STANDARD TODAY: WRONG TREE
MANILA, JULY 30, 2011 - (STANDARD) ONE of the best things about President Aquino's State-of-the-Nation Address this week was his acknowledgment that we need to create more and better jobs at home.
"Before, our foremost ambition was to work in another country," the President said.
"Now, the Filipino can take his pick. As long as he pursues his dreams with determination and diligence, he can realize them. The number of jobs generated in our country can only grow from here."
Later, toward the end of his speech, the President also talked about things we should all be grateful about:
"If you fall sick, and you see your nurse caring for you, when she could easily be treating foreigners for a higher salary—say, 'Thank you.'
"Before you leave school for home, approach your teacher who chose to invest in your future—say, 'Thank you.'"
Now, who would argue against the virtue of gratitude? Or love of country?
Apparently, a group of migrant workers would.
The group, calling themselves the United Filipinos in Hong Kong, accused the President of showing contempt toward Filipinos who chose to work abroad.
"We detest the implication that [Filipino workers overseas] chose to serve foreigners instead of their countrymen," the group said.
"We protest the underlying contempt of President Aquino towards migrants who had no choice but to work overseas, separated from our families and communities, because the past and the present administration failed miserably to provide jobs and livelihood and denied basic social services to the Filipino people."
The group reminded the President that the economy is dependent on remittances from the Filipinos working abroad, who account for a third of the country's gross domestic product.
The group's leader also accused Mr. Aquino of being "out of touch from the reality that more than 4,000 Filipinos are leaving the country every day to work abroad."
Instead of indulging in rhetoric, the group said, the Aquino administration should work to enhance the protection given to Filipinos who work abroad.
Sadly, the United Filipinos in Hong Kong is barking up the wrong tree.
Perhaps this sensitivity to perceived slights comes from being called "modern-day heroes" all these years. We do not see the underlying contempt that the group attributes to the President. Certainly, praising one group of people—those that chose to stay and work in the country—does not indicate contempt for those that found employment abroad. Even the United Filipinos of Hong Kong must acknowledge there is an element of self-sacrifice that is admirable in a teacher who would rather suffer low wages here than earn more as a household help abroad. That teacher—if he or she is a good one —is a hero too.
If there is one thing that migrant groups should take exception to, it is the lack of progress that this administration has shown so far in creating well-paying jobs at home. Creating job opportunities at home requires careful planning, diligence and hard work. It is not a sideline that the President can attend to occasionally, when taking a break from his apparent full-time job of leading a national witchhunt against the previous administration.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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