Author’s Note: I originally wrote this essay in June 2015 during my senior year as a Finance student. It was an assignment for our Investment and Portfolio Management class. When our professor, Mr. Rolan Literatus, gave the title, I knew it wasn’t about the typical financial investing, but something that’s deeper. In this new version, I’m revisiting and updating it after 10 years in light of the Philippines’ current situation. You can see the original scanned copy of the version at the end of this blog post.

A country’s Independence Day commemorates a nation’s liberation from colonial or dictatorial rule. Every June 12, the Philippines celebrates the annual anniversary of independence from the Spanish regime. Based on the dictionary, independence is defined as the state of being free of control of some other person, country, or entity. We commemorate our independence annually from the 333 years of Spanish colonization. With this, most of believe that we are already free, but are we really?

Are The Filipino People Truly Free?

As of this writing in 2025, after the Spaniards left the country 127 years ago, it’s a sad reality that the Philippines is still not free. We are still bounded from the chains that society has imposed. In fact, we struggle in breaking free from these chains. What supposed to be an independence to be celebrated became short-lived and irrelevant at present.

“Mga kapatid, mayroon tayong mas malaking kaaway kaysa mga Amerikano. Ang ating mga sarili”

“Brothers and sisters, we have a greater enemy than the Americans…ourselves.”

– Juan Luna

Kayumanggi is the Tagalog word for brown which describes the skin color of a Filipino. At present, when one asks a Filipino’s color, you would receive a yellow, red, green, or pink as an answer. Mention the rest of the colors you have in mind and one could determine that these colors represent political parties that Filipinos are supporting.

If you’re on social media, Filipinos have been bickering and disagreeing as a result of political differences, instead of uniting for the sake of our country’s betterment. Politicians are considered as celebrities and idols that people look up to. People feel that they owe something to the politicians as a result of a service or favor they’ve done. In reality, we don’t have an obligation to these individuals in office. They are public servants who are elected to utilize the tax payer’s money to be of service to the community, not to fatten their wallets and increase their wealth.

In the same way, we blame these elected leaders as the reason that our country is not progressing. Yet, the shame is on us. We are to be blamed why these leaders are in office. Those deserving people who should’ve been elected are overshadowed by those who shouldn’t be elected in the first place, like those who don’t have the experience and background to be a lawmaker, who have criminal cases and are still allowed to run, and who haven’t accomplished anything during their term in office.

We had the choice of electing virtuous leaders, but we didn’t properly use this fundamental right to choose the worthy ones. That’s why we are still enslaved by these government officials. We are chained from their corrupt practices because we allow them to enslave us during elections through vote buying and bribery.

As a result, millions of Filipinos struggle with access to education, health, infrastructures, and a better quality of life because funds which could have been allocated for these projects and programs are instead channeled for their personal interests.

We could have lived in a city that has proper urban planning, but what we are experiencing and witnessing are infrastructures that are designed for the elite and vehicles, not for the masses.

We could have bridges like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in the United States that could connect all islands in the country and make land transportation possible between islands.

A senior high school student might have dreams to go to college, but it came to a halt because of financial struggles to pursue higher education.

A sick family member is deprived of access to quality healthcare because of the expensive hospital bills.

The people are the assets of a country, but what happens if the younger population chose not to have kids as it’s not worth it to have one in a system that doesn’t support them?

Despite being located along the earth’s major tectonic plate and the center of typhoon belt, we are unprepared and constantly impacted by floods, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Yet, trillions of pesos were stolen by government officials and government-funded contractors on funds that were supposed to be built on these projects.

In a societal lens, similar instances also happen whenever we transact in government agencies and encounter a law enforcer on the road. Instead of standing up and challenging the system, we tolerate bribing and under the table offerings as these has been the norm.

Even in the private sector, some bank employees manipulate and steal money from their client’s accounts instead of having integrity and following the financial regulations. Also, some would overstate reimbursements or cash advances relating to government transactions in order to gain kickbacks. Is it really worth it and conscientious to gain wealth from dirty money within the institution you’re working in and then feed that money to your family?

Yes, we won our freedom from colonizers, but we’re unfree not from foreign flags, but because of our fellow Filipinos who lead the country and what the society has been tolerating as a whole.

Educating and Investing Out Of Corruption Traps

Education has become a privilege and not a right for some Filipinos. Some lack knowledge to make better decisions in some aspects of their life. Through education, we could obtain freedom since through the knowledge that we gain, it becomes the key in having a better life and a better country.

Likewise, through knowledge, one could have the power to make sound decisions. Thus, it’s important to invest in education as it is the key to several opportunities in life. A person invests because despite the possession or time they gave up at present, they expect to attain greater value in the future compared to the thing that they gave up at present. Through investment, a person would be able to break free from these chains.

Through education and critical thinking, it becomes a way to break free from the traps of corruption. The problem with some Filipino’s mindset is only looking at the short-term view. Some only see what they can benefit right now instead of viewing the long-term benefits they can gain. Delayed gratification is disliked.

During the election season, you get ayuda and money from a politician, but that will only satisfy you in less than a week or even a day. On the other hand, good governance and accountability are values that are made in the long run, just like how the present Singapore isn’t built overnight. It needs to be built strongly by a public servant who upholds these values.

So, instead of allowing yourself to be enlisted and to be a recipient of ulan-ulan or vote buying during elections or to immediately believe the mainstream media or a social media page about the updates they deliver to the public, ask yourself a lot of questions first.

Why does this journalist only talks about one party and only interviews the people in this group? Whenever they interview this person, why doesn’t the journalist ask thought-provoking questions and only queries about the good stuff?

Does this politician who gave you this money will steal more by the time he wins? Will I be at loss in the long run if I vote a person with these values and who’s desperate to win for money? If the person has been in the seat for years, what has he improved in your local community that’s not just a project with short-lived benefits? Has this person done projects in the past that still exists today? These are just some of the few questions one should ask.

The Philippines still has a long way to go to be truly free, but if we educate ourselves, think critically, invest in leaders who think of the people’s welfares instead of their interests, and not condone the acts of corruption in our community and workplaces, these small acts become ripple effects that can influence others and for the betterment of our society.

The journey of attaining education is a winding road, but the fruits of education are priceless. Through education, the society’s disease of ignorance would be cured. We would be able to make better decisions in our life and we would be able to break free from any chains that are binding us. That’s why proper investment, may it be in finance or in other aspects in our lives and our society, is essential for our country to attain true independence.