Nobody Told Me About This!
It’s disconcerting how, when one speaks to Baguio residents about the goings on in City Hall and other questionable ‘development’ projects for the city, folks would invariably exclaim, “How come nobody told me about this?!”
Then I start thinking. “Why should you wait for anyone to tell you?” “How can you live your life so unconcerned about the roots of society’s ills?” “Why are you so accepting and defeated?” “Why aren’t there burning questions inside you just waiting to come out?”
We all have access to information, from newspapers, from books, from the internet, from signs, from conversations. Information can even come from the environment, by just hearing the noise, smelling the fumes, feeling unusually warm, seeing the trash.
But I find that folks read our local papers just for the classified ads. No one cares about the news. It has to be something of disastrous proportions like the UB Fire to get folks to notice anything. We are simply too wrapped up in ourselves, in our problems, in making money, in doing daily chores to care about anything else that is truly important.
So now I ask, why are we this way?
Could it be, for us older folks, because Marcos controlled the press for so long that we stopped believing the news? Or that the reportage now is so bad the quotes from people and not their actions or work are actually news? Have we become so self-involved that we think that only our private concerns are important? Have we become so lazy that we do not care about our surroundings? Or have we become so defeated that whatever we do seems to have no positive effect on the whole so we just choose to stop?
In order to get ourselves out of the rut our country is in, we must consciously become conscious. We must not accept the way things have been imposed upon us. We must not be afraid to question. We must make our opinions known. We must not afraid to submit our thoughts and feelings and have the marketplace of ideas accept or reject them.
We must understand that the simple act of questioning is already one giant step towards making the world a better place. And if we tell others about our concerns we can actually, after reflection or even debate, come up with a collective plan of action.
I think that we say “Nobody told me about this” because we never ask in the first place.
Could it be because we simply do not care? To which I ask, “Isn’t it about time we did?”
We just...
Lisa,
(1) When one asks questions in this part of the world, the tendency is for The Others to label one-who-asks-questions as The Troublemaker. Sad but true.
(2) It was pointed out to me by my elementary classmates that I could do my social responsibilities because I could afford to. As if surviving only meant thinking of Myself. And putting myself above everyone else. Sad but true.
(3) Who do we ask? (best?)
Marie,
1. Asking questions does NOT make one a troublemaker! Why accept that label? For just wanting answers? It is those who label you as such who create the trouble.
2. Social responsibility is NOT the exclusive enclave of the rich! How defeated were your classmates at that young age? What kind of parents raised them?
3. Ask anybody you please, please! It is your right, it is your obligation.
The reason the Filipino is happy is because he is clueless. To stop questioning would be to accept our status as slaves deluded into thinking we are free men.
Nabasa na ba ninyo ang Parzival ni Wolfram Von Eschenbach? I remember Nick recommending it during the first Baguio workshop when the story of the Grail was brought up. Ang galing!
Hiya Dale!
Sigue, hanapin natin ang Parzival! Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Nobody asks because everybody is uncomfortable with the answers they might get. Its not just laziness, or self-involvement or being defeated, although its partly those. I’m afraid its worse. Its cynicism and hardness of heart.
And the sad thing is that some of the most cynical are those who are originally from Baguio and environs (I include here the entire Cordilleras), were born, grew up, were educated there and are the first to turn a blind eye to “questionable ‘development’ projects for the city” if they benefit in some way from it.
Here I am again, being negative. Anyway, I’m with you, in whatever small way I can help in bringing the truth about Baguio’s ills to light. Will keep dropping by and giving my two cents worth and will blog about it when I can.
Best,
Butch
Hi Butch,
I was accused of the same thing — being negative. One is negative only if he complains and does not work to change himself, and the city, for the better.
Just the way Baguio looks today says a lot about its residents.
Thanks for your concern. I know you love Baguio almost (hahaha) as much as I do, and knowing that you are around gives us all great comfort. Appreciate it, old friend.
Lisa,
Living here in US has not stopped me from asking questions. Every time I call my family I ask them what’s new. Even old gossip does not become sour. In my free time, I look up Baguio in the internet. Asking questions about the place I love the most has never been difficult because I care.
The sad thing is that those who live there. Those who are enjoying the comfort of my fave City has chosen to let other people decide the fate of our City without even a blink. A peso is not needed to speak out our concerns. Nor does it take a second to stop ourselves from throwing that piece of candy wrapper on the street.
Baguio is such a small city for us not to know or notice what is going on. The ultimate question is.. Am I going to do something about this eyesore/noise, air pollution/ dwindling trees and so forth… or am I just going to sit down in People’s Park with blind acceptance to inhale all the fumes from the jeepney while I stare at the faux pine tree decoration and compare which has more traffic.. the traffic on Magsaysay Ave across the market: or the traffic of those going up and down the bridge to and from the market.. I think it would be a close count.
Thanks Lisa for your wonderful website. Now I can really be more up to date on what’s going on. And I guess I’ll join the contest of “Who Loves Baguio the Most”.. hehehe
“..am I just going to sit down in People’s Park with blind acceptance to inhale all the fumes from the jeepney while I stare at the faux pine tree decoration and compare which has more traffic..”
Hello May!
Maybe the current residents think this is beautiful, this is progress. Maybe it is relatively better than the lowland provinces.
Maybe they are starving and overheating in the lowlands and Baguio is heaven. At least here, there is sayote everywhere and free airconditioning.
As for the oldtimers, well… they seem to forget the essence of Baguio in their desire to make money. Many residents do not see, smell or hear the problems.
So we are here to wake everybody up!
Fear of questions? Pardon my impertinence, but please!
Hmmm… I got into a hell of a lot of trouble asking questions from City Hall people and am currently toeing the line with The Government. I didn’t ask myself if I was afraid: I asked myself what I would risk to ask those questions. And I’m just 22: I ask questions because I want answers that assure me that my future ISN’T in question.
If you don’t ask now, you’ll never get answers. Yes, you’ll get in trouble. Yes, you’ll have accusers. But this is all about getting something better. This is about getting what we rightfully deserve. This is all about making sure to ask the questions that directly affect US.
So if it means trouble, bring it on. I won’t have it on my soul to have more questions left unanswered, and more solutions overlooked because I didn’t ask.
Peace out! Thanks Lisa!
Right on, Marck!
people we have to admit are becoming more self centered this days if the matters is not of their immediate interest to hell with it,that is why many magazines and even newspaper are becoming more specialize in any field where they can attract a special group to cater to.Its what they call the mine your own business or not in my backyard sort of thing.
Hi Edgar,
The funny thing is, EVERYTHING concerns us! Our neighbors family quarrels, the migration of birds, the denudation of forests, the routes others take to go to work — all these things affect us, more directly than we realize.
So if the city mayor wants to put up 3 more flyovers, granting for the sake of argument there are bottlenecks that need be addressed, he will merely speed up the areas above the bottlenecks and cause new bottlenecks elsewhere.
That’s why also crimes are termed “People versus ______” — because a crime against your brother is a crime against you (as in, you could have been the victim).
So we must be active participants in life, not just bystanders.
hi lisa, don’t know where to put this but a week or two ago, a leasee in camp john hay was complaining that their things were forcibly removed from the stall or place they were renting. this was shown on a local channel. i don’t know what has happened then but i found it amusing because camp john hay itself has arrears in their rentals to the city, unless it’s been paid, and continues to operate of course.
Hi Resty,
That’s funny and sad. Which lessee? I was talking to the owner of a cafe and they also said their lease is going to be terminated because Ayala is coming in. Lemme go and ask around tomorrow.
Thanks
Lisa, think it was Ranchero something.