UBAS in Cebu: Changing Street Children’s Lives

More than a year since it was re-launched,  Ugnayan ng mga Barangay at Simbahan (UBAS), the collaboration between church and barangays, is making huge strides in addressing problems at the grassroots levels, thereby changing people’s lives.


Reporting on an UBAS project to help street children in Cebu, Fr. Melo Diola worked with other advocates on a very simple project. The children were initially invited to the parish on a Saturday morning. There, they were allowed to bathe, have a haricut, a hot meal, and newly-washed clothes.
As they became comfortable in the parish, they were given tutorials and values formation.
About 500 children from catholic families are being prepared for their first holy communion, in time for the upcoming 51st Eucharistic Congress in Cebu.


Their approach is ecumenical and inter-faith, since they also have Muslim beneficiaries and participants. To make things easier for the street children, the UBAS team came up with an acronym, ‘TLIG,’ or ‘True Love Inspired by God.’ TLIG also broadly stands for T = come on Time, L = fall in Line, I = follow Instructions, and G = manage your garbage.

The children are also given pastoral companions who are ates and kuyas (big sisters or brothers) who also come from mission areas. Promising street children are also given scholarships while their families are also provided community and livelihood training.


Already,  35 street children have gone  back to school; they were provided with meals and transport allowances to keep them  in school. Two of these 35 street children even made it to the top of their class. Due to this encouraging result, two more community-based outreaches were launched, bringing 100 more street children back to school. Thanks to UBAS, most of the street children now have a sense of time and responsibility. They are now happy and excited for their birthdays.


“The most important fruit of the UBAS street children project is the gradual restoration and reintegration of the children into society. It has been a faith-filled journey marked by community-based efforts of committed and competent partners and companions,” Fr. Diola said.

As a result of this "best practice", other barangays are now poised to partner with four more parishes in the Archdiocese of Cebu, with the help of the police, barangay officials and priests, who would have distinct but inter-related roles.


Fr. Diola cited Barangay Usman Dako, headed by its chairman, Ernie Manatag, as one of the earliest adopters of the street children project. In the past, the barangay saw the street children as ‘nuisances'. Now, Chairman Manatag sees the 32 street children beneficiaries every Sunday morning and looks after them as if they were his own children.


If your barangay or parish in interested in working together for the common good, we will be happy to help. You can email me at vickypg@gmail.com.

The original article was written by Tessa Mangahas which I have edited to fit my blog.

Davao Archbishop Valles on Mar Roxas

DAVAO ARCHBISHOP: ROXAS HONEST, VERY GOOD MAN

“It was a meeting of good, old friends.”

 

This was how Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles described the visit of Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas at the prelate’s local residence in Davao City last August 14.

 

Valles’ statement came after Roxas paid a courtesy call at the bishop’s residence when the secretary flew to Davao City as the guest speaker for the Mindanao cluster conference of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines.

 

“A good friend—very honest and hardworking—has just visited me and we are happy that he [Roxas] is here in Davao,” Valles said.

 

The bishop clarified that there was no politics involved during their meeting saying it was more personal than political.

 

“I just want to let you know that the archbishop of Davao knows Mar Roxas, personally, back in the days when he was still at DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] and I was archbishop of Kidapawan,” Valles explained to reporters.

 

Valles said he first met Roxas when there was an inauguration and blessing of a huge public market in downtown Kidapawan several years ago when Roxas was still secretary of DTI and he was the archbishop of the province.

 

“His persona was very friendly, very warm when he walked through the door and greeted me. He even noticed the basket full of fruits at my table and ate a banana. He is very down to earth and honest in expressing his feelings. He shows his real self. Isa lang ito sa mga naaalala ko noong una kaming magkita,” Valles said.

 

The bishop said he sees Roxas as a man of integrity and action, as seen in the secretary’s performance at cabinet official of Daang Matuwid.

 

“I pray that the good Lord bless Mar Roxas—a very good and honest man. Bless him for keeping all our hopes alive,” Valles said of Roxas.

 

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The BBL and Me

The BBL and Me

“You’ve got to be taught to be afraid of people whose eyes are oddly made and people whose skin is a different shade”…

These are the words of a haunting song from the blockbuster musical South Pacific.

