Pope Francis In Leyte

“So many of you have lost everything. I don’t know what to say to you.

But the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families.

All I can do is keep silent and walk with you all with my silent heart.” – Pope Francis

Watching on TV the faces of the people, composed mostly of super typhoon Yolanda survivors, attending the Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Francis made me joyful and proud of them. Looking at them assured me that their faith in God never faltered a bit despite the hardships they are experiencing to this day.  

Having taken part in the relief and rehabilitation of Yolanda-stricken areas after that fateful day of November 8, 2014, I got the opportunity to be in solidarity with the survivors. My days of flying in and out in inclement weather bringing needed relief goods to different far flung and isolated communities all over the affected area were all a life-changing passage. Back then, the landscape is truly gut-wrenching. To see suffering of that magnitude is indeed harrowing. But knowing the Filipinos' indomitable spirit left me no room to doubt that everyone will surely overcome the tragedy.

Today, Leyte Island is blessed to be visited by Pope Francis, or “Lolo Kiko” to many Filipinos, after over a year of struggle to get back on their feet from the devastation brought upon by Typhoon Yolanda. The faithful responded by warmly welcoming him amid the drenching rains caused by another typhoon that is expected to make landfall today. Listening to Pope Francis’ homily, I could not help my tears and be touched by his utmost humility and love for the people. His profound spirituality can easily be felt and his message of mercy and compassion essentially transcends all beliefs.  

By the grace of God, may we all be blessed by Pope Francis’ moving words during the Holy Mass he celebrated in Tacloban City: 

"We have a high priest who is capable of sympathizing with our weaknesses. Jesus is like us. Jesus lived like us and is the same us in every respect, except sin because He was not a sinner. But to be more like us, He assumed our condition and our sin. He made Himself into sin. This is what St. Paul tells us. And Jesus always goes before us and when we pass an experience, a cross, He passed there before us. And if today we find ourselves here 14 months afterwards, 14 months precisely after the Typhoon Yolanda hit, it is because we have the security of knowing we will not weaken in our faith because Jesus has been here before us. In His Passion, He assumed all our pain. Therefore He is capable of understanding us, as we heard in the first reading."

"I’d like to tell you something close to my heart. When I saw from Rome that catastrophe I had to be here. And on those very days I decided to come here. I am here to be with you – a little bit late, but I’m here. I have come to tell you that Jesus is Lord. And He never lets us down. Father, you might say to me, I was let down because I have lost so many things, my house, my livelihood. It’s true if you say that and I respect those sentiments. But Jesus is there, nailed to the cross and from there He does not let us down. He was consecrated as Lord on that throne and there He experienced all the calamities that we experience. Jesus is Lord. And the Lord from the cross is there for you. In everything, the same as us. That is why we have a Lord who cries with us and walks with us in the most difficult moments of life."

"So many of you have lost everything. I don’t know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silent and walk with you all with my silent heart. Many of you have asked the Lord – why Lord? And to each of you, to your heart, Christ responds with His heart from the cross. I have no more words for you. Let us look to Christ. He is the Lord. He understands us because He underwent all the trials that we, that you, have experienced. And beside the cross was His Mother. We are like a little child in the moments when we have so much pain and no longer understand anything. All we can do is grab hold of her hand firmly and say “Mommy” - like a child does to a mother when he is afraid. It is perhaps the only word we can say in difficult times - “Mommy”."

"Let us respect a moment of silence together and look to Christ on the cross. He understands us because He endured everything. Let us look to our Mother and, like a little child, let us hold onto her mantle and with a true heart say – “Mother”. In silence, tell your Mother what you feel in your heart. Let us know that we have a Mother, Mary, and a great Brother, Jesus. We are not alone. We also have many brothers who in this moment of catastrophe came to help. And we too, because of this, we feel more like brothers and sisters because we helped each other."

"This is what comes from my heart. Forgive me if I have no other words to express myself. Please know that Jesus never lets you down. Know that the tenderness of Mother Mary never lets you down. And holding onto her mantle and with the power that comes from Jesus’ love on the cross, let us move forward, always forward. And walk together as brothers and sisters in the Lord."

ASEAN Integration 2015: Are We Ready?

Spending time in my rural village gave me another chance to refresh my perspective on the life of farmers. It is interesting how they have been coping through rough times. They have been so resilient over the years. Typhoons and floods are perennial hazards in my place. My folks have endured every calamity that came. My village has been a consistent recipient of disasters, so to speak.

