Recorded in the history of human sufferings is a cancer of so malignant a character that the least touch irritates it and awakens in it the sharpest pains. Thus, how many times, when in the midst of modern civilizations I have wished to call thee before me, now to accompany me in memories, now to compare thee with other countries, hath thy dear image presented itself showing a social cancer like to that other!
-Jose Rizal, Europe 1886
Most people say that the Philippines is sick, having a kind of cancer of sorts. The kind that slowly eats the country from the inside slowly halting development, and eventually, killing it.
But for me, it’s not what perfectly describes what our country has.
You see, cancer, is currently impossible to cure. Unless one takes away the infected chunk of their body, the cancer will slowly and surely spread. Another popular treatment, chemotherapy, exists. But then again, it involves massively killing off the bad cells before they could further divide, killing the good cells along with them.
So how to get rid of cancer? You kill a part of the whole.
So if the Philippines has cancer, we have to kill off a chunk of the Philippines?
I think not.
I believe, that what the Philippines has is cholesterol. Too much of it.
What happens when a person has too much cholesterol? Cholesterol slowly builds up in a person’s blood stream, particularly in the arteries, where blood is pumped from the heart. As more cholesterol is accumulated in the arteries, it becomes harder for the oxygen-rich blood to travel the body. Eventually, the cholesterol blocks the arteries totally, resulting in a heart attack, and then death.
The Philippines, has through the years, accumulated lots of this bad cholesterol, and thus, development and progress have been slowing down. What’s worse is that it seems like (some) Filipinos have been indulging with cholesterol rich activities, effectively making the country more and more sick each passing day.
So how to we get rid of cholesterol? Discipline. Lots and lots of discipline.
I have once been diagnosed with too much cholesterol in my blood. I was told that the only way to get rid of it is a lifestyle change. I should start to avoid anything that has high cholesterol. I should start exercising more.
The problem is, it’s the cholesterol-rich food that are very tasty. So it has been very hard for me. But then again, I was able to pull it off somehow. My bad cholesterol levels dropped 1/3 from its very high value.
I envision a Philippines that purposely avoids eating bad food that increases its social cholesterol. I don’t think that we have to kill anybody to make our country as glorious as other countries around the world.
We just need a lifestyle change.