Today, the country is seriously divided on the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. But if you ask those who are against it if they have read the law, most of them will say “No”, or “I don’t have to.” Their opinion has most probably been formed on the basis of what they hear on tv or radio or what they read in the papers.

I carefully read the draft over the Holy Week, considering it something of a “penance” as it does take a lot of patience and concentration to plod through the document. And frankly, I couldn’t see much that was alarming or that would merit throwing it out of the window. Maybe there are improvements that can be made by those who live and breathe the law and the economy and politics. But I can’t find anything that would make me reject it.

Taking advantage of the calm quiet of our weekend home in Malarayat, I decided to make the draft the focus of my Lenten reflection. After all, the suffering and crucifixion of Christ can be seen as His offering of Himself in order to save humanity.

His words rang in my mind – “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

This from a man who could command the wind and the sea; who could heal the sick and make the lame walk; who could rise from the dead; who could call a group of fishermen to establish an institution that has survived two thousand years and attracted the best and the brightest into its folds.

This from a ManGod who willingly suffered the humiliation of being found guilty of heresy, of being stripped of his clothes, of being scourged at the pillar, of having been crowned with thorns, of carrying his  cross and being crucified.

If He could forgive all that, can we not find it in our hearts to reach out and help our brothers and sisters in Mindanao? To open our hearts and our minds to their plight as among the Filipinos who have the lowest human development indices in the country? To help them find the peace that will stop their children from crying in the night, or suffering injuries as the collateral damage of continuous war? To help the families in Mindanao – Muslims, Christians, indigenous peoples -  to live in harmony and enjoy the opportunities of education, of housing, of health care, of sustainable jobs, that can only come as the dividends of peace?

I believe that all of us have biases and prejudices. When we were young, we were taught or may have overheard our elders say that Moros cannot be trusted, that they are lazy, that they don’t pay debts. But we also heard them call the Chinese  pejorative words such as “Instik Beho”, or heard them talk of hatred against the Japanese who tortured and killed our relatives, or of to be wary of Negroes when you go the US.  The list of no-nos against people who are not like us goes on and on.

As the song says, we are taught to hate or to avoid  those whose eyes are oddly made or whose skin is of a different shade. Or who speak a different language. Or who are not as educated. Or who are poor.

I believe in my heart that most of the anger and distrust that is now being directed at the BBL is due to deep seated biases and prejudices we may not even be aware we hold in our hearts. It is unfortunate that Mamasapano happened when it did.  Quite independently of the circumstances surrounding it, it resurfaced our deep-seated prejudices against the Muslims. And it overflowed into the discussions on the BBL, when one had really nothing to do with the other.

But if we think about it, we have negotiated with the Hukbalahaps when they were wreaking havoc in Central Luzon. We have negotiated with the NPAs and communists to lay down their arms and to participate instead in our democratic processes and in our economy. We have negotiated with indigenous peoples who have blocked important infrastructures in their communities.

We have slowly welcomed the Japanese into our country and buy their products and have forgiven them the atrocities that we suffered at their hands. We have come to respect the Chinaman who started as a taho vendor or a stevedore at the shipyards and have risen to head conglomerates through sheer hard work, native intelligence, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Maybe, just maybe, we can do the same with the Muslims in Mindanao.

Let us think of Christ as He hung on the cross. Let us forgive all those who may have hurt us and offer our hand in friendship. Let us offer them the gift of peace and development so that they, too, can enjoy the fruits of their labors and help the country continue to move forward as a Rising Tiger of Asia. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our children and grandchildren. We owe it to our God or Allah or whatever deity we believe in.

Let us pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law. May the creator of the universe bring peace into our hearts so that we can rise with Christ into a new dawn.

May Ting be a role model for all government officials, all entrepreneurs, all Filipinos who love our country.

UBAS - Grassroots Citizen Activism for Good Governance

On September 12, 2014, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, and Liga ng Barangay (LnB) National President Ed Abesamis signed a Memorandum of Agreement for their respective institutions to work together in a movement called UBAS -  Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan (Alliance of Barangay and Church).

The MoA re-activates an initiative launched by the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo in 2011. It calls on the leaders of the smallest political unit in the country - the barangays - and leaders of all religious groups to work together to encourage active citizenship at the grassroots level. Its main objective is the promotion of the values of good governance throughout the country.


