TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

As the nation commemorates the 29^th anniversary of Sen. Ninoy Aquino’s assassination at the hands of government agents (whose mastermind has not yet been uncovered until now), we find ourselves bereaved by reports of the morning undersea finding of the remains of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo and of the two pilots inside their overturned Piper Seneca at the bottom of Masbate Bay, which curiously, as a substitute plane, suffered mechanical problems in mid-flight. 

Nonetheless, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, NABRE)

By the way he lived his life, Secretary Robledo was a man of courage; he acted in spite of fears, doubts, worries and anxieties. The following words of King David must have been part of his being: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.” (Psalms 23:4, NABRE)

We might think he has been taken prematurely. But, maybe, ours is not to complain. “For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality. And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:53-58, NABRE, underlining supplied) And Secretary Robledo, in his firmness, steadfastness and devotedness to the work of the Lord (through his love of neighbor), has simply been sent ahead, for his labors have not been in vain.

In his devotion to honor, country and family, Secretary Jesse lived in the love of God. For nothing separates us from the love of Jesus. “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?” … “No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 37-39, NABRE, underlining supplied).

We might want to consider the perspective that in this earth realm - dominated by powers and principalities - apparently random events of evil do happen, by accident or by human agency. We might presume, as we are wont in our human presumption, that God - The Creator – gets affected when these things happen. But he has equipped mankind with a sovereign free will; so God cannot force and micromanage man or spirit agents to do things His way. He has also set natural physical laws to operate on their own. The Lord, then, has to allow events to transpire, let innocents undergo evil, have evil-doers suffer the consequences of their actions sooner or later, and let the workings of physical laws take effect. But God always has a reason or arrangement for good in the long run, as He had with Joseph and his brothers: “It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.” (Genesis 45:5; Read Genesis Chapters 37 then 39 to 45). In that sense, “everything happens for a reason” and that reason is there to assist us. 

And we can say, all things work together for good… as: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”  (Romans 8:28, NABRE)

On our part, given that “nothing has meaning except the meaning we give it” (Eker, The Millionaire Mind), we could choose to understand the events that took the life of Secretary Robledo (and brought out tremendous national and international cooperation for search, rescue and recovery) as a turn of happenings that calls for more political engagement on the part of the citizenry.  

This nation of close to a 100 million people have more than enough qualified and competent citizens who can effectively assume the responsibilities of Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.  But probably some of these capable citizens are not within the immediate range of the President’s attention or those of his close advisers. We, the sovereign citizens, should help by submitting names we know to be eligible and skilled, and let the President know we demand that he choose the best in terms of caliber and expertise not in terms of connections to those with connection.

Things happen and we move on. A strong load-bearing pillar has been taken away from us. Perhaps, we the people are now expected to effectively carry the load of good governance (as it ought to be in a dynamic democracy) by using our popular, democratic instruments (internet, social network sites, all types of active participation) to ensure transparency and accountability of public officials, which no one person alone - no matter how moral and effective - can really accomplish; because good governance is essentially, in the words of Dr. Jose Rizal, a correlation of people and government.  In "The Indolence of the Filipinos", La Solidaridad, 15 Sept 1890, p. 202, Dr. Rizal wrote: "People and government are correlated and complementary. A stupid government is an anomaly among a righteous people, just as a corrupt people cannot exist under just rulers and wise laws." (Underlining supplied).

I submit meaningful societal change in our country has a better hope of realization in the democratic engagement of our citizenry in the ways of righteousness, than in the chance that our political classes (who have no qualms about using all legal, extra-legal and illegal means to win and stay in power) will become just rulers and pass wise laws. Secretary Robledo was an exception.

OF FELLOW FILIPINOS

“Pilipino kasi, eh!” & “Pilipino yata ‘yan!”

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” 1/ “What we think we become.” 2/ “Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.” 3/

Habit, they say, is but a set of TEAs (thoughts, emotions, actions) repeated over time (at least 21 days, we are told) that then becomes a pattern our body-mind gets accustomed to; the longer this TEA-set is done again and again, the more it becomes somewhat of a second nature to us, sometimes even to the extent of making us say 'this is our nature', 'this is what we really are...'

There is a mental habit and habitual expression that many of us, perhaps unconsciously, say of our fellow Filipinos when something ‘newsworthy’ (translation: bad) happens in the Philippines or to Filipinos. It is: "Pilipino kasi, eh!" This is an utterly disparaging remark that most probably originated in colonial times, connoting someone unworthy, clumsy, 'walang kaya' (poor and/or without capability), incompetent, ignorant, 'tinimbang ngunit kulang' (weighed but found wanting) and whatever other word that would try to put the Filipino down. It is a negative judgmental evaluation that we, in effect, stamp on the forehead of every Filipino, including ourselves, when we utter it. By force of habit, reiterated and replicated over centuries, many of us repeat and reinforce it, without thinking.

This need not be so. We can change it.

I submit the principle of duality can help us here. This principle says: “Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.” 4/ It explains that in everything there are two poles, or opposite aspects, and that “opposites” are really only the two extremes of the same thing, with many varying degrees between them. 5/

So in regard to expressions of perspectives on fellow Filipinos, we must be conscious that every time some internal urge surges within us to use the "kasi, eh" phrase, there is always its pair, its other pole, its identical opposite, which is: "Pilipino yata 'yan!" This statement is a positive judgmental evaluation indicating pride in the accomplishments of the fellow Filipino, showing acceptance of his/her being one of us, ipinag-wawagayway (waved like a flag to show honor and joy), and whatever other expression of acknowledgment, approval, esteem, glory, gratitude, respect and support for being Filipino.

