Like it or not, we are connected with each other in many ways. Seeing our country progress economically is not the only basis for development. We need to educate every Filipino people. We need to increase employment rate. We need to lessen poverty rate. We need to raise the level of awareness during calamities, and urgently need to address issues in our government to gain trust from Filipinos. Taxes straight to pockets of greedy officials is discouraging magnified by the pork barrel scam the country is facing now. What is more heart breaking is that the empire of pork barrel scam is made possible by private individuals. Thus, rather than paying correct taxes for the development of the country, businessmen would opted to help in their own little ways. On the lighter note, according to anti-graft organization Transparency International's 2012 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), “The Philippines' ranking in the list of the most corrupt countries improved this year. While the country's ranking has improved, its actual CPI score shows the level of perceived corruption is still significant. The Philippines' CPI score was 34 out of 100, still among the lowest”. So, let’s try to pay taxes. Think of Philippine education, and other programs to be funded for nation building.

Recently, we were struck with a number of devastating calamities – MILF rage in Zamboanga, Earthquake in Bohol and Cebu, and the strongest recorded typhoon in the world, Yolanda struck the whole Visayas region. Despite all of these, we stand strong and smile despite the damages in our lives. During these calamities, we can see and experience how Filipino people help each other. These kind of “bayanihan” is what we need in order to improve our own internal calamities – Philippine corruption, and greediness of officials.
Quoting Aristotle, “The whole is better than the sum of its parts”. No country is immune to corruption. We need to respond and prevent it as a whole. With the new government led by Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, cleaning and improving government system to be more transparent. Our government is in need of our help in these reformation process. In fact there are many developed countries helping us, of which is the Australian government cited from a report in the Philippine Star dated July 4, 2013. Bill Twedell shared how Australia battled for corruption –from spending two years investigation of long-term, systemic political corruption in the Queensland government, to jailing of three former Queensland ministers and implementing reforms in Australian government. Mr. Twedell also shared the many assistance Australia has provided to our country.

Now the challenge is on us. Let’s do our part, and exercise our power in choosing our leaders/ managers of our beloved country. I think, we should start cooperating consciously with our government. A program called “Private-public partnership (PPP)” has help increase percentage of project implementation efficiency. We can be watchdogs in programs like this.

It is my, your, and our business to continuously improve our lives as Filipino people. Let’s help together build a better Philippines. We can start from ourselves, and be instruments of hope for every Filipinos. Philippines is our country, and it is our business to save it for the next generation!