This is the seventh in this ongoing series for practical people, both Filipino and foreign who care about the country of the Philippines and would like to do something, within their own means and power, to make it a better place.

I’d like to report some good news, too.  I have a source for this book … although I still haven’t made my much looked forward to meeting with the author happen yet.  But if any of you want your own copy or want a copy to give as birthday, Christmas or passalubong, just let me know here and we’ll work something out.  I’ll sell it at the current retail price … I’m not in this to make a profit and I can ship it virtually anywhere in the world.  Personally I have along list of pamamkins, high school and college graduates (and in some cases their parents) who are getting the book as a gift real soon now.

This is certainly one of my favorite suggestions.  Some thoughts expressed here require the luxury of being able to ‘do the right thing’ even when it seems to go against the norms of society.  And some are great ideas, like staying in line in traffic … but in the practical like on the streets it just may not be possible to drive as courtesy as a person already knows how … but litter?  OMG, there is just no excuse for the mess Filipinos are making of their own beautiful country every day.

A lot of times people answer reform suggestions with a comment about how many poor people there are.  This, of course, is a fact of life … and certainly it’s hard to teach your children to put trash in the basura can when you can’t afford a can … bit I have been inside a lot of Filipino people’s homes, including ones occupied by very, very poor people … and guess what?  Almost without exception, even the poorest bahay is clean … even bare concrete floors or bamboo mats shine when they are frequently swept.  In general, Filipinos are among the cleanest people on earth when it comes to their homes .. so what, on earth, happens when they step outside?

Got a gum wrapper, or even worse a sticky wad of gum?  Throw it on the street, who cares?  Been to McDonalds?  Toss the wrapper and the foam plastic box on your neighbors front sidewalk .. it would be so much trouble to take it home and dispose of it properly. Are you a smoker?  Well when the yosi gets down to the end, toss it over the nearest fence, it’s too bad for whoever is on the other side, but at least it isn’t littering your yard, diba?

And pest.  Oh my goodness, pets.  Got a dog?  Either let he run loose and defecate as he please, or even worse take him for a walk on a lease and when he feels the urge (if you can find a patch of lawn), then let him poop there .. and pick it up after him?  No one does that anywhere in the world, do they?

You know a current ‘buzz item’ on the news is an insensitive and derogatory joke and American actor just made about the Philippines … in very poor taste.  Even some members of Congress are up in arms about it, as they have a right to be.

But while the Philippines rushes to defend its honor against the slander of an insensitive foreigner, make sure you aren’t the Filipino who defiles your own country, day in and day out with your own insensitive refusal to exercise even the most minimal care in how you leave the country in your wake.  Foreigners should never insult and defile the Philippines.  that’s a given.  But what gives you the right to defile the country just because you might have been born here?

Love your country and treat her as if you really did love her .. and stop throwing all you drink cups and cans in my front yard, please … I’m nor Alec Baldwin, and I guarantee you I never threw trash in your front yard.

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