Of the several dramatic events that had happened over the past few decades, the flood control mess could be one of the most devastating in terms of its impact on our social, economic and political life. While it is as yet difficult to fully measure it, the average Filipino realizes that the country could have been a leading economy in the region by now if the trillions that had lined the pockets of the perpetrators had been spent in upgrading vital services such as health, education, and the basic social and economic infrastructure. Then we could gradually stop sending our countrymen abroad to work as domestics. We would be enjoying improved health and educational facilities, higher wages and productivity, and an improved livelihood for everyone.

Today, the general mood among citizens is to hold weekly rallies every Friday to demonstrate, call for justice, accountability and transparency in government. I know some friends who have started holding sessions on what ordinary citizens can do to address the current mood. Pulse Asia has captured it in its latest survey in late September where 97 percent of Filipinos think corruption is widespread. That it is normal, and that collusion is present in every area and class. This high distrust is directed at government. In fact, at least half of those surveyed or 50 percent noted that they had greater trust in civil society organizations and media. While it was thought that appointing an Ombudsman would address current sentiments, only 30 percent expressed confidence. There is a feeling of ambivalence toward the newly created Independent Commission on Infrastructure which had started to conduct hearings.

One initiative that is promising is the setting up of what is described as “BetterGov.ph civic tech group, a pilot platform called Open Budget which currently hosts seven years’ worth of budget data culled from the Department of Budget and Management and congressional datasets on the country’s spending plans. With an open budget transparency one can see how each agency budget evolved and how each line item changed, and who inserted which project.

Among all the initiatives, I consider putting the proposal to craft a law on political dynasty, a law that would address the limits of their power a priority. But it should be crafted not by legislators alone but by a citizen group and support from all sectors of society. There will be no need to resurrect earlier proposals which would not really address the problem of reducing the power of political families in the Senate and the House of Representatives but also in local government. A bill that is crafted by a multisectoral group made up of the leading basic sectors, academe and business groups like the Makati Business Club as well as leading cooperatives.

Finally, the moment calls for an epiphany, an awakening of sorts. It is happening among certain groups which regularly get together- sharing social consciousness through poetry and music. It is not only therapeutic but it helps remind everyone that we all must come together, build together, and hope together for a tomorrow that is safe and secure for the coming generations. ([email protected])