One of the things that I like about us therapists is that we’re mostly pragmatic. We took up allied health courses because it would allow us to serve while earning a decent living. Then we studied hard.
Now that we’re clinicians, we balance our application of research evidence with the actual clinical manifestations of our patients’ problems. We don’t do everything by the book. We don’t blindly follow one theoretical framework. We don’t merely copy each other’s treatment plans. Rather, we handle patients in ways that bring about POSITIVE RESULTS, even when it entails doing the unconventional.
It’s time to be pragmatic in our political engagements too. We should weigh politicians’ platforms on key areas that can make or break our therapy centers. If the three issues below are not addressed properly, our clinics will continue to struggle for survival. Many might even close.
Issue # 1: Energy
Do you remember the late 80s and the early 90s when we had brownouts almost everyday? I sure do! It’s not far-fetched for us to go through that hell again because the Malampaya gas field is drying up. It might become completely depleted in 2027. We won’t be able to accommodate enough patients for on-site sessions if there will be rotational power outages. You can also kiss teletherapy goodbye when that happens.
The energy crisis will kill off many non-medical businesses too. Some of those enterprises are your patients’ and their families’ income sources. They won’t be able to pay for therapies if they lose their jobs. They won’t have the funds to avail of medical services if their businesses are not producing enough products and services due to the brownouts. In this scenario, Filipinos won’t even generate enough revenues to fund universal healthcare.
We therefore need to prioritize nuclear power and fossil fuel to prevent the energy crisis. At some point, maybe we can include renewable energy sources into the mix. But renewables can’t provide sufficient power. Renewable energy infrastructures are also very expensive to build for a country with limited funds. So vote for politicians who will prioritize opening nuclear power plants. Support those who want to make it efficient for power plants to be approved, even if fossil fuel will be used.
Issue # 2: Taxation
It’s hypocritical for many therapists to accuse others of being “thieves” or “corrupt” when they themselves are deliberately evading taxes. They have no right to claim that they are pro-poor when they’re not paying their dues, but their therapy clinics’ secretaries and janitors are.
We need our leaders to make tax collection more efficient and transparent for funding public services. At the same time, the government must be willing to cut down the value-added tax (VAT). Politicians must lower income and corporate taxes too. Many therapy centers will go bankrupt if our leaders will try to milk more funds from us.
Issue # 3: Peace and Order
Our military and police force are key to the therapy centers’ survival. They keep us safe enough to conduct therapy sessions. You don’t want your clinic to be bombed, do you? Besides, crimes result in disabilities as well as in public health crises that can overwhelm the healthcare system. We also have to strengthen our military for China to take us seriously when we demand a joint exploration of oil on the West Philippine Sea. We need that oil to prevent the looming energy crisis.
Our leaders should therefore allocate more funds to the military and the police force, even if it means cutting down on the dole-outs. Filipino politicians must also disavow insurgents. Moreover, they need to stop developing policies that will make the country a fertile ground for communism and Islamic terrorism.
It’s sad that we Filipino therapists have been swept up in the memes, slander, and smart-alecky social media posts this election season. We should instead apply this principle from Niccolo Machiavelli: see the world’s problems for what they are. Don’t perceive issues based solely on what ivory tower theorists are saying. Don’t confuse reality with your personal wishes.
And the truth is that politicians will bankrupt us if they lack the wisdom to address the above-mentioned issues no matter how moral they seem to be. Besides, are they truly paragons of virtue? How can they be moral when their policies are destroying jobs? Why consider them virtuous if they’re empowering insurgents?
It’s time to take off our rose-colored glasses! Only then can we live out our ideals in our contexts in ways that will help us achieve the best possible results, especially for the populations whom we serve.
(Photo by Glenn Carrie)
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