Trust

of friendship that led to Colonial Mentality which gave birth to Corruption.

Filipinos during the spanish era were deprived of the things that they need. The spaniards treated the
natives just like slaves who are not worthy of education or power. Most of the Filipinos during that time
period were all in thirst of wealth and power. As they see some of their countrymen alongside with
spaniards getting high ranks and more privileges than them, they thought that some day, as they may
also get attached with spaniards, they’ll be able experience those kind of things. The boss-slave
relationship for spaniards was depicted as friendship by the filipinos. The natives were made to believe
that if their loyalty stays with the spaniards, the promise of living like in a paradise will flourish. Many of
them gave up their independence as well as their dignity while holding into that mere promise of
spaniards — which obviously, a promise that is destined to be broken. The natives have sacrificed three
centuries as they lose their own welfare in exchange of the long over due promise of paradise to them.
They’ve been so loyal to spain and had undeniably possessed this thing called “colonial mentality”. The
natives did everything what the spaniards have told them in hope that someday, their lives would also
be as flourishing and as powerful as those spaniards who, in reality, had no intention of being friends
with the natives. The filipinos have been easily corrupted; not their money, but their own morals.
Corruption is not just about the illegal acquisition of money, but it could also be a way of depriving
others of what they deserve through the use and abuse of power or position. With this, the filipinos
back then were victims of corruption in the moral sense, and until now, corruption is rampant in all
aspects.

National sentiment and unity — this is something that filipinos have been lacking of ever since and until
now. And this concept is what us filipinos must strive to achieve because without these, we will always
be the slaves of our own false beliefs — beliefs that only led us to disappointments and misfortunes. The
next generation of leaders are our best hope. The future leaders who have witnessed how the past and
present have suffered and are suffering due to the incompetency, colonial mentality and corruption of
the said leaders. Our future leaders must set a goal towards the attainment of another concept of
independence for the country. An independence that is not just about being free of the colonizers
presence, but an independence that encourages an autonomous and self-help country that would serve
its own countrymen without the help of others, but with integrity and faithfulness.