KATIPS Reflection Paper

1.  The character in the play who struck me to most would have to be Lara.

a)      Due to her experiences of Martial Law, she evolved from just an oblivious “balikbayan” who knew nothing about what’s happening to her country into a caring, helpful, and vigilant activist.

b)      Because of her exposure to the horrors of Martial Law, instead of continuing her career in theatre and dancing, she became an activist instead. Lara became the “Tandang Sora” of the “Bagong Katipuneros”, replacing Alet after her untimely death, and she then devoted herself into helping our country rid itself from the nightmare that is Martial Law.

2. I think that we should all come together and protest or at least speak out against all acts that violate human rights (a most recent example would be the extrajudicial killings especially the ones made by “vigilantes”). I know that right now killing the “bad seeds” seems like best solution that our country can do in order to stop our overwhelming crisis against drugs and other crimes, but I believe that there is a better way to resolve this issue. We could create more rehab facilities, research about effective methods that would help the rehabilitation of drug users, create more prisons and enforce stricter and much more efficient rules, we could better our justice system, we could promote education, we could create more jobs in order to boost employment rates, we could better ourselves and become good citizens, and lastly we can gain some sense of humanity and empathy for our fellow countrymen. Yes, I know, killing the “bad seeds” seems like the best solution but the reality is killing is just a band-aid. Killing and violence will not solve the root of this problem. The best way to resolve our country’s issue is by cutting off the root of the problem which is ignorance. Once the people become better citizens who abide by the rules and once they are given proper education, job opportunities, and motivation then need to join syndicates and other criminal organizations would diminish and eventually die out on its own. We do not need to build our country using the blood and bones of our fellow countrymen. I know that this solution might not be fast but I would much rather choose a long term solution rather than just a band-aid treatment that would soon give out anyways.