Both expressions can only be translated into a neutral English phrase - unspoiled by valuation verbiage as good or bad, or by level of self-inflation as source of pride or humiliation – and the translation is: "Because he is Filipino!" Of course, this English phrase could have either shameful or prideful meaning depending on one's intonation and facial expression at the moment of utterance. But that would be unduly adding body language to the equation.

There are then sound and strong indications that from the principle of duality, the phrases "Pilipino kasi, eh!" and "Pilipino yata 'yan" both translated into English as "Because he is Filipino!" are simply the two extremes of the same thing: the range of attitudes on Filipino to Filipino relationship. 

And since, in the final analysis “nothing has meaning except the meaning we give it” 6/, we can always choose to embrace the meaning and the phrase that: (a) build up our own self-esteem as well as that of our “kapwa” (fellow, neighbor, equal, partner, comrade); and (b) mutually elevate the respect and regard of Filipinos for each other.

"Pilipino yata 'yan!" Marunong tayong pumili ng tama, ng nakakatulong at ng mabisa. (We know how to choose the right, the supportive and the effective) Talaga! (Truly!)   Remember, "Thought is action in rehearsal." 7/

Why don't we watch our TEAs as regards fellow Filipinos in the next 21 days, and every time our wayward minds and hearts start searching for reasons to say "Pilipino kasi, eh", we deliberately and consciously stop that stream of thought, and immediately start a search for reasons to say "Pilipino yata 'yan!" and then, with feeling and conviction in the belief that the Filipino is truly worthy of esteem, honor, regard, and respect, say: "Pilipino yata 'yan!"

Kung wala tayong sinasabi o sinusulat kundi panlalait lamang ng kapwa Pilipino, ang pupuwede lang mai-tawag sa atin ay “manlalait”. (If we have nothing to say or write but the denigration of fellow Filipinos, the only descriptive that can be used to call us is “denigrator”). The Tagalog term “lait”, in English, refers to such attempted provocations as: affront, belittling, blasphemy, causing offense, condescension, condemnation, contempt, contumely, criticism, curse, decrial, denigration, denunciation, deprecation, derision, derogation, disapproval, disdain, dislike, disparagement, disregard, disrespect, disruption, execration, frowning on, gibe, hatred, imprecation, injury, insult, lack of respect, letdown, loathing, looking down on, malediction, mocking, offense, outrage, ridicule, saddening/troubling comment, scorning, shocking, showing contempt, slighting, slurring, sneering at, spurning, taunting, tirade, wounding. 8/

If perchance we find ourselves doing any of these against fellow Filipinos, then we might as well be classed among those whom Dr. Rizal described as the “tyrants of tomorrow” – who are already present now – being so taken up with the erroneous presumption of superiority over fellow Filipinos that the words flowing out of our mouths and pens are nothing but tyrannous, like a despotic martinet decreeing that everyone else should follow; because we have entertained the wrong idea and have come to think, as the condescending colonizers did, that fellow Filipinos are devoid of the capacities to think and to act for themselves.

But we can change. We each have the God-given and God-respected power to choose, which makes us responsible for the consequences of our choices.

“… For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 9/

“An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.” 10/ We should consider this particularly applicable to any one claiming to be “kapwa” who deprecates the Filipino.

“Among a man's many good possessions, a good command of speech has no equal. Prosperity and ruin issue from the power of the tongue. Therefore, guard yourself against thoughtless speech.” 11/

When we each assume responsibility for the ideas and the thought-emotion clusters we broadcast about our people and our country, then we do some constructive part in helping to realize Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Dream of my life, my ardent, living, passion and rallying cry” [Ensueño de mi vida, mi ardiente vivo anhelo],  which was to see his “jewel of the sea of the orient, the dark eyes dry, the smooth forehead held high unbent: without frown, without wrinkles, without stains of high color” [joya del mar de oriente, secos los negros ojos, alta la tersa frente, sin ceño, sin arrugas, sin manchas de rubor]. 12/ For we would, in effect, help build Filipino self-respect, Filipino mutual respect, and respect by others.

Rizal’s dream, after all, stated plainly, was to see (a) Inang Bayan standing strong with self-esteem and self-confidence, (b) Filipinos treating each other with high regard, and (c) our country and people respected by other peoples and nations because we are able to get our acts together and play as a formidable team.

As Socrates said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit." Let us then, in turn, repeatedly and excellently build each other up, treat each other with high esteem, and play as a true team: trusting in and relying on each other as we choose to make our respective selves trustworthy and reliable.

Pilipino yata ‘yan!

Mabuhay po ang Pilipino! Mabuhay po ang Filipinas!

_______________________

Notes:

1/   Proverbs 23:7, KJV

2/   Buddha

3/   Mahatma Gandhi

4/   The Kybalion 

5/   http://enlightenedawareness.wetpaint.com/
      page/7+The+Principle+of+Duality

6/   T. Harve Eker, The Millionaire Mind

7/   Anonymous

8/   cf http://www.bansa.org/dictionaries/tgl/?dict
      lang=tgl&type=search& amp;type=
      search&am;data=panlalait 
      and Online Thesaurus

9/   Matthew 12:34-37, NABRE

10/ Buddhist Quote

11/ Tirukkural 65: 641-642, Hindu quote

12/ see below: Rizal's Untitled Last Poem