Blueprint for a Viable Philippines

Former UP President Dodong Nemenzo appeared on TV last night on ANC's The Big Picture. He was there to talk about his group, Laban ng Masa, and his group's pamphlet Blueprint for a Viable Philippines.

What kept me tuned to the program was the idea that, finally, here is someone or a group of people who are presenting to anyone who will listen a set of guidelines that are pointing to everyone the obvious problems of our country and setting and addressing these issues at point blank to the point of spoonfeeding these possible solutions. The program gave only a brief overview of what the book was about. It was basically like a mosquito bite that needed to be scratched. And so typical of me to go ahead with the scratching.

I spent half of my day at work searching and browing through the document that Nemenzo and a group of intellectuals, including Randy David, and in consultation with various sectors put together. It presented the ideas and action plans in a 3 step format that started of with the issue, then presented what government is doing, and lastly, what can and should have been done.

The point of the whole thing though was that the government should actively education the people and help promote an active and vigilant citizenry. Democracy is more than the institutions and the people who work in them but rather it is the about the people who elect those public officials into the institutions. A intelligent, aware, and involved citizenry who will actively participate in public dialougues and consultations, a citenzenry who knows of the issues and not afraid to give his piece of mind, a citizenry who values and is proud of his country and is willing to do everything to make it work.

Currently, I no longer give a damn as to what structure or form of government our country will take. As long as we have the freedom and as long as we are responsible for our freedoms, any system will work. A responsible citizenry will put into power a responsible leader, who in turn can make things together with the citizens, hell of a lot better.