DNL’s Speech during the Bohol Medical Society Induction of
Officers, at the Bohol Tropics Resort Club, June 24, 2005.
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| ``The Healer as Citizen`` |
On my way here, a friend asked me where I was going. When I told him I was going
to speak at the induction of the new set of officers of the Bohol Medical Society,
he said that was good news.
Curious about his remark, I asked him what he meant. He replied: “it’s good to
hear that the doctors have a new set of officers. It means they are staying for
at least one more year.”
It does not take a political scientist to notice that this country is in terrible
shape. Worse, there seems to be no sign at the end of the tunnel. This is the
reason why many people, doctors among them, are leaving the country for the proverbial
greener pastures.
Never mind if in the process, they will not only leave behind the land of their
birth but even give up a lot of themselves in the process. As a consequence, we
see doctors studying to become nurses, teachers working as domestic helpers and
lawyers serving as secretaries and decent women working as prostitutes in foreign
lands. Frankly, i don’t know which is worse: the economy in the Philippines or
the loss of dignity elsewhere.
The government cannot seem to make up its mind. While it makes appeals to doctors
and nurses to stay in the country and serve Filipinos, it heaps praises on OFWs
as heroes.
I cannot blame people who go to the extent of lying about the purpose of their
travel or the money they have in the bank just to go abroad. As I pointed out
earlier, the feeling of hopelessness and despair seems to be all over. Anything
abroad now seems to be better than what is in store in the Philippines.
Those who remain are either those who cannot pay for placement fees, those who
don’t have the drive to aim for a better life, or those who insist to dream better
things for the country regardless of the situation.
For you who have not only chosen to remain but actually have shown your commitment
by your active involvement in the Bohol Medical Society, I salute you all. Indeed,
you certainly can pay for the placement fees and you don’t look like you have
lost the drive for a better life.
I must assume then that you are among the idealists who insist to dream for a
better life in spite of all the discouraging things you see. Considering that
you serve in one of the noblest professions on earth, you certainly deserve more
than just my salute and my gratitude.
The theme that you have adopted “Nagkakaisang Manggagamot at Mamayan Para sa Bayan”
is very relevant and appropriate. It is, as the saying goes, exactly what the
doctor ordered.
Without unity, there is little we can achieve in this life. United and committed,
the Bohol Medical society can go a long way not only in providing improved medical
and health services.
I am particularly impressed by your emphasis on citizenship. Indeed, citizenship
is not a choice but a responsibility. A bad government is never an excuse to be
a bad citizen.
Citizenship is not dependent on political tides or leadership in government. If
the country is in bad shape because of the misfits at the helm, its citizens must
rise to the occasion.
Being the husband of a physician, I believe that I understand your problems and
share your sentiments. In spite of all your sacrifices, you are not getting the
remuneration and the respect that you deserve.
Doctors are often overworked, underpaid and misunderstood. While you have the
desire to serve by administering treatment, you also need to survive in the face
of rising prices in medicine and equipment.
And yet, I have observed how you as concerned citizens have conducted regular
free clinics for those who cannot afford medical services. I have heard of stories
of doctors either slashing down their professional fees or even waiving them just
to be able to attend to indigent patients.
These and other proofs of generosity and benevolence have reinforced my beliefs
that contrary to the predictions of doomsayers, there is still hope in this country.
We are going through a storm at present but I know the sun will appear when the
storm is over.
It is easy to see that the grass looks greener on the other side. In the United
States for instance, not only are physicians adequately paid, they get all the
support in terms of modern equipment and hospital facilities aside from routine
specialization studies.
And yet, we are at the crossroads of our nation’s history. If this was basketball,
this is the fourth quarter of the seventh game. The season is on the line and
we either win or go home.
A few weeks ago, I read the story of a Pulitzer Prize winner named Kevin Carter
who committed suicide three months after shooting the photo in Sudan that won
him the prestigious award in 1994.
The winning photo was about a three-year old child, obviously malnourished, crawling
to reach the nearest United Nations feeding station which was about a kilometer
away. A few meters behind the child was a vulture, just waiting for the child
to die. No one knows what happened to the child but the depression over that scene
drove Carter to kill himself.
The Philippines, and certainly Bohol is not as impoverished as Sudan. In fact,
we can make modest claims to growth and progress. It may not be much but the Sudanese
would kill to trade places with us.
We cannot do anything about the past and there is little we can do about the present.
But there is a lot that we can do for the future. There are no hopeless situations,
only people who have lost hope.
With this philosophy in mind, the city government has committed itself to invest
in the future of our people and our city. We are investing in the early childhood
education of our children and uplifting the quality of elementary education.
We provide all public school pupils with uniforms, from shirts and blouses to
shoes, bags, school supplies and books. We want to give our children a sense of
dignity in going to school and a vision of hope that will set them apart from
the despair of those who are older than them.
We are providing free medical services to indigent patients at the Gov. Celestino
Gallares Memorial Hospital. As I have promised in my election campaign, it is
my vision to see the day when no indigent patient can be refused treatment simply
because he or she is poor.
While we are committed to infrastructure development such as better roads, the
priority is people. As your theme pointed out, the reason why physicians and citizens
should unite is to be able to serve the people.
These are only examples of the dreams that your public servants are dreaming for
your city. If we must dream, then we might as well dream big. We would like the
world to remember Tagbilaran as the “Little City with Big Dreams”.
Obviously, we cannot make it on our own. The city government is only as good as
the citizens who swear allegiance to it. What good are the plans of the head if
its hands are idle?
As we stand at the crossroads, we are faced with a choice: whether to move forward
or to step backwards. I believe the choice of the city government is obvious:
it is making its biggest and boldest step towards the direction of progress and
growth.
I believe that the God who put the dreams in our heart for the least of our people
is the same God who will be with us every step of the way.
Will the Bohol Medical Society be a partner in the march for progress? Will the
healers also be responsible citizens? I am hoping that you will answer favorably
but at the end of the day, the decision is yours. After all, in times of sickness,
the doctor knows best.
Enjoy this celebration and may you have a productive year ahead.
Thank you and good evening! |
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