12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do
To Help Our Country Page
1.
Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.
........... 1
2.
Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt. ........... 9
3.
Don't buy smuggled goods. Buy Local. Buy Filipino. ........... 17
4.
When you..talk to others, especially foreigners, speak positively about us and our country. ... .. . 25
5.
Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.
........... 35
6.
Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve. ........... 43
7.
Support your church.
8.
During elections, do your solemn duty. .. ......... 59
9.
Pay your employees well.
........... 51
........... 67
10. Pay your taxes.
........... 75
11. Adopt a scholar or a poor child.
.. ......... 83
12. Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country. ........... 93 xvii
The 1st Little Thing FOLLOW TRAFFIC RULES. FOLLOW THE LAW.
"Traffic rules are the simplest of our country's laws. But when implemented, it paints a country of strong laws." (Author) "The best way to build a dream is by attending to the little things that comprise it. Its foundation is in the little details; its beauty in the fine points." (Benjamin Franklin) "I am, indeed, a King, because I know how to rule myself." (Pietro Aretino)
Y
ou may ask why - of the 12 little things listed in this
For discipline is like a ladder. Before we can reach
book - following traffic rules was designated as the Little Thing?
the top, we have to start at the bottom. And we can only go
The answer is simple. Traffic rules are the simplest of our laws. If we learn to follow them, it could be the
All the big things in this world started small some-
1st
up one step at a time.
where, sometime in the past. They all began as an idea,
lowest form of national discipline we can develop. Since it
as a thought. Thoughts are powerful, for they become ac-
is totally without monetary cost, it should be easy for us to
tions. And actions can become habits. And habits can be-
do. It should therefore be a good start.
come a way of life. And our way of life can become our destiny as a people and as a nation.
Traffic rules are the most commonly applied of our laws. We are confronted with them everyday- from morn-
This "'principle is universal, and is as old as time.
ing till evening. Thus, whether to follow traffic rules or not is a question that we all face daily. It is a challenge that confronts us everyday. We can try today, the next day, the third day, and on all subsequent days. And if we succeed today, we may also succeed tomorrow, and on the third day, and the days thereafter.
"If you do an act repeatedly for 30 consecutive days, it becomes a habit," said author John Maxwell. Someday, our repeated act of following traffic rules could become a habit, hopefully, riatibnal discipline. Someday, our repeated act of following traffic rules, which are the most ordinary of our laws, can lead us to follow the more difficult and more important of our laws.
and
a
To begin it, all we need to do is to give this 1st Little Thing - Follow Traffic Rules- a serious THOUGHT today. And to try to act on it everyday, until it becomes a habit, until it becomes a way of life, until it becomes a discipline. And there are so many rewards in following traffic rules. One of these is that it can save lives
either yours,
your loved ones, or the innocent ones on the road. It can save lives from accidents, heart attacks, or from guns of angry and trigger-happy drivers. It can bring you home alive and· in one piece. It can also save you money from car repairs, as well as headaches from quarrelling with the
Someday, it can lead to the development of the
other car's driver or owner.
culture of respect for the law among us as a people. 2
3
Another benefit we can derive from following traf-
ambassador of our country. When we follow traffic rules,
fic rules is cultural in nature. Cutting a person's lane or
we become good ambassadors. When we violate them,
right of way is one of the worse traffic violations there is.
we become bad examples of the Filipino race.
When you cut the lane or right of way of another driver, you show complete lack of respect for that other driver as
This simple act of following traffic rules has an
well as all those ~ho are following the line. When you do
impact on foreigners who visit our country. In the minds of
it, you are being selfish and unfair to those who came be-
tourists, who usually have keen eyes on what they see
fore you. Literally, you step on their toes.
around the country they visit, the simple obedience to traffic rules paints a good picture of the Filipino people. When
For those who witness it - particularly our chil-
these tourists go home to their respective countries, we
dren who are often with us in the car- they may think it is
can be sure that they'll speak good things about the Fili-
normal behavior to do just that and be disrespectful of oth-
pino. For all ""We know, next time they meet a Filipino in
ers. In their young minds, they may think it is acceptable to step on other people's toes.
their countries, whether a doctor or a domestic, they just might give that Filipino the kind of respect they received or witnessed when they were in our country.
On the other hand, if we follow the line instead of cutting or making shortcuts, our children will think that fol-
I have been to Japan, particularly in Tokyo and
lowing the line is the right conduct. In their young minds,
Okinawa, a number of times. And I was always amazed at
they will learn patience, discipline, respect for the law, and respect for others.
how drivers there very sparingly honk their horns. They only honk their horns when truly necessary.
Road courtesy is about civility. It is about our cui ..
This I understood to mean that they use their horns
ture as a people. There is so much culture that we pass on
quite responsibly, with courtesy to other drivers and to
to our children when we follow or disobey traffic rules.
pedestrians and workers and residents nearby. It was like that too in Europe, or at least in the countries I visited with
Following traffic rules also promotes us as a people
my wife this year and in the past. At the time, I wondered
of good manners and discipline, especially in the eyes of
how it would be like to live in a country where there seems
the world. In this light, each one of us actually becomes an
to be so much respect and courtesy in the air.
4
5
But perhaps one of the most important benefits we will attain when we learn to follow traffic rules as a habit and as a national discipline, is the psychic reward of national pride and self-esteem. When a person performs a good deed, he often feels good afterwards, usually with some measure of pride and self-respect. The same thing can happen to a people who succeed in doing a small but seemingly impossible thing to achieve. If we develop this habit as a national discipline, it will be a huge victory for us as a people. It will be a monumental step. If we will do it consciously for the country, knowing that our country needs it now -we will feel proud every time we do it. And gradually, perhaps even unconsciously, we will regain our pride and self-esteem as a people. This simple act of following traffic rules can go a long, long way in our march towards the kind of society we dream for ourselves and our children. One old Chinese saying. goes: The journey of a
thousand miles begins with the first step. Perhaps following traffic rules could be our first step -to national discipline, to nation-building.
6
,..
The 2nd Little Thing
WHENEVER YOU BUY OR PAY FOR ANYTHING, ALWAYS ASK FOR AN OFFICIAL RECEIPT
,..
