Of Being a Filipino Abroad and Mariannet's Death

A classmate of mine forwarded an email to all the Filipinos in our class (there are four of us). It contained a link to a news story of Mariannet's death. He said he was devastated and wanted to know how such a horrible thing could happen in a country like the Philippines. I was disappointed to know that my fear had materialized - that of my classmates knowing of Mariannet's death.

This is not the first time that I have been put in a difficult situation ever since I started my graduate studies because of some news back home or of some story of how not to do it, Philippine-style. It didn't help that our first case to be analyzed in our Public Administration in Theory and Practice class was about the equally famous Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Of course, everything paled in comparison to the biggest embarrassment of all - the story of the incumbent President pardoning another who is as equally disgusting as the other. Our classmates who come from all over the world would always be baffled by these stories because they think Filipinos are bright, articulate, lively people.

My usual reaction to their quandary and to their queries and questions is one of hope and one of a bright future. I do no fail to give them a perspective of the situation in the Philippines, why such things do actually happen and how things are going to be better sometime.

Mariannet's death, however, is different because it dealt with something that is close to my heart; something that I know and feel strongly about. Philippine realities have a way of catching up to you even when you are miles away.

Poverty (& the things that make it possible) is something that was (and is) a matter of interest to me. And uplifting people from poverty is something of a passion. The course that I took back in College and eventually, the work that I had after graduation were all about uplifting and liberating people from the bondage of poverty. The idea of change and the liberation of the common Filipino continue to drive and motivate me.

Prior to having my graduate studies here, I was with a NGO for seven years working along rural farmers and farmworkers in their quest for land and justice. A substantial time of my NGO life I have spent in Mindanao where 5 of the 10 poorest provinces in the Philippines are located. (This is an irony because Mindanao is rich in natural resources and is touted to be the food basket of the Philippines.)

Truth be told, Mariannets' death did not shock me. I had too much of such stories in the Philippines. How different is this from the mother who killed herself holding on to a Sweepstakes ticket hoping that her death would move God to mercy and grant her the jackpot prize so that her kids may live to see another day? On the lands, coasts and mountains and among the people of Mindanao, I had the chance to see and feel how it is to be poor, to be destitute, to be without choice, to be without hope. To be one with people in the margins has taught me lessons in poverty.

I have learned that in situations of poverty, it is the children who suffer most as demonstrated by Mariannet. And if the children bear the brunt, what will happen to our country's future. Was it Rizal who said that the youth is our nation's future? But, where are our youths now? Recent surveys show that 9 Million Filipinos (most of them young) have experienced extreme hunger in the past months and those that are able to barely eat sustain on sardinas and pancit canton. No wonder our education is going down the drain and the performance of our students are steadily going down. Intelligence is primarily a function of nutrition. Filipino children are dying in ways worse than self-strangulation.

I have also learned the fact that poverty is multi-faceted, debilitating and oppressive. And it is a trap. Once you are caught in its cycle, the chances of you getting out are dim. Statements such as "kasalanan kasi ng mga magulang, anak ng anak, irresponsable, walang paki" may seem reasonable at first glance but hardly do they give justice to people in conditions of abject poverty. It is a case of blaming the victim. Kaya anak ng anak kasi walang alam sa contraception, kasi walang pera pambili ng contraceptives, kasi tinuruan ng simbahan na kasalanan sa Diyos. Sometimes, you become institutionalized to this condition.

Sure, there are those who get out of the proverbial trap but they are the exception rather than the rule - a mere .1 percent in the 87 million Filipinos.

I have also learned of the pernicious effect of mainstream Philippine media. It is not far-fetched to say that mainstream media have exacerbated and sustained poverty. In a damning demonstration of media's influence, Mariannet left a letter for Wish Ko Lang asking that her parents be given decent jobs. She also asked for bicycle, allowance, what-have-you. This is exactly the kind of escapism that media provide - telling the poor that solutions to poverty can be had by writing a letter to Wish Ko Lang or joining Willie Revillame's pa contest. These escapist idea are also present in soap operas and primetime news.

These lessons and Mariannet's death are even more painfully striking for me as I study here because Asia is supposed to be on the rise. In my class, we study and always talk about the rise of Asia - how the world is changing and our part of the world is on the forefront and how Asians are looking more excitedly towards the future. Asia's rise is shown, for example, in the debates surrounding the representation of Asian countries in the decision-making processes of the IMF-WB. This is unprecedented in history. Another example is that permanent UN Security Council membership for China and India is being considered. The neighbors of the Philippines are taking advantage of this rise and they are growing by leaps and bounds.

They say foreign lands create nostalgia and disbelief. I stand in the midst of this bustling metropolis with the news of Mariannet's death and I feel the divide and it is unbelievably unbelievable. I feel like giving up my country and walking away. At the same time, being here gives you a different perspective. You hear good things about your people. And you begin to rethink and revisit your assumptions on where the f*#k did it all go wrong.

And in all these reflections, I think one thing still remains certain and that is that governments play a very important role in poverty alleviation or even in poverty creation. It's really good governance that sets other Asian countries apart (at least those that were able to make it as newly industrializing economy). Their governments also learn from their mistakes. An intelligent government so to speak.

But, there's hope. There's redemption. I'm not sure where or how, but, there must be. There should be. For Mariannet, and for my own sanity and dignity. It's increasingly becoming difficult to be a Filipino.