I would like to share some thoughts Jess Abrera’s Nov. 6 editorial cartoon provoked in my mind.
Since almost 20 years ago, my congregation has been running various social programs in Payatas, one of which is the Fr. Angelo Falardi Health Clinic. It offers free tuberculosis treatment. The clinic serves an average of 280 TB patients on treatment, plus 40 general check-up
patients a day.
The clinic is supported by an American foundation. Every year, the foundation requests me, aside from submitting reports and updates on the clinic, to celebrate a Mass in loving memory of “Mr. H,” its founder. He was an Irish-American philanthropist.
In my first year of being in charge of the social programs, I came up with the idea to have a picture and a short bio-data of Mr. H posted in the clinic, so our staff, volunteers and patients would know who their benefactor was. Some months later, I met a friend of Mr. H who said to me: “Mr. H. gave strict orders that his picture should never be posted or exhibited in the hospitals and clinics supported by his foundation.”
This made me think about the politicians in the Philippines who are notorious for having their names printed on just every tarpaulin and poster announcing projects or activities that have a link to them. When I see such tarpaulins, I can’t help asking if they want to help people or to be notorious. Are they doing this unselfishly? What are their real motives? Do they think about the people or about their designs? Worse, beside their pictures and names are “big” adjectives hailing them: “totoong lingkod” (sincere public servant), “outstanding,” etc.
The next question that comes to mind is: Are those tarpaulins paid with their personal money or by the public? When a politician prints his picture and name on anything paid with taxpayers’ money, I am completely against it because it is not his own money. I also believe they should spend more public funds on people and less on tarpaulins, T-shirts and billboards. In this regard, they should be reminded of this account in the Gospel of St. John after the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes: “Jesus, as he realized they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, fled back to the hills alone.” (6:15) Whenever I have the opportunity to preach about this verse, I make sure to explain that Jesus came to serve, not to be served or to become a king or even to be recognized, but only to serve mankind.
On the lighter side, thank God, there’s hope! Last year, President Aquino wisely requested that government billboards should not have the politicians’ pictures or names; so we now see less of these around. It shows us a desire to change the way of doing politics and spending government funds.
Many might get angry with me for speaking on this issue, but even if I am a foreigner, I love the Filipino people.
—FR. FACUNDO MELA, FDP,
facundofdp@yahoo.com.ar