Resilience is an empty word

BY JASMINE LEIGH ANNE S. TIZON

Through years and years of exposure to various calamities, the Philippines, as did other nations subjected to adversities brought upon by the everchanging world, nurtured positivity to the precipice of disregard–so much that it veered toward a problematic path. In other words, the aspect of positivity was abused and its essence dulled over the course of time.

Positivity lost its uplifting power and instead transformed into a manipulative tendril that has a compact hold over the community. From the perversion of positivity came the adjective that many Filipinos pride themselves on: “resilient.”

Problems call for a million metric tons which are higher than the recorded yearly imports since 2019. Local rice farmers have lost P206 billion since the Rice Liberalization Law was signed three years ago based on the study done by the Anakpawis Partylist. Pockets of Filipinos continue to shrink as inflation skyrocketed to a 14-year high 7.7% in October, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Just when we thought that the “build, build, build” of Duterte is a tiring song to hear, there is a more deafening rendition of incompetency, a Marcosian legacy of “party, party, party” for the first 100 days of his reign. The president was absent because he was present in numerous flamboyant social gatherings even when the Philippines was hanging by a thread. Knowing Marcoses’ history, such an untouchable family would rather flaunt their wealth and power. No empathy nor sense of urgency was felt by them.

The unchanging status quo and neglect in the agrarian sector have led to happening. Perhaps, nothing is set to happen when a storm approaches and there are always people saying, “Bagyo ka lang, Pilipino kami!” the exploitation of farmers–leaving them overworked, underpaid, and underfunded as they lie at the foot of landlords and middlemen with hands bondaged to debt. What is havoc for the land tillers is a golden grain of opportunity for capitalists.

The horrific tale of the infamous ‘Tinang 83’ on June 9 was no different to the everyday plight of the tillers. What was a supposedly peaceful land cultivation activity in Hacienda Tinang in Concepcion, Tarlac, has turned into a nightmare when Philippine National Police (PNP) unlawfully massarrested 83 people consisting of farmers who were rightful owners, other land reform advocates, activists, journalists, and studentleaders alike. No explanations were even listened to by the detainees, it only took one easy assumption of evil motive before they were thrown into detention.

The lack of prioritization in our current Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has hindered our country’s farmers from reclaiming their their privilege sleep tight in their homes. rightful keep of farmland, reeling them into a subjective dispute. Not even the existing Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) was progressed to be reconstituted. Instead, Marcos Jr. vaguely introduced his apparent plans for the Masagana 150 and 200 Programs that will improve food self-sufficiency and hopefully the plummeting price rate of rice. Unfortunately, the aforementioned plan has not yet been fully drawn out as to how it will work for our farmers–it is just a blueprint now. tough mentality. They require determination, they require courage.

It is not wrong to manifest grit and resolve in these conditions, as these are qualities that make up a person who has the motivation to succeed. What appears dangerous, however, is acclimation to trouble.

Peril awaits the man who has grown accustomed to anything and everything, to the point of refusing to prepare despite recognizing approaching threats; it is this quality that makes a person with a mindset of: “I can work everything out after the problem,” entirely vulnerable.

After several decades of facing natural disasters and enduring devastating aftermaths, one would think that Filipinos would not wait for change, but would rather make the change themselves. Nothing happened. Nothing is

In this situation, resilience is just another word to describe the lack of a concrete plan and the absence of effective disaster management. It is also the veil that hides apathy. Resilience is not glory. It appears as a bandaid pasted upon a gaping wound. Its sensationalization is akin to rot that spreads and festers like an infection. Romanticizing resilience is tolerating indifference. It breeds dysfunctional leadership, hence we are not getting the right safekeeping and just guidance we deserve. We are at a constant stalemate with struggles by believing that the country could invariably bounce back in the wake of a calamity while those that bore the brunt of distress mourn their massive losses; and in the midst of misfortune, those that enjoy

It is about time to start recalibrating policies aligned with disaster risk reduction management. We have every right to demand accountability from the leaders of the nation.

The narrative of Filipino resilience is a vain attempt at covering up the misery of victims with toxic positivity, and it has taken more than one step too far. Clearly, resilience is passivity in the guise of an appealing word. Stories of resilience are looked upon as inspirational, but they end there before the entirety of the aftermath is taken into account, embellished with motivational quotes–without the audience ever really knowing how tedious and agonizing recovery is, especially when lives were lost.

Resilience is sucked dry as a dazzling bead of decoration adorning the spiel of stereotypical Filipino characteristics. It has already reached its limit. It stands as nothing more than an empty word to comfort ourselves when we have no vice to hold on to and the higher spots in the societal hierarchy have completely shut the doors for them to even see the tragedy.