The Three Stars and a Sun

If I may correctly recite the Sibika at Kultura lessons during my elementary years, the three stars in the flag represent the three major islands and the colors blue and red represent peace over war.  It affirms our belief, our conviction, our choice, that peace should reign in our land.

By BEVERLY ANN S. MUSNI, YR.
Davao Today

When asked about my thoughts on our Independence Day, I would say I’m ready to defend the three stars and a sun.  The late Francis M. could never have said it better.  I don’t know about President (Noynoy) Aquino or any of his cohorts if they could do the same.  They never really gave much thought in uplifting the condition of our countrymen despite the much hoopla on the matuwid na daan principle.

The Aquino administration has not done something to alleviate our pitiful state, even when external and internal forces are pummeling our country to the worst depths of poverty and bondage.

Yes, it boasted of the economy’s “trickle-down” effect.  But did the Filipino people truly feel it?  Economic growth may be pointed to real estate development, construction and other related industries.  But this may be due to business process outsourcing like call centers, which sadly is a trend among our young people today.  With the utter lack of employment related to their courses, graduates from business courses, nursing and other fields mostly land jobs in call centers.

Despite being tagged as the “Rising Tiger” in the Asian region, unemployment and poverty remain the country’s glaring realities.  Based on the Social Weather Stations Survey, from 2012, the deepening economic crisis continues with at least 2.7 million Filipinos unemployed.  In the same period, the number of families who experienced hunger increased up to 500,000 or at least 2.5 million individuals.

Based on the data of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in the last quarter of 2012, the official unemployment rate reached up to 6.8 percent.  It’s really high compared to Thailand’s 0.5 percent, Singapore’s 1.8 percent, Malaysia’s 3.1 percent, South Korea’s 2.8 percent, Taiwan’s 4.3 percent and China’s 4.1 percent.  Thus, the exodus of OFWs continues in the wake of grave threats and dangers in Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and in most parts of the world.

The aggravating international dispute between the Philippines and China, and the punitive action in the grounding of the USS Guardian in Tubbataha Reef concretized the weakness of the Aquino administration in defending our heritage, our territory.

US military aggression through the Mutual Defense Treaty further places the Philippines as a pawn in the Asia-Pacific region in the game of Imperialist power.  The onerous Visiting Forces Agreement also permits the continuous US military presence in our shores.

Indeed arrogance is Uncle Sam’s middle name and Lapdog may be that of Aquino’s, when the latter turned a blind eye in the Tubbataha reef destruction.  There was no directive in making the officers and crew liable for the incident which destroyed a Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.  For a measly USD 1.4 Million, he allowed the US to bully our country by accepting such payment for an irreversible damage to our environment.

Indeed, the US agenda for security and imperialist power in Asia is strengthened by Aquino’s resolve to be its puppet, endangering our national territory, our resources and the people.

If I may correctly recite the Sibika at Kultura lessons during my elementary years, the three stars in the flag represent the three major islands and the colors blue and red represent peace over war.  It affirms our belief, our conviction, our choice, that peace should reign in our land.

Yet, peace remains an elusive dream.  President Aquino has already closed the door on the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.  The GRP continues to mock and violate the provisions of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

Rights abuses continue to escalate as the number of desaparecidos increase, not to mention the enforced disappearance of Estelita Tacalan, a member of peasant organization, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, in Misamis Oriental.  Had it not been for the people’s demand to surface her, she might be forever missing, without a trace.

In refusing to address the peace talks, President Aquino also showed his arrogance and conceit in this utter disregard for just and lasting peace.  The peace talks should have been able to directly tackle social, political and economic reforms for the Filipino people.  But in a true gangster PNoy style, he managed to evade any undertaking for peace and instead threw his all-out support for the Oplan Bayanihan, a “counter-insurgency” program worse than Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya.

With due respect to our heroes who have shed blood for our country, I believe we remain to be slaves of political names and dynasties who continue to plunder our coffers and bind us in poverty and despair.

But sadly, the Aquino government has never done something to free us from this slavery.  It’s further blinding us in taking its matuwid na daan to socio-economic and political bondage.

Yes, we are far-off from being truly independent.  But if worse comes to worst, and even if I had to take arms in defending the three stars and a sun, I would.

Beverly Ann S. Musni, Yr. is a free spirit.   She is a wanderlust, a dreamer and a frustrated rock star who dreams of travelling the world one day.  She is a world peace advocate.