Zamboanga, the pride of Mindanao as they call it has been my home for the 15 years of my existence. The society was and is never perfect. It has its own fair share of struggles as any other society experiences. The biggest struggle in the city of Zamboanga is maintaining peace and order which long process has been constantly bruised and battered. Peace and order which is for the benefit of all the people living in the city is needed for the people to fully live their lives. It is needed so that the city can focus on developing the society and bringing out the best from whatever resources it is endowed with. What has been going on for years is the asserting selfish deeds of individuals who insist on having things go their way. Hence, the murders, thefts, homicides, kidnappings and many other man-caused tragedies are prevalent. Officials and the people of the city make no big effort or bring out strong will to change these ways and transform them into loving acts for the good of all people. There are numerous threatening events that happened here in Zamboanga where society was gravely put in danger. Since the city is near ARMM, it’s in Mindanao, rebel and free groups against the government such as the MILF, MNLF, and Abu Sayaff get plenty of chances to harm people and demand overwhelming things for themselves. All people have seen how brutal they carry out their means for their selfish ends. These groups are against the Philippine government and demand through militaristic means for a separate entity/government. There have been bombings, hostages, kidnappings, murders just for this demand of theirs. These people do not make moral decisions and do not contribute to social justice. Simply to put it, Zamboanga city has got a shaky peace and order. It’s not guaranteed to keep its citizens safe in whatsoever way.

One of the struggles in Ateneo de Zamboanga University is making high quality education available to the less fortunate of the society. This benefit that is for all can’t be achieved by all because of the wide gap between the rich and the poor. Poor people can’t afford to get themselves into ADZU but rich people can. It’s sad how a common good needs to be paid for in big amounts. For me, I think that’s selfish because education is a service and money is often times wasted or spent on the wants of individuals and not for the whole of the community or society of students which it is of and for. The common good is rooted in equality and unity of all people. Drawing a line between poor and rich for good quality education does not seem at all fair for me. Everyone should have an access to better education no matter what social class they belong to. Poverty or below middle-class as social condition, however does not allow most people what everyone deserves to fulfil.

These two struggles need a collective effort to be solved. There is a great need for cooperation of all because if not all people work towards the goal, the good end can never be achieved.

I think a way to address the peace and order situation in the city as a teenager and a student is to actively participate and be involved in programs and missions directed to rectify the situation in the littlest way possible. Last year, my class joined the Peace Tech conference in WMSU which educated us on what we should avoid doing and what we should prevent others from doing because it’s important that we get educated on wrongs that we should not follow and right that we should illuminate to others. I believe it’s this sense of responsibility which will address the problem in a bid way. I also recently joined the 6th walk for humanity which was about the common good that people need to be walking towards. So these are the kinds of events and programs that help us take a step further towards the common good we seek.

I can also address the problem to the attainment of good quality education. I can lend my hand to others who can’t afford the education they so deserve. I can do that through organizations that my school offers such as Information Technology Society where we teach public school students who don’t have the opportunity in the field of technology, the computer, how this helps them much in their work ethic. I can also join YassEd where we take roles of educators about Environmental health and also about Science concepts that are very important in education. Therefore, we share our opportunities because this is the way it should be. This opportunity of high quality education should be open to all and by participating in organizations such as those just mentioned where we share the education we get from our school, we create a window for others. I believe that offering our service to people is the way to address this struggle. By making a moral decision and choice, we create a culture that will help others to move and do it themselves.

Struggles are only there because we allow them to be there. If we truly want a just society that meets its common good, we have to work for it. Not just by ourselves but with each other, together. I believe struggles aren’t there because they hold us back. Struggles are there because we hold our own selves back. Struggles are also there to test our faith and challenge us as to how far we can care for ourselves and others. To address the struggles I face with my society, I have to get out of my own way and be truly concerned and involved with the society towards working to build the common good.