Leaving the Philippines

     Ask any Filipino, especially the young ones, what his or her plans are for the next ten years and he or she would say, "I plant to work abroad." And mind you, their intention is not just to work on a temporary basis but to settle down permanently in countries like the United States, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.  What does this say about the attitude of many Filipinos toward their homeland? They see the Philippines as a hopeless case and that no bright future awaits them in this country.

     Whenever I look at the pictures of my former office mates who mostly are now living in Canada, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, I get the feeling that I did something wrong in my life here. They look as if they are always having a good life while I struggle to make ends meet, pay bills, and pay off debts. I'm sure others like me get the same feeling whenever they see pictures of their relatives posted on social networking sites like Facebook. Those who are left behind in the Philippines may feel despondent and forsaken whenever they think of their relatives who are living abroad and having a wonderful time.      

      If many Filipinos continue to think about leaving their country, then I would say that all hope for progress has been lost. This is one reason I envy other people like the Japanese. When they work or study abroad, their purpose is to find something that will help their country on the road to progress. Most Japanese consider Japan as their true home and that is why they always return home to their country.  It is this attitude that allowed Japan to surpass other countries in Asia in terms of economic and technological development.     

      I wish our countrymen would have the same attitude as that of the Japanese. But then, the truth of the matter is, Filipinos are more concerned about surviving each day than achieving national economic development and progress. They tend to think more about their personal comfort and you can see this among passengers inside jeepneys. If you hear them voicing out their concerns like rising prices of oil and goods, unemployment, ad corruption, you can be rest assured that they are thinking more about themselves than the good of the country.