Bengzon on the uninformed opinion of Filipinos
“As a people, we often have a knack for taking the path of least resistance...I think it is because we are by and large a culture of feel and flash — a culture that values surface appearances and instant gratification. We love fiestas and campaigns, momentary glitter and superficial thinking.
I think part of the problem is that many of us don't have a determination to get at the facts and to make a decision based on the facts, instead of on half-baked opinion.
Much of what is wrong with Philippine governance is that nearly everyone relies on uninformed opinion. The apocalyptic scenarios of [US] bases withdrawal held sway over many minds in 1991 — even over those who should have known better — when in fact the truth about the phaseout was the exact opposite. In sum, the nation as a whole does not yet have the willingness and the mental toughness to pay the price for our aspirations.
— from page 302 of the 1997 book, A Matter of Honor: The Story of the 1990-91 RP-US Bases Talks, a memoir about the Philippine-US bases negotiations written by Bengzon, who was also ex-health secretary of President Cory Aquino, among others.