With the impending ASEAN Integration in 2015 and onward, I cannot help but wonder how this will affect our countrymen particularly those in the agricultural sector like our farmers. Can our local workers be able to compete at par with their ASEAN counterparts? Are we really prepared for this?

I browsed the internet only to find limited discourses, notes and articles regarding the projected initial fusion of ASEAN economies. Likewise, government efforts to inform well the people seem to be minimal. The looming borderless economic and professional frontier in Southeast Asia is worrisome because the negative effects of sudden globalization are still being felt locally. 

While the Integration will bring positive effects to our economy, the negatives should not also be discounted. For example, if our countrymen will be able to easily get around the region and get jobs within ASEAN countries, how equip are they to professionally compete with their Southeast Asian colleagues? What will happen to the local job market once Southeast Asians come looking for jobs here? What will be the impact to local businesses once ASEAN giant companies start setting up shop in the Philippines? Truly, how ready do our countrymen for the ASEAN Integration starting this year?

Mine is an ordinary citizen’s quick observation only. For sure, there are more profound questions from well-versed personalities on this subject. 

My Changing Village

Reminiscing my younger years brings back fond memories of my childhood in our rural village. Running around the rice fields and hills enjoying indigenous child’s games is a joy to behold. Together with my playmates, we explored almost all the streams, farm canals and the nearby lake to catch whatever fish and others they offer. Every break of dawn is always a cause of excitement to us. We would venture out from morning until late in the afternoon or until our respective parents came looking for us in the vast lush greenery of our village, and we would laugh and tease at whoever get caught first by his parent. 

At nighttime, we would again converge and play alternately “taguan” and “patintero” until the dead of night – and repeat the same the following day. But what I loved the most in our village is the collective act of parenting every kid. Everyone is lovingly involved in taking care of every child in the village. Our elders were always on the lookout for the kids. They would praise and support at any moment a kid who did good, or chide those who went wayward. One could really feel and experience the serene splendor of our place brought upon by the love of our second parents. It was indeed fun to be a kid in our community.

While many would likely and easily dismiss our ways as backward, for us it was a life of pure simplicity and joy; and I really miss those days of lightheartedness. How can we not love a world we can truly call our own? A place where my heart can rest securely.

Now it is different, and it is very evident. Change has indeed come to our village. Our life has been altered. People changed. Society evolved. Culture revolutionized. Technology advanced. Things transformed. Undoubtedly, change is a fact of life. A few said it is for good, but for some the past is much better.

How do we cope with such incontrovertible reality of life? How do we know that it is what it appears to be? Can we fully trust our own perceptions, much more other people’s interpretation of concepts and events to make us not resist the flow? One pundit once said, “Change can come in many forms in our lives. It might come forcefully like a tidal wave, or creep along incrementally like a glacier. It might come in the form of devastating tragedy, difficult choices, or even new opportunities.”

Change is a perpetual occurrence. Uncertainty is real. Doubts thrive in moments of transformation and questions, wise or otherwise, demand logical explanation. Coming up with rational elucidation, one needs balance; and to have balance, a gracious heart coupled by an objective mind is paramount. Do we have this?  

Positively, whatever is best under each circumstance is not for us to determine but time and God alone. Human wisdom has limitations, He does not. 

Love And Live

A life with love will have some thorns, but a life without love will never have roses.

Dignity in Adversity

Under a grouchy wind, one must humbly bend without losing dignity and compromising values. 

Jesse M. Robredo (1958 - 2012)

When I got the news last Saturday, August 18, 2012, that Secretary of Interior and Local Government Jesse Robredo’s Piper Seneca plane crashed in Masbate waters, I was in disbelief. Admittedly, the information really stunned me. Being exposed to risk for some good years of my life, I knew how tough the situation Secretary Robredo and company is into that very moment.

A good man is down.

Yesterday, the inevitable eventually unraveled. One survived, three died including the good Secretary. But this apparent tragedy quickly and steadily turned to travesty courtesy of some shameless politicians.

Appalling it was. Some members of the Commission on Appointments (CA) scrambled to downplay the looming political backlash to them by awkwardly offering explanations why Robredo’s appointment was never confirmed despite the competency of the man. A few even considered confirming him posthumously. Another cruel joke?  

