We are still very far from experiencing the real meaning of Easter in our country today. The Risen Life of Christ among our people, especially in the area of SOCIAL JUSTICE.
Our recent survey shows that we have no less than 27.6 million Filipinos who are living a miserably poor life — side by side with the select multi-millionaires and multi-billionaires, two of whom are among the richest persons in the whole world. Lucio Tan and Henry Sy. How can we ever justify this social situation in the eyes of men, and more so, in the eyes of God?
Like a broken record, let me say once again that the capitalistic system of our economy has never worked for us in following God’s design: a more equitable and just distribution of God’s wealth and resources. The principle of private ownership and individualism, which was handed down to us by the American West — as contrasted to the Christian principle of stewardship, that we are not owners but stewards of God, and discern His will in this matter of social justice.
Among the early Christian communities, no family had too little, and no family had too much. Their concern was the common good of all through mutual sharing. But today, the families of the few super-rich become richer, and the families of the many poor become poorer. And the culture of rugged individualism that we inherited is at the bottom of it all. We are economically and politically stuck. All this is powerfully described by the spiritual writer Albert Nolan:
“Worse still is the abuse of the right to private ownership. The right of private ownership makes it illegal for a poor person to steal a loaf of bread but perfectly legal for a rich man to hoard more food and other resources than he or she can ever make use of. Rampant individualism leads to the limitless accumulation of wealth by some while billions of others live in misery and die of starvation. The rich justify this blatant injustice by claiming their right to own as much as they like, no matter how many others are deprived of the bare necessities of life” (From Jesus Today).
The only alternative that can save us from this massive injustice is SOCIALISM. Call it democratic socialism or Christian socialism. The economic and political impact of this is what can save us from our present and long-standing situation of social injustice. As I had mentioned in the past, this was the vision of the late Ninoy Aquino. While in prison, he decided that if given another opportunity to lead the nation, he would work for a Christian socialist system. “I believe in a Christian Democratic Socialist ideology that will harmonize political freedom with social and economic equality, taking and merging the best of the primary conflicting systems — communism and capitalism . . . as practised in Austria, West Germany, and the Scandinavian countries” (From Testament From A Prison Cell). Furthermore, he was convinced that capitalism should be corrected by anti-monopoly legislation. He was likewise convinced that basic economic decisions should be made by the community and the government — and not by the private owners of the means of production — to bring the greatest good to the greatest number.
Today, the Partido Demokratiko-Sosyalista Ng Pilipinas (PDSP) has been patiently working toward a socialist form of political-economic system. There are a number of PDSP members who are public servants in the government, from national to local. But it will take a long time before our people as a nation can be led to this ideal of social justice. Resistance to something new and untried is widespread among our people. But my faith tells me that in God’s own time, our political-economic system will finally change to democratic socialism. When you translate the social teachings of the Church into political-economic terms, they are no less than socialist. Not capitalist nor communist.
Let us actively support the vision, mission, and efforts of the PDSP. As found in its manual, “the foundational principles guiding the PDSP are authentic humanism, the common good, and nationalism.” Some of its policies are the following:
“• positive action to allow weaker members or sectors of society to attain equal economic, political, and cultural power with other citizens.
• social ownership or control of certain strategic sectors of the economy
• appropriate government regulation of the market to defend and promote
— equitable income of workers
— safety and health of workers
— social security
— the health of the natural environment.”
Finally, let us keep pushing for the implementation of our Constitution, Art. XV, Sec. 3, #3: “The State shall defend the right of the family to a family living wage and income.”
The present Minimum Wage Law must be revised.