Brothers and sisters, even before the start of the Holy Week, the Calvary of many people residing in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas has intensified. Apart from the scarcity of water, the implementation of the rotational brownouts just last week by Meralco has aggravated people’s suffering. Due to the lack of electricity from the collapse of some power plants, consumers being served by Meralco will take turns enduring as long as three hours of brownout. Other areas in Luzon are also affected.
Our farmers are also experiencing Calvary because of the El Niño or severe drought. According to the Department of Agriculture, the cost of the destroyed crops due the lack of rain is still going up. Over 160,000 rice and corn farmers in most parts of the country are affected. Worse, some provinces such as Cebu, Albay, and Zamboanga Sibugay were placed under a state of calamity because of the El Niño.
Brothers and sisters, we believe that prayers to our Lord can help in our situation. To have rain, for example, there is the oratio imperata. For our leaders to correctly decide, they are always mentioned in prayer by the nation during Mass.
But we are aware that we must not only rely on prayer. As citizens experiencing our own Calvary, we must understand that whatever is happening now is caused by the irresponsibility of those we entrusted power to ensure that we will not reach the point where there will no longer be water pouring from our faucets, the point where we will crawl under the darkness for several hours, and the point where there will no longer be any crop harvested in farmlands.
We are not saying that we blame the government for everything. However, we must not forget that it is the duty of our officials to address the needs of the people. It is their duty as leaders to prioritize the interests of the people, not the interests of corporations that control water and electricity systems. We must demand full accountability.
Much like what St. John XXIII said in Mater et Magistra, the state—the government—is there to ensure the protection of the people. It must see to it that the basic needs of the people, like water and electricity, are supplied.
It is rather upsetting that we cannot hold our leaders accountable for their lack of action on issues affecting us every day. Are Filipinos truly patient? Is it not our silence the reason our leaders are content with random projects? Is it not because of our silence that our leaders are content in entertaining us with empty words? We must look for action from them, and not only words.
Brothers and sisters, this Holy Week, let us include in our prayers our shortcomings being part of a much-larger society.
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