Be Informed. Be the Change.

Photo credits to Mark JZ Delos Santos

Before I start this blog, I have a question for you. Amidst all of the things that are happening in the past few months, why are you still not informed?

Is it because you are not involved?

Is it because you are unaware?

Or is it because you are ignorant?

I don’t know which of the three better suits you but let me enlighten you. If you think that you are not involved of the issues, news and conflicts revolving around the Philippines or in the world, you are wrong. The fact that you are a citizen is already an enough reason for you to be involved. 

And if you think that none of the issues affect you, you are wrong. This may not affect you “now” but it will, in the future.

Will you wait for that to happen? Isn't it much better to be informed now rather than later? 

People die. Houses sink. Livelihoods are lost. Each aspect of our lives is affected by politics, especially the least powerful among us. 

Let’s talk about those who are “unaware." Ever since this global pandemic started, people also started to rely on internet, technology and social media as their source of information. At least, the majority of citizens use technology every day since going outside may put us at risk in being infected by the Corona Virus.

If you are one of those people who have nothing to do but scroll down through her Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feed, why are you still unaware of what’s happening in your country if it’s what everyone talks about? If you see something related to political or world issues and instead of seeking more of it, you scrolled down and chose to ignore it, then I don’t think you are being “unaware,” but you are now being “ignorant.” 

It is your choice to be misinformed about what’s happening. News are everywhere, one click and you can read and know everything you needed to know. Choosing to ignore those means refusing to educate yourself. Please don’t stay misinformed your whole life, political issues will affect our lives and way of living. 

Maybe you think that being involved in political issues will make you enter into a conflict or debate with other people. You chose not be involved because you think that being opposed to the government’s side means you are a complaining citizen. 

But, if you see something wrong in the system, why turn a blind eye? This is not something you should just ignore. Everything that is happening around our country affects us. It will also have a contribution to our future.

People nowadays think that demanding something from the government is complaining. They don’t see the bigger picture here. To get it straight, demanding is not complaining. As the citizens of this country, we have all the rights to demand something from the government because it is their job to serve us. Not the other way around.

Once and for all, people needed to know that being Dilawan, DDS or whatever partylist you chose to support are not important. When it comes to issues and conflicts revolving around the country, you are not a Dilawan or DDS, you are a Filipino. You are a citizen who lives in a democratic country wherein freedom of speech should be supported.

If you see something wrong in their system but you still chose to support it, then I think you are being a “fan” where in fact, we should not support their wrongdoings. It is important if we call them out when they’re wrong. They’re not saints that we should praise. They’re not idols that we should support. They are the leaders of this country we live in. They rule the country where we belong. And, they hold a biggest responsibility and duties in our country. Demanding something from them is a must.

I was supposedly be discussing about all the issues that happened this year but my only goal here is to convince my fellow citizens especially the youth to be informed. Being educated is already your responsibility.

Some people think that this is far from the grasp of reality but I still strongly believe to this phrase, “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan.” This phrase came from our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. He believes in the youth. I honestly think that he is entrusting us the future of this country. 

The future of the Philippines lies in the youth but, if the youth are misinformed, will there still be hope for the future of our country?

We can create a better future for our country if we teach the youth to be informed. So, the future generation won't suffer the same thing and history will no longer repeat itself.

As the future beholder of this country, it is also the youth’s responsibility as a Filipino citizen to pay attention about what’s going on around the world for it will also benefit us especially when the future comes. It is not only our country who is at stake here but also our future. If in such an early age, we don’t pay attention to political issues, we’ll get old being misinformed about everything. Our lives, our jobs, the way we live, the taxes we pay, our residency, our family, our children etc. --- all of them will be affected.

Do not stay ignorant. The country’s future is also your future. 

As a youth, what can you do to make a change?

Educate yourself and stop being ignorant. Watch the news, read articles, click the carrds and browse through them, sign petitions if needed and there are a lot of things you can do to make a change. Your information can go through a long way instead of being ignorant, sitting at the corner and accept the bare minimum from the higher positions. What do you think did you contribute? 

Speak for what is right. Do not let the higher positions abuse their authority, it is like tolerating someone with their bad deeds. Silence is a choice but you can also choose to be heard of. Being informed is already a contribution to help this country.

Try to put it this way. In your household, something's not right. There is a conflict going on. Think of your household as the Philippines where you live in. You want to fix the conflict but you don't know what to do. And what will be the first thing that will cross your mind to change the situation? 

Know the problem. Seek answers. Inform yourself. In this case, you will know what to do instead of sitting at the corner and wait for the conflict to end itself. 

Being informed is the first step of creating a change. I am begging you, as a youth and as the future beholder of this country, educate yourself. 

I’ll provide you some carrds or links that will help you stay informed. Click these links:

For the world issues: https://2020issues.carrd.co/

For the Philippines: https://parasapinas.carrd.co/

These are only one of the ways to educate yourself but there are lot of credible sources out there. If you want to add something, feel free to do so in the comment section below. Let us educate each other. 

Do not just be a citizen, but be an informed citizen.  

And, the most important thing here is to get yourself registered. Take this time to click the link below and exercise your rights to vote for the next leaders who will shape our country’s economy, international relations, public health and other critical national policies quick guide:

https://www.moneymax.ph/government-services/articles/comelec-registration-2020

The future is in our hands. Do remember that we are in a democratic country where we get to choose our leaders who will serve us. For the sake of the future generation, please be informed and be the change this country needs.

Yours truly, 

Clar ♡