MILANI JOY R. ULANGCO
Pearl of the Orient
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| Photographed by: Milani Ulangco |
John Ed Pearce said that “Home is a place you grow
up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to”. As a kid, I have
always thought of saving up money and live in another country. I used to think
that it would be awesome living in a country where I get to experience four
seasons throughout the year—until now. I have always wanted to try snowball
fight or build my own snowman. It sounds childlike I know but that would be
cool though. Let me give you my rationale before as to why I consider leaving
Philippines.
Philippines is located near the
equator. With that being said, it is pretty obvious that it is hot in here. The
coldest season would be during the Ber months.
People get giddy when it is already September because not only is Christmas
just around the corner but it also means that the atmosphere is going to be
cooler.
People staying in the rural area are considered luckier
than those who are in the urban area. When you are in the province, the
temperature is lower and you get to breathe fresh air. On the other hand,
living in the city is like putting your life at stake. Not only are you prone
to sickness because of the pollution but going outside of the house is like roasting
yourself in an oven. And I am grateful that I get to use air conditioners.
The surrounding is a total mess. You will see
garbage lying around the streets and drainages that are overflowing because of garbage.
Trees are being cut off which makes it even hotter. And so, when there are
typhoons that hit the country, we face the consequences of not taking good care
of our country.
The environment is not my only concern as to why I
would like to leave the country. Politics in the Philippines is a total
disaster. Our so called public servants
are demagogues. They compete with one another just to gain people’s trust then
eventually snitch the money of the citizens. Philippines is a place where the
rich continues to prosper and the poor remain destitute— and I don’t find that
beautiful.
But, I changed my mind. We can’t really move our
country from the equator to the northern hemisphere. So we should stop whining
that it is so hot in here. Instead, I do think that we can help if we plant
more trees and use the 3R’s.
Why would I leave this country behind? This is my
home. And I choose to take care of her—my motherland. I do believe that we need not to depend on the
politicians that run our country. We ourselves can be a public servant.
I love Philippines—this is my home; my motherland.
Pearl of the Orient
By Milani Ulangco
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