I’ve run into a rut, and it has nothing to do with a lack of desire to write. Instead, I’m running into a problem I never thought I’d run into, being a resident of the Philippines: I’m getting bored. This country, which has been through a nearly constant string of turbulence, has suddenly gotten stable, despite what media and people love to say.
My personal gauge for how “exciting” things are have been the broadsheets, and I often grab my commentary from whatever is happening in the country. However, of late, there really hasn’t been anything worthy of commentary. Even the issues with President Arroyo and Chief Justice Corona aren’t really big things, or at least, they aren’t new. Gloria running from prosecution? That’s been going on for years. Corona? He’s an ancillary of the Gloria thing. The UST dissertation thing? It’s really UST’s prerogative how they give their degrees; heck, it’s their rules! So, where does that leave me?
It leaves me sitting in front of the newspapers, strangely, and rather perversely, looking for something to get upset about. Quite frankly, there isn’t much out there, which means that I need to start looking for other things to write about.
It’s a good sign, the fact that scandals and huge issues are gradually lessening in this country. It looks like the country is finally rolling up its sleeves and getting down to tackling what has been set aside for so long: how to make life better for everyone. I’m not just talking about the government, though I am impressed with their conduct so far. I’m talking about people in general. The PNP reported a nearly 50% decrease in the crimes reported to them since 2009. I’m inclined to think that this speaks of a general trend of improvement, given that, even if the percentage of crimes reported to the PNP may not be indicative of actual crime, I also think that there would not be a sudden distrust of the PNP causing people to stop reporting crimes to them.
There are also the positive stories that come in from communities, the small things, the tiny improvements that happen quietly, every day. What do these things mean to me? They mean that this nation may be moving away from turbulence, at least for the time being, and might just enjoy some serious progress. That’s a great thing, except for those who capitalize of the negatives in this country. The recent campaign of the Department of Tourism, It’s More Fun in the Philippines, resonates with me, partially because I know that it’s true. The mundane can become exciting here, partially because of our own outlook on things. The rest of the world seems to be catching on. Tourism figures are rising, and even Hollywood is getting in on the action, with the latest Bourne film currently being shot in Manila. (I shudder to think of the traffic.) Maybe it’s time for our writers and commentators, whether in media or in the arts, to start shifting focus, and start seeing what these people are seeing.
So, what is there worth writing about? I’m not sure. But I’m going to be looking.
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Why isn’t there anything worth writing about?
Posted: January 10, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: Bourne Legacy, chief justice, Chief Justice Renato Corona, commentary, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Hollywood, It's More Fun in the Philippines, Media, News, Philippines, president arroyo, writing
I’ve run into a rut, and it has nothing to do with a lack of desire to write. Instead, I’m running into a problem I never thought I’d run into, being a resident of the Philippines: I’m getting bored. This country, which has been through a nearly constant string of turbulence, has suddenly gotten stable, despite what media and people love to say.
My personal gauge for how “exciting” things are have been the broadsheets, and I often grab my commentary from whatever is happening in the country. However, of late, there really hasn’t been anything worthy of commentary. Even the issues with President Arroyo and Chief Justice Corona aren’t really big things, or at least, they aren’t new. Gloria running from prosecution? That’s been going on for years. Corona? He’s an ancillary of the Gloria thing. The UST dissertation thing? It’s really UST’s prerogative how they give their degrees; heck, it’s their rules! So, where does that leave me?
It leaves me sitting in front of the newspapers, strangely, and rather perversely, looking for something to get upset about. Quite frankly, there isn’t much out there, which means that I need to start looking for other things to write about.
It’s a good sign, the fact that scandals and huge issues are gradually lessening in this country. It looks like the country is finally rolling up its sleeves and getting down to tackling what has been set aside for so long: how to make life better for everyone. I’m not just talking about the government, though I am impressed with their conduct so far. I’m talking about people in general. The PNP reported a nearly 50% decrease in the crimes reported to them since 2009. I’m inclined to think that this speaks of a general trend of improvement, given that, even if the percentage of crimes reported to the PNP may not be indicative of actual crime, I also think that there would not be a sudden distrust of the PNP causing people to stop reporting crimes to them.
There are also the positive stories that come in from communities, the small things, the tiny improvements that happen quietly, every day. What do these things mean to me? They mean that this nation may be moving away from turbulence, at least for the time being, and might just enjoy some serious progress. That’s a great thing, except for those who capitalize of the negatives in this country. The recent campaign of the Department of Tourism, It’s More Fun in the Philippines, resonates with me, partially because I know that it’s true. The mundane can become exciting here, partially because of our own outlook on things. The rest of the world seems to be catching on. Tourism figures are rising, and even Hollywood is getting in on the action, with the latest Bourne film currently being shot in Manila. (I shudder to think of the traffic.) Maybe it’s time for our writers and commentators, whether in media or in the arts, to start shifting focus, and start seeing what these people are seeing.
So, what is there worth writing about? I’m not sure. But I’m going to be looking.
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