100 days of psychedelic experience

When you observe the first 100 days of a president or any leader of a company for that matter, you will discover and realize many things. Of course you will always want to see solutions to the problems and at the same time force yourself to see ‘good’ results. This is natural. It is a human tendency.

I always remind myself of the old adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” When President Benigno Aquino III was elected as president, I was looking forward to the changes he would make for this country. But when the ‘honeymoon’ period of his term was over, reality struck. We saw the true colors of P-Noy and we knew we were doomed for the next three years. The problem I had I guess was my ignorance of his shady ways.

The first one hundred days are crucial days for both the President and the citizens of a nation. As the president begins his work in office, tells us his road map and starts implementing his plans, we get to observe him. It is a warming up period for both sides of the coin. When he talks to the public about his work, we become scrupulous. But this is good if we interpret his speeches the right way. The problem lies when he is met with opposition forces who want to kill him right away. During P-Noy’s first 100 days, everyone gave him the chance, media included. But why does everyone seem annoyed, appalled, fixated at the new president?

President Duterte is surely feeling the pains and gains of his presidency from being a mayor. He has had 20 years of experience in public service and has quite a good awareness of what’s going on in this country which many of us do not know. When he told us about the drug problem that besieged this nation, we did not believe him. Up to this day, we laugh at him and think he is a ‘lunatic’. But deep in our hearts, we know that we have a problem. The only solution in resolving this drug trade is to acknowledge that indeed the problem is very, very bad and that we need to take action.

In short, we need ‘acceptance’. Then, we need to support the president because this war is not about ‘them’, it is about us. How our families, our communities and our nation is plagued with these bad chemicals that causes the destruction of man in many ways – health, morality, broken families, etc. Yes, if you think about it, we are a dysfunctional nation. Indeed, this is a very courageous move of the President that administrations of the past have kept under the wraps.

Another major problem that the President right away confronted was the fight against terrorism. What a bold step to take but a much needed one. Who has ever dared fight the Abu Sayyaf in their lifetime? No one! So I suggest we unite and support this fight, if not for us for our children. Instead of contributing to opposition forces, this is the time we must look at the bigger picture. Speculations are not necessary. It is a waste of time and energy. We deserve this kind of an iron fist to straighten things up. It is for our future. So stop the bickering. The President and his men have not done any act of corruption yet. Charge them when they have sinned and committed a crime. Don’t forget all those government officials in the past who have sinned against us and who have made us suffer. They are the ones who should be thrown to the wolves.

The most sensitive issue the President has unveiled is his foreign policy. Whenever he speaks about America, he is making us think. Spain has already left us a long, long time ago. Our only relationship with Spain and Mexico for that matter is that we share a part of each other’s history, culture, religion and trade. But we do not co-exist. We can stand independent of one another. Now, with America, for some reason, we have not stopped our co-existence with this country. We continue to identify ourselves with the so-called “American junk.” Listen to the song of the Apo Hiking Society and you will realize that indeed there is something wrong in the relationship we maintain with America.

And this is what Duterte is trying to straighten up. If we continue to think we are ‘Americans’ even if we are brown-skinned people, then we have a problem. You’ll need to review Jose Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere and Il

Filibusterismo to see how ridiculed and ridiculous we are as a people. The President wants the Filipinos to have dignity. We cannot start if we continue to rely or depend on the outside world. We must go back to our roots and see the beauty of our own culture, music, arts, food, etc., thereby appreciating and cultivating it to strengthen our identity. We have been lost all throughout the centuries. As my late father wrote, “three hundred years in a convent and fifty years in Hollywood.”

This new administration has been given orders to clear up all systems of government and to put stronger structures. In the different departments, we see good changes happening. It is too early to tell if they are successful. On the other hand, the DOTC and MMDA have been armless in trying to solve the traffic problems. Everyone seems to be complaining but the two Houses have not been of help at all. If you don’t want to give the president emergency powers then how will he solve the problem?

But more than this, we must realize that we are living in an overpopulated metropolitan area. There are too many cars on the road, too many people on the streets, too many establishments and tall buildings in small cities. This is a complex problem with a complex solution. Not to mention family planning that has been an issue with the catholic bishops and priests. The local government has not been of help either with their zoning guidelines as stated in the Constitution.

If everyone does his or her part in protecting the country from such catastrophic problems, then true change will happen. So, bottom line is do your job and stop bickering. We are all in this together!

President Duterte, you have the most powerful magic wand. You have the power to change things in this country. This is your time. Your offhand way of talking is the only thing that gets us in the gut. You will need to do more introspection in this area of communication lest we continue to misunderstand you and get hurt.

In your first 100 days, Mr. President I believe you have a good grasp of the major problems we face. The Filipinos have been kept in the dark for centuries. We only know what our leaders tell us. We believe right away because we are too naïve. Now, the cat is out from the bag! Make things clearer for us to understand and by doing so we can give you the support you need.