ASIA has embraced modernity in many ways in the past few decades yet has remained a continent of superstitious people. Practices, prayers and rumors that accompanied yesterday’s solar eclipse proved this.
Common sense and rationality were defied. Hindus immersed themselves in the River Ganges in India, occasioning a stampede. Pregnant women stayed indoors and refrained from sewing or using knives. Chinese astrologers said turbulent times were ahead, as if they were not taking place already. Here, in the Philippines, text messages and e-mails warned parents against sending their children to school Wednesday.
An earthquake would occur, they said, as though tremors were storms that could be predicted and tracked.
Eclipses were seen as omens in olden times. They were indicators of tragedy and bad luck. And had yesterday’s spectacles occurred a full five days later, critics of president Arroyo would have much to crow about.
Already, demonstration and mock addresses have been staged by various groups, anticipating what the President would say in her State-of-the-nation address on Monday and insinuating the speech would be full of lies. Alternative speeches have been prepared;
They paint a grim scenario of the countries –the real state of the nation, they claim. Some lawmakers have said they would not attend the opening of the joint session.
Despite the big event the address is being made out to be, we more or less know how the President would tell her story. As in the pas, she would assure us that the economy is resilient to external shocks. Programs are well in place and everything would be fine.
We are waiting for Mrs. Arroyo to say something different this time around. The public needs to be told that machinations are not in place to keep certain people in power. We want to know how the President intends to spend her last days in office and what legacy she wishes to leave us.
There should be transparency in government and investments must be encouraged. Jobs must be generated not short-term ones and definitely not those abroad. How exactly is she going to do these? How do we measure her efforts without resorting to official figures from executive agencies? How do we know if she is sincere?
Next Monday’s address should not be a feel-good speech that highlights the good while glossing over the bad. It is the President’s last chance to have the entire nation as captive audience. Our expectations are only logical. Superstition aside the Sona would be a harbinger of things to come.
