photo by KRISTELA DANIELLE S. BOO
THE FILIPINO people observe the valiant effort that their ancestors gave to gain the long-sought liberty from the shackles of oppression and colonization. The flag of the nation oscillates in the air freely, boasting its bright colors for everyone to see. Lately, however, the Filipinos’ lives have been like the sky: dark and dismal. While everyone takes the day off from strenuous activities, Filipinos must not forget their indispensable duty to the country and their own countrymen, which is to set them free from the oppressive system that, until this day, suppresses their freedom and makes their lives difficult.
The wealthy are able to attend feasts donning elegant dresses; all the while, the poor must spend the supposed day of liberation bound by work with their stomachs ironically full of hunger. The privileged must see with clarity that the democracy they hold in their hands is in abundance in comparison with what the underprivileged have due to the nature of the ruling systems that act as chains that bind those that cannot live up to its partisan standards. When the privileged juxtapose their lives with that of the rest of their countrymen, the country will finally come to know true democracy—one that is faithfully free from the falsified notions of freedom. F ADRIAN PAUL L. TAÑEDO
