a cut above your generation. If only you had a better nation to die for, a nation that deserves a hero like you."

there was a pinching sadness when i read those words. i refused to accept that we've degraded ourselves to the point of having someone amongst us imply that we are not worth dying for.

but a tiny part of me agreed with the writer.

there are so many things to fix in our country's system. but things have intertwined each other, that there seems to be no definite starting point. i've seen a few good men try. some succeeded, some did not. those who did not, got buried alive in the memories of people they served. those who succeeded, are struggling to keep things as they've transformed it.

a good example is BF. mmda was an easy target to bully. when they first started, even tambays in our barangay get to serve as one of them. this gave me enough courage to break the rules around them. oh, i've been such a great liar whenever i get into a traffic violation hassle. looking back, i can only stifle a laugh. but if i were a patriotic member of the society, i would shake my head and take pity. BF, when he got on board, did some significant, and some controversial, changes at the mmda. i don't necessarily agree with all the stuff he did, but i must admit, it made life a little better on the streets.

and there's Manila's Atienza. although he's infamous, i give him credit that he was able to transform rotting places into business establishments, that eventually helped boost a few hundred employment opportunities. my papa would kill me that i'm on Atienza's side, but what can i say, the guy is trying. i heard that he's cleaning up Manila City Hall too. i can attest to that, because mama filed a complaint on one of the employees there. and in no time, she received a notarized, written explanation of what happened as narrated by the other party. at least, he's got the gears going.

i start to wonder what the other politicians are up to. why would the senate hold a hearing over the nursing exam leakage scandal? or in the past, why did they hold the hearing for the escort services? it's the justice dept.'s job, not yours! yours is to make the law, make sure it's implemented. to interpret it is another thing. i don't know much about the mechanics, but come on. it's becoming a hocus-pocus circus on the senate hearing halls. if we want entertainment, we would watch tv, watch a movie, or go to a concert. not elect officials.

while it's easy to blame the government for the problems we have, we, as a people, have a lot to answer for. if a good thing starts with one person, if he keeps it up, it will eventually affect others to do the same.

i remember driving to work back then. my route is Roxas blvd, where Rizal's statue can be seen overlooking the street. there's a stop light there, and a pedestrian lane. every time i chance upon a red, i stop. totally. even when the street stretches out free ahead of me. i think that's the only stop light i consider venerated. kuya jose is watching. =P

i've seen so many different reactions. some drivers would still run the red, as if it doesn't exist. some would run the red, hit the brakes and slow down, as if hesitating or feeling remorseful. some would stop, but half their cars are on the pedxing lane, as if napilitan lang silang huminto. some would stop, but get impatient and run the red as soon as the pedestrians are out of the strip. some would stop, and inch by inch, move their cars forward until the light turns green. and also, of course, there are those who would really stop.

imagine if i do that on every stop light, say 12. on every trip, back and forth, say at least 2. everyday, which is 365 days a year. and affect every other driver who sees me. do the math. =P pinoys tend to go where the crowd is. so if there's a good crowd, i believe there is still a chance. i can start with myself, although far away. who knows? Ninoy was making waves then even when he was out of the country.

i don't plan on getting assassinated on my trip back home though. =P