The Maong Presidency
I had just come from weekend vacation with my husband and kids and dogs. Looked at the stars, hooked up with old friends. Got properly and thoroughly refreshed.
Got home at close to midnight, checked my mail then saw that the President had a press con. I watched a bit.
I thought it was an earlier press con. Because you know, who works on a Sunday and at midnight?
No one but those who have to. And even then, they get hours of rest before and after their 8 or so tour of duty.
I couldn’t even finish watching this press con. After 15 minutes, I was fast asleep. And this was after a whole weekend of super chill time.
It just makes me appreciate our president so much more.
I looked at him and I saw just how tired he was.
He looked every inch the man who carries the burden of the Presidency. And my heart bled for him. Like I wanted to go there, announce to one and all, “OK, press con over.” And then say to him, “Digongmylabs, the world will spin without you. Rest now.”
Kahit yung outfit nya, na-stress ako. I need an explanation. :D Joke lang. Hindi ako elitista. I can see past the maong-sports shirt-white sando get up and see the man’s heart, his love for country and his resolve to do what needs to get done. Substance over form, any old day for me.
As I said before, I’m one of the mababaw-ang-kaligayahan ones. The easy-to-please ones. The ones who keep going, “Ohmygusnek!! NO MORE LAGLAG BALA! JUST LIKE THAT!!” “WOW! STRANDED OFWs, HOME! WOW!" “ECONOMIC GROWTH AT 6.8%! WOWWWW!”
(As opposed to those with, errrmm... impeccable standards for whom nothing this president does is ever enough. And then pala, wants the may-lalampa-pa-ba-dito LP to head our country again. JUSKODAY. The mere thought gives me an internal hemorrhage.)
I know that it is just right that he work himself to the bone because he asked for this job, didn’t he? No one stuck a gun to his head.
And yet we’ve had an excess of presidents who filled their hours with gambling and drinking, thinking up schemes for how to steal from us and get away with it, played DOTA, etc. These assholes who had so totally forgotten the meaning of public service and were the very reasons we were stuck for the longest time in the dark pit of despair we were in.
So just now, I am filled with gratitude at the man who stands at the helm of our country. This man who works himself to the bone and is focused in ways no president has been in correcting our country’s course.
He just keeps on keeping on, ignoring brickbats thrown his way and how he just puts his heart, his mind, his soul in putting not just this generation but generations of Filipinos on high ground. The kind of leader I had despaired for for ages and that I thought we would never have.
But he finally got here, Rodrigo Duterte. And just now, my heart overflows with gratitude for such a President.
Thank you, Mr President for all that you do for us.
