While searching for tourist activities in Sicily, I discovered a walking tour that would change my perspective forever. The "No Mafia" tour offered by Addiopizzo Travel opened my eyes to uncomfortable truths about my own country - the Philippines.
The Sicilian Awakening
The term "Addiopizzo" literally means "good-bye to protection money," serving as both slogan and name for a grassroots movement that began two decades ago to promote an anti-Mafia economy in Sicily. The word "mafia" itself originates from the Sicilian "mafiusu," meaning "swagger" or "bravado."
This enlightening tour detailed the history, structure, and criminal activities of organized crime groups, particularly extortion. More importantly, it honored the anti-mafia judges, lawyers, law enforcement officers, journalists, and business owners who sacrificed their lives fighting this criminal enterprise.
The Philippine Parallel
During the tour, a disturbing realization struck me: I actually live in Mafia country too, I just never recognized it. We Filipinos don't typically consider ourselves victims of extortion, but aren't we exactly that when forced to pay "under the table" money to government agencies for business permits?
We pay because refusal brings consequences - harassment, operational difficulties, eventual shutdown. We understand we can't win against the system, so we submit. Even if we survive one year without paying, they'll return the next.
Business owners frequently face demands for staggering amounts we allegedly owe the government. After lengthy, anxiety-filled negotiations, we might reduce the amount, only to discover the official receipt reflects just a fraction of what we actually paid.
Extortion's Damaging Impact
The collection of pizzo or protection money creates a layered system that legitimizes mafia power over territories, similar to how kickbacks enable government officials to prosper, expand networks, and establish control zones.
Extortion isn't merely economic activity - it represents territorial sovereignty. It's not just enrichment but a tool for dominance. Payment symbolizes submission and often begins deeper, symbiotic criminal relationships.
Corruption reshapes society by dampening entrepreneurial initiative while fueling illegal culture. When corruption becomes widely accepted, illicit behavior normalizes, as sadly occurs in our country.
Extortive practices hinder investment, expansion, and competitive capacity. When government preys on businesses rather than supporting them, the economy crumbles alongside society's moral fabric. Corruption steals our dignity and integrity.
Hope Through Collective Action
The Mafia still exists in Sicily, but civil society efforts like Addiopizzo and the courageous choice of over a thousand business owners to publicly refuse pizzo payments have diminished Mafia dominance. Their fight continues, offering a blueprint for our own struggle.
Now is the time for Philippine civil society to stand against the Mafia in our country. We've lived with this corruption so long we no longer recognize its true nature. But awareness, like that gained from a simple walking tour, can spark the change we desperately need.
