Five things I hope the Philippines fixes before I die

From public transit and healthcare to education, housing, and governance. 

Every Filipino probably has a version of this list.

Mine grows longer every time I travel abroad and come home. Every time I stand in a train station that works exactly as it should. Every time I see a senior citizen walk into a hospital without worrying about the bill. Every time I see ordinary workers afford decent homes and live with dignity.

I love this country. That is precisely why I dream bigger for it.

Before I die, there are five things I hope I get to see happen in the Philippines.

1. A public transportation system that respects people

Nothing makes me more jealous of other countries than good public transportation.

In places like Japan, trains, buses, and subways connect cities, towns, and even rural communities. Mobility is treated as a right, not a privilege.

In the Philippines, commuting often feels like survival.

A minimum-wage worker can spend hours each day waiting in line, squeezing into overcrowded vehicles, and transferring from jeepney to tricycle to bus just to get to work. The cheaper options are unreliable. The faster options—taxis and ride-hailing services—are often too expensive.

Transportation should help people escape poverty, not trap them in it.

I dream of a Philippines where people can move efficiently, safely, and affordably from one place to another. A country connected by trains, buses, subways, and modern transit systems that work together seamlessly.

Because when people can move, opportunities move with them.

2. Healthcare that doesn’t turn illness into bankruptcy

One of the cruelest realities of being Filipino is knowing that a single diagnosis can destroy everything you’ve worked for.

A middle-class family may spend decades building savings, only to lose it all to cancer, kidney disease, a stroke, or a medical emergency.

Too many Filipinos are one sickness away from poverty.

Healthcare should not be a luxury. It should not depend on whether you know a politician, can launch a fundraising campaign, or have relatives abroad willing to help.

I dream of a Philippines where people can walk into a hospital during an emergency and focus on getting better instead of calculating how much debt they will leave behind.

Nobody should have to choose between staying alive and staying financially afloat.

3. Education that truly educates

We often celebrate access to education. But access means little if quality is missing.

We have public schools. We have state universities. Yet too many students graduate without strong reading comprehension, basic math skills, scientific literacy, or critical thinking abilities.

We’re producing diplomas faster than we’re producing learning.

The poor deserve more than a seat inside a classroom. They deserve excellent teachers, modern facilities, updated learning materials, and an educational system designed to prepare them for the future.

I dream of a Philippines where every child—rich or poor—receives an education capable of changing the course of their life.

Because talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.

4. Affordable homes for ordinary Filipinos

Everyone deserves a place to call home.

Not just a roof overhead. A real home.

A place where families can build memories, raise children, and sleep without worrying about eviction, rising rent, or displacement.

Housing is more than a financial asset. It is dignity. It is stability. It is security.

When people have permanent homes, they become rooted in their communities. They gain confidence. They gain peace of mind.

I dream of a Philippines where hardworking Filipinos can realistically aspire to own safe, decent, affordable housing.

No family should spend a lifetime working and still remain one rent increase away from losing everything.

5. A government that is honest enough to let the country prosper

I don’t believe corruption can ever be completely eliminated.

But I do believe it can become rare.

For decades, corruption has stolen opportunities from Filipinos. Money meant for classrooms, hospitals, roads, housing, and public services often disappears before it reaches the people who need it.

Every scandal has a hidden victim.

Every stolen peso is a classroom never built. A medicine never delivered. A flood control project never completed. A life that could have been improved but wasn’t.

The Philippines is not poor because Filipinos lack talent.

The Philippines remains poor because too much of our collective wealth has been diverted away from the public good.

Before I die, I hope to wake up in a country led by people who are not only competent, but honest. Leaders who view public office as public service rather than a business opportunity.

Because if we can reduce corruption, everything else becomes possible.

Maybe these dreams are ambitious.

Maybe some people will say they’re unrealistic.

But every great country began as someone’s unrealistic dream.

And if there’s one thing Filipinos have never lacked, it’s the ability to hope.

I just hope I live long enough to see these five things become reality.

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