Freedom

Today, we are celebrating the 110th anniversary of our independence from our Spanish colonizers. But, admit it or not, we are totally not free from alot of things. Poverty is one of them. It pains me to see people who beg for money so that they can get through the day. It scares me to know that there are people who steal from other people just to survive, doing it because of desperation. Everytime I pass by or see a shanty area, I always say a little prayer to God, thanking Him for all the blessings He bestowed upon me all these years. I also say a little prayer for those people living in those shanties all over the metro, hoping that they too, can get to experience the simple luxuries in life, and have access to basic necessities like food, education, decent shelter, jobs. Because if we are already free from poverty, we won't have beggars roaming the streets, we won't have shanty areas filled with people who do not have access to basic services, everyone will have jobs to support themselved and their families. We are not totally free from the dangers that lurk around us. We cannot stop them from happening. I think that our government should think about ensuring the safety of everyone. One example is the recent kidnapping of respected ABS-CBN news anchor Ces Oreña-Drilon and 2 of her cameramen by the Islamic separatist group Jemaah Islamiyaah. They just went to Sulu to cover a breaking story about the internal conflict brimming within the rebel group Abu Sayyaf. And then, they were kidnapped. As of the recent report I read on the Philippine Star website, the kidnappers are asking for a US$10 million ransom in exchange for their freedom. A very hideous, obscene amount. Is that the price you have to pay in exchange for freedom? I hope that this crisis be resolved immedialtely & peacefully without bloodshed and without money involved. We are also not free from rising prices of oil, electrity & basic commodities. Oil prices seem to increase virtually every week. I am so glad I do not have my own car because it would be a burden for me to fill up my tank with gas that gets expensive by the minute. Hay, I sometimes think that the best way to be free from all these problems is to migrate to another country. But, is it the only solution? Even if I migrate anywhere, I cannot be assured that these problems are not gonna happen in a First World country like Japan. We cannot just sit down and watch all these things unfold with our own eyes. We cannot afford to watch the country crumble and fall into bits and pieces. If we all get our act together, we can all be free from all the problems besetting our country. I'm just thinking aloud here, my friends. And since today is our 110th Independence Day, let us not forget the sacrifices and the battles that our forefathers fought against the Spanish, in order to give us the freedom we are now experiencing. Let us remember that if not for their courage, we would still be under an oppresive foreign rule up to now. Happy Independence Day! =)