CHIAROSCURO
Blend of Light and Shadow
By Roque P. Hofileña, Jr.

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Since this column started last year, one recurring underlined here is the issue of governance. To briefly clarify its simplified meaning, governance is the management of public service/welfare activities in the local community or national, even international levels. Who are involved in governance? Again, very simple, all citizens of a community or an entire country? In fact, in this very globalized world, we can stretch citizen involvement to the world at large. In short, all human beings today are expected to be citizens of their local community, their nation and the world. And the last basic question is: why should all citizens be involved in governance? Again our simplified answer is because community involvement on inherent to human beings or as we have quoted the poet John Donne earlier, “no man is an island.” On a more practical level, whatever happens to our globalized world today (e.g. economic recession) affect many people in various places of the world. So every human being has both the right and duty to participate, to be involved in governance or community/world affairs. If citizens are apathetic despite knowing their duty to participate in public affairs, they are liable to get irresponsible corrupt public officials.

To go to our basic question in our last column, what can an ordinary citizen do in the face of so many difficult problems around him/her? As we said earlier, many things can be done. Many small things can add up to bigger things. The individual can first share his best efforts in his family. Most people are already doing this. The main problem here, however, is related to the Filipino cultural trait of strong family ties which becomes execessive in many cases. Thus, for example, graft and corruption is justified for the sake of the family. This is morally and legally wrong and unless rooted out of our psychosocial cultural system, this will continue to weaken and damage Philippine social life. More specific ways will be discussed in the coming issues.

Special Historical Event:
In this month of March celebrated as Women’s Month, we recall one notable Negrense, Melecio Severino, whose public career was an inspiration. As a young Silaynon, he joined the Negrense revolution which ousted the Spanish rule in Negros during our Cinco de Noviembre 1898 uprising. When the Americans replaced the Spaniards, they allowed in 1899 a semblance of free elections and Melecio Severino was elected the first Governor (December 1, 1899 to April 30, 1901) despite not being close to the Americans. With his leadership, he was also elected one of the Negros representatives in the first Philippine Assembly in 1912. Apart from his many legislative proposals, he was one of the original legislators to sponsor in 1912 the historic Women’s Suffrage bill which was finally passed and signed by Pres. Manuel Quezon on Sept. 15, 1937, and allowed Filipino women to vote for the first time in Philippine history.*