I don't now how" Juan Tamad "as a folklore story came about. Juan is the poetic term for common Filipino while"tamad"means lazy. But no way it describes the Filipino as a whole.
As of the present time while the world is in festive spirit because of Christmas few others are in deep mourning. Their loved ones died with the fire that burned the mall where their business was. I can relate to this story because 37of those casualties where in the same line of work I do.
If you'd known Filipinos better youd know they are globally competitve. Think of the famous fashion designer who hails from same province and in fact my mom's classmate Michael Cinco.His gowns are well sought for by the rich and famous showbiz or not. Think of the nurses,seaman, and enginers around the globe. Even the UK Prince William had a Filipino nanny. A Filipino chef served two American president. Clearly even the powerhouse of pageantry and sports we had claimed it's pedestal as a Filipino. Manny Pacquiao did us proud with his boxing and Leah Salonga with her rendition of Mulan and Saigon Broadway
Our overseas workers are everywhere doing a" jobs possible just to support their family back home. They don't have qualms working on holidays, back to back shift and even overtime.Not even in places where labor laws are not implemented Filipinos toil. So sad that despite of this we still see such derogatory term in many forms of literature.
This post is to honor those casualties in the fire. I don't honestly understand why there had too many lives lost days before Christmas. I can't help but think would it have been different had we been a first world countries in terms of occupational safety ,medical response and fire control.
To undermine the work done by anyone as simply a "fisherman ", a "peddler "etc is to disvalue the effort it takes to go to a work not every one likes or at paycheck not acceptable to many. It is to dismerit the dignity a man place on his work no matter how trivial. Whether they pay taxes or not it's not the issue. To me this workers be they be employed or start up enterpteneurs are worthy of praise as they put effort to earn a descent living than just rely on social services like most A1 countries or those thieves who just take the easy way out.
So to those who bid farewell because they worked in Christmas to earn a living than go party like most of us you're not forgotten. your death was never in vain. Once again that motivation for me to learn how to generate income outside the four walls of an office is burning like coal. I wouldn't die in vain if I can transfer this knowledge to someone so he can earn, raise a family, spend time with her and never put his life on danger because of work.
Indeed being alive healthy this new year are reasons enough for me to jump with joy for 2018 becauase as long as I'm breathing I can always make a better choice. Too bad those works who died won't. I just pray whoever is responsible must be put to justice and may they be compensated accordingly for their loved ones sake.
Let's be grateful with the job that we do while moving towards financial independence Because complaining about it makes the task more unbearable and we tend to invite bad vibes in the process .Do imagine the thousands who are unemployed, underemployed and tooo disabled to work. We are indeed lucky.
Till next post,
Ayn