At that time, a number of bishops and LGU leaders  eagerly agreed to join  the Sec Robredo’s advocacy for UBAS as they share the same vision and goals of  integrity, of service, and of good citizenship.

This year, it has been launched in the province of Cebu with Archbishop Palma, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide Jr., and LnB President Ed Abesamis signing the MoA. A majority of the barangay captains were present as were the leaders of the Philippine National Police (PNP). A Technical Working Group is already in place and making plans to prioritize the local issues in Cebu and to work out their strategies to respond to them. 

UBAS is also already being undertaken in a number of  cities of Metro Manila.

One of the major requests of the DILG Secretary Roxas is that the UBAS groups monitor the implementation of the projects funded under the Grassroots Participatory Process (GPP), formerly called  the Bottom-Up Budgeting Program or BUB. This would help ensure that the projects are implemented properly and that the funds are used judiciously. In the future, the UBAS groups can actually participate in the preparation of their barangay's priority projects.

In fact, at the September 12 launch at the Arzobispado, Sec. Roxas turned over seven thick folders containing all the detailed information on all the GPP projects in more than 1,400 municipalities approved for 2014 and 2015. He also handed to Cardinal Tagle a CD which contains all that information. In addition, Undersecretary Austere Panadero presented a power point of the DILG website where the general public can view these projects.

All this for everyone’s total access to information that hopefully leads to greater accountability of the implementing local government units (LGUs). Its success will bolster our dream of a country led by men and women of integrity, competence, dedication and a sense of service to our people.

On September 26, national and local leaders of UBAS met to map out their strategic plans to accelerate the establishment of UBAS communities across the country. The participants clarified their own understanding of the movement and their role in making it succeed. Already, a number of bishops, priests, governors and mayors have expressed their interest in joining the movement and in helping to spread the gospel of active citizenship and good governance.

The Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference on Human Development (BBC), the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), and the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP)  have all agreed to inform their members about UBAS and encourage them to reach out to their respective communities. Other faith-based groups as well as civil society organizations and professional associations are being invited to the cause.

After all, if each barangay had a multisectoral alliance for citizen’s active involvement in the community’s affairs – peace and order, education, health services, environmental issues, anti-trafficking, child abuse, etc – then the whole country will benefit from their generosity in caring for each other.

UBAS will be launched in Cagayan de Oro on Saturday, October 11, with Archbishop Antonio Ledesma and CdO Mayor Oscar Moreno in attendance as well as LGU and barangay officials, Muslim leaders, and leaders of The Church of Latter Day Saints.

Many more areas are eager to launch UBAS as their contribution to good governance and nation building. 

One immediate national event will be the upcoming Barangay Assemblies on Sunday, October 12. UBAS will be presented at these assemblies to inform our people about this wonderful initiative of bringing together all the stakeholders in the barangay to work together for a brighter future for all.

For more information on UBAS, please visit the facebook page ugnayan ng barangay

CORY AND NOYNOY

I wrote the article below when former President Cory Aquino died on July 31, 2009. It appeared as my column "One Voice" in  Business World. 

I thought I would post it again on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of her death. 

It was her death that seemingly reminded our people that there can be honor and dedication and patriotism among government officials. As a result, there was a groundswell of support for the idea of another Aquino Presidency. Sensing the strength of that support, Presidential candidate Mar Roxas, in a stunning act of selflessness,  gave way to Noynoy Aquino, his erstwhile choice for Vice President.

It seemed a minor miracle at that time. But for me the miracle is that Noynoy has carried the torch of his parents in the service of the country and has surpassed all expectations. In only four years, he has turned the country around from the "sick man of Asia" to an emerging Asian tiger. As he reported in his  SONA, his persistent war against corruption has resulted in tremendous achievements through the CCT, the K-12, infrastructure, health care, ratings upgrades. He has also made transparency a hallmark of his government. 

So as we celebrated the 5th anniversary of Cory's death, let us celebrate as well her legacy that his son is upholding - of integrity, of service to the people, of personal sacrifice, of love of country.

FAREWELL TO CORY

One Voice/Business World

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She was a simple housewife, content to bask in the reflected glory of her Ninoy. He was always voluble, charming everyone, pressing flesh, arguing points, debating issues, always convincing others. She made sure everyone was comfortable, that the table was filled with good food in a home that was always bustling with guests.

