Trajectories

October 11, 2024

MANILA – Today, if we ask ourselves where the Philippines is headed, we may reach entirely different conclusions depending on our points of view, our lived experiences, and the granularity with which we experience the changes in our country.

For instance, from the perspective of someone—say an affluent balikbayan—who last visited the country seven years ago, they might notice the expressways that can take them all the way to La Union; they might be astonished at how places like Siargao have cultivated their own charming subcultures; they might sing praises of the new restaurants and cafés not just in Metro Manila but in Iloilo (now a Unesco City of Gastronomy), Davao, Cebu, Baguio, and elsewhere.

They might also notice—from conversations with their relatives who work in government—that salaries have increased with the salary standardization law. And they might express relief that newspapers no longer carry the ominous news of drug war killings, or of individuals like Leila de Lima and Maria Ressa being the open targets of vindictiveness.

The perspective of their relatives, however, may be different. Salaries may have increased but the cost of living has also grown, while quality of life has not substantially improved. PhilHealth premiums have increased even as it has failed to give a measure of security. While it may only take four hours to reach La Union from Metro Manila, it may take the same time to reach one end of the metropolis to another on a bad night. There remains neither accountability nor justice for the “war on drugs,” let alone martial law and the numerous corruption scandals past.

Those relatives may also point to how our country’s politicians are tightening their grip on our government,