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I came into a thought after I watched an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show this afternoon where they featured how people live in other parts of the world. The show featured the cities of Copenhagen, Dubai, Istanbul, Rio De Janeiro and Tokyo.

This is what I learned about Copenhagen and Dubai. In Copenhagen, the income tax can be up to 65%. But if the standard of living there is the basis, it is OK to pay more than half of your taxes to the government. Here are the perks: Free health care to everyone. Cheap education for kindergarten. Free education from Elementary to High School. Government will pay you if you will continue your education on a university. They use bicycles. If you lost/quit your job, the government will pay you up to 90% of your pay for 4 years. There is no person homeless. You can leave your baby outside alone and no one will kidnap it. Most people are atheist (not that I am too.) Seriously, this place is HEAVEN! No wonder, Danes are the happiest people in the world.

In Dubai, where you can find the tallest building in the world and the first and only 7-star hotel, is a heaven in the middle of desert. No income taxes. No water and electricity bill. A shoppers’ haven. And many Filipinos residing too. Iwant to live on this places (and add Wellington, New Zealand) soon.

If you ask me when I am younger, I don’t want to leave Philippines. This is my country. I love it so much. But if being practical is considered, if you can live outside PI, you should. We are going on a downfall. Corruption, poverty, unemployment, crime. These are just few of the reasons why we are here, on this very spot.

Now, we have a new president. In a month, we embrace a new administration. He offers and promises us a genuine change. I did not vote because I’m still 17, but I want to feel that the majority of our countrymen made a right choice. I hope that the candidates the nation voted will retain their promises and bring our nation to, if possible, a major overhaul.

I remember the article made by a Korean about what our country transformed into. From an Asian superpower into the one of the poorest countries in Asia. We are great once, we can be great again, even greater, if we only change our ways. It’s not only the politicians who should take the blame, it us, THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

Here’s what we are accountable for. We keep on taking bribes. That is why the wrong people are in their positions. If we don’t like who is in the seat, we go out and rally. EDSA I and II are enough. But, seriously, EDSA III and IV? If it is a movie, it’s a major flop. If our our candidate loses, we criticize the one who won. Can’t we just support him? Can we just act as one country? That is what the Koreans did. Look, they are as rich as ever. They are powerful and also, successful. And they are the one who should be blamed for that friggin K-Pop shit. We idolize their music, fashion, movie, arts and celebrities. Can we also idolize how they risen from being poor to being filthy rich? They acted as one country, that’s why. We? We had the pro, anti, rebels, Muslims, Christians, leftists, rightists, communists, jejemons. Can we all unite? For the next 6 years, at least? Or forever?

I am to blame. You are to blame. We are to blame. But we can make it right again. I know we are capable of change. We are far cry from who we are 50 or 70 years ago. Filipinos are smarter now. See, we made a brand new language using just our cellphones? We can do this.

I suggest to read the stories of how Koreans rebuild their nation after the Korean War. Japan after the World War II. Vietnam after the Vietnam War. Look for how China is now evolving into a superpower. They are our neighbors, we can learn from them.

I was born and my country is in the bad position. I grew up, still, our country is in bad position, if not worse. I don’t want to start a family and this is the political environment my kids will grew up into. But definitely, I don’t want to die in a place this bad. I want this country, our country, to be greater than ever. And this is only possible if we open our minds and hearts to change. To betterment.