Governance 'Takes Two to Tango’

During and after the deluge brought by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, the avalanche of complaints and concomitant issues on how the government responded to the disaster took its turn. We tend to blame those in office and forget we, as citizens, have our own share of the responsibility. I was in government service for some nine years and I have seen how the government tried, through the decades, to give opportunities for people to participate as much as what a progressive democracy demands. That corruption has become inbred only proves that we all corroborated to make it so. When the government becomes inept and dysfunctional, we have ourselves to blame, too. Yet we have a mass base which still needs to be helped in seeing and understanding these realities before they could even act. Those of us who could lead should continue to teach self help no matter how painstaking the process is. And, there is no mistaking, it is very difficult.

In my stint with the National Housing Authority and Human Settlements Regulatory Commission, I observed that a good way to make people participate is by making them realize they make their future whether or not they act on it and acting on it will make a viable and reliable future most probable. (I do not mean to lecture and only stay confident because of a Meritorious Service Award I happily got from NHA as Sociologist/Community Relations Specialist). Delivering the message or the government goal in simple language and in one of their usage, listening to what they have to say about it and feeling for the community would help a service provider so much it could bring her mission to START. Communication is basic and crucial; planning with the people assures an agreed-upon and feasible product no matter how meagre finances and other resources are. When two parties agree in all aspects to do something, its success is almost guaranteed. We are Filipinos and we could try to do things right for ourselves and for the rest of our race.