Fruits of Hope

When I read about what Sen. Dick Gordon initiated doing in Sulu, Mindanao shipping tons of fruit from the province to outlets in Metro Manila, I got curious about Sulu’s economic profile. So I turned to my pc and googled Sulu. Not a single entry to describe its economy! Can you believe that! The absence of an economic profile in wikipedia brings to the fore the neglect Sulu and the other neighboring Mindanao provinces have suffered all these years. Government is so out of reach. We shouldn’t wonder why our Muslim brothers clamor for separation.

But questions came to mind. Would an economic approach solve political issues raised by our Muslim brothers that push them to move for separation? What motivated Sen. Gordon in creating such a program as “Fruits of Hope”? Was it purely a humanitarian effort and not politically motivated? I bet it was. The clashes between the military and Muslim insurgents have made victims of its general population. It practically immobilized economic activities. Non-combatants suffer and both sides are to be blamed for the suffering. Who among our leaders in government ever thought of the victims? Some may have but only played lip service to it. All talk no action. Now here’s a guy who gets a clear perspective of the situation and goes into action solving a seemingly insoluble problem. Would it have been politically motivated? It would be the current administration who stands to benefit from the program. It puts the current administration in the good graces of Mindanao’s population. An apparent consequence of the program is the possibility of separatists to get back into the negotiating table. It would not have been a wise move politically as it gives due advantage to his competition. Yet he did it anyway. Just as he transformed Subic Bay into a bustling urban center. That’s just how he is. It is obvious that he is a creative thinker and a man of action. He is a man who thinks out of the political box. The kind of leader we need to lead us into the future.