Octopocks, ZOOM!!!

Where are you?

You are in the Philippines. And this is THE REAL WORLD.

Where technological revolution shuts out family values, destroys quality time and the corruption of mind is common. TV becomes your altar, soap operas and teleseryes are more relevant than news and current events, game consoles and iPads are your companion, Willie and TVJ are considered as powerful gods, and all of us are slowly becoming a bunch of zombie slaves being controlled by our own work computer.

Where lies become the truth, and the truth becomes a lie. Our taxes are working for us by means of luxury cars, P20,000 dinner in New York, extravagant mansions, unnecessary travels and other unexplained wealth. Not to mention, those paid ghost employees working for our local officials. That’s why every election season, our trusty government ensures that our vote really counts… TWICE.

Where pollution becomes our daily scent. Dust as pressed powder. Garbage as garden landscapes. We are all situated in a branded town where various initials and names of your duly-elected government officials are embedded on every lamp posts, walls, park benches, tarpaulins, even schools. And this ain’t Banana Republic’s fault.

Where fashion becomes our identity. Your personality is based on how well can you pull up (or down) a pair of baggy pants, loose shirts, Supra shoes, dyed hair and rainbow-colored caps.

Where landing a decent job equates to almost impossible for the ironic reason of lacking work experience. That’s why a question still runs in my mind. “How are we suppose to get that so-called ‘work experience’ if you won’t give us the chance to land a decent job?”

Where a simple “YES or NO” question can now be answered with a series of incoherent and complex sentences. Very showbiz-y. So don’t bother asking why our leaders adopt this kind of style in answering questions. Our government is infested with award-winning celebrities and compulsive liars.

Where the separation of the church and the state is nonexistent. An explanation why Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Robert Reyes, Gaudencio Rosales, Ed Panlilio, and sometimes, even the pope wants to get some piece of the action. Or maybe they just want to make the world a better place. Maybe not.

Where the president’s love life, smoking habits and receding hairline is far more important than giving food, shelter, clothing and livelihood to the poor.

Where politics is the most profitable business venture, next to call centers.

Where basic human rights is defined with how much money you have in your pocket and how influential your family is. Countess bodies of journalists and ordinary citizens are all around the place, as well as political activists still being held and detained without any warrant or formal case charged against them. All of whom are being stripped off of their freedom and the right to live, whilst the actual hooligans are still on the loose. Or let’s just say they’re currently “doing their time” at the comfort of their own rest house and/or VIP prison cells.

Doesn’t ring any bell? Google Maps…