A few years ago, a one-page advertisement was published in several newspapers with the following headline: “Kidnappings, Bombings, Beheadings. This is the Perfect Time to Visit the Philippines.” At the bottom of the page one could read: “And this is the best time to find out the real truth, that more than 70 million Filipinos are peace loving, and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.”

I was deeply disturbed by the ad. The words “Kidnappings, bombings, and beheadings” were printed in big, bold letters, while the truth about 70 million peace-loving and friendly Filipinos deserved only small, almost unreadable letters.

If Marshall McLuhan’s dictum in advertising, “the medium is the message” were true, then the Print Advertising Organization of the Philippines had succeeded in sending the following message: “Beware of going to the Philippines. You might be kidnapped, bombed, or beheaded, and the 70 million friendly Filipinos will not be there to help you because they are hardly visible.”

Often, the media prefer to publish and broadcast the graft and corruption of government officials, the abuses of military and police officials, the greed and avarice of businessmen, and the evil deeds of lawless sectors of our society. It is not surprising, therefore, that the good and honest Filipinos have become invisible because their good deeds have been overshadowed by the sensationalized evil practices of the few bad ones.

No wonder, in a survey conducted by one social weather station, many respondents agreed with the statement “This country is hopeless and I would like to migrate somewhere if I could.” Such an atmosphere of desperation has been hounding us and frustrating our best efforts, thanks to a mass media that tend to favor bad news over good news.

Young Filipinos can do something to reverse this trend. Now, more than ever, and here in our country, more than anywhere, the youth are challenged to make their voices heard, to wage a protest against the large-scale demolition of the Filipino image. They can no longer assume the attitude of being invisible bystanders, especially now that national election is fast approaching.

In a democracy, number is power. Filipinos aged 15-25 constitute around 30% of the total population. If we add to this the active work force aged 26-65, the total number would be enough to elect a truly qualified person to govern our country. Until now, so many politicians whose only assets are their faces, their wealth, or their popularity get themselves elected to public office because the Filipino youth have not properly used their numerical advantage.

This lack of understanding has resulted in a wasted opportunity. If only the youth understood their extraordinary collective power; if only they would put their acts together, perhaps they could succeed where we, their elders have failed.