~~None
but ourselves, who are our greatest enemy." (Henry W. Longfellow)
"Our people's habits can be the destiny of our nation." (Benjamin Franklin)
9
T
his sounds very ordinary and unimportant. But it i.s
gains a total of P40 from your sale transaction. If there are
not. When we buy a product or pay for a service, the
10,000 sale transactions in one month without ORs, the
price we pay already includes the tax. Under the law, the
government is deprived of P1 00,000 worth of taxes. On
seller (as the tax-paying agent) is obligated to remit or for-
the other hand, the seller, who chooses not to remit your
ward that tax to the government.
paid taxes to the BIR, earns not only his P300,000 profit but also the P1 00,000 in taxes you paid which he pockets.
But if the seller does not issue an official receipt when you buy a product - perhaps because you did not
According to BIR reports, billions and billions worth
ask for it or worse, you were asked but you said never
of taxes every year are not remitted to the BIR due to non-
mind - the seller may or may not remit the tax to the gov-
issuance of ORs. Billions of pesos of taxes that are merely
ernment. Since you did not ask for an OR, there is no record of the sale transaction and therefore the government has
pocketed by many sellers around the country. Billions of ,.. pesos of taxes that can be of great help to our government
no way of knowing it. If the seller chooses not to declare
in these times of crisis.
the sale transaction to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR}, the tax that you already paid for the product will not be remitted to or collected by the BIR.
To cite a specific example on this, it is estimated that from 1997 to 2004, around 1/3 of VAT has not been collected. In absolute amounts, BIR puts· it at roughly P40
In short, the tax that you already paid for the product will just be pocketed by the seller.
Billion a year of uncollected VAT, or a total of P280 Billion of uncollected VAT in the last 7 years. This P280 Billion refers only to VAT for sale transactions reported to the BIR
Example:
but not yet collected at present. Those sale transactions not reported to the BIR, perhaps because we did not ask
Let us assume that you bought a product for a
for ORs, are not yet included in the amount.
price of P110. The P10 of that price actually represents the 10% value-added-tax (VAT). Let us assume further that,
Can you imagine if the government is able to col·
of the price, P30 is the profit of the seller. If you don't ask
lect this P40 Billion VAT uncoiiected annually? There may
for an OR and the seller chooses not to remit the P1 0 VAT
be no need to increase the VAT from 10% to 12% since
to the BIR and therefore pockets it, then the seller actually
the increase of 2% is expected to raise only from P35 Bil· lion to PSO Billion.
10
11
To address this problem, the solution is really very simple. Just ask for an OR everytime you purchase something, or whenever you pay for a professional service. Remember that whenever you do this, you are helping our country which is in a serious financial crisis these days.
More importantly, and this is where it gets really personal, our government will have more money to devote to education, infrastructure, health and social services, and all the other benefits one usually expects from the govern-
The point here is that, if all of us Filipinos - as buyers, clients or customers - will just ask for the official receipts for all our purchases, the businessmen and professionals will be forced to remit the taxes we pay to the BIR. In doing so, we actually ensure that the taxes we pay for the goods and services we buy truly go to the government and are not merely pocketed by sellers.
In short, by simply asking for ORs for all our purchases, you and I can actually help the government in increasing our tax collections every year, in solving our nation's budget deficit, in reducing our foreign debt, in improving our international credit standing, in strengthening the value of our peso.
ment.
As a result, our government will be able to collect more taxes. If our government is able to collect more taxes every year, our country will need to borrow less from international financial institutions to supply the deficit in the national budget. If we borrow less abroad, our foreign debt will not increase as fast and may eventually lower as we pay annually.
This means that there is actually something that we can do, either individually or collectively as a people, to h.~lp solve the financial crisis that plagues our nation today. And this does not cost us any money. It merely re· quires a change of attitude in us. Just a simple discipline from each one of us is required. But if we all decide to do it, knowing that our country needs it now, it is actually an act of patriotism and national discipline.
Increased tax collections and Jess foreign borrowings will improve our credit standing in the international finance community. And according to our economists, all these will somehow strengthen our peso, among other possible good effects. This means that the value of peso will become stronger. This means that our peso will be able to buy more goods in the market.
And good news to those who ask for ORs! You can actually win from P1 00,000 to P1 million by simply texting your OR number to a BIR cell phone. To encourage people to demand ORs for every purchase they make so business establishments will be compelled to remit the taxes to the government, BIR Commissioner Willy Parayno has come up with this very creative project.
12
13
I hope we support it. I hope we learn this habit of asking for ORs soonest. Our country needs it badly now. Remember, if we do an act repeatedly for 30 consecutive days, it becomes a habit.
The Great American Benjamin Franklin had something important to add to this subject. "Our people's habits can be the destiny of our nation." Franklin wrote that in his
book "Poor Richard's Almanac". In 1776, when America had just been born as a nation, that book had a major influence on a people who now called themselves Americans.
14
,..
The 3rd Little Thing DO NOT BUY SMUGGLED GOODS. BUY LOCAL. BUY FILIPINO
...
"No man can be a patriot without sacrificing for his country." (William C. Brann)
"The patriots are those who are willing to offer anything for the country, even their precious Jives if necessary." (Adlai E. Stevenson)
17
;
ur markets in the country today are being flooded
Smuggling is a crime. A social evil. There are two
with all kinds of cheap imported products, mostly
(2) things we can do to lessen or stop smuggling in our
made from China. Including the most simple things like
country. First, we should stop buying smuggled goods.
safety pins and ball pens. Many of these foreign goods ar-
Second, if we get to know of any smuggling activity, we
rive in our country through the legal route. But a great many
should be brave enough for our country to report it to the
of them come through the illegal way, that is, via smuggling.
proper authorities. Now on our attitude of buying only imported goods.
First, the smuggled goods. Did you know that every year around P140 Billion of customs taxes are not collected by our government from smuggled goods? This is according to a 2004 study by the Center for Research & Communications (CRC). P140 Billion yearly is a lot of money. That's 15.5% of our national
I remember what Barth Suretsky, an American who has been residing in the Philippines since 1998, wrote in the Letters to,..the Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer some months ago. I clipped that letter, because I found so much truth in this foreigner's view of us Filipinos. There he said:
budget for 2005. If we can only collect at least 50% of that amount, there would be no need to raise the VAT to 12%.
