3 opportunities not to be squandered
As we prepare to celebrate the 117th anniversary of our national independence, three historic opportunities have presented themselves to the Filipino people. Two are domestic and one is international, but the three are intertwined. They cannot be ignored; instead, they should be pondered upon.
1. The proposed Bangsamoro self-government. This is a rare chance to bring about lasting peace to our land and to set aright the injustice and discrimination that our Muslim and indigenous brothers and sisters have suffered for centuries. Our war-torn country can no longer afford to have unrest in the South that continues to ward off investors. The opportunity cost is incalculable and irrecoverable.
2. The benefits of Asean integration and the huge prospects of Pax Asiana. The Philippines, as one of the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is at the forefront of the Asean Community’s three pillars: the economic community, the political-security community and the social-cultural community. Together with Asean’s East Asian partners, Japan, China and South Korea, as well as the cooperation of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia, the European Union and Canada, the regional grouping will realize the fruition of its potentials as a single market and production base in the region.
But the achievement of these goals will depend on the reign of peace and rule of law around and within each member-nation. Our government must institutionalize our industrial and agricultural policy so that there will be continuity in the priorities of the post-Aquino administration. The Philippines will be the chair and host of Asean summits in 2017, the 50th anniversary of the organization. We must rise to the occasion and be a model of a leading partner in regional integration.
3. The rise of a new leader. Recently, we have seen the emergence of a public figure who has restored hopes for better governance. The symbolism is awe-inspiring: a foundling who was left in a church and who later became a senator and can possibly be our next leader. Is Grace Poe inexperienced and lacking in competence? On the contrary, her pristine integrity, principled decisiveness and remarkable intelligence are her foremost competence—qualities that Philippine leaders should possess in order to be able to negotiate and survive the postelection land mines. The humble circumstances of her early life must have imbued in her a deep compassion for the poor, uncompromising commitment to inclusive growth, and grit and courage to succeed.
So many of us are witness to the lost opportunities that, had they been seized, could have made the Philippines an advanced economy and a strong nation. It has been a roller-coaster ride for Filipinos in the past 50 years. We love to blame our leaders for our failures, but most of the time, these failures are our own doing, usually rooted in our refusal to see the big picture and our propensity to choose our leaders based on our immediate, personal interests. As one close friend told me, “You are a gifted people but regrettably, you don’t think big and act serious.”
We wonder why the Philippines is not respected enough as a nation, despite the inspiring example of hundreds of our heroes, our much-vaunted “resilience” in the face of privation, and our so-called vibrant democracy. Our self-esteem is constantly battered every time Filipino victims of human trafficking are convicted and executed, whenever war breaks out in the South, when we are given rough treatment by immigration officers in foreign countries, whenever certain of our politicians are exposed for plunder, when our airports are flooded by leaking ceilings and toilets, when we realize how cheap life is in a society plagued by crimes, unsafe roads and unprotected factory workers.
Beneath all these recurring scenarios is a reality too bitter for us to accept: A poor and weak nation can never be fully accepted and respected. It is because a nation is highly regarded and fairly treated only when it is rich and strong. Otherwise, that nation will perennially be an object of pity or scorn, and, at best, tolerance.
It is time we accepted this reality. This is the core of any relationship between and among nations, including alliances. Be prepared to be dropped at any time if your importance is minimal. But most of all, don’t let golden opportunities slip away when they present themselves.
Wilfrido V. Villacorta, professor emeritus of De La Salle University, was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission. He is also a retired Asean deputy secretary-general, and a former Philippine ambassador to Asean.
