Calvin EJ Bautista SN 6

3D PH SA Critique paper
There are a lot of things happened in our nation in the past. A lot of people suffered,
reforms were made and new leaders were elected to promote development in our country.
Going back to Marcos administration, major infrastructures were built, our economy flourished
and the crime rate in our country depleted. Real freedom may not be seen, but the progress in
the Philippines was evident. In 1986, Ferdinand Marcos was ousted from his position by the
uprise of the unity, courage and strength of the Filipino people. After his administration, the
imperceivable problems of the country were slowly emerging. It has already been twenty eight
years since we finally got our freedom from the strict regulations imposed by Marcos to form a
parliamentary type of government, yet most of our problems as a nation still remain. Building a
strong nation is very difficult because not all of the Filipinos have the right attributes to change
themselves. Apparently there is a need for economic recovery, institution reformation and
achieve genuine social justice. Building a people addresses eliminating ones weaknesses and
developing their strength. Development is possible if we understand ourselves first.
Even though the Philippines is considered as a third world country, Filipinos have a lot of
great attributes imbedded in them. Filipinos have the ability to empathize with others, in
helpfulness and generosity when the time of need comes. The regard for others can be seen
when people help each other during calamity, relief goods are countless and evacuation centers
are well organized. Filipinos can still manage to smile and add humor despite of difficulties. It is
an important coping mechanism to adjust in a difficult situation which shows emotional balance
and optimism within us. We are naturally flexible, adaptive and creative. We are flexible
enough to adapt in a new environment and create new things out of scrap. This is especially
prominent to those Filipinos who work hard abroad and willing to take risks with job. Most of
them take two to three jobs in order to financially raise their family, thus giving them a decent
and comfortable life. This mentality shows how family oriented Filipinos are. The genuine and
deep love for the family is the source of emotional and material support. The concern for the
family is manifested through the great sacrifices one endures for the welfare of the family as it
is the persons main commitment and responsibility.
Although the Filipinos have a lot of good attributes, having bad attributes are inevitable.
Extreme family-centeredness of some Filipinos may be dreadful to others since it manifests
itself in the use of power as means of promoting the interests of the family such as political
dynasties. Political dynasties are very evident in the Philippine government especially in the
local government units. Those who are inexperienced in politics were forced and pressured to
manage the government which results to the worsening of the nations current problem. What
the Philippine government need is a strong authority figure because most of our countrymen
are passive and lack initiative. There is a strong reliance on others and one is generally
submissive to authority. Most of us are too patient in a bad way, such that we embrace the
feeling of long-suffering. We tend to have a high tolerance for inefficiency and poor service
which ends up us being easily oppressed and exploited by the corrupt government officials. The
casual and relaxed attitude towards life and authority often result to poor time management
and procrastination. There is lack of analysis which we tend to easily overlook on how to solve
our own problem. The use of short cuts and skirting the rules are some of the ways that show
our lack of discipline which often results in inefficient and wasteful work systems. Filipinos tend
to have a selfish attitude or maybe competitiveness towards other that in extreme, they
develop crab mentality. There seems to be an assumption that anothers gain is ones loss.
Colonial mentality shows the lack of patriotism, an appreciation and love for our own
country. Our openness to other cultures, especially the Western culture, results to cultural
vagueness. We are susceptible to the acceptance of modern mass culture, thus, there is an easy
penetration of other ideas in our own. There will be no filter acting upon it, making it easier to
disorganize the Filipino tradition and culture.
Theres still hope for the development of our country, if all of us are willing to change
and sacrifice for the betterment of all. A change within us should be the first step in order to
achieve our common goal. We have to develop our sense of Nationalism and be proud of our
race so that we can show the world that we are never inferior to others. We also have to be
considerate to the less fortunate people and selflessly volunteer to help our countrymen by
educating them the right attributes and positive outlook in life. Discipline and hard work should
always be present to be successful in life; furthermore, it is essential when working especially
when serving for others. Our government officials should be accountable and credible because
if they themselves do not serve as role models, those leaders will lead the people to nowhere.
The article A Moral Recovery Program: Building a People Building a Nation by Patricia
Licuanan shows that the problems in the country were persistent since then. Currently there
are some developments in the society but those developments dont directly resolve the
countrys problem. What we really need is a gradual change for the good that will wake us up
from the illusion that prevents us from achieving the nations goal.