Must Be Done With Fervour

The Philippines is in the midst of a war with ISIS, marital law has been declared in Mindanao, the country is the number one source of child pornography in the world, Recto University continues to manufacture fraudulent documents of all sorts, citizens continue to pollute the environment by open burning and littering, stray dogs poop all over and terrorise passers-by, drivers ignore the laws and drive drunkenly and dangerously, at every level Philippine society is corrupt to the core so what does the government spend it's time on?

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/908866/house-approves-p100k-fine-for-wrong-singing-of-national-anthem

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the measure updating the rules on the correct rendition of the national anthem Lupang Hinirang, and requiring everyone to sing along when it is played in public. 

House Bill No. 5224 also seeks to impose stiff penalties of P50,000 to P100,000 on “any person who, or entity which violates any provision” of the proposed law—much heftier than the P5,000 to P20,000 fine provided for by the current Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines. 

Under the proposed measure, singing along when the anthem is played at public gatherings “shall be mandatory and must be done with fervor.” It may be noted the current flag code, enacted in 1998, did not use the word “mandatory” when it directed public attendees to sing along during gatherings.

The only time I ever hear the national anthem being played is at ten o'clock in the morning just before the doors to the mall open.  So will everyone have to stand at attention and sing along with fervour or face a P100,000 fee? Are there going to be policemen observing everyone at each entrance of the mall watching to see who does and does not sing with fervour?  Never have I ever seen anyone stand at attention or with hand on heart or even sing or wordlessly mouth along with the anthem and now will we all be forced to sing with fervour or face a fee no one can afford?

This bill is ludicrous.  The issues facing this country are enormous.  So desperately does Duterte want to whisk the Philippines into the stratosphere of being a middle income first world nation and yet he has doing nothing, absolutely NOTHING to address the problems that are really holding this nation back.

The proper singing of the national anthem is not even a problem. Not in the slightest sense. Monetary penalties for not singing with fervour?  The traffic laws and business laws are not even enforced so who is going to enforce this bill if it indeed becomes law!?

Let's get real.  A country with a high-speed rail system and with citizens who sing the national anthem with fervour but who can't honour debts, litter, show no respect to their neighbours, allow their dogs to roam the streets, spend all their money on the vainest trifles and latest gadgets just to look good, can hardly speak English, have to bribe officials to get justice, sell their children to perverts and themselves to sex tourists to make ends meet, and really don't care about anyone outside of their tribe will NEVER be a first world nation.

The Philippines has a long way to go and worthless legislation like this will only continue to hold the country back.