There are reports that are published about the most corrupt countries and also the nicest countries. I remember seeing reports on both. I remember one report that said Ireland was one of the nicest or “goodest” countries.

The information gathered about corrupt countries is informative but it is also very sad. The late Ray Charles sang a song with these lyrics: “None of us are free. If one of us is chained, none of us are free.”

You or we … have a tendency to review these reports and breath a sigh of relief when our country is not in the Top 10. But then, you have to think:
~ Is there no way the people in those countries can be set free?

If you’re in a corrupt country, with a ruthless regime, it’s worse than being a slave in chains!

I was scared we’d be in the top ten. We are in the top ten of the most dangerous cities…Kingston.

thank god india is not in this list …

Speaking corruption, the Philippines has a lot of corrupt officials. In fact, everyone is clamoring to enter politics because they want to enrich themselves through those projects being implemented in the place where they rule.

But with us having a new president now, so bent in curbing corruption and in fact, have relieved the whole management of its Bilibid prison, where drug lords have their shabu laboratories.

He has already a strict instruction that government employees should expedite all government trasactions and report those who asks for bribes.

I Hope this is the beginning of at least the lessening if not for the eradication of corruption in the government.

Life is not a bed of roses. It has its thorns so we should know the things to avoid in life, to hurdle the challenges we face. We should be equipped with enough knowledge but let us not forget to have the heart too to help people along the way. Yes we can do that, because who knows the people that we helped while we hurdle some challenges will also be the very people who can help us pass those challenges.

It is these challenges that once we have passed that shapes us a strong person. Once, we have hurdled a lot already, we can already say to ourselves, if I have surpassed those challenges that we can really consider as hard, then why can’t we hurdle some more.