The hope we see in our Pope

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Catholic Church, Papal Visit, Philippines, Pope Francis, Religion, Vatican, Year of the Poor

In a pre-dominatly Catholic societies like the Philippines, 2015 has started by declaring it by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines as the ‘Year of the Poor’. Indeed, ever since Pope Francis became a Pontiff, the care for the poor and the needy has been the subject of his missions – and that includes his visit to the Philippines especially to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban. His experiences from the past has truly shaped his life centering to the poor and the marginalized. And that way of life has been inspiring many lives all over the world regardless of religion, class, and race.

It’s kind of unfortunate on my part to haven’t seen the Pope in person while I am outside Manila. Worst is that I can’t focus watching the live streaming of the entire 5-day visit while doing my work loads. It’s either I left my work for a moment, which I have done often, or missed this historic moment in the Philippine soil. So definitely, I depend my observations through the social media. And the warm crowd all my countrymen has shown from his arrival up to his last mass in the Rizal Park has brought back my faith in humanity of the Filipino people and brought back hope that the Philippines can do become a better society.

The moment I saw Pope Francis in the window of the Sri Lankan Airline that brought him safe in the Philippines, I started to feel amazed and wowed. Tumayo balahibo ko and even more when he went down the plane and started his short journey that tremendously changed so many hopeless lives of people.

I know many of us have felt the same way too. His presence gives a lighter feeling that we almost forgot our shortcomings. In his motorcades where pope mobile drives at around 20kph, I have read facebook posts and tweets saying that all their waiting is worth it even though they just saw the pope in more or less 3 seconds. People felt blessed seeing the Pope. So do I. His closeness to the mass and to the children and elders, his simple gestures of hugs and kisses shows his very sincere care to the people, to God’s people – calling him the People’s Pope.

Many of the people have come from different walks of life. Every people has their own unique stories to tell. Pope’s meeting with the families, the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, and the youth have testified God’s greatness to the faithful. Their stories have inspire many to never lose hope especially those who feel weak and abandoned. Even Pope Francis sees hope to all of us when he says that…

The Pope wants all of us to keep the faith to God and continue the hope lit on fire. His visit reminds us that God never left us. We may have faced so many trials in the past years and have questions left unanswered but God’s faithfulness to us have never vanished. Pope Francis reminds us that just like him, many people still care for the people who have already lost their purpose to live, those who are burdened and felt abandoned.

And as people find hope in him, I found hope that collectively, little by little, people will discover their ways to help themselves. Little by little, the government will discover their ways to help the people in need most. And little by little, each of us will discover ways to help in the society and contribute for the greater good. And soon, Philippines will be a better place.

Credit to rappler.com for the photo.

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‘Kulang budget ko’ (I don’t have enough budget)

This is one of the heartbreaking words from patients to hear as a medical representative. It’s my job to see doctors everyday. And it happens to be part of my job as well to see patients and hear their stories.

While I was waiting outside a doctor’s clinic yesterday morning, a mom of late 40’s of age went out to talk to someone over the phone. I was eavesdropping. In her ‘teary’ gentle voice, she was trying to borrow a money from the person on the other line because she has no enough money to pay for the consultation and small procedure done to, I believe, her daughter.

It ground my heart. I know because we were once been in the same instance before. I completely understand the hardship of having nothing at all but have to pay for something because it matters your family. The ‘bahala na’ habit often saves the day but lasts only until tomorrow – And we do not care because what matters to us is the well-being of someone we love.

Those kind of stories make me feel more driven because I hope and pray that someday, in God’s time, I’ll find my way to help those people – to help them be better and live better. I still have a hope that the healthcare system of this country will get better; that someday, everybody will have better healthcare services and benefits. And no one will went out of the clinic teary trying to reach out other people begging for help.

Gunshot to money

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Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte, Speed Limit

Road accidents have been one of the most prevailing causes of deaths all over the world. In fact, according to WHO on Global Road Safety Report of 2013, 1.24 Million deaths was posted per year due to road accidents. Likewise in the Philippines, it is one of the Top 10 causes of mortality amongst Filipinos.

For that reason, Davao City, with the proactive response of its local government, implemented last October 2013 a maximum speed limit within its territory – 30KPH within downtown area. Yes, you read it right. 30KPH. At first, it’s quite disturbing ‘cos 30KPH is just like riding bicycle. I mean, it might took me 30 to 45 minutes from home to work when it’s just a 15-minute drive. But then, it is a policy that needs to be abided by.

And you cannot escape when people – called the TMC or I named them ‘The Green Boys’ – caught you in the act. They have this speed gun that when you see them along the road, their like action stars, with a combat outfit and a rider shade on, in the middle of a fighting scene firing somebody, maybe their enemy, approaching. And when you’re over the limit, you are dead.

But really, were all the drivers caught punished through license suspension and penalty fee? Believe me, not everyone.

I was once a violator. I was heading to my work when the road seems so wide and empty. And it tempted me to drive faster than the limit; Speed gun on and I was just gunshot. 58KPH. It was my first time to get caught and felt ready about the consequences. I composed myself and talked to a green boy. He narrated my violations and how much will it cost me in LTO and the seminar I have to attend. Truly, I felt sorry for the hassle and amount of time I have to spend to get back my license.

Until the green boy told me something to be free…

‘But Sir, despite all that, we can talk about it’ (Translated to English). And I know what he meant by that. We dealt with the nego, gave him what he asked, requested to make it a secret, then done. I was free to go. And I became free from the hassle of my violation that only cost me very little yet provided that green boy an easy money by mere pulling the trigger of the speed gun in less than a second.

More than this as a confession, I realized over that experience that while the speed limit is trying to discipline the motorists and encourages safer driving, it has also became an opportunity for the law enforcers to make money out of it – or ‘kotong’ as we coined it. They took advantage of the perils of the law to all the motorists.

Just imagine if in a day, a single green boy caught 10 violators and bribed for 200 pesos each, that’s 2,000 pesos in just 10 seconds or 40,000 pesos in less than 4 minutes of speedgun-shooting – a money from the people of the city out of a local law of the government who supposedly protects the people of the city.

The question now becomes ‘who benefits more from the government’s initiative?’

There’s is seriously nothing wrong with the law if only it serves its purpose with no one being extorted and intimidated. In fact, I commend Mayor Duterte for such concern to his people and the place they all live in. I understand that it only offers protection from any harm of the road. I just hope that the local government of Davao can address this as soon as possible so all are equal before the law and no one takes personal gain.