"WALK-ON BY"
Nowadays, hindi tayo dapat magtaka kung naging bukam-bibig na ng mga tao ang kanilang hinaing tungkol sa kasalukuyang pahirap nang pahirap na kalagayan sa buhay. At dapat nating iisiping hindi lang nag-iisa tayong mga filipinos or ang Pilipinas na dumaranas ng ibayong pagdarahop at pagsasalat sa maraming bagay.
If we will only come to think the root causes of this prevailing situation, masasabi nating some of it are man-made, due to human's neglect and/or abuse of nature at marami pang iba.
God has not created perfect environment for certain countries or people. He has plans of His own na dapat nating igalang, sundin o pagpitaganan. To mention a few and clear evidences of the foregoing statement are as follows:
Countries in the Middle East Region from the beginning of their civilization craved for water. Para sa mga Arabo, napakahalaga o napaka-importante sa kanila ng tubig na noong mga unang panahon, they mostly depend on rain water and some improvised deep wells. Maaaring ang iba'y hindi pa nakaka-alam na magpahanggang ngayon, ang mga Arabo ay may dasal para pag-ulan kapag nale-late ang pagpatak ng ulan sa mga petsang kanilang inaasahan (Rain Invoking Prayers).
Lack of rain was as well the reason kung bakit noong mga unang panahon, native arabs lived in improvized mudhouses na mangpahanggang ngayon ay visible pa rin. And through the era of modern civilization, it is now being considered a part of their most valuable history that is being preserved. May mga nakatira pa rin naman sa mga nasabing mudhouses ngayon.
Noong una'y salat sila sa tubig kaya ang mga bahay ay gawa lang sa pinaghalong putik at mga tuyong dahon o paklang ng punong dates (palm trees). As those years were gone and the region is having rapid physical and economic transformations coupled with the prevailing climate changes, ang mga bahay nilang putik ay unti-unting nalulusaw whenever it rains and its now nearly extinct.
Ang kanilang mga kalsada during the early years of their economic development ay basta na lang sinementuhan or nilagyan ng aspalto "WITHOUT ANY DRAINAGE AT ALL" kaya ngayong nagbago na ang takbo ng panahon, sa tuwing uulan kahit ilang oras lang, kaagad bumabaha maging sa mga kalsada.
Through the physical changes of the region, madali ang kanilang naging pagbabago maging sa kanilang mga pamamaraan sa agrikultura. Dati'y kulang sila sa tubig, ngayon sa pamamagitan ng mga makabagong pamamaraan, they can pump-up water from more than three kilometers deep bringing it to the open ground for various facilities' usage that paved the way to further agricultural boom.
As the oil business continues to be the region's considered "black gold" it as well pumps-up the economic success and that the mudhouses were replaced with luxurious marble mansions, palaces, etc. Meaning in this particular part of the globe, there were some previous hitches as well katulad din ng mga nasa iba pang panig ng mundo.
But take note, despite or kahit sila'y masasabing nahihiga sa banig ng ginto (black gold or oil) o tunay na ginto (mineral ore) marami pa rin sa kanila ang hindi nakakapag-aral (bedouines or "bado") who preferred to stay or live in the desert under extreme temperatures, 50+ degrees centrigade during summer and freezing cold during winter, rather than to live in the beautiful housing projects that their government have provided for them.
On the other hand sa ating bansa, kahit naman salat tayo sa maraming materyal na kayamanan and many of our citizens who are classified living below the poverty line who content themselves in the slum areas, it has been compulsary duty for any parent/s to send their children to school. This only shows na kahit tayo'y naghihirap, ang kamangmangan ay pinagpiliitan nating mapagwagian. We are one of the countries who have most literate citizens (high percentage of literacy) as even the small kids are trying to speak some foreign vocabularies (words) which signifies that despite pa rin ng ating kahirapan, we have something in our nature na maipagmamalaki kumpara sa ibang foreign nationals.
And although, majority of us Filipinos are poor, mayaman naman tayo sa iba't-ibang katalinuhan. Maraming Filipino Scientists ang nagtatrabaho sa NASA at maging sa Microsoft ni Bill Gates as well as in the Silicon Valley, California, USA where major high-tech companies are operating.
And much more, may kanya-kanya tayong expertise sa anumang larangan where we really excel at lot. Among us are the nearly 10 miliion of OFWs based in numerous countries around the globe as we compete with other foreign nationals in various fields of endeavour. Kami dito sa Middle East, naging isang kasabihan nang kapag Filipino (Filipini), we are always Number One (No. 1) kasi, they (Arabs) have proven our efficiency, diligence, honesty and capability in handling any tasks related or not sa aming trabaho. At kahit ang ating mga domestic helpers na tunay na nagpapakahirap sa kanilagn mga trabaho, majority of the Arab Families like them most because of their cleanliness and being hardworking and trustworthy individuals.
So, kahit saang lupalop pa ng mundo tayo mapadako, God has made us who we are and what we are. Mahirap man tayo, mayaman naman tayo sa mga mabubuting katangiang panloob. And we should not feel insecured sakalit mapaharap man tayo ng ibang tao - they have the traits of their own and we have perhaps one of the finest of them all. Kaya, "WALK-ON BY" lang tayo sa ating pakikisalamuha sa iba't-ibang nilalang sa mundo. We must be proud being Filipinos "sa isip, sa salita at maging sa gawa".
TONY R. MONTERAS (malaking ibon)
OFW, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
01 February 2009 / 06 Safar 1430 H
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