Mabini Hall - Access to Justice

Materialistic is as materialistic goes - around in circles and never coming to a stop. This season, with mindless shopping, everyday parties and endless recycling of gifts, it is not a wonder that we start the New Year empty and bored.

In relationships even, the plague of consumerism stands out and is captured in the 7 C’s. Adopted from the original Singaporean version and from a female perspective, a guy ought to have these badges to warrant a date or perhaps a gaze or a second look.

1) Cash is king. No matter the status whether old or new rich, if you are liquid, then I am too.

2) But if you don’t have the tons of cash up front, I’ll settle for Credit cards preferably the gold or platinum kind. Never leave for Rustan’s without it otherwise I will remember you forever.

3) Condominium la. It is super pricey in Singapore but I will gladly settle in a house and lot in posh Makati subdivision. Anything less then I am on a querida level. No way, Mr. Jose.

4) College degree, at least. Lest I be accused of being a material girl, my boy has to be educated not at a technical or polytechnic school but at a prestigious university so I can converse with him in correct English and there is nothing like intelligent conversation to make my day.

5) Too much studying can be bad so we need to unwind. Where else but a Country club. Not mere playing rights but full ownership ala Civil Code of the Philippines.

6) Only a Car can take me to the country club and the must see and be seen places. It is downright exorbitant in Singapore, way too expensive in the Philippines. And it cannot be an ordinary people’s car, it has to be ‘the wheels.’

This list folks is why the island state is flourishing. Not only in economics but also in how efficiently things are fun there. In this country, all the C’s matter as much but maybe not as ostensible to be articulated this way. Is it our Christian vow of poverty that hinders us? The culture of corruption and delay and red tape can be indirectly attributed to the love of things in a much smaller scale – the contract, the exchange, and the favors. All these so we can afford the nicer stuff in life. On a different and related note, this is the idea of a lifestyle check. Its implementation and the integrity of its agents remain to be a challenging task.

Take heart, there is the seventh C and it is not found in any previous list. It may be weird but this C means character. Despite of the absence or presence of the other six C’s, if a man has no character, he does not merit consideration. The rest is icing on the cake, so to speak. There are still many men and women out there especially in government who stand for what is right in spite of the heavy personal cost and the disproportionate professional risk.

In the end, it only is about character. In fact, a character-driven life is the only basis for continuing our earthly existence. And character is measured by our dedicated to others for ‘service to humanity is the best work of life.’ It used to be the thinking that we wait for leaders to lead us and for politicians to craft good laws. Now, we are beginning to realize that everything starts with me. There is a growing sense of empowerment and realization at the grassroots spiraling up to the middle forces.

This is the dawning character of the Filipino – cognizant of who he is and what he stands for and that is not for cash, cars and condos; unwilling to be used and abused for cool promises and cold credit. Regardless of the 5, 6 or 7 C’s, what is truly essential for the collective and for the individual is that one, big C. In this materially happy and sad season, it may be that one thing we ask for – personal integrity, and work for – national character.