Love of country

AFTER hearing the 3rd SONA, how should we love our country? Is there a different way for leaders and followers? For elected officials and voters? For appointed ones and citizens? These days, it seems too hard to do so since we are back again to the days when Filipinos are not the center of attention of government and the elected and appointed officials seem to forget why they ran and what they should be doing for voters, citizens and the nation. Can we have transformation under a Marcos-Araneta-Romuladez clique and their cabal? Don't you see and feel the anger of voters?

Citizens need a deep sense of appreciation and commitment to the nation. These can be through active citizenship and political engagement, embracing national identity and culture, sacrificing for the common good, taking responsibility and community engagement, acknowledging imperfections, and working for change. Citizens can sacrifice a lot if officials truly represent them, and when you see that a leader truly cares. After all, the elected ones decided on their own to run and by winning, these leaders know that they have to work for the people during their term of office and not the other way around. Unfortunately, ours has always been president-centric, and if we have a weak leader, many will move to fill the vacuum.