But one congressman from Camarines Sur stood out from this hullabaloo and who is now doing his best to weave a way out of public ridicule. He is the same official who tried to block Robredo’s confirmation and who is also doggedly pushing for the political division of Camarines Sur into two provinces. Pathetic.

Jesse Robredo, the decent man he is, quietly persevered in performing his duties to the best he can. He was undaunted in the midst of unwarranted criticism, he went about his reform programs and never wavered. Undeniably, Robredo truly lived up to his reputation as the epitome of a public servant.

As a fellow Bicolano who grew up admiring Jesse Robredo’s integrity and able leadership, I would readily assume that probably Manoy Jess would simply shrugged off CA members' political pettiness and quietly dismiss it as, "Pakiaram ko sa titulo na yan. Ang importante ginibo ko an gabos base sa mandatos kan sakuyang opisina asin mayo akong inagrabyado na tawo. (I don’t mind the title. The important thing is I did my best according to the mandate of my office and I've been fair to everyone.)” The least that the current administration can do is to sustain Robredo's legacy of transparency and good governance particularly in local government units. 

Secretary Jess, thank you for your remarkable service. You are a true public servant and we are proud of you!

Links: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Robredo
http://opinion.inquirer.net/35288/naga-citys-mayor-jesse
http://opinion.inquirer.net/35308/robredos-naga-ants-in-a-happy-place
http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/10886-jesse-robredo-s-journey-back-home

Blood, Sweat and Tears

"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and come short again and again who knows the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

Help Ourselves

"P-NOY needs big ticket investments to create the jobs necessary to achieve his long-term goal, which is to end the exodus of Filipino workers and bring most of the those overseas home. The strength of the economy, built on the backs of those workers, is a hindrance to reforms needed to make the nation competitive in the global economy. The tiny privileged group in Philippine society that controls the wealth and power uses the strength of the economy as an excuse to protect personal interests, maintain the status quo, and resist reforms that are necessary for sustained and inclusive growth." (Ana Marie Pamintuan, Phil Star 7/23/12)

I ask, "How many local families significantly control Philippine politics and economy?", this gnawing thought has been in my consciousness for a while now.

If Philippine politics and economy is controlled by a few, "Do you think they will relinquish their hold on them soon or maybe share a little to many in the near future?" If not, do our elected leaders really working for the betterment of the majority? Maybe.

"Maybe" is a tragic conclusion.

It is my belief that political power of the elite in this country is based on local and highly selective politics. Being so, the elites are naturally disinterested in genuinely developing national institutions and national programs for the general welfare. Economics being a function of politics is locked on to the ruling individuals and families. Under this context, the benefits of progress therefore will never be equitably enjoyed by everyone but only by a few.

Sad indeed.

“Why empower the locals if the elites’ hold to power will be in jeopardy?“, is a question driven by common sense. It is a question that may sum up Philippine political culture. This sad state of our society certainly creates a myriad of problems – ticking bombs which may soon explode in our faces, so to speak.

What can we do?

Help ourselves, our families and community is what we do. Let individual efforts reverberate up to the temple of local demigods and hopefully shake them up from their stupor. The virtuous Mother Teresa once said, "Don't wait for leaders; do it yourself, person to person if need be." Heeding her words won't hurt.

Suggested Readings:

http://www.economics.hawaii.edu/research/workingpapers/WP_08-5.pdf

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/01/01/the-philippine-economy-in-2010-recent-developments-and-challenges/

A Leader's Way

Browsing the internet, I found this article by John C. Maxwell. This, I believe, is a very relevant piece of wisdom from a renowned Leadership guru.

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A LEADER’S WAY
Pride: A leader’s greatest problem
By John C. Maxwell
Inquirer
Last updated 07:56am (Mla time) 02/11/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Pull a $10-bill from your pocket, and you will see the face of Alexander Hamilton on the front.

By merit of his accomplishments, Hamilton should be one of the United States’ greatest national heroes. Consider his contributions to America:
* Revolutionary War hero
* George Washington’s chief of staff by age 22
* America’s first Secretary of the Treasury
* Co-author of The Federalist Papers
* Creator of the Coast Guard
* Designer of the nation’s banking and finance system
* Architect of a system of tax collection to bring revenue to the US Government
* Builder of the infrastructure for an industrial economy

Yet, despite displaying the greatest blend of legal, political and financial knowledge of the founding fathers, Hamilton does not rank among the foremost heroes of our country’s history.

Why? Pride.