When martial law was declared and her husband picked up, she became Ninoy’s pillar of strength, quietly but with grim determination, meeting with the human rights lawyers, meeting with politicians and friends, even when these dwindled slowly over time. She suffered the indignities that only a dictatorship could visit upon its people whenever she visited Ninoy in his cell.

When Ninoy decided to go back home to  meet his fate, and was gunned down as he stepped onto the tarmac at the airport, she became once again the pillar of strength, not only for her family, but for the country as well.

Millions responded to her courage. They poured into Santo Domingo   in unending lines to pay their respects to the man who declared that “the Filipino is worth dying for”.  Millions more lined the streets and followed his hearse to his grave. Millions more started the yellow revolution – along Ayala Avenue and in many other main streets and town plazas across our 7,100 islands. They were no longer afraid. They would no longer keep silent.

Pressed into running for the Presidency against the overwhelming power and resources of the dictatorship, she gave in to a million signatures and threw the gauntlet down to challenge the Marcos regime. The rest is history. Piso para kay Cory. Cory’s Crusaders. The sea of yellow at rallies nationwide. The 500,000 NAMFREL volunteers who risked their lives to protect the ballot. Uncountable acts of courage and defiance and patriotism.

And when it was clear that Cory had been cheated at the polls, the outpouring of anger became a sea of protest. First at Luneta, culminating at EDSA over four fateful days of a peaceful People Power Revolution that riveted the attention of  the world.

Cory then quietly dismantled the structures that had propped up the dictatorship, brought freedom and justice back to the country, and led our people back to social and economic stability. All this while fending off seven coup attempts by those who wanted to grab power for themselves.

Despite the vast powers that she wielded under the Freedom Constitution, she exercised restraint and prudence to prevent abuse. Indeed, she refused all blandishments to run again for the Presidency, despite  lawyers’ assurances that she was qualified to do so.

But even as an ordinary citizen, her moral leadership was never diminished. And so our people looked to her at every crisis. And she never failed us. She spoke up when many were silent. She stood up when others kept their heads down. She led us when no one else dared.

She also  started a prayer crusade, traveling around the country, visiting colleges and universities, speaking at churches, encouraging everyone to pray – for themselves, for their families, for their communities, for their country.

Her last crusade was to harness People Power to address the problems of poverty. Convinced that microfinance and micro-entrepreneurship was the way to empower poor families so that they  themselves could lift themselves out of poverty, she convened like-minded individuals and established PinoyME. It is a social consortium that helps the microfinance industry in the country by mobilizing resources, finding business solutions to improve the efficiency of the micro finance institutions, and encouraging others to invest, to mentor, to train, to support the sector.

Today, we mourn her passing. We will miss her whom we loved. We feel the loss of her family as if she were our own. But we know that she would want us to continue her legacy in defense of democracy, in upholding truth and justice, in reaching out to the poor among us, and in living  prayerful lives of excellence and integrity. So we cry because we have lost a leader we admired and loved, and we also cry for ourselves, perhaps in sorrow that we did not do more to follow where she led us. But we must dry our tears and look out to see what we can do to keep her spirit alive in our country and our people. She was a rock of moral values, a beacon of democracy, a pillar of strength. Let us keep  the memory of her life and  the legacy of her moral compass always burning in our hearts and in our lives.

Hers was a voice that always rang clear and uncompromising. Let us raise our voices to join hers. Many of us have joined the movement I Am Ninoy. Today let us also launch a movement I Am Ninoy. I am Cory.

Mabuhay si Cory! Mabuhay si Ninoy! Mabuhay ang Pilipino!

 

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG LEADERS

TEN OUTSTANDING STUDENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES

NCR AWARDING CEREMONIES

KEYNOTE SPEECH

VICKY P. GARCHITORENA

MAY 6 2013

First, let me thank and congratulate RFM Foundation, RFM  Corporation, PLDT,  CHED for continuing this wonderful program of identifying outstanding students in the country. It is a program that has inspired thousands of young men and women across the country to live up to the values and principles of the program – ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. I am amazed that the program is now handled by the TOSP Alumni Community of NCR, a testament to your leadership and program management capabilities. Congratulations to all of you! I hope you invite me to join your community, as I would love to recruit all of you for my various advocacies.

