LET’S USE OUR OWN NATIVE FABRICS FOR OUR UNIFORMS

Why did Mahatma Gandhi spin his own cotton fabrics? The answer to that might appear to be shallow, but there are actually very deep reasons behind his actions. Firstly, Gandhi was advocating self-reliance. During that time, the British colonists had disrupted India’s textile industry, making them reliant on imported fabrics. He also wanted to reduce all dependence on imported goods, not just textiles. Secondly, he was advocating economic empowerment. He believed that spinning cotton could provide incomes for the poor, especially women in the rural areas. Thirdly, he was advocating a form of non-violent protests. He believed that making and wearing local fabrics was a symbol of peaceful resistance against British colonialism, it was also a way to reject British goods and show pride in Indian culture and tradition. Here in the Philippines, we have an edge over Gandhi because we already have R.A. 9242, a law that mandates the use of Philippine tropical fabrics for the manufacturing of uniforms for all employees of government agencies, presumably including military and police personnel as well. The bad news is, we seem to be too far away from its full implementation. The good news is, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has already stepped into the picture, and has used its authority to ensure compliance. But how do we know the progress of its enforcement? Perhaps the CSC should have a computerized system that will report the status of compliance by all agencies? IKE SENERES/04-05-2024