11
Filipinos tend to worship. almost slavishlY. ev-
erything foreign. If it comes from ltalv or When imported goods are smuggled into our coun-
France it has to be better than anvthing made
try, our government is not able to impose and collect the
here. If the idea is American or German. it
taxes due from them- customs duties, tariffs, and the 10%
has to be superior to anvthing that Filipinos
VAT. As a result, smugglers are able to sell these imported
Qa1rl1!.'11[Jj~Q....B:u:J~!Zl.§~~
goods in Philippine markets at very cheap prices. And we
looked up to and idolized here. Foreigners can
buyers are often tempted to buy them. As a result, no one
go anywhere without question. In my own
buys the more expensive local products, killing local com·
personal experience, I remember attending
panies and industries, and resulting in the laying off of
recently an affair at a major museum here. I
workers and eventually in higher unemployment levels.
had forgotten to bring my invitation. But whHe
Foreigners are
Filipinos entering the museum were checked for invitations, I was simply waved through." 18
19
The problem with buying imported goods is that, less taxes go to our government while a big chunk of the capital involved goes out of our country. Let me explain. When we buy an imported product, perhaps 50% of the price we pay for that product goes out of our country. For example, if that imported good costs you P1 ,000 in your favorite department store, maybe P250 (or 25% of the price) will go to the department store as its retail profit. Another P250 (or another 25% of the price) will go to the distributor or franchisee in the Philippines of the imported product. But the remaining P500 (or 50%) of the price will be paid for the purchase price from the manufacturer-sellerofthe imported product, which most likely is based in China, Japan or the US. This means that if 20 million out of the 84 million Filipinos buy imported products at P1 ,000 a piece every month, it is equivalent to P20 Billion a month, of which P10 Billion goes out of the country as payment to the manufacturers abroad. In a year, that's P120 Billion. That's a lot of capital that goes out of our country. That money or capital supports the foreign companies that manufacture these imported products. It supports the employees of these foreign companies. It supports the families and children's education of the employees of these foreign companies. It supports the economy and the country where these foreign companies are located. 20
What if, instead of buying imported products, the 20 million Filipinos in the above example all choose to buy locally..made products? This means that the P120 Billion would go to the local companies and would stay in Philippine soil as capital that could circulate in our markets. This is what happens in the case of Colgate toothpaste, which is produced in Thailand, or in the case of Close-up, which is made in Indonesia. Everytime we buy Colgate or Close-up, maybe 50% of the price we pay goes out of our country. Hence, if Colgate and Close-up earn P1 00 Billion J:fer year, maybe P50 Billion of that goes out of the Phitippines. On the other hand, there's Hapee toothpaste, which is of the same quality if not better, but which is 100% Filipino. Even if the manufacturing company is 100% foreign-owned but located in the Philippines, at least part of the money goes to the employment of Filipino workers, their families, and the education of Filipino employees' children. Thus, our simple act of buying local products is actually a support for our country, especially in these times when our country needs every little bit of help from each one of us. It is an act of sacrifice. It is an act of patriotism. It is an act of good citizenship.
21
When I wrote this portion of the book, I had just returned from Seoul and Gyuanggi, Korea where I was invited to speak at an international conference on the environment. Our hosts brought me and their other foreign guests to the villages of farmers, fishermen and vegetable planters in Suwon and Myeangri. I was surprised how patriotic the people there were. From the most basic commodities to cellphones to notebook computers to cars, the Koreans I met and saw patronized Korean products. They have an aversion to foreign products, particularly Japanese and Chinese. They are not as eager as well on American brands. It may not be good economics also to ask our people to buy 100% local products. Instead, what I suggest is for us to take a u50-50 buying attitude." This means that we must develop the attitude of using at least 50% of our budget to buy locally-made products, and allocating the other 50% for our favorite imported choices. If we all take seriously this 50-50 buying attitude, it could be another big push for our economy and for our people. It will retain capital in our country. It will build our local industries. It will build Filipino brands. It will create more employment for our people. It will send more Filipino children to school. It will give a brighter future to our nation.
22
The 4th Little Thing WHEN YOU TALK TO OTHERS, ESPECIALLY FOREIGNERS, SPEAK POSITIVELY OF OUR RACE AND OUR COUNTRY
,.
~~Every time we open our mouths, we expose ourselves- our weakness or our strength. n (Napoleon Bonaparte)
~~Every citizen
is an ambassador of his country." (Rafael Salas) 25
;
I
It is not the poor who are primarily guilty of this.
have been to many different places in our country. And since I am the type who smiles at and talks to
practically anyone I meet on the road, I can say that I have
spoken to a good number of Filipinos from different walks
Surprisingly, it is some members of the rich and the middle class. For it is the rich and the middle class who have contact with the outside world. It is they who talk to, dine or deal with the foreigners, either here or abroad. It is what
of life.
they say and do which create impressions about us to forAnd I must say that we are indeed a people who
eigners.
constantly talk of negative things about our country and The poor, on the other hand, always tell you about
ourselves. Worse, we even laugh at it. I don't know where we got this. Perhaps, as Jose Rizal implies, from the Spaniards and Friars who laughed aloud, if not boisterously,
their poverty and misery. Which is understandable. These they tell you so you may pity them, hoping that you would
when they criticized the Philippine Islands and the Indios.
help them. They don't laugh at their condition. In fact, many
The mestizos and some sipsip natives laughed with them.
of them cry when they tell you their stories.
When the Spaniards and friars left after Spain sold and ceded the Philippine Islands to America in 1898, the mes-
So I guess this 4th Little Thing is best addressed
tizos and some prosperous natives continued the tradition
to the rich and the middle class in our country, my family
of self-bashing - laughing at our defects and faults.
and myself included. We are the most guilty of this social sin.
Today, this ~~tradition" has reached us, although with a positive twist. It is now seen as a positive trait of the Filipino, as a way of coping with the difficulties of life.
