by Jo Anne Villarosa
i:The Citizen aims to start a very important conversation; and it begins with the question, “What does a better Philippines look like or mean to you?” A simple question, but one to which we may have not given a lot of thought. It is very easy to demand a better country, a better life, a better government, but what do we exactly mean by “better?” The articles presented here expound on this query. Beyond complaining and whining, we the citizens must seek solutions and follow through with our actions. This is not easy. We are all new to this; we might not even know where exactly to begin, and even if we did, we might be overcome by fear, paralyzed by the thought that a better Philippines is too idealistic, not realistic, impossible. We may have even come to believe that a better Philippines is beyond our control and power, but nothing can be farther from the truth. It all starts with each one of us, a personal revolution - small but alive and sincere. We cannot change the country overnight, but we can do what we can. We have all complacently settled to how things are – we curse at the slow and jammed up traffic, we nonchalantly knock on our windows to ward away street children, we look the other way when something blatantly wrong is done right in front of us. We may have gotten used to all these things that it is difficult to comprehend - and much easier to give up - the possibility of a better Philippines. And that is why we ought to talk about it, explore the idea, struggle with its meaning, so that we may begin to hope again.
Whether you are in the Philippines or abroad, whether you are a Filipino or not, if you care about the Philippines, I invite you to inform yourself, inspire others, and be involved in realizing this dream we call “a better Philippines.” It is easy to love a country that provides you with everything, a country that doesn't push you to leave and live somewhere else. But good things don't always come easy. We are entitled to a great country, but this entitlement is borne out of responsible citizenship. A better Philippines starts with a better Citizen.
I encourage everyone to read these articles as if the writer is talking directly to you. Engage in the conversation. Talk back. Write back. i:The Citizen is an evolving space for each one of us. Before we can walk the talk, we actually have to sit down and have a conversation. Action speaks louder than words, but words spur action. Listen. Speak up. Engage.
