Lingering hope

Bidding good bye to 2009 is truly a most welcome event. With so many horrifying natural and man-made disasters and deadly accidents occurring, it seems to be the longest year indeed. Hence there is apparently an overwhelming sense of relief and elation that it has ended. And this happy feeling is intensified even more because 2010, being an election year, promises to bring about the much needed changes in government after almost a decade of corruption and misrule.

With the lapse of another year, growing older is also inevitable. We may be growing old without however getting old. It is always good to keep in mind that “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away”. So to avoid getting old, here are some valuable tips I compiled and supplemented from the reading materials and e-mails received that I am sharing with you:

First, be happy always, pray under all circumstances and thank God for everything. Keeping cheerful friends is definitely a big help.

Second, tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

Third, surround yourself with what you love whether its family, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, pets, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

Fourth, laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

Fifth, remember that tears also happen. Endure, grieve and move on. The only person, who is with you in your entire life, is yourself. Be alive while you are alive.

Sixth, cherish your health. If it is good preserve it. If it is unstable improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

Seventh, enjoy simple things and throw out non-essential items that clutter; and numbers such as your age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them.

Eighth, keep learning. Learn more about everything happening around you, about latest technologies, computers, crafts, gardening whatever. Never let the brain idle. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

Ninth, don’t be overcome by fear of making mistakes. Everybody commits mistakes. What is wrong is committing the same mistake twice or more.

But the other, greater significance in the passage of another year is that it shows us how time flies and flies so swiftly. Compared to eternity, life in this world is really so puny and so short. No time should be wasted therefore on matters that deter us from reaching our supernatural end. Every moment of our life should be spent in doing well and avoiding evil because while the end of our worldly existence is inexorable, we do not know when it will come as we are not in control.

And so as we enter another year, one hope that continues to linger is for people in government to finally wake up to the truth that power and glory of this world will also come to an end; that as public servants, they should not forget that their main role is to serve the people with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, and not to be served; or to promote their selfish interests.

This is one hope that refuses to die down and becomes more intense in the light of the almost regular tragic sea disaster occurring every Christmas time. Last December, two passenger vessels again sank in Manila Bay and Batangas resulting in the death of so many people.

On December 17, 1987, the worst peacetime sea disaster occurred along the straits of Marinduque when the passenger ship M/V Doña Paz collided with the tanker M/V Vector claiming 4,300 lives. A disaster of such magnitude should have spurred the government to adopt measures ensuring safety of lives at sea and preventing the recurrence of similar disasters by prosecuting and penalizing those responsible.

Today 22 years later after a protracted investigation in aid of legislation and after an inquiry by a Marine Board, responsibility for such incident has not been conclusively pinpointed and the ship-owner has long resumed operating more vessels that have been involved in subsequent sea mishaps claiming more lives. And almost every December, passenger ships continue sinking and claiming lives of more people.

The reason is obvious. Nothing comes out of the inquiry and investigation because the very government agency conducting the probe is pretty much occupied in trying to evade any responsibility. In the Dona Paz case the Board of Marine Inquiry investigating the tragic incident was under the Philippine Coast Guard that had some responsibility for what happened. Hence instead of fact finding, the Board was busy trying to find out how to free the Coast Guard from complicity. The same is true with the present MARINA. It is always trying to wash its hands off and put the blame on others instead of digging up the real cause and offering solutions.

The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of approximately 7,100 islands. Its shape, if bounded by straight lines is like an isosceles triangle with an area of 115, 707 square miles. Eleven islands have areas of more than 1,000 square miles each. The largest is Luzon followed by Mindanao, Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol and Masbate. Undoubtedly it has one of the most number of islands in the world where inter island transportation is a must. Hence it should have a modern and sophisticated maritime infrastructures, equipments and vessels that would ensure safety of life at sea and prevent or minimize the occurrence of maritime disasters. Unfortunately up to now despite the many sea disasters occurring with seeming regularity especially during Christmas time, interisland travel remains risky and dangerous.

To be sure, the causes of these disasters are readily ascertainable even without full dress investigation. Based on the accounts of the tragic events, they happen because of overloading and un-seaworthiness of the vessels. Definitely the government is to blame for such causes for its sheer failure or neglect in strictly enforcing the maritime rules. Hence up to now people are still hoping for leaders and public servants who will do their job for the general welfare and common good.

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