Sanay Na Tayo

Written by: Alessandra Joelle

There is an obvious contradiction in longing for the better while settling for less.

In a country burdened with recurring struggles, this silence between us becomes deafening. We wish for bravery, and yet the moment it stands before us—we turn away. We constantly demand for accountability, yet excuse complacency. Why is it that the very courage we long for becomes something we resist when it asks something from us? Why do we deny what we have always claimed to desire? 

We speak of change as though it were a distant memory—something to admire, but not within our grasp. We dream of transformation, though we hesitate when it calls us to act. Is change truly out of our grasp, or have we simply convinced ourselves that it is easier to remain where we are?

As Filipinos, we have learned to endure—to extend our patience, to carry burdens—but endurance is not the same as progress. Our sufferings—the heavy weight of the burdens we bear—no matter how familiar—should not be normalized. 

Our cries have echoed through streets, screens, and generations; but no matter how often we cry out, it is met with a deafening silence. We speak, we march, we hope, and still, there are those who choose not to listen. What happens when these voices grow tired? When the calls for change are drowned by indifference. 

To remain quiet is a choice. Silence is a privilege. Neutrality in the face of injustice is to allow it to persist. To turn away is to let it grow. 

And that’s when we finally ask ourselves, “Gaano katagal pa ba natin ito titiisin? Hanggang kailan ba natin ito papalipasin?”

For how much longer will we choose to tolerate this cycle of hope and disappointment? How long will we depend on someone else to act, to speak, to lead? 

The change we seek has never been beyond us. In fact, it has always been within our reach—waiting for us to claim it. 

Hanggang kailan tayo magbubulag-bulagan? Kung hindi ka pa galit, bakit?