Congratulations of course to the TOSP finalists in the National Capital Region. It is a singular honor that I hope you will treasure the rest of your lives.

Congratulations to the  parents, whose love and concern and devotion must have inspired you to be the best you can be. They  must also be bursting with pride at your accomplishments.

And of course congratulations are  in order for the  teachers who, I am certain played an important role in your development. I myself was inspired especially by two teachers. The first was a small Ilocana nun who taught me the importance of discipline in terms of punctuality, as well as physical and mental discipline. The second was my English teacher in college, who gently prodded us to excellence and made clear her disappointment when we didn’t give our very best.

Looking now into the bright young eyes of our finalists, I think about how fortunate you are to be living in this day and age. You know infinitely more things today than we knew when we graduated 49 years ago. You have all the information in the whole wide world at your fingertips  through the  Internet and your  mobile phones. At the click of a mouse or the swipe of your finger, you can learn about all the  technological advances being made today -  into space, into the depths of the oceans, into our brains, into the very fabric of matter.

But I hope you realize that, despite what you know today, you are always a work in progress. Tomorrow next week, next year, there will be new information, and sometimes the truth as we know it today will have been debunked as myth tomorrow. And no matter how much you think you know, there is always more you do not.

To share with you my own experience.  I graduated summa cum Laude in BSPhysics and thought I knew enough. But when I reported for work at the   Philippine Atomic Research  Center – that egg-shaped building just to the left of Commonwealth Avenue on the way to UP – I realized that I had no idea about what I was supposed to do in the program called neutron diffraction analysis! Siyempre Hindi Ako nagpahalata! I listened very carefully to everything my boss would say, read all the books they gave me, and learned fast!

So whatever it is you learned in college, it may well  be obsolete by the time you enter the workplace. The dizzying speed with which new information is being disseminated, the technological revolutions that are being created as we speak, imposes on us a discipline – to learn to cull from the all that information what is the truth; then to use that information to create knowledge; and from knowledge develop wisdom.

But while you continue to expand your understanding of the nature and depth and breadth of your area of expertise, do not limit yourself to that strength. I’m sure that most of you have other interests – music perhaps, or baking, or photography, or something other than your college degree. Continue to nurture that as well. You never know where destiny will lead you.

And while destiny may open certain doors  or windows for you, the choice is always yours. Because you are bright, eager, young kids at the threshold of your future, many opportunities will present themselves to you as you go through life. Take the time to examine each one as it comes along and make your decisions as wisely as you can.

My own career has zigged and zagged all over the place.

I’ve been a Physics researcher, parlayed my writing skills as Communications Manager at SGV,  used what I learned at SGV to become a corporate executive, resigned to become a full time street parliamentarian to protest the Marcos dictatorship,  volunteered as Director of Museo ng Malacanang,  ran for congress on the request of then President Cory, became a  radio and tv host of  public service programs,  NGO leader,  cabinet secretary, and, now in my retirement,  am the Vice President for the Women’s wing of the Liberal Party in order to develop and empower women and women’s organizations.

How did I do all that? 

I  continuously reinvented myself in  response to the challenges and opportunities that presented themselves to me. I also believe that the Holy Spirit has moved in my life  every time  I needed to  shift careers or make important decision, as when I resigned from my positions  top CEO of a number of companies in order to bring democracy back to our country. But always, even as I was a full time professional and attended to my growing family, I was also always involved in what was happening in the  country. I often volunteered for elections, for orphanages, for political activism, and for the church.

So whatever path you take, whether you stay on the path you are on today – as doctor, accountant, sociologist, artist – I wish to share with you the principles that I have lived by. Some of them have been highlighted by many of you in your responses to the questions posed to you by the TOSP search committee. They sound  simple but will help you in almost any situation and in almost any decision you have to make in life.

1.      Be a lifelong learner. Read good books, watch documentaries, listen to debates,  attend conferences and seminars. Learn about things that are outside your comfort zone.  You’ll be amazed at how seemingly disconnected information can lead you to marvelous insights through leaps of intuition or by your brain just connecting the dots you may not even know existed. Listen carefully to your elders, your bosses, to your colleagues, and even to your staff. You will be amazed at how much you can learn from them.