We should make a conscious effort to stop this self-bashing and self-flagellation. We should stop telling "horror stories" about ourselves to foreigners, including to
Sure, our national defects and problems entertain us during birthdays, parties and social gatherings. They certainly make good topics for conversation. But they do not fail to send across the negative message. I call this attitude socially irresponsible, and unpatriotic, especially in times like these. 26
business associates, friends and relatives abroad. Instead, we should start focusing on the positive aspects of our national being. There are so many good things we can talk about ourselves as a people and as a nation. We are a people capable of greatness. Our race has produced the likes of San Lorenzo Ruiz who, in the 27
face of torture and death, did not yield his faith in God. The likes of Sister Christine Tan who, despite coming from a materially well off background, refused her inheritance and gave it all to God and the poor whom she served until her death. The likes of Jose Rizal and Ninoy Aquino who devoted the best of themselves - their talents, their energies, and eventually their lives -for the country. The likes of Gen. Gregorio Del Pilar who, at age 21, chose to die defending Tirad Pass with only a handful of armed men, some only with bolos and spears, against the advancing American troops, 5 times more in number and with rifles, so that Emilio Aguinaldo could retreat and build the infant Philippine Republic. Yes, we are a people capable of greatness, of making supreme sacrifices. Dr. Josette Biyo has masteral and doctoral degrees from one of the top schools in the country- De La Salle University- where she used to teach rich college students, and was paid well for it. But she left that and all the glamor of Manila, and chose to teach in a lowly public high school in a rural area in a province, receiving a salary of less than $300 a month, because according to her "who will teach our children?" In recognition of the rarity of her kind, the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology honored Dr. Biyo by naming a small and newly-discovered planet in our galaxy as "Biyo." We are a race of honest, decent, God~fearing people like Nestor Sulpico, the Filipino taxi driver in New 28
York who, on 17 July 2004, drove 43 miles from New York City to Connecticut, USA to return the US$80,000 worth of rare black pearls to his passenger who forgot it at the back seat of his taxi. Nestor even refused to be paid a reward. He just wanted to be reimbursed for his taxi fuel for his travel to Connecticut. At the time, he was just earning $80 a day as a taxi driver. This is honesty in its purest. This is decency most sublime. And it occurred in New York, the Big Apple City, where all kinds of snakes and sinners abound, and a place where, accordigg to Sydney Sheldon, the angels no longer descend. No wonder all New York newspapers called him •New York's Most Honest Taxi Driver." The New York City Government also gave him fitting recognition for his deed. The Philippine Senate passed a Resolution commending Nestor for his honesty. We are a people capable of great talents. Manuel V. Pangilinan of First Pacific of Hong kong and PLOT. Tony Tan Caktiong of Jollibee. Diosdado Banatao of Tallwood Venture Capital of Silicon Valley. U.P. Professor Caesar Saloma, a Galileo Galilie 2004 Awardee for his laser microscopic studies. Pablo Planas, inventor of Khaos, a fuel and pollution reducing gadget. Lea Salonga of Broadway. Paeng Nepomuceno of world bowling. Efren "Bata" Reyes of billiards. Jennifer Rosales of the world of golf. And many, many more. 29
Another aspect of our negative attitude is our crab or talangka mentality -
our tendency to pull each other
down, which is so pervasive in all levels of our society.
tend with. As a consequence, demands for better benefits for our war veterans and for the clean up of toxic wastes in Clark and Subic have not been seriously taken up by any US administration.
Where did we get this trait? Perhaps this is a cultural offshoot of the Spanish conquistadores' strategy of
Because of our talangka mentality, or partly due
divide-and-rule that set off regions against regions, prov-
to it, our people and our country have never gotten far in
inces against provinces, clans against clans, families
life.
against families, to prevent a united revolt. That's why the llonggos and the llocanos used to look at each other with
But I believe that our negative thinking is not en-
leery, suspicious eyes. Same with the Kapampangans and
tirely a product of the present. Our tendency for self-bash-
the Bicolanos. And more so on how we Catholics were
ing and lack of'faith in ourselves is also a product of our
made to view the Muslims in Mindanao.
past, our history, passed on to us by an older generation, by our parents. As it was passed on to them by their own
This crab mentality also evolved partly as a tool
parents, our grandparents, who lived all their lives in sub-
for social advancement, and in some cases, survival. Many
mission or subjugation by the Americans for 50 years and
Pinoys wanted to please or earn the good graces of those
before that, by the Spaniards for 377 years.
in power - first the Spaniards, then the Americans, then the Japanese, and the Americans again - so they espied on their fellow Filipinos' revolutionary activities.
Dave Magalong, a friend, recently told me about Jewish traditions. One of the most sacred Jewish traditions occurs every Friday night, on the eve of the Sabbath,
Apparently, this crab mentality is also true among
when the family head prays for every child in the family
Pinoys abroad, especially in the United States. It is said
and asks their Creator to bless the child, his dreams and
that of all the Asians in the US, the Pinoys have the most
aspirations in life. This ritual affirms the child, the whole of
number of organizations or associations. Put one Filipino
him, his heart and his mind. And this ritual occurs every
with another, the two will set up their own association. As a
Friday, every week;.
result, the Pinoys in the US, despite their number, have not become a major political and economic force to con30
31
No wonder most Jewish people I know are confi-
past. And greatness once achieved, however brief. stays
dent of who they are and what they stand for, and are suc-
with the man, or with the nation. I can't recall now who
cessful in most things they do, especially business.
said those lines but I remember having read them in some books during my college years.
In contrast, and for centuries, the Spaniards and friars often shouted, in public at that, at the poor Indios the
And this is the irony of it all. There's something
words 'Tanga! Bobo! Tamad!". Unfortunately, the Indios
about a revolution that humanizes the people. It teaches
as well as the Filipino mestizos and illustrados perhaps as
respect for others. It teaches social responsibility, the one
an outlet for their frustration also often used the same words
that cares for the weak and the feeble and the poor and
of "Tanga! Bobo! Tamad!" to their children. These children
the hungry, in whose minds and hearts, as history shows,
in turn passed on to their own offsprings the same negative words. So we are what we are today, people who have
the seeds of revolution are always planted. ,...
no faith in ourselves.
We, in today's generation, should start a new revo· lution, the one that will defeat all the negative energies in
What we are today is a product of our past. Spe-
our minds and bodies as a people. If we stop passing these
cifically, we are a product of the failures of our ancestors.
negative energies to the future generation, it would be a
If the Katipunan Revolution was won against the Ameri-
revolution by itself. In fact, it would be a major cultural revo-
cans, we would be very proud today as people. Because
lution.
there's something about winning a revolution that makes a people proud. There's something about winning a revo-
Like all the little things discussed above, this 4th
lution that frees the spirit, cleanses the dignity and defines
Little Thing of speaking positively of our nation and our-
the identity of the victors, notwithstanding the scars and
selves does not need any money from our pocket. It only
the pains of loss and deaths.
requires a change of attitude, a change in the way we look at things. But a change that can very well plant the seeds
There's something about winning a revolution that
so we may someday raise a new generation of Filipinos
corrects the many mistakes of the past, including cultural
who will have respect for their past and their country, and
mistakes. There's this beautiful line that goes something
who, in return, will have faith in their own selves.
like this -
One good success erases all failures of the 32
33
The 5th Little Thing
RESPECT YOUR TRAFFIC OFFICER, POLICEMAN, SOLDIER & OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS
...
