The Culture of “Asa”

Have you ever been in a group activity? And, you feel fortunate that you were not chosen as
the leader of the group you belong with.

Lagi nating inaasa ang lahat sa lider. Very Filipino. Supposedly, the activity compels everyone
for a collective effort. Pero, sasabihin ng iba sa lider: ikaw na bahala ha. Some would say it nicer
whereas others would say it as if binabayaran ka nila.

This case is frequent in every group works, group activity, group discussion. It is a group work.
Yet, it seems that only the leader works for everyone. Tiwala ba sila sa lider kaya iniatang na
lahat sa kanya. At, wala silang tiwala sa sarili. Maybe, at some point?! Or, they are just lazy,
avoiding the painstaking work?

We always have this tendency. We entrust everything, our lives for a single person or among
persons who we think can do the job. Inia-asa natin lahat sa lider.

Why do we do it? Baka naman takot tayo na maging palpak ang grupo in the end. Hence, to
avoid the blame, we blame the leader!?

Indeed, when everything seems not right, we put the leader at stake.

Pero anu bang gusto ng lider. Does he or she not want the group to be successful?

Although, isipin man niya na para sa sarili niya kaya gusto niya matapos ang lahat. Makasarili
bay un kahit na lahat naman talaga ang makikinabang?