Wednesday, January 12, 2011

(#8) Left Behind

Gloc9’s Walang Natira (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak8wipby8lQ) is a very moving commentary about the longstanding problem of brain drain in the country.

On our way to Singapore last year, we chatted with our seatmate in the plane. When we told her that we are UP Law students, she told us that her son whom she was about to visit was also a UP Law student but he did not want to finish it. He took up an IT-related course instead and worked in an IT company in the Philippines for many years. However, she told us that her son decided to work in Singapore instead because of the higher pay.

I also have a high school classmate who studied Industrial Engineering in UP Diliman, went to UP ITTC and specialized in Embedded Systems. She’s also now in Singapore together with another UPD Computer Science graduate. It’s an unfortunate situation that our highly skilled IT professionals go abroad to work. Although, our economy relies heavily on OFW remittances, as with the BPO industry, it also has social costs.

It’s a good thing that there are nationalists like Alex Lacson who believe that there is still hope in the Philippines. He is a UP Law graduate who wrote the book 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do For Our Country. He admitted that he and his wife, also a UP Law graduate, initially thought of leaving the country but decided against it. Also, thank God for Manny Pacquiao, Charice Pempengco, Lea Salonga, Arnel Pineda, Efren Penaflorida and countless other world class icons who remind us that we, Filipinos, are a great people, talented and hardworking.

Hopefully, we’ll have better governance, better economy, more investments in ICT and ICT-enabled services, more jobs, higher salaries so that we can entice our kababayans to go back home so that their families would not have to be left behind.


Ma. Luisa Manalaysay
Entry #8

* Gloc9's Walang Natira lyrics:
Napakaraming nurse dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira nagaabroad sila
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)

yung bayang sinilangan ang pangalan ay Pinas
ngunit bakit parang puno na ang prutas ay pitas
nauubusan ng batas parang inamag na bigas
lumalakas na ang ulan ngunit ang payong ay butas
tumatakbo ng madulas mga pinuno ay ungas
sila lamang ang nakikinabang pero tayo ang utas
mga kabayan natin ay lumilipad, lumalabas
para pumunta ng ibang bansa at doon magtamas
ng kamay para lamang magkakalyo lang muli
ang pahinga’y iipunin para magamit pag-uwi
dahil doon sa atin mahirap makuha buri
mapahiran ng chokolate ang matamis na ngiti
ng anak na halos di nakilala ang ama
o ina na wala sa tuwing kaarawan nila
dadarating kaya ang araw na ito’y magiiba
kung hindi ka sigurado magisip-isip ka na

Napakaraming inhinyero dito sa amin ngunit bakit tila walang natira
napakaraming karpintero dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira nagaabroad sila
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)

mabuti kung mabuti ang kinakahinatnan
ang kapalaran ng lahat nang nakipagsapalaran
kahit nag-aalangan para lang sa kapakanan
ng mahal sa buhay ang sugal ay tatayaan
sasanlaan lahat ng kanilang pag-aari
mababawi din naman yan ang sabi pagnayari
ang proseso ng papeles para makasakay na sa eroplano
o barko kahit saan man papunta
basta kumita ng dolyar na ipapalit sa piso
ang isa ay katumbas ng isang dakot ng mamiso
ganyan ba ang kapalit ng buhay ng pilipino
kung lilisanin ang pamilya ang amo na kahit na sino
gugtumin, sasaktan, malalagay sa peligro
uwing nasa kahon ni wala man lang testigo
darating kaya ang araw na itoy mag-iiba
kung hindi ka sigurado magisip-isip ka na

Napakaraming kasambahay dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira
napakaraming labandera dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira nagaabroad sila
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)

subukan mong isipin kung gaano kabigat
ang buhat ng maleta halos hindi mo na maangat
ihahabilin ang anak para ito sa kanila
lalayo upang mag-alaga ng anak ng iba
matapos lamang sa kolehiyo mututubos din ang relo
bilhin mo na kung anong gustong laruan ni Angelo
matagal pa kontrato ko titiisin ko muna to
basta ang mahalaga ito’y para sa pamilya ko

Napakaraming guro dito sa amin ngunit bakit tila walang natira
napakaraming nurse dito sa amin ngunit bakit tila walang natira
nagaabroad sila
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila

napakaraming tama dito sa atin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira

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