Shining at the ASEAN
Today is the second day of the holidays in Manila in line of the 50th ASEAN Summit. As of this writing, I am currently listening to the different Filipino talents during the gala night belting out different songs from different eras and genres. It places me in so much wonder that our singers in different ages can be at par with the world when it comes to talent and class. I feel so proud that we Filipinos have a lot to show before a world-wide audience.
However, it is a disappointment how a fellow Filipino could not follow rules set by the government. An actress, Maria Isabel Lopez, violated traffic rules by occupying a designated ASEAN lane. She was even proud to post her violation on social media. She narrated that she removed the cones and that the MMDA enforcers mistaken her as a delegate.
Why would Lopez, a celebrity, breach a strict protocol in time when we, Filipinos, should be giving out our best to the rest of the world? How could the security be so loose that a private car could occupy a specific lane for the delegates? What if the person who did that had a bad intention? There was indeed a breach of protocol that could have humiliated our country if something happened with what Lopez did. In a way, there is a happy problem: having to deal with internal odd while being a shining star to the ASEAN region.
Thinking deeply, it is always best to maintain proper decorum in all aspects, even if no other country is watching. This is a reflection of our culture and how we deal with society. We do not have to wait for cameras to roll before we flash our smiles to have plus points to the foreigners. We own this place and this is ours, thus, we must make the best out of everything.
It makes me so happy that Prime Ministers are having a good time. But on the other side of it all are people who are suffering from poverty and injustice. The ASEAN meetings will be an inkling of impact for today but in the long run we will be reaping the fruit of the agreements. The government should learn how to strike the balance.
There are a few days left and I wish we can all realize that the Filipinos are a good people not just to their own kind but to others as well. I guess the key now is to be authentic and to know who we really are. The next round of ASEAN meetings will not be in our country but we must make it a goal that their word of mouth is that the Philippines did a great job as host of the 50th ASEAN Summit.