One of the aspects of nation-building not considered in the Philippines is the impact of religion in society. This is a mistake that is often made when engaging in such a discourse because it goes without saying that the Philippines is a predominantly Christian country whose culture has been shaped by Catholicism for a vast majority of the populace. Thus, supplanting the religious status quo in the country has never been a serious consideration, let alone attempted. However, I offer a perspective that echoes what past Buddhist masters have advocated for in the past two millennia: "... spread the [Buddha's] teachings throughout your country to increase the happiness of the people." [1] The Buddhadharma can help bring about happiness, peace, and prosperity throughout the nation in accordance with our sacred texts and should be seriously considered by Buddhists who will engage in nation-building.
The Philippines has been plundered, mismanaged, and problem-stricken for the past century that it has been a polity in its own right. Filipinos have longed for change and reform, and yet we remain in a state wherein we cannot truly and fully say that the Philippines is a good place to live in. Billions are stolen, both urban and rural areas are flooded, injustice and impunity remain rampant, people are forced to "diskarte" their way out of hardships and poverty, corruption can be seen from the lowest to the highest offices of government, and societal change and reform are almost impossible to bring about. Truly, a shift in the thinking of our people is in order. Whatever we have now, in our minds and in our hearts, is neither sufficient nor effective.
It is imperative to advocate for our leaders to abide by the Buddhadharma and ensure that justice and fairness reign throughout the country. It is the leaders who determine the fate of a nation, and their conduct either brings about peace and prosperity or tears a country apart due to their incompetence or ineptitude. Unfortunately, this is not as simple as converting a country's leaders in this day and age. As we live in a democracy, it is necessary to start from the bottom up to ensure that the leaders who elect to office are able and willing to do what is necessary to fix the ills of the country. If a society knows what to look for in a ruler and a ruler knows what is expected of him by his people and these are all aligned with the Buddhadharma, then happiness, peace, and prosperity will come inevitably. By staying away from unrighteousness and making sure that people understand the teachings and live by the precepts and so on, we can bring about a society that can start to truly progress.
The Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtrendrarājaḥ [2] states:
Whenever a king does nothing about
The wicked inhabitants in his realm,
Does not appropriately punish
The people who are guilty of bad acts,
And ignores the evils that are done,
Then unrighteousness will increase greatly,
Conflicts and dishonesty
Will subsequently arise in the land,
And the lords of devas will be disturbed
Within their Trāyastriṃśa palace.
Whenever a king does nothing about
The wicked inhabitants in his realm,
Then there will be terrible dishonesty
And dreadful people will vanquish his land.
The armies of adversaries will invade
And will completely destroy that land,
And they will destroy property and families.
People will steal from one another,
Using many forms of dishonesty,
Whatever wealth has been accumulated.
The texts are clear: When rulers do not or cannot perform what is expected of them (i.e., uphold righteousness, bring justice), nothing good can come from their reign. People will steal from each other (e.g., plunderers, robberies, corruption scandals, etc.) and adversaries will hound the nation (e.g., border disputes, territorial conflicts, etc.). This is because they do not set an example for their people, who in return feel it is necessary to do what they must to survive. Seeing rampant corruption, there is no trust in the justice system of the country, leading people to think that unrighteous acts are okay since even the ones who are supposed to uphold the laws do so.
On the other hand, as a people living under a democratic system, we also play a huge role in shaping the thinking of our leaders. Because are lives are not lived in accordance with the Dharma and our values (and their resulting culture) are not inclined toward a harmonious progression of society, we are left with communities that are bereft of any sense of progress or change. Many Filipinos demand discipline from the rest of society but they cannot discipline themselves. Why? Because their belief systems and concepts are not conducive to such things. Christianity has left the Philippines paralyzed, ever hopeful for a savior or change from the powers-that-be. This is why we have the leaders we have today, who have been shaped by populism and support bases rooted in unquestioning loyalty and subservience despite their incompetence and ineffectiveness. In Buddhism, we cannot simply hope for salvation. Causality is central to our religion. For an intended change to happen, there must be an underlying cause. Discipline, for instance, cannot be expected of others when one cannot even discipline himself or his dependents. Once it starts with you, change can sporadically spread to others. This alone places the Buddhadharma above the religions of the Philippines today in terms of potential impact in society. That potential of rewiring the thinking of an entire nation will be important in fixing this nation.
[1] "Kūkai: Major Works, Translated, with an Account of His Life and a Study of His Thought", Yoshito Hakeda.
[2] "The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (2)", 84000.co. https://84000.co/translation/toh556