IN-DEPTH BY JOHNNY MERCADO Winds of change Reader reactions to our columns “Geography As Destiny (August 10) and “Teflon Pope (August 13) have been insightful. Sorry. But a 5,700-character cap on columns limit printing more feedback. Here are excerpts: “Philippine Human Development Report 2013” probed how hazard-studded geography cripples people’s access to health clinics, schools and jobs. “Is geography destiny?” the column asked. Life expectancies, in top 10 provinces, were almost two decades longer than those in conflict-ridden provinces. In the bottom five, kids dropped out of school after six years—compared to almost 11 years for the top five. “There is need to change the current city-centric emphasis”, that column said. Provinces need elbow room, in law and budget allocations, to plan and implement programs “with the democratic accountability that autonomy entails”. “(That struck a chord with me, given my meager two years of experience in one of the poorest regions, emailed Dr. Kristine Mae Magtubo, 26. She serves in Mayorga, a 5th income class in Leyte, with the Department of Health’s “Doctors to the Barrios” program. Indeed, “geographic inequality impacts economic growth and interlock ‘basins of attraction’ like cities and mass markets. But ‘social and political barriers can frustrate people’s efforts to better their own lot’”. “Daily, I see this inequity borne out of geography. And it is most evident in people’s health in these geographically isolated and depressed areas. We have a special term for hinterlands, mountains and islands: “GIDA”. That translates into geographically isolated and depressed areas. They have their own dynamic, their own rules, their own problems, far from what the eye in the sky (the central government) can see. We should stop trying to apply interventions coming from above to these unique systems. “For a field health worker like me, national government policy can sometimes be incredibly frustrating to implement. Dealing with local governments, from barangay to provinces, to catalyze local ingenuity and resolve problems plaguing these areas can likewise be draining. I hope policy makers read the PHDR report. I hope this begins a mind shift which produces better health for people down in the ground within my lifetime.” “Was Warren Buffet right in calling this Ovarian Lottery?” asked Bruno Giordano. But Susanah Joy enquired: “So how do you compare island provinces like Cebu, Palawan etc. with inland provinces: Ilocos, Bicol or Mindanao. Should there be a difference in approach towards geographical areas that are islands?” she adds. “What is the strategy?” “Pope Francis’ lifestyle—from lodging in spare Casa Santa Marta quarters to spurning limousines—has rippled out, the column “Teflon Pope” said. How will this affect the Philippine church?” “Eight out of 10 Filipinos are baptized Catholics but are poorly educated in their faith,” ”Split-level Christianity,” is widespread. “Leaders trot without fail to hear Mass on Sunday. From Monday to Saturday, they wheel and deal in scams like there was no tomorrow. “The authority of establishment must give way to the authority of witness...wrote “CryFreedom”. “You preach that to the likes of Bishops Antonio Fortich, Miguel Purugganan, and Julio X Labayen, it will bear much fruit, like sowing mustard seeds on fertile soil. “You preach that to the likes of Bishops Juan De Dios Pueblo, Fernando Capalla, and Paciano Aniceto, that will be gone with the wind, like sowing mustard seeds among the rocks where the birds came and picked them away”. “This Pope Francis could be a prelude to the papacy of Cardinal Luis ”Chito” Tagle,” says 444Mangyan. “Not because I am a Pinoy or a big fan. I’d rather see his and Christ’s ways to continue. Their being of the same breed will assure that the church will stay along that line.” “The Church must not pretend to have easy answers,” VirgoYap recalled Cardinal Tagle as saying: “Instead, it must be an attentive and listening Church—less preoccupied by power, prestige and position in society.” But the Philippine church of today is precisely preoccupied with that. It even blocked t implementation of the Reproductive Health bill, approved by Congress and signed into law. “The Church is an organization made up of people,” Soulspeak ph emailed. “People are not perfect. Pope Francis’ “Teflon” reputation stems from the good he is doing in the eyes of the people. Many feel he is a breath of fresh air in a stale environment. “There is a saying that all politics is local. The same goes for the church because local people run the local church. It is good they are taking their cue from Francis. However, the greater mass of people are clueless and, therefore, prone to be misled or misguided. Pope Francis cannot dictate what happens. But he has pointed in the right direction.” “Be part of the solution,” Mang Teban added. “I do not leave the work of revitalizing the church to the clergy. Note that the clergy represents only an iota of 0.01% of the entire church here. “We need more saints who go to eat pizza and drink beer… pray every day. Thus, the pope speaks about the ordinary person. Your hands can help to lighten the load. Why don’t you pitch in?”
Posted on: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 09:40:31 +0000
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