2.      Work hard at everything you do, even when the boss is absent or no one is looking.  Be totally committed to any job you take on, whether as an employee, an executive, or a volunteer. Don’t hold back. It will show in the quality of your work, and you will be truly appreciated by those around you.

3.      Do more than is expected of you. Stretch yourself to your limits, and you will be surprised to find out that you can do more than you thought you could. You will never know how far you can run until you run a marathon. That’s how athletes become giants in their sports. They run faster, jump higher, shoot farther and work hard to doing better the next day.

4.      Don’t think small. Think big! If you think small, you might be a small success, but you have been given the qualities of a leader.  Don’t just change things; transform them! You can do it! If I might share with you an example from my life. In 2000, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II and I were looking for the most strategic program we could undertake to improve the quality of public education in the country. After some discussions, we decided that it was to make our public high school students computer and internet literate. At that time, only about 3% of public high schools had internet. So we set for ourselves what is called a “hairy audacious goal” of putting computers with internet access in ALL 5,445 schools.

We knew this was a tall order, and one we could not do on our own. So we convened what we called a Multisectoral Social Consortium  composed of the national government (Department of Education), the telecommunications companies, including the competitors of Globe (which proved that companies can rise above their commercial goals for the national  interest), local governments for matching funds, and even the Filipino-American community to give back to their hometowns. It was a huge success! We raised more than P300million and were able to connect about 3,600 public high schools, transforming a whole generation of underprivileged Filipino youth into computer and internet literate men and women more able to work with the technology that has become as ubiquitous as paper and pencil. It was at that time the largest private-sector led program in public education and was then taken over by the DepEd to mainstream it into their budget.

5.      Strive for excellence in everything you do. Anything less diminishes you. Give it your best. Even God cannot ask for more. Excellence is a mark of a leader. No one wants to follow someone whom they cannot look up to. Even corporations build their brands by achieving excellence in their products and services. It is often their competitive advantage.

6.      Continuously develop every aspect of your persona – intellectually, socially, culturally, politically. Develop a sense of intellectual curiosity, asking questions, dissecting points of view, engaging in deep conversations and debate. Be open to changing  your opinion if you realize that you are wrong. Develop your business and social networks. They are a key factor in your future success. Create your own data base and constantly update and expand it as you meet new people.

7.      Above all, protect your integrity, no matter what. Trust is the most important character trait that everyone looks for – in a friend, in a spouse, in an employee, in a boss, in a leader. Once destroyed, it is almost impossible to rebuild. Never, ever lose your idealism. And for this, you need the TOSP community to help you hold fast to your moral compass. You will be faced with many challenges, temptations, that might be hard to resist. It helps if you have friends who believe in you and who can remind you of your dreams and your values.

8.      Because you are outstanding young men and women, be engaged in the life of our country and our people. You have been blessed with qualities not found in ordinary mortals. You must use those qualities not only to find personal success, but also to reach out to those who need your help, to go where the faint-hearted do not dare to tread, to reach the unreachable star. You must become a true leader!

To do that, you must have a dream – not just for yourself, but for your institution, for your community, for your country. You must then have a plan of action on how to achieve that dream. It may be short term or  long-term, you may need to revise it as you go along, but your goal and your path to achieving it must be clear to you. In addition, you must articulate that dream to others who can help you achieve it, and, by the power of your personal conviction, inspire them to work with you to realize that dream that they now share with you.

We have had many leaders whom you can look up to for inspiration and guidance. But you also have today a living example of a true leader in President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. A reluctant candidate, he was elected President on May 10,  2010, in what many believe was  a minor miracle.  Some of us think the miracle was the precise timing of the death of his mother, the  saintly Cory Aquino; the sudden, overwhelming realization of our people that there have been government officials who served with integrity; and the  generous withdrawal of Mar Roxas to make way for Noynoy Aquino.

The miracle continues in President Aquino himself. He has changed the course of Philippine history and continues to do so. In his inaugural speech on July 1, 2010, he outlined his social contract with all of us.

He made a ringing promise – wala nang wang-wang – that resonated with each and every one of us. It was the most applauded statement in his entire speech, because it captured in those three words, the root cause of many of the problems that beset our country. Those three simple Pilipino words  spoke volumes. Those three Pilipino words encapsulated the principles he would live by as our President. Those three Pilipino words can guide us in our own code of conduct.

