by: DONALD SEVILLA

AGONY IN PARADISE

Bohol, land of white sandy beaches and cone-shaped hills that straddle pristine waters and lush forests. Land of my birth, of age-old churches and the delicious “ube kinampay” whose aroma foretells a satisfying meal. Inhabited by tarsiers and friendly people, what has happened to thee?

Have we lost our piece of paradise?  We opened our shores and warmly welcome foreign company yet we drive our own people away.

When locals can no longer compete living comfortably something must be terribly wrong? When the price of food is beyond reach by you and me, what have our leaders done?

We live from day to day hoping our lives will be better. By the promises of our leaders, we look forward to our dreams and aspirations. Yet more said and none fulfilled, we suffer in agony.

Have our lives been made better? Have our children’s future been secured for them to sustain and enjoy?  Yet looking back we mournfully reminisce our past.

Gone were the days of yore, when the air was fresh and unpolluted. When flowers were always abloom and a thick canopy of trees dotted our hillsides. Where chirping birds and buzzing bees led a natural symphony that greeted us mornings.

In its stead, we awake to the boisterous sounds of rambling motorcycles that speed through the dead of night. We almost pop our ears to the sounds of heart-thumping disco beats from afar that seem to be in our living rooms. Whatever happened to disturbing the peace?

Putting food on our tables has been challenging enough, made even more difficult by the constantly rising prices of our basic staple.

While we take pride in our awards and accolades, we miserably fail to protect what brought them in the first place. While our people’s stomachs cringe in hunger, we vigorously campaign for more visitors to come, spending millions to lure them to our shores.

But where have our priorities gone? We cannot just keep on entertaining ourselves by concerts, beauty pageants, fun rides and sports activities. Singing and dancing will not make our hunger go away.

So when our people can no longer afford living in their own land,  it’s time to wake up from our stupor and take our leaders to task. We suffered long enough and already lost our paradise.

We are not about to lose more. It’s time we regain things back, not reclaim it!

No to reclamation! Tsk tsk tsk..