Hamilton’s self-importance and inability to take an insult alienated those around him and sabotaged his career. His ego literally killed him. Far too vain to patch up differences with fellow politician, Aaron Burr, Hamilton was shot and killed by Burr in a duel at the age of 49.

Leading culprit

Before diving into the body of this lesson, I’d like to credit my friend Dave Anderson, founder of LearntoLead.com. Many of his thoughts resonate throughout this edition of LW.

I agree with Dave when he suggests pride is the leading culprit of managerial ineffectiveness:
“There are many reasons managers fail. For some, the organization outgrows them. Others don’t change with the times. Some spread themselves too thin and work long and hard but not smart.
Many abandon the priorities and disciplines that once made them great and never get back to them. A few make poor character choices… But all these causes for management failure have their root in one common cause: Pride. In the simplest terms, pride is devastating. I’m not talking about the pride one has in their work or their accomplishments. I’m indicting the pride that inflates your sense of self-worth and distorts your perspective of reality.” ~ Dave Anderson

There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. “Good pride” represents our dignity and self-respect. “Bad pride” is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance. When you look at the word pride, notice the middle letter is “I.”

When you are full of pride on the inside, it makes you stiff, stubborn and creates strife with others.

Problems of pride

1. Pride stops us from building a team.
Prideful leaders readily contract “Superman Syndrome” and devalue the benefits of teamwork. They rely on their own prowess to solve problems and advance the organization. Blinded by their self-centeredness, arrogant leaders are unable to appreciate the strengths in others.

2. Pride renders us unteachable.
Leaders who are assured they know everything don’t bother about personal growth. Their ego convinces them that they have arrived, and they quit searching for life’s lessons in the people and circumstances around them.

3. Pride closes our mind to feedback.
Pride deafens us to the advice or warnings of those around us. As Stephen Covey has said, “It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it and appropriately act on it.” Without humility, we care about only one opinion—our own.

4. Pride prevents us from admitting mistakes.
The Duke of Wellington once haughtily drew himself up to his full height and thundered to one of his staff officers, “God knows I have many faults, but being wrong is not one of them!”
Pride won’t allow for failure. The egotistical leader blames mistakes on others, justifies them as inevitable, or refuses to acknowledge them.

5. Pride keeps us from making changes.
Pride will cause leaders to pledge allegiance to the status quo rather than opening themselves to change; especially if the change alters a system they built. Since leaders have emotional equity in their own work, they will justify living with broken systems rather than changing them.

6. Pride encourages poor character choices.
Because of arrogance, ignorance, or a little of both, leaders start taking shortcuts that compromise their values. In their conceit, they think they’re above the rules or are too smart to get caught.

As flawed human beings, we all fall into prideful traps from time to time. However, failing to recognize the error of pride and change course will doom our leadership.

Pride is a fatal character flaw and leaders that leave legacies have their character in tact.
Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That’s not a guess, it’s a guarantee.

With pride, it’s not a matter of “if” we will fall, but “when.” There are no exceptions.

7. Pride hinders us from reaching our potential.
For leaders to reach full potential, they must be aware of areas in which they can improve. Unfortunately, pride blocks honest self-assessment and prevents leaders from finding the path to better performance.

8. Pride destroys relationships.
The opposite of loving others is not hating others but rather obsessing over oneself. When we become self-absorbed, we cut ourselves off from the enjoyment of the relationships in our life.
What I call, “The Celebration Principle” says that the true test of relationships is not how loyal we are when friends fail, but how thrilled we are when they succeed. If we can’t get excited about the accomplishments of our friends, we had better do some soul-searching.

9. Pride distorts your perspective on reality
Constantly viewing life through the lens of selfish ambition colors a leader’s outlook. Many problems in business are caused by the ego interfering with judgment. Choices that should be clear to the leader become clouded by an obsession with self advancement.

Correcting the pride problem

1. Recognize your pride
“If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, you are very conceited indeed.” ~ C.S. Lewis

2. Admit your pride
“There is perhaps not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive. Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

3. Express your gratitude
“A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

4. Say your prayers
“Lord, when I am wrong, make me be willing to change, and when I am right, make me easy to live with.”~ Anonymous

5. Practice serving others
“The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule.” ~ Albert Einstein

6. Learn to laugh at yourself
“Blessed are they that laugh at themselves, they shall never cease to be entertained.” ~ Chinese Beatitude

Simple Truths of Life