BY: DONALD SEVILLA
TRAVEL MUSINGS: Dateline Tokyo
The highlight of any travel adventure is the experience gained after every trip. It brings fond memories and a desire to explore more.
Yet at the end of every journey we take home a vast wealth of experiences to where we started from.
It pains me to see that we could have done better. A few decades back we were the envy of our neighbors,a shining pearl in the orient seas.
Back then we stood proud and confident. We were at the top of the heap but where are we now?
Japan is a first world country, a remarkable achievement considering it was totally devastated after the war.
In fact the country had to pay damages and reparations for its war exploits. It was literally bankrupt and had to start from scratch.
Yet despite this, it rose from the rubble like a phoenix, outperforming us.
I am proud to be a Filipino but not proud of the men who ran our government and drove our people to poverty.
We clung to false hopes and promises.Our politicians led our country astray.
Seeing the Japanese infrastructure as we traveled around makes me seethe with anger. Their slope protection works are much better. Far better than we can imagine.
Flood control works? Not even close. What happened?
We have a massive talent pool of engineers and professionals but we failed.We lost our creativity and initiative to corruption.
Somehow we lost our values to the comforts of material wealth.
Everytime we embark on a journey home after travelIing abroad we awaken to the sad reality that awaits us. Our country has been left far behind.
There is so much to wish for our beloved Philippines and Bohol. We can only hope and pray more that things get better.
Perhaps not in our lifetime but in the lives of our children’s children.