Of myths and whatnots
I grew up in the province. So far from the city that if you turn off all the electronics in the house, you can hear only cicadas and birds chirping as well as the leaves disturbed by the wind. Yeah, you say that seems to be a good place to live. Not really. To live in one of the top three poorest province in the country is not something to be proud of. People rely on rice crops, small coconut plantations (for copra and tuba), sari-sari stores, government employment, and family supports. This is where I spent most of my childhood and most of my teen years. But despite that, people seemed contented. That's a good thing, right? After all, if we had to choose, we don't root for wealth, but for contentment and happiness. Right?
Yeah of course, that's pretty much it. But sadly, their definition of contentment is the NOW. The EACH DAY. To hell with the future! Let it worry on its own. For now, we dance.
So when emergency comes, small lending firms come to the rescue.There's always a reason why they proliferate in our area. That's because business is goodah.
But then what's a mounting debt right? When you can't even take your money with you to heaven. So, to hell with future. For now we dance.
Most of my immediate relatives work in the government. Teachers, police officers, clerks in various government offices. And of course my father's a soldier. I remembered an aunt suggested that I should apply in one of the offices where another relative was already a senior official. The work is stable, and a guaranteed retirement benefit.
Our community, with almost all devout Catholics taught us that money is evil. That it was written in the bible. That rich people were bad people. That rich people cannot sleep at night because they're afraid that some thief would sneak into their houses and take all of their wealth. My people hated "kuripot" relatives.
They believe that if you can provide food 3 times a day, you're good. That everything in excess is bad. That if you only believe in God, He will provide everything for you. That the birds do not worry for food or clothing, then why should men worry for food of clothing, when God can provide them (Matthew 6:25-34).
There's something wrong with all these things of course. Taken out of context. There's something missing in what people choose to believe. And that makes all OUR situation worse.
Inherently, my kababayans were actually longing for the same object they named as the root of all evil. But for some reason, they leave these all to fate. Kung swerte, swerte talaga.People buy lotto tickets, bet to "last-3 digits" and jai-alai and other get-rich-quick schemes. Savings over time was never an option.Some small businesses exists but they never expanded. Maybe because of the same thinking that anything in excess is bad (This should be applicable to politicians).
That missing something is financial literacy. Even I am guilty as charged. Remember that pony-tailed friend I met in Makati who have done money talks all around the Philippines? He had been sending me mails, and messages in Facebook, that I should meet him one day to talk about my finances. I replied that I am interested. But the truth is, I'm not that interested interested. Looking back now, maybe if I heeded his call, I could have started earlier on.
In some way, maybe I can say now that I have been enlightened. But there are many of my kababayans out there who have yet to face life's greatest challenges. Without financial literacy, they had to go through things with extra difficulty. I promised to myself that if financial literacy would finally manifest through me, I would willingly gave that place someday a financial talk they really much needed.
For now, I'm still learning the ways. And hopefully with sheer determination and God's will, everything would turn out right.
Yeah of course, that's pretty much it. But sadly, their definition of contentment is the NOW. The EACH DAY. To hell with the future! Let it worry on its own. For now, we dance.
So when emergency comes, small lending firms come to the rescue.There's always a reason why they proliferate in our area. That's because business is goodah.
But then what's a mounting debt right? When you can't even take your money with you to heaven. So, to hell with future. For now we dance.
Most of my immediate relatives work in the government. Teachers, police officers, clerks in various government offices. And of course my father's a soldier. I remembered an aunt suggested that I should apply in one of the offices where another relative was already a senior official. The work is stable, and a guaranteed retirement benefit.
Our community, with almost all devout Catholics taught us that money is evil. That it was written in the bible. That rich people were bad people. That rich people cannot sleep at night because they're afraid that some thief would sneak into their houses and take all of their wealth. My people hated "kuripot" relatives.
They believe that if you can provide food 3 times a day, you're good. That everything in excess is bad. That if you only believe in God, He will provide everything for you. That the birds do not worry for food or clothing, then why should men worry for food of clothing, when God can provide them (Matthew 6:25-34).
There's something wrong with all these things of course. Taken out of context. There's something missing in what people choose to believe. And that makes all OUR situation worse.
Inherently, my kababayans were actually longing for the same object they named as the root of all evil. But for some reason, they leave these all to fate. Kung swerte, swerte talaga.People buy lotto tickets, bet to "last-3 digits" and jai-alai and other get-rich-quick schemes. Savings over time was never an option.Some small businesses exists but they never expanded. Maybe because of the same thinking that anything in excess is bad (This should be applicable to politicians).
That missing something is financial literacy. Even I am guilty as charged. Remember that pony-tailed friend I met in Makati who have done money talks all around the Philippines? He had been sending me mails, and messages in Facebook, that I should meet him one day to talk about my finances. I replied that I am interested. But the truth is, I'm not that interested interested. Looking back now, maybe if I heeded his call, I could have started earlier on.
In some way, maybe I can say now that I have been enlightened. But there are many of my kababayans out there who have yet to face life's greatest challenges. Without financial literacy, they had to go through things with extra difficulty. I promised to myself that if financial literacy would finally manifest through me, I would willingly gave that place someday a financial talk they really much needed.
For now, I'm still learning the ways. And hopefully with sheer determination and God's will, everything would turn out right.
Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop.- I really don't know whom to attribute this quote.
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