Wang-wang depicted power; position; prestige. It also depicted arrogance; a “me-first” attitude. It was a symbol of a society that had forgotten the principles of democracy; of equality; of service; of those having less in life being given more attention. It was a symbol of the abuse of power and pelf that has become a social cancer, gnawing at the heart and soul of the country.

Everything the President has done since has flowed from  that simple promise.

The antithesis of wang-wang is good governance, and he has made that his single most important cause.  He declared war against corruption, a social evil that has become so ingrained in our society that very few people thought he would succeed. But these past three years have seen a sea-change in the attitudes of our people.

Two dramatic events have demonstrated how corruption has become such a mind-set among our government officials that they no longer realized they had destroyed their own lives and possibly those of their families. The investigation into the so-called “pabaon” of tens and hundreds of millions of pesos to top officials of the military showed, in the clearest of terms, how the government coffers could be raided with impunity. The image presented by a witness of huge vaults bulging with cash, to be dispensed  by a simple controller, was mind-boggling. It  symbolized the worst form of pillage, of arrogance, of evil. It resulted in one man committing suicide, possibly to atone for his sins, as the Japanese used to do, and possibly to spare his family from the pain and the shame of being investigated as well.

The impeachment of Chief Justice Corona showed another insidious practice in the country – the total disregard for rules and regulations by those in power. As in the case of Al Capone, the Philippine government used the tools of accounting to show that a person’s net worth was not supported by his or her income tax returns, or in the case of Corona, by his SALN. Because of these cases, people  could no longer complain  that the government only runs after the “small fish”. The Chief Justice is after all  number three in the government, right after the President and Vice President.

President Aquino did not think small. He dared go where others feared to tread. He did what people say could not be done. He shared with us his dream and we are reaping its promise. Like a true leader, he surrounded himself with the best and brightest – intelligent, committed, honest, passionate men and women who will walk his “daang matuwid” with him.

The President’s relentless campaign against corruption and for good governance has resulted in  an unprecedented economic boom that has our stock exchange soaring, various industries like the BPO, real estate, and tourism sizzling; and indications of a brain gain – overseas Filipinos coming home.  Investors are flocking to our shores.

But many problems remain. The President has called for “inclusive growth” to ensure that the benefits of economic development will improve the lives of those who need it most – the families at the base and at the very bottom of the pyramid. He is probably the most pro-poor President we have ever had. He has expanded the conditional cash transfers as a lifeline for the very poor families; implemented the K-12 to reduce the gap between the private schools and the public schools, has targeted universal health insurance as a safety net; and empowered communities through the Bottom Up Budgeting process.

He has also made a clarion call for each and every one of us to help him achieve these goals. How will you, as outstanding students and as future leaders  respond?

First you  have to start with ourselves. You  must live the enduring values of honesty, diligence, and excellence in our own personal lives. Live lives of integrity.  Help those in need.  Say no to drugs or illegal or immoral activities.

As leaders, you will have a heavier burden than most. We, your elders, no longer have  the  strength and energy to do what we used to do. We now look to you to carry on the dream. You have the intellectual capacity to dream, and the energy and confidence of youth to make that dream come true.

President Aquino has given you an unprecedented opportunity to be part of a dream that has eluded the country for decades. Seize the day! Help him transform our society into a caring community. Help him establish companies that produce excellent products and services at reasonable prices. Help him solve the problems of poverty by using your creative ideas to think outside the box. Help him transform our political system into one of duty and service rather  than one of patronage and corruption. Elections are coming up. Choose wisely and well. Do not be swayed by propaganda or empty promises. I know that many of you are already involved in the elections. I hope that, three or more years from now, some of you will run for government. We need good people to do so, otherwise, we will be forever under the claws of those who run, not to serve the people, but to enrich and aggrandize themselves. The country needs young men and women who have the intellectual capacity, the leadership qualities, and the heart for service. The country needs you.

Help him institutionalize the reforms that he and his cabinet members have started – for inclusive growth, for an empowered people, for transparency and accountability. Help him make us proud to be Filipino!

The challenge and opportunity is before you. Make your parents proud. Make your country proud. Be a true Filipino leader!