The Youth: Dope of the Motherland?

The Filipino youth has been recently involved in some of the most scandalous crimes in our country. It is disappointing to know that what our forefathers once called the “Hope of our Motherland” is now the “Burden of Every Mother and Father”. As such, the crime rate in our country is rising at an alarming pace. The worst part, however, is that our youth seems to compete with their elders in pursuing a career in Organized and Underground crime.

The example set by 13-year-old “Jake” Perez whose name emerged as the primary suspect in the SM Pampanga shooting which left two people dead has spawned much scandal and attention. Nevertheless, Jake’s case comes short in to being the worst and disastrous incident in our country which involves a minor.

Within our country’s poorest districts, there rests the seat of drug addiction, chemical abuse, urban violence, and underground war. Steaming with aggression, these places were once thought to be a place only for grown-ups. Distressingly, though, that the local drug lords and hitmen have already found their own respective heirs who would inherit their “Guns of Gory” and “Drugs of Domination”. These uncanny heirs, however, are not beefed-up men. They are actually young children, who, by an intertwined fate of poverty and desperation, have submitted to the whims of their “lords” and whispers of their dark egos. Shocking this may be, this is the bitter veracity that is constantly creeping within the slums of our country. We may not know it yet, but this is just the beginning. This predicament must given an immediate cure, thereby acting as a stepping stone to further contain the myriad of problems in thePhilippines.

Alarming this may be, the Filipino community must never cower nor should it weep despite the seemingly-hopeless state of our youth. The full support of the Filipino society is required in order to assess this dilemma before all is lost. Encouraging young Filipinos to join youth clubs and other character development organizations are both credible answers but still, prevention is better than cure and the beginning of admirable morality is found in our homes. Poor families can start teach their children to become resilient and God-fearing during their younger years. Well-to-do families, on the other hand, must educate their children to help rehabilitate those who have lost their resoluteness, and help those who are in need. Only through our combined efforts can we raise our struggling nation from a total breakdown and social unrest.