Editorial | Ariel to RP: Learn to be like the grass

Day 490, 03:11 • Published in Philippines Philippines • by Rageldo Dimagiba

The following is Ariel David Buena's response to my March 22 article, entitled "Special Report | FPM, Bank of Philippines. Who are these people?". Although I am at odds with some of Mr. Buena's ideas, I believe that his comments are substantial enough to be re-published here as a full article in THE DAILY COCONUT.

His comments are as follows (printed with permission from the author):
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"Discover the Mystery within the Staunchness of the Oak and the Yielding of the Grass.

"The grass bends easily in the wind; the great oak stands unmoved. A strong wind can uproot the oak, but no wind, however strong, can uproot the grass that bends flat before it."

- Chinese Proverb

Filipinos! Learn to be like the grass.

The economy is in shambles. The treasury is empty. This is not the proper time to criticize people who are expressing their willingness to help. This is not a time to act like the great oak.

Do not let your fears, anger and misdirected nationalism force you into isolationism and stagnation. We must stay dynamic and open to interaction with the rest of the eWorld.

Although I am unfamiliar with the activities of and the people behind FPM, I find that the criticism laid against them in many article comments is fueled by fear, illogic and hysteria.

Fear of being taken advantage of by foreign powers. We feel like it's Bunaly all over again. But it's not. Like I said before, the FPM has nothing to gain from us at this moment. What are we afraid of?

As long as we make sure that AT LEAST 60% of the ACTIVE Congressional seats are controlled by the PFF, then we have nothing to fear from the FPM, or anyone else for that matter.

That’s why you have to vote wisely and strategically tomorrow. We should give the Congressional majority to PFF because, after all that they’ve been through, they deserve it. We should also give FPM a shot to prove themselves and their words. There is a lot of potential rewards for everyone if we all learn to work together.

There is also something illogical and hysterical about the way FPM is being received by many. It’s like everyone automatically assumes that FPM is up to no good because they come from foreign lands.

Just think about it. If we always assumed that everyone who came here to offer their help had ulterior motives, then we would never allow any foreigner to operate in the country, EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE GENUINELY GOOD INTENTIONS.

My friends, do not let the specter of Bunaly haunt you into succumbing to isolationism. That is the worst thing you could do for the country.

And how can you prove if someone has good intentions if you don’t let them prove themselves in the first place.

In closing, I would like to leave you with a piece of wisdom from an old movie I once saw:

“It is better to try and fail than to fail to try and forever experience the agony of not knowing what might have been.”