A tree does not bear fruits and say to itself that it does so to serve nature and humanity. Gold does not glitter and say to itself that it does so to become a thing of value to men.
It is men’s faith and affect that give them value and they become treasures.
I have always been touched by the faith of Filipinos,
specially in times of hardships and adversity
but also in times of joys and celebrations.
And yet it baffles me that in an area of robust economic and material development,
we lag behind all of our neighboring countries.
Is it because our faith has remained infantile and borders on superstition?
Or, has our faith made us passive and less competitive to thrive
in an economic world driven by competition?
Or, are we wrong to hanker for material comforts and worldly possessions
when we already have generosity of spirit and irrepressible joy in our souls?
I know many Filipinos who dream of eventually retiring in the Philippines
in spite of the ‘horror stories’ of corruption and violence,
crimes and inefficiencies in the country
because it is truly ‘more fun in the Philippines’.
Maybe we know or have something that makes the Philippines the paradise that it is.
“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”