Personal info.
Honey Joyce Tuquib Puracan is from Poblacion Catigbian Bohol. A first year student from Holy Name University, currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. She is a former campus journalist of “The Climber” — the official school paper publication of Catigbian National High School. She has also served as Editor in Chief for three consecutive years in the said publication who have pledged with utmost dedication and love for writing. She has also participated in both Division and Regional Schools Press Conference specializing in multiple categories such as copyreading and headline writing, news writing, and editorial column writing during her high school years.
Be the change you wish to see
By Honey Joyce T. Puracan
In this undeniably fractured world, we all cling to a certain belief that leadership will always serve its purpose—to be the glue that will continuously bind us together towards betterment.
We have always hoped for a country where its people would equally be granted with vast opportunities and security, just as what our ancestors have always envisioned, and that is why they fought for our independence, breaking off the chains from our colonizers. Yet, we are still slaves, not from other races’ hands but from our blood alone.
With all the negative news regarding the sudden breakouts about our country’s unjust system, will we remain complacent about this? What can we, the youths, do to help fight against corruption, or will we still hide behind shadows and act as if nothing wrong is happening in our generation?
According to Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, the Philippines ranks as the third most corrupt country in Southeast Asia, with Myanmar and Cambodia taking the top two spots. The country is also 18th out of 45 in Asia and 62nd out of 181 in the world.
This has been further supported by learning about the alleged “ghost projects,” where not only millions but billions are being corrupted by some people with sovereignty together with the infamous contractors.
Let’s take for example, the continuous flooding in some parts of Luzon. According to preliminary findings from the investigatory teams mandated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., they found out that since 2022, the Philippines has spent P545 billion on flood management, yet Filipinos still suffer from flood disasters that damage properties, health, and daily living.
Therefore, we can not deny that corruption has truly worsened over time. Let us even add the emergence of “nepo babies” that are showing off their lavish lifestyles on social media, flaunting their own private jets, multiple luxury cars, travelling abroad, wearing designer clothes, and flaunting their so-called “privileged lives.” It is as if with just one word from them, everything they want will be at the tip of their fingers using the “pera ng bayan.”
As most Filipinos fight for survival each day with only bare minimum salaries in their pockets and can only buy few commodities because of the inflation factor, life is truly unfair. But what will never be taken away from us is that we live with utmost dignity, and that is one thing that the corrupt will never experience—to live without guilt.
So, as youths, we have the power to make things right. Thanks to the advancement of technology, we are aware, we are informed, and we can use our voices to push through the vision of anti-corruption. Let us prepare ourselves and investigate which leaders truly live with integrity and justice. We have the right to create a good democratic institution by exercising our rights to vote, and when the time comes, let us choose our leaders wisely.
Hence, we can shape ourselves to become the leaders that our fellow Filipinos needed, the ones who don’t only lead but also enable to uplift others and shape them to become the best version of themselves.
Let us work together to help provide quality and basic education, accessible healthcare, child-friendly environment, and most importantly, a better Philippines where the faces of the children will no longer be filled with fear, where the citizens will no longer live in unfortunate poverty, and where we can prove to our ancestors who have died for us that we are now living like how they have always dreamed for us. So, let us be the change we wish to see in this world.