Wazzup Pilipinas!?
In every community, trust is built on openness. Yet, when information is withheld, even unintentionally, suspicion grows, doubts multiply, and the seeds of disunity are planted. Such is the story unfolding in one residential building, where a simple request for information turned into a heated debate on fairness, accountability, and transparency.
It began with a Bingo card. Inserted under the door without context, attachment, or explanation, it raised more questions than answers. A concerned resident, already balancing responsibilities beyond the village, asked a straightforward question: What is this for? Instead of receiving clarity, he was met with defensiveness, technicalities, and even accusations of being too critical.
The resident’s request was not for power, not for position, but for something far simpler: direct access to information. With a schedule filled with out-of-town and even out-of-country work, he could not always rely on updates from his wife, who was already juggling her own commitments. His point was clear—when information is limited only to a select few, misunderstandings and frustrations are inevitable.
Yet, instead of openness, barriers were put in place. Only one representative per household could join the official group chat, they said. Updates would flow only through that channel. But why should knowledge be rationed, like privileges handed to a chosen few? If the property is conjugal, is not the spouse also a rightful unit owner? Should access depend on a formal letter or the whim of those already in the group?
This is where the deeper issue emerges. The officers and representatives insist they are just volunteers, not paid staff. They remind others that their work comes without salary, done out of service. But here lies the contradiction: if you willingly take on the role of a representative, then transparency, accountability, and criticism come with it. Leadership, whether paid or voluntary, cannot be shielded from scrutiny.
Instead of being welcomed, the request for inclusion was met with remarks likening the inquiry to an attack. “Do not be like corrupt politicians,” the resident had said—an analogy about the dangers of secrecy. Yet, this was misinterpreted as a direct insult, sparking hurt feelings instead of reflection. The response revealed a deeper fragility: a defensiveness that, ironically, makes people wonder if there is indeed something to hide.
The cracks widen further. Past meetings, where minutes of discussion were dutifully written and submitted, have gone unresolved. Promised follow-ups were abandoned without updates. And in the shadows of these unfulfilled commitments, whispers of questionable practices emerge—like the handling of car stickers—adding fuel to suspicions of corruption at even the smallest scale.
The resident’s frustration is not rooted in malice, but in principle. He points out the obvious: when rules restrict information, when officers guard updates as if they were privileges instead of rights, the community suffers. Issues repeat themselves, trust erodes, and residents feel excluded from decisions that directly affect them.
At the heart of this conflict is a universal truth: transparency is not optional—it is essential. Whether in government, corporations, or small communities, access to information is the foundation of trust. And when leaders, even volunteer ones, begin to act like gatekeepers, they risk becoming exactly what they claim to oppose.
The solution is not complicated. It does not require heated debates, formal letters, or bureaucratic hoops. It only requires willingness—willingness to open the doors of communication, to include rather than exclude, to recognize that awareness strengthens unity, while secrecy breeds doubt.
In the end, this is not just about a Bingo card or a group chat. It is about principle. As the resident passionately summarized:
“Give direct access to information to anyone asking for it. No excuses, no requirements. We all deserve transparency.”
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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