The true "state of the nation" of the Philippines lies in the character of its people

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Filipinos beholdenness to their Constitution and the amount of chatter a proposal to change it is generating speaks volumes about the inherent nature of their society -- one that routinely externalises the causes of their issues and, as a result, habitually seeks external and even divine intervention in the implementation of solutions to these.

The Constitution may be the guiding document of how a society is governed. But, ultimately, responsibility for personal prosperity rests in the individual. This individual ethic to take initiative and progress one's lot is the backbone of a society's collective character.

When Filipinos see their fortunes disproportionately tied to an abstract piece of paper they are told is their "Constitution", it is evidence of a lack of an essential aspect of personal character of the sort that makes a great people.

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