"'As always, the educated, knowing what needs to be done, must not wait for those who do not know what to do. The learned has the solemn obligation to show the way, the sacred duty to take the first move. This is how society learns from them. This is how education is shared to society." (Author)
We should behave to our neighbors as we would wish our neighbors to behave to us." (Aristotle)
'What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." (Confucius)
!
'
35
W
hen I awaken each morning, I observe some ritu-
The results of this experiment are quite intriguing.
als. Rituals that I have developed only in the last
few years, and based largely on the lives of people I have adopted as life models for myself.
If we change the way we look at and treat our public servants, particularly our traffic officers, policemen and soldiers, would they also change their response, the way
The first of these rituals is the opening of the Bible
they perform their duties?
at any page my fingers would lead me. I learned this from Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, in a newspaper that fea-
I believe they would.
tured him. I thought that it is a most wonderful way to start One time, I was driving in Manila and made a
a day.
wrong turn. I did not notice that there was a small sign that The second of my rituals is to read a page from
said a right tUfn was not allowed. I noticed the sign too
the Daily Bread. I find this devotional book very enlighten-
late. When the traffic officer signaled for me to pull over,
ing as it relates people's experiences- their daily struggles,
there were 4 other car drivers who were caught like me. I
their failures and triumphs, their joys and sorrows- to God's
heard all three car owners shouting at and ganging up on
teachings.
the traffic officer, who was visibly pissed and piqued. All three car owners were given tickets, their drivers' licenses
One day, the story in the Daily Bread was about a
confiscated.
research study conducted by Kenyon College in the United States, together with the US Navy. The purpose was to
When it was my turn, I greeted the traffic officer
discover how a particular tone of voice affects US sailors
"good afternoon." He was initially surprised and looked me
when they are given orders. The experiment revealed that
in the eye, as if to check if I was mocking him. Then I ad-
the way a person is addressed or treated, determined to a
dressed him as "officer", the same way the Americans and
large extent the way he would behave or respond to it.
the British address their traffic officers and policemen. Then I explained politely to him that I am generally a law-abid·
For example, when a US sailor was spoken to in a
ing citizen and that .in this case, the sign was just so small
soft voice, he would also respond in a soft voice. When he
that it was too late for me to notice it. I told him that I was
was shouted at, he would respond in the same way.
willing to pay the fine, but suggested that he should rec-
36
37
ommend to his superiors to change and make the sign
But back to our soldiers, policemen and traffic of-
bigger, so people would easily see it from a good distance.
ficers. Another way of showing our respect for them is by not offering them any bribe money when we are caught.
To my surprise, the traffic officer did not issue a
Many of us in the public assume that all our policemen
violation ticket to me nor did he confiscate my license. In-
and traffic officers are corrupt and can be bribed. Thus,
stead, he was very polite himself and called me "sir'' a num-
when caught, many of us easily offer bribe money just to
ber of times and just advised me to be more careful next
avoid the hassle of retrieving our licenses from the LTO.
time. But this is precisely how we corrupt our policeAnd you know what? This situation happened to
men and traffic officers. This is how our new and young
me a number of times, not because I wanted to, but be-
policemen and traffic officers get corrupted. They learn it
cause authorities change our traffic rules quite often that it
from us, reinfdtced only by what they see in their seniors.
results in confusion among the driving public.
They think that this is how we, the public, regard them and their profession. So this is the way they regard themselves
But if there's one thing I learned from all these, it
and their profession.
is the power of respect. Respect honors. It empowers. It dignifies. It makes a person proud. It makes one feel hon-
In Psychology, experts agree that respect is one
orable. At the same time, courtesy to others is good man-
of the most basic needs of man. Ever-Y man wants and
ners. It is etiquette. It is class and elegance. It is also kindness. It is seeing the value and dignity in the other man. It
desires to be respected. Every man wants to be recognized. Every man desires to be valued and honored.
is, in fact, a mark of most profound education. This kind of respect we should also give to waiters, bellboys and messengers. A person who is nice to
So I really believe that if we treat our traffic officers and policemen and soldiers with respect, they will return the respect and become respectful of us.
you but not to waiters is not a genuinely nice person deep is about acknowledging the true value of a person -which
If we look at and speak to them with dignity, they will look at themselves with dignity. If we give them a pat in
is often not visible. For what is essential is often invisible
the back for a joo well done, in all likelihood they will make
to the naked eye, says author Antoine de St. Exupery.
the effort to perform their duties and responsibilities well.
inside. For respect knows· no title or status in life. Respect
38
39
If we recognize them, they will recognize themselves the way our society and we recognize them. If we honor them, they will look at themselves in the mirror with honor. If we value their contributions to our society, they will value what they do for our society. They are what they are because of what we are. They are who they are because of who we are. There's a universal principle on this -
"You al-
ways reap what you sow." It is also one of Buddha's core teachings- "What.. ever you sow, you shall reap."
40
,..
The
6th
Little Thing
DO NOT LITTER. DISPOSE YOUR GARBAGE PROPERLY. SEGREGATE. RECYCLE. CONSERVE
"Yes, we are alive today. But what about the next generation?" (N. Duhaylungsod)
I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom, for me and you And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. I see $kies of blue, and clouds of white The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. (Louis Armstrong, in his song "What A Wonderful World!")
43
e are part of the environment. The environment is
closed down since December 2000. Meanwhile, the prov-
part of us. Whichever way we look at it, the envi-
inces of Quezon, Bataan, Laguna and Cavite have rejected
ronment and we, human beings, are linked to each other
MMDA's plan to operate a permanent landfill for Metro
in a powerful sense.
Manila garbage in their localities.
W
Our human acts - in the quest for food, clothing,
The National Solid Waste Management Commis-
shelter, luxury, dreams or folly - affect our environment
sion (NSWMC) has also publicly released its plan to shut
and nature, although always slowly and imperceptibly. But
down the Payatas dumpsite in Quezon City. At present,
when nature reacts, it could affect us all, including our chil-
garbage is being hauled off to the controlled dump facility
dren and grandchildren - in devastating ways, including
in Rodriguez, Rizal, where most of Metro Manila's waste
typhoons, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, fuel shortage,
is being thrown. Some are allegedly being dumped at a
water supply and food chain degradation, skin cancer, and
100-hectare landfill in Sitio Kalangitan, Capas, Tarlac.
global warming due to the depletion of the ozone layer. Three years ago, several sectors, including civil One of the major problems in Metro Manila today,
society groups, already voiced alarm over the impending
as acknowledged by the Metro Manila Development Au-
garbage crisis in Metro Manila. I do not know how the gov-
thority (MMDA), is garbage. With a population of almost
ernment will address the issue on an immediate, medium-
14 million as of June 2004 and roughly 1;573,500 house-
term and long-term basis. I just hope that they do it prop-
holds, Metro Manila produces an average of 8,000 tons of
erly.
solid waste daily. In 2002, it was only 6,000 tons daily, so there has been a big increase of 25% in daily garbage just in the past 2 years. We dump garbage in open dumpsites and sanitary landfills. Under the Clean Air Act of 2001, incinerators are prohibited in this country, and rightly so.
But I always believed that a great part of the solution is in us, the people. And there are three ways by which every Filipino citizen can help or participate. The first way is in fact very basic- that is, by throw-
The problem however is that we have run out of
ing our garbage properly, which is, in the garbage can,
dump sites and landfills. San Mateo, Rizallandfill has been 44
45
and not on the floor or in the street or in the highway. Do
plastics, cans, etc. The segregation will allow the recycling
you know that all the cities and municipalities in our coun-
of this solid waste possible and a lot easier. According to
try spend around P7 Billion annually just to haul our gar-
an Audit Paper of the DENR and UNESCO (titled "The
bage? In addition, the DPWH spends another P18 Million
State of the Philippine Environment"), to produce one (1)
yearly just to unclog our canals and rivers of plastics, pa-
ton of paper, it takes 17 trees, 24000 gallons of water, 28
pers and cans thrown irresponsibly by us?
million Btu of energy, 1255 pounds of carbon dioxide to atmosphere, and 1.5 cubic yards of landfill space.
Put together, this is an enormous amount of government funds (our taxes actually) that the national and
Whereas used papers, however old and of what-
local government can save - and put to better use - if we
ever type, can be recycled and can prevent the cutting of
only throw our garbage properly. Put another way, we can
more trees and will thus help prevent the further denuda-
actually help our government save funds by merely throw-
tion of our forests, and eventually prevent floods. Plastics
ing our garbage properly. And in doing so, we will also
and bottles are non-degradable and should not be buried
make our surroundings a lot cleaner and healthier.
in the ground. They too can be recycled. Used rubber tires can be recycled as road or highway asphalts. House and
Throwing our garbage properly does not seem dif-
hospital residuals can also be converted to hollow blocks.
ficult to do at all, since it does not involve money on our part. All it needs is just a conscious effort from each one of
To segregate is not and should not really be diffi-
us. But this change of attitude, if practiced by most Filipi-
cult for us. All it takes is a little discipline at home. Espe-
nos, will be a great achievement by itself. If we can do it, it
cially so when you have househelps, all it takes really is
would be another simple form of national discipline for us as a people.
just a little time and a small effort to teach and educate your househelps. Teach them once, maybe twice, and that's it. Next time around, all you need to do is remind them to
The second way to help or participate is by prac-
do it faithfully. More importantly, the education process
ticing segregation of garbage. This is being encouraged in
will not stop there. These people will bring and use that
every village in every city and municipality in the country
knowledge of segregation and recycling to their future em-
today. Under this scheme, we are being asked to segre-
ployers, and to their families in the provinces. One day,
gate our garbage according to - food leftovers, papers,
their children and neighbors and friends will also get the
46
47
habit. And when this happens, this should not be a surprise to us, for this is really how education takes place. Can you imagine· if at least 10 million households in our country will segregate faithfully starting tomorrow morning? It paints a picture of so much promise. The third way to help or participate for every Filipino is to recycle and reuse instead of buying new things. The more we buy, the more garbage we make. The more we buy, the more natural resources we consume. It is as simple as that. Everything we buy, everything we use, is taken from our environment. Someday, there will surely not be enough to take from our environment. That someday may come during the time of our children, or grandchildren, or great grandchildren. By that time too, the environment may no longer be able to take the garbage we continuously dump on her. I have always wa~ted to do more for the environment, to help make it greener, to help make it cleaner. I always feel that it is part of my responsibility to my children to ensure that they will have a healthy environment. It was for this that I, along with 4 other young lawyers in 2000, took on the case of the toxic waste victims from Clark and Subic against the US and our government. Whatever happens to that case, I hope I am able to do some good to our environment with this little piece.
48
,..
The 7th Little Thing
SUPPORT YOUR CHURCH
,..
"To love another person is to love God." (Victor Hugo) "Worlcs of love are always worlcs for God." (Mother Teresa) •1 shall walk through this world but once. Therefore, if there is any good thing that I need to do, let me do it now. For I shall not walk this way again." (A poem found in the pocket of Abraham lincoln when he was assassinated)
51
E
very Sunday mass, my wife and I regularly donate P1 00 during collection time. The amount is already
And right there and then, it struck me. What if aU of us will donate even just 1% of our monthly net earnings
for our whole family, including our 3 kids. Therefore, in 4
to our respective churches -
Sundays, our family's total contribution to our parish church
INC, or Muslim?
whether Catholic, Baptist,
is P400 monthly, for a total of P4,80b yearly. If we do this, we will empower our churches, so Then one time, my wife and I did not have any
our churches will have more resources to help the poor
P100 bill in ourwaUets. But I had a P1 ,000 note. I was thus
and neglected members of our society. Don't you think we
confronted with the dilemma of whether or not to donate
will be truer to our claim of being Christians or Muslims
the whole P1,000. Or pass on this Sunday and just do,uble
when we support our churches?
my regular donation amount next Sunday. My wife was silent and I could sense that she was just waiting for my
I recaH American writer James Fallows (Atlantic
decision. I was struggling internally. But when the collec-
Monthly) who accused us Filipinos of having a "damaged
tion bag was handed to me by a pair of small hands, ac-
culture." He said that we take pride in proclaiming our-
companied by a small voice - "Papa, your donation" - I
selves as the only Christian nation in this part of the world,
took out the P1,000 note in my wallet and put it into the
and yet we do not even take care of the many poor in our
collection bag.
midst, especially the small children - poor and hungry and barefoot - in the streets of Makati.
For the rest of the mass, I was not able to concentrate. I questioned the amount of faith I had, not only in my
I know exactly what James Fallows is talking about.
God, also in my church. How much do I support my church,
Makati City has been my place of work for many years
the house and the works of my Father Almighty?
now. As the financial and business capital of the country, it is indeed home to the nation's really rich villages like. Forbes
It was during that mass when I realized that the
Park, Dasmarinas Village, Urdaneta Village and Bel-Air,
P400 monthly donation I give to the church is actually not
not to mention the towers and high-rise residential condos
even 1% of what I earn monthly, not to mention my wife's
for people of the same class and status. And yet, in practi-
earnings.
cally every street where there's a traffic light, there too are many poor children, beggars barefoot and malnourished. 52
53
And residents and businessmen and office workers alike seemed to have become immune to this daily sight, that they do not seem to care or even notice how poor and hungry these little souls are. They knock on car windows, but very few people give alms. I, too, used to refuse to give alms for reasons I've heard long before. That these beggar children allegedly work for syndicates. That they allegedly will just use the money for cigarettes, or even shabu or rugby. One day, when we were still residing in Makati, it rained so hard and my wife and I were caught in traffic. A female child, very young she must be not more than 8 years old, tapped my car window. She had a thin, malnourished face, with bulging eyes. Soaked wet under a harsh rain, she begged for money. I looked at her and could not stand not giving something. My wife gave more.
right do I have to impose conditions when I give alms or money to beggars? Isn't it the essence of giving -that is, to give wholly and absolutely? Isn't it more Christian that way? And for those who hesitate for whatever reason, wouldn't giving to the church be the next best thing? A few months ago, I caught on TV the launching of Pondo Ng Pinoy, a project of the Catholic Church led by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales. Under this project, every Filipino catholic is asked to donate to the Pondo ng Piney at least P0.25 a day, or P1.75 a week, or P7 a month, or P84 a year. The project is based on the Theology of the Crumbs as found in Luke 16:19-31. If we gather the left· overs, the extras, the excesses from our tables, we can feed many of the hungry in our society. This is a very noble and laudable project of the church. It deserves all our support.
That picture has been etched in my memory since. But what troubled me was whether I should give alms whenever a beggar would knock on my window. For a while I could not resolve it. But I always felt guilty whenever I refused to give. Then one day, during a sermon at a Sunday mass, I found my answer. God, said the priest, loves us so much that when He gave us our lives, He also gave us the freedom and the choice how to live our lives, subject only to His teachings found in the Holy Book. If that is so, what 54
Bishop Tagle of lmus, Cavite cited during the launching that, according to Pulse Asia and SWS surveys, 63% of Filipinos all over the country are actually poor, while 52% of Filipinos in Metro Manila are poor. According to the Couples for Christ (CFC), 35% of our population is actu· ally destitute poor, while another 55°/o belong to the struggling poor.
55
The CFC has a community program, called Gawad Kalinga which aims to build 700,000 houses for free for the poorest of the poor in 700 communities in 7 years. That's why the project has been called 777. The CFC has been undertaking this project for several years now, and is on target to achieve its goal of 777. This is not only a good project. This is Christianity. This is giving shelter to our poor brethren who are many. This is about sharing our blessings. This is about living one of the top two commandments of God- Love thy neighbor as you love thyself- where most of us, Christians included, fail. I also promised myself that someday, when God would allow it, I will build a beautiful chapel in Sitio Pinaginpinan, a paradise hidden in the mountains, protected by 1 hour of travel distance from the heart of Kabankalan City, deep south of Negros Occidental. Though quaint and laid back, it is a beautiful place. Albeit without a church. Not even a chapel. I was born there. At a time when it was only reachable by foot and carabaos. My mother used to teach Grade 2 students in a public school there.
56
The 8th Little Thing DURING ELECTIONS, DO YOUR SOLEMN DUlY
11'
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings." (William Shakespeare)
•America will remain the land of the free but only for as long as it remains the home of the brave." (Elmer Davis)
"The people always get the govemmeni they deserve." (John F. Kennedy)
59
0
f all the qualifications of a leader, how should we rank honesty?
ber, foreign-trained or home-grown. Park himself did not have superlative credentials. But he was honest, both in real life and in the eyes of the public. At the time of his
Let me share with you the story of the late Presi-
death in 1981, he remained a poor man. His nation was
dent Chung Hee Park of South Korea. After the Korean
pleasantly shocked to discover that he owned only one
war in 1954, South Korea became one of the world's poorest, with so much political instability. Then in 1961, a mili-
property, an old apartment- which he bought and used for his family before he became president. But in 1981, South
tary group staged a successful coup d'etat and installed
Korea had already become an emerging tiger in Asia, its
Army General Park Chung Hee as president.
economy almost 5 times better than the Philippines.
As President, he tried to borrow money from other countries, but was always rejected because of his country's very bad economic situation. So Park sent many mine laborers, railway workers and nurses to Germany so they could work and send money back to Korea to help its economy. In 1964, Park visited Germany to borrow money. Several hundreds of Koreans came to welcome him at the airport in Germany, and they cried when they saw him. They told him of their hard work, low pay, and of the ill treatment they were getting from the Germans. Park cried with them, openly, in front of the press and the public. The German Chancellor was moved by the incident. and Ger-
Half a century ago, the Philippines had a taste of that kind of a ~ader - in Ramon Magsaysay. Unlike the first 5 presidents before him- Quezon, Laurel, Osmena, Roxas and Quirino (all bar topnotchers and brilliant lawyers)- Ramon Magsaysay did not have superlative credentials. He finished his BS Commerce "without distinction" from Jose Rizal College. But like Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and Park Chung Hee, Magsaysay was fiercely honest and humble. At the time of his death on 17 March 1957, he had only P2,000 to leave to his family. Despite the many years he stayed in Manila as congressman, Secretary of National Defense and later as
many became the first country to give a loan to Korea. Park
President, he never owned a house for his family in Manila. His friends and sympathizers had to pitch in to buy a
used the loaned money to build factories in South Korea.
home for his widow and children after his death.
