Ghost to golden August

August, the ghost month. I always thought it must have been the Chinese influence on our local culture, but Google says that the ghost month is part of the traditional belief systems of several other Asian countries as well. According to these beliefs, the ghost month is when the doors of the spirit world are opened, and the restless spirits search for peace, prayers, or pleasure in the earthly realm.

What complements and deepens the belief in the ghost month is that August often brings heavy rains or typhoons, resulting in floods. The ghost month is typically wet, gloomy, and inhospitable. The climate enhances the eerie atmosphere of August, as if nature itself is warning us to be cautious and to stay indoors, given the challenging weather conditions.

However, there were signs that August 2024 would be different from the typical ghost month.

Typhoon Carina arrived early, bringing torrential and record-setting rains and floods, and setting a gloomy tone after a relatively well-delivered presidential speech during the SONA had eased the negativity in the air. But that was in July, not August. Instead, August began with a bang. From being ghostly, it turned golden, thanks to Caloy Yulo, who won two gold medals. Female boxers Nesty Petecio and Ain Villegas contributed two bronze medals, bringing the Philippines’ total to four Olympic medals—the most in our Olympic history.

I know there were disappointments too, but winning medals at the Olympics is no easy feat. EJ Obiena and Bianca Pagdanganan came close to adding two more bronze medals, but fate was not kind to them. Neither were the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP), which failed to provide our national golfers, Bianca and Dottie Arbina, with their uniforms. They provided many excuses, but none justified the embarrassment our golfers faced while having to paste the Philippine flag on their personal T-shirts.

Anyway, what an August this has been so far—so opposite its reputation—and I am thankful. At the same time, August still remains the ghost month, with two more weeks to go. I suggest we stay careful and cautious, even if we do not wish to focus on the negatives. The world is turbulent; it is not just the spirits who seek peace. The Middle East is a hot global flashpoint, the Russia-Ukraine war continues, and the West Philippine Sea remains troublesome for Asia.

The situation on the home front is equally troubling. The rivalries between the Marcoses and Dutertes are escalating in intensity and becoming increasingly contentious. It’s an unusual conflict arising from two partners who recently achieved success in winning the presidency and vice-presidency. However, a third of the electorate believes that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) secured this victory through a seemingly miraculous Smartmatic system. Lacking technical expertise, I reserve my condemnation on this matter. Nevertheless, I previously highlighted the illegitimacy of the 2022 elections due to widespread vote-buying.

While the two-thirds, amounting to approximately 31 million voters, who claim to have supported Marcos and Duterte are becoming embroiled in a deepening conflict, I take solace in the fact that the minimum of 15 million voters for Leni are choosing to remain detached from the struggles of the deeply divided Uniteam. They should continue to distance themselves from this escalating dispute, which could potentially turn deadly. It is enough for these 15 million to uphold their integrity, thereby fostering honesty, transparency, and accountability in their own lives.

In times of chaos, we must ground ourselves and our families in fundamental survival principles within a spirit of bayanihan. Very few among us are wealthy enough to comfortably weather sudden upheavals. We must safeguard our food supply, strive to produce as much as possible, and work together to establish a more localized food network.

If we pay attention, we notice that government projects are now often worth tens or even hundreds of billions. There isn’t much we can do about that except hope that project costs are inflated by no more than 30% since the rumored kickback is around 40%.

While some individuals can engage actively in anti-corruption initiatives, most of us should focus our efforts closer to home. Embrace sustainable practices and grow your food wherever possible. Those in the majority who face financial hardships can mitigate the effects of inflation by cultivating as much of their own food as they can.

By taking charge of our own needs instead of relying on others, we can also teach younger generations to be resourceful. A resurgence of the Do-It-Yourself culture must begin with food production. Being self-sufficient empowers us, ultimately fostering confidence and resilience. Our children and grandchildren will not learn these essential skills unless we pass them on. They are already victims of what is termed “learning poverty,” which naturally indicates an equivalent poverty in teaching.

There is a long list of things that are already wrong that can get worse, but that is not our focus in this article. Rather, like our athletes who made it against the worse of odds, we must try to go for the gold, too. We have waited for our leaders to solve our problems and, as a result, we have dug our own holes deeper. There is no Tallano gold, no 20 peso/kg rice, and no Uniteam – only budol after budol.

I pray, sooner than later, that we understand how the brighter tomorrow is in our hands first before the leaders try it themselves. But if we fail, I believe that they, too, will fail.