Corruption

How can I miss this one? Corruption is our biggest problem yet I did not mention it in my 10 biggest problems! I am not trying to justify my forgetfulness but perhaps I forgot it because corruption is so rampant that I cannot recognize it anymore when I see it?

And where do we usually see corruption?

I know that public utility vehicle drivers regularly give traffic enforcers something (money) to get them off the hook everytime they are caught with violations. In fact many times I saw drivers apprehended yet never have I seen any driver who got a ticket. Surely, they gave the traffic officer some Pesos 20 to 50, which the drivers themselves boasted to have done, as they ride back their vehicles. There are even drivers who have some kind of a letter or a calling card to show a traffic officer, who will then not issue them tickets. I saw one calling card of a supposed high ranking officer that said "sa akin to pare" (this is mine) scribbled at the back.

It is so common when anybody need some documents from a goverment agency, to suffer long hours waiting in line. Everyone knows how long it takes to get your license renewed, or to get some police or NBI clearance, or get a passport. I always wonder why inside the offices of the many government agencies, there are people there that are obviously non employees. Many look like fixers (these are so obvious before when renewing driver's licenses, but I remember things started to change at the time of Oscar Orbos as secretary of the DOTC). Some even look like the ones that just arrived or that was in line behind me earlier! Surely there is corruption taking place here.

Still, there are a lot of places where corruption is taking place. We can name them all here, if readers of this blog would help me. We have to know how, when and where corruption happens even before we attempt to propose a solution to stop them.

But stop them soon we should.

The Ten biggest problems facing the Philippines today

In order to find any solution, one must know the problem. So let us make a list of the biggest problems facing our country today. Here is my list of 10 and everyone is invited to tell me which problems I missed or which problems should have been not included:

1. Heavy Traffic
2. Trash
3. Flooding everytime there is rain
4. High crime rates
5. Drugs
6. Poor Educational System
7. Poverty as seen in the squatter areas
8. Too much politics
9. Pollution
10. Poor healthcare

So there it goes. One by one, let us find solutions to solve them, won't we?

The Pinoy Solutions

I am in the Philippines almost everyday of my life. I was born here. I live here. I studied here. I am working here. And I am raising a family here (or at least trying to).

And everyday I see problems besetting Filipinos here from all walks of life. Problems such as traffic, floods, poverty, poor healthcare, etc. are everyday occurences and should be addressed. Someone said that no one would help the Philippines but the Filipinos themselves. Well, I am a Filipino and I guess it is my responsibility to help any which way I can.

However, as an ordinary citizen, there is nothing in my arsenal that can help me solve problems of the country. In fact, the problems are so beyond me. I cannot even define the problems clearly in my mind so how can I even find a solution to solve them? Perhaps this blog could enlighten me and enlighten some poor other Filipino souls who would somehow venture here.

Let us define our problems and find solutions to them... solutions that may be carried out by ordinary folks like you and me. We may not find a solution, yet, but who knows. Maybe someone somewhere might get an idea or two that would eventually lead us all to a better future.