THE BLAME GAME
By Joel C. Yuvienco


The May elections are over! Next!
As a people, we have tried one leader and then another and yet another.... We go around in circles, a vicious rollercoaster of a ride from depression to euphoria and back to depression again. Stop the world, I am getting off!
What gives? Is it our leaders (read Trapo)? Our culture (read Bahala Na)? Our history (300 years in the convent and 60 years in Hollywood)? Is it widespread poverty? (I read somewhere that there are even two types of poverty, i.e. the striving and resigned  I leave that to the experts to do some hairsplitting.)
Wouldn't it be nice to do ourselves a favor? Stop pointing fingers and assume responsibility for ourselves and for the next generations. Otherwise the blame game leads all the way to Adam. Who was it who said: "The buck stops here"?
Right, we need to take control of our collective lives or others will. Look at Vietnam. 25 years ago, it was nowhere near the top ten in the Asian economic race. Thailand fared a bit better, but the Philippines was way ahead then. Look at us now. Before we know it, it might make more sense benchmarking against Subsaharan African countries.
Yet we regard ourselves as a resilient people. We have suffered long enough. And we are situated so low that there is nowhere to go but up. Using Christian apologia, we are told that although man has long suffered from the wages of original sin, there is salvation. But at the recurring state of depression, even the Passion of the Christ (real or reel) does not appear sufficient. Or so we thought.
Then again, we are also told that the model for making that change has been there all along; about 2000 years. Too bad for most of us, it's just out there as an emergency toolkit on the top shelf gathering dust. Talk about taking things for granted. At least we know it possesses an eternal shelf life.
I don't know about you, but I presently feel the gnawing need to rediscover the meaning of the hortatory statement that broadly reflects the Golden rule. No, not the "He who has the gold, rules" variant. Tomorrow, I would probably see what I can do with some street children. Suggestions are welcome at jc_yuv@yahoo.com.

The author is Director of the De La Salle-Canlubang School of Management and Technopreneurship. He did his MBA at the University of Liverpool, Institute of Public Administration and Management, UK. He also attended University at the Pamantasan ng Pilipnas where he obtained degrees in Statistics and Law.

May 12, 2004, Quezon City, Philippines