Love of Country

Please pass it to all Filipinos you know.

The message goes:

As you know, we have plenty of Koreans

currently

studying in the Philippines to take

advantage of

our cheaper tuition fees and learn

English at the

same time.

This is an essay written by a Korean

student i

want to share with you. (Never mind the

grammar;

it's the CONTENT that counts) Maybe it

is timely to

think about this in the midst of all the

confusion

at present.

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the

corruption in

the Philippines. Do you really think the

corruption

is the problem of the Philippines? I do not

think so. I strongly believe that the

problem is

the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea.

It might help you understand my point.

After the Korean War, South Korea was one

of the poorest countries in the world.

Koreans

had to start from scratch because entire

country was

destroyed after the Korean War, and we

had no

natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the

Philippines, for

Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We

envy Filipinos.

Koreans really wanted to be well off like

Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine.

My father & brother also died because of

famine.

Korean government was very corrupt and

is still very

corrupt beyond your imagination, but

Korea was

able to develop dramatically because

Koreans really

did their best for the common good with

their heart

burning with patriotism.

Koreans did not work just for themselves

but also

for their neighborhood and country.

Education inspired

young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the

government to reform Korea. He tried to

borrow money

from other countries, but it was not

possible to get a

loan and attract a foreign investment

because the

economic situation of South Korea was so

bad. Korea had

only three factories. So, President Park

sent many mine

workers and nurses to Germany so that

they could send money to Korea to build

a factory.

They had to go through horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany

to borrow

money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany

came to the

airport to welcome him and cried there

as they saw

the President Park. They asked to him,

"President,

when can we be well off?" That was the

only question

everyone asked to him. President Park

cried with

them and promised them that Korea would

be well

off if everyone works hard for Korea,

and the President

of Germany got the strong impression on them

and lent money to Korea. So, President

Park was

able to build many factories in Korea.

He always

asked Koreans to love their country from

their heart.

Many Korean scientists and engineers in

the USA

came back to Korea to help developing

country

because they wanted their country to be

well off.

Though they received very small salary,

they did their

best for Korea. They always hoped that

their children

would live in well off country.

My parents always brought me to the

places where

poor and physically handicapped people

live. They

wanted me to understand their life and

help them.

I also worked for Catholic Church when I

was in the army.

The only thing I learned from Catholic

Church was that we

have to love our neighborhood. And, I

have loved my

neighborhood. Have you cried for the

Philippines? I have cried for my country

several

times. I also cried for the Philippines

because of so many

poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid

prison. What made me sad in the prison

were the

prisoners who do not have any love for

their country.

They go to mass and work for Church.

They pray

everyday.

However, they do not love the Philippines. I

talked to two prisoners at the

maximum-security compound,

and both of them said that they would

leave the

Philippines right after they are

released from the

prison. They said that they would start

a new life in other

countries and never come back to the

Philippines.

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea

so that

we were able to share our wealth with

our neighborhood.

The owners of factory and company were

distributed their

profit to their employees fairly so that

employees could

buy what they needed and saved money for the

future and their children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong

faith and

wanted to be a priest. However, when I

came to the Philippines,

I completely lost my faith.

I was very confused when I saw many

unbelievable

situations in the Philippines. Street

kids always make me sad,

and I see them everyday. The Philippines

is the only Catholic

country in Asia, but there are too many

poor people here.

People go to church every Sunday to

pray, but nothing has

been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last

week and

saw this situation. They told me that

Korea was much poorer

than the present Philippines when they

were young. They are so sorry that there

are so

many beggars and street kids. When we

went to Pasangjan,

I forced my parents to take a boat because

it would fun. However, they were not

happy after

taking a boat. They said that they would

not take the boat

again because they were sympathized the

boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor

and had a

small frame. Most of people just took a

boat and enjoyed it.

But, my parents did not enjoy it because

of love

for them.

My mother who has been working for

Catholic Church

since I was very young told me that if

we just go to

mass without changing ourselves, we are not

Catholic indeed. Faith should come with

action.

She added that I have to love Filipinos

and do good things

for them because all of us are same and

have received a great

love from God. I want Filipinos to love

their

neighborhood and country as much as they

love God

so that the Philippines will be well off.

I am sure that love is the keyword,

which Filipinos

should remember. We cannot change the

sinful structure at once.

It should start from person. Love must

start in everybody,

in a s mall scale and have to grow. A lot of

things happen if we open up to love.

Let's put away

our prejudices and look at our worries

with our new eyes.

I discover that every person is worthy to be

loved. Trust in love, because it makes

changes possible.

Love changes you and me. It changes

people, contexts and

relationships. It changes the world.

Please love your

neighborhood and country.

Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to

others we

do to Him. In the Philippines, there is

God for people who

are abused and abandoned. There is God

who is crying for love.

If you have a child, teach them how to

love the Philippines.

Teach them why they have to love their

neighborhood and country.