An Independence Day Reflection
Every Independence Day, I find myself asking: Where does freedom truly lie in the midst of our daily realities? Where is freedom when a person has to settle for underemployment just to bring food to a hungry family? Where is freedom when one must surrender personal dignity for a few pesos to survive? Where is freedom when someone is forced to endure degrading circumstances simply to send children to school and secure their future? Where is freedom when one has to swallow pride and compromise self-worth merely to obtain a job? Where is freedom when countless individuals spend hours lining up to avail themselves of free goods because their meager income can no longer sustain their basic needs? And where is freedom when people gradually become accustomed to the persistent news of corruption, injustice, and the seeming indifference of those entrusted to serve the nation? I am but an ordinary Filipino whose voice is often drowned out by the louder cries against injustice, neglect,...