The Dogma of Healing
It has been 12 days since I arrived and the third day since I saw waters on the streets of Cotabato City. Water Hyacinths can still be seen floating along the waterways of the city, large chunks to say the least, but most of these are swiftly carried to the sea. I have heard about agar-agar farms at Ambo Point in Landasan, Parang feeling the brunt of these hyacinths. I still have to go and see for myself. Suffice it to say though, these lilies have to go somewhere and maybe our authorities have to do something about it.
I regress, but my point in this article are the many things I observed, found out, saw and heard. Going to Delta Bridge, I can’t but help notice the streamers of support for the mayor of Cotabato City. Now, I ask myself, is this really needed? Do we really have to hang these political “affiliative drive” statements to show that indeed – we are behind the mayor? Or would it be better to buy food and give them to those affected by the floods. I could hang a thousand of these signs and yet deep in me – abhor the mayor. My point being, it is counter-productive to hang these signs because we only expose the notion that there are a lot of people who do not support the mayor. IF we really are for the mayor, then why don’t we organize ourselves, do some relief operation and tell the people –‘the mayor sent us’.
We understand the plight of those that were affected by the floods. The desperation in the cry of parents making do with what is available. The ghoulish stare of children whose young minds are questioning all and sundry – why they have to suffer such malady. We see the sweaty brows of our aid workers fighting a losing battle against time – to deliver and re-pack. This stream of information confront us daily and maybe until such time that the government has responded with serious programs, these panorama of human misery will continue to haunt our everyday life.
Beyond all these, our city, our country and our people need to heal. Heal from the travails of their endeavors. Heal from the tragic effects of the flood. Heal from the pain and humiliation of staying in evacuation centers. But mostly, to HEAL from the stream of bickering, finger pointing, accusations, “pogi-points” mentality, and baseless allegations. It is time to heal ourselves, our city and maybe from there we can start to heal our nation.
It is easy to ascribe blame for indeed there are a lot to be blamed. We can blame those who rape the forest and destroyed our watersheds for the wealth that came with it. We can curse those who took advantage of our innocence of environmental consciousness and allowed the destruction of our natural resources. We can point a finger at the Public Works Office who forgot to take heed of the impending peril of the build-up of hyacinths. We can find fault on our local government for not digging deeper drainage and maintaining them and for the construction of illegal structures erected on our waterways and where these structures cannot be touched since they are either relatives or close to the powers that be. We can blame the Social Welfare Office for not responding expeditiously to the crisis at hand. We can attack the national government for waiting for weeks before sending people who took advantage of our poor spirits and gave us the chance of standing beside them while photographers abound, and yet left us holding empty bags of promises.
But what will we get if we do this? Do we change the fact that the rains caused a lot of water to flow simultaneously into our marshes? Will it change the fact that the flood waters entered our homes? Will it alter the trauma in the minds of those affected? Will all these produce relief goods and services that we can give to people?
Sadly, talking about these only brings forth the reality that we are divided into several factions that we will never find our REAL issues. Talking will only bring discord, as words will never be enough to express the real feelings of each individual. Words will not enough to fully express what we wanted to say as more often, the more we talk, the more we are misunderstood.
Our real issue here is healing. We never healed from the political issues of the past elections. We never healed from the social division that were created by false accusations between cultures. We never healed from the hatred, from the snobbery of people and groups, from the many small things that made us think and act the way we do today. We never healed from the floods that happened in the past years. We simply masked our hurt and moved forward, adding it to the backseat where we compile our emotional baggage. We never healed! For if we had, we would look at things, and step forward and ask – what can I do?
The dogma of healing is first to heal yourself, before you heal others.
Just like the Japanese people who didn’t stop to ask who was at fault when a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunamis rocked their country to its very foundation. They didn’t stop to blame anybody – they just got to work. May be it’s time to do the same.
I believe in the Cotabateneos - their unparalleled spirit if volunteerism that was shown battling against the water hyacinths. I believe in the Cotabateneos - their indomitable valor of maintaining the unbelievable hamornious relation between Muslims and Christians. I believe in the Cotabateneos – the flame of freedom flows in your every vein.
Can you also PLEASE, believe in yourselves?
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