As I watched my aunt while making her speech last Sunday afternoon, it made me wonder. Is her job being a politician makes her a professional? Why and why not? As I heard her saying out loud the lines that expresses her love for her country, one of those line says:"
Para sa ikabubuti ng bayan, magkaisa tayong lahat! ang inyong lingkod..". I reflected to myself that night. I grew up in a family where love and familiy unites, where political issues are being dined in on the table together with our meal every dinner, where everyone is asked about their own opinions about the present government and when we learned to talk to people whose names we didn't know or even if we did, we can't remember anymore. Ever since I entered school, my teacher would always ask during the first day of the school year:"Are you related to ex-mayor/vice mayor/chairman blah blah blah...?" and I would often say: "Yes.". Another follow-up question of :"Is he your grandfather/uncle/aunt?", I'll quickly answered yes again and then turn my back or do something else to escape the small talk. It's not that the topic is pointless, but for me it doesn't seem to play a big part in the everyday life as it could. It's not that I was ashamed of my relatives, it's just that I don't like the idea ME being known by people because of them. I wanted to be recognized by others because they believe in me, by being me and simply being ME. Going back to my reflections, I asked myself, all those times being exposed to big crowds and gathering why I hadn't learned to love nor dream being one of the leaders of my country? Maybe because I can't imagine myself in a municipal hall /capitol nor standing in front of a big crowd asking them to vote me. Honestly, I don't have any grudges nor hatred on politics but I'd probably see myself years from now in the hospital, caring for my patients and building a rapport with them, standing in front of a big crowd and conducting health teachings, attending numerous medical missions or talking professionally to doctors or other members of the health care team. As I closed my eyes that night even though my first question was unanswered, I thought of one thing. That there are one thousand and one ways to express love for my country. Being one of the leaders is only one of those, there are a thousand left more. Just by paying right taxes on time, helping my other Filipino people IN and OUT of the country, buying Filipino products truly I can make Philippines feel that I love her. As what my aunt had said that Sunday afternoon, I'll end this blog borrowing those lines.
Para sa ikakabuti ng bayan, magkaisa po tayo..Ang inyong lingkod,
GARCIA, AMBER LOUISE S.P.
[unanswered Q.]