When Park became president in 1961, Korea had
Magsaysay was a leader truly adored and followed
less than 200 university graduates, and only a handful with
in spirit by almost .everyone in the land. The Filipino had
PhDs. The country did not have economists of high cali-
faith i.n him. As a result, he was able to make the Filipinos
60
61
work for a common dream, even Hukbalahap leader Luis Taruc. In 3 years that he was president, the country's an-
best used by a leader who has character." Plato said "he who does not seek power is the most qualified to hold it."
nual GNP rate averaged 7 .3%, the second highest in our nation's history. This happened because Magsaysay had
Honesty is the core of character, while character
the support of practically all sectors of society, except the
is the core of leadership. And leadership is the core of ev-
opposition. Seeing their president as honest, most gov-
ery success- in every company's success, in every team's
ernment men performed honestly. Seeing this, business-
victory, and in every nation's march to progress. According to John Maxwell, "everything rises and falls with lead-
men and. people started paying taxes properly. Unfortunately, death snatched him away from the nation.
ership."
Honesty, more than a master's or doctorate de-
Leadership is what built the 500 companies in the
gree, is what gives credibility. It is also the one that sustains it. And credibility is essential, because it is every
world, according ,.. to Fortune Magazine 2002 book edition. George Washington changed the course of the indepen-
leader's link to the people. It is what makes the people look to one direction, follow a common vision, and perform a uniform act. In short, credibility is what makes people
dence war against Britain, and gave birth to America as a country. Churchill changed the outcome of war against the
follow the leader.
GOP-country in 1972 to a $86 Billion GOP-tiger state in
Nazis. Lee Kuan Yew built Singapore from a $2.5 million 2000.
Honesty, more than anything, is what makes a good leader. It is the solid core of the character of every great leader in history. It is the core of one's character, says George Washington. Remove honesty, and the man has no character.
Why do I say all of these? Perhaps because our nation badly needs a good leader today. According to Ninoy Aquino, given a good leader, the Filipino will attain great heights because the
Lao Tzu, a famous Chinese philosopher, said-
Filipino is inherently a good follower.
"In choosing a leader, character is the most important qual-
ity. Intelligence and skills come second in importance." Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest leaders mankind has ever produced, had something similar to say - ..power is 62
Our Constitution gives each one of us the right to elect our leader. In fact, our right to vote is also defined in the Constitution as a solemn duty of every citizen to our 63
country. This is one of the very few instances in the Constitution where we, as citizens, are reminded of our solemn duty to our country. It is not there for nothing. It is there because it is as it should be, a serious obligation. If we have bad leaders today and in the past, it is not the fault of the many who know less, but the fault of the few who know more but who do nothing or who don't do enough. Comelec records show this. In electoral precincts of rich communities, the voters' turn-out is always dismal, while in the precincts of squatter communities, the voter's turn-out is astronomically high. If we want to see progress in our country, we must start with the way we perform our duties as citizens. As a people, we must be involved. We must get involved. We are a nation of 84 million people - with 84' million hearts, minds and pairs of hands. Can you imagine if these 84 million pairs of hands work together for a common vision, for a common dream for the Filipino nation? Dr. Jose Rizal said it eloquently more than 100 years ago. "It is enough for good people to do nothing, for
the evil ones to succeed." We are all part of the problem. We are all partly to blame. But the good thing is, we are also the answer. We are also the solution. 64
The 9th Little Thing
PAY YOUR EMPLOYEES WELL
"To whom much has been given, much will be expected., (Luke 12:48)
'You give but little when you give of your material possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. n (Kahlil Gibran)
Imagine if there's no possessions; I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger; A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people, sharing all the world, woooh ... You may say I'm a dreamer; But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one. (John Lennon in his song "Imagine") 67
W
ay back in college, I had a professor who lectured
But of course, this is something that is in the realm
about wishes and reincarnations. He said that
of faith, intangibles, and metaphysics. And it is up to us,
there's a reason for everything that happens in one's life.
and our religion, whether to agree with this or not.
There's a reason why, for instance, some people
I am a Catholic. The Holy Book that I try to read
hate you with a passion. Or why others are very loyal to
every day also says that there's no accident in life, that
you through thick and thin. Why your househelp has been
there's a reason for everything (Romans 11 :36 and Prov~
with you for 30 years, or your driver for 20 years now, or
erbs 16:4). Author Rick Warren in his book "Purpose-Driven
why your secretary still works for you with unswerving loy-
Life" also highlighted this.
alty despite everything. After I learned this, it changed the way I looked at There is a reason for everything. And there must
the people I work with everyday. At home, in the office,
be a reason why, of the more than 6 billion human beings
anywhere and everywhere at any point in time. God knows
on earth, scattered in more than 200 countries on this
how serious and strict I tend to be, but God knows too how
your driver, househelp and secre..
much I try to deal with them with love, respect, kindness,
planet, these people tary -
continue working for you with unceasing loyalty.
and above all - fairness and justice.
My professor said that maybe, just maybe, these
Part of being fair to them is by paying them what
people, in their previous lives, were very close to you. That
is due them, or what they deserve. In fact, the way we pay
before their death in their previous lives, all they wished
our employees- or the people who serve us or work for us
for was to be allowed to serve you in the next life, which is
-is the way we love, respect and treasure them. That is
now. And their Creator, however they conceived Him to
the best way to quantify our love and respect for them.
be, granted that wish. But there's another important reason why we Much later, in my private readings, I learned that
should pay our employees well.
said philosophy is actually one of Buddha's core teachings. "There's a reason and a plan why certain people are
part of our lives."
Our country today is in a very critical state. 34 million out of the total 84 million Filipinos live in naked pov-
68
69
erty. Everyday, or practically everyday, we hear news of a
can bloom, so the trees can bear fruit, so the entire field
Filipina domestic helper in the Middle East or in Singapore or Hongkong who comes home in a coffin, or who jumps
enjoy food, beauty and a clean environment.
can grow in lush green aplenty. So the people around can
from a high-rise apartment of her employer, or who complains of having been raped or abused by her foreign em-
The bounty must always be shared. Money that is
ployer. I am not exaggerating. Try to listen to Saksi News
kept to oneself does not build a family. It does not build a
or TV Patrol or to OFW news.
community and a nation. Profit that is kept to oneself is no good. It does not make the employees, and their families,
Clearly, this is a time when all of us Filipinos must
happy. It prevents the employees' children from getting
take an active role in helping our country. This is a time
good education. It prevents the employees and their fami-
when all of us must do our share in helping our govern-
lies from enjoying the wonders of travel, the beauty and
ment, in building our nation.
rich majesty of the world.
Paying our employees well is one such way. It is
So if you are wealthy now or in the future, you
an act of patriotism, within our means. A good salary can
must help our country by sharing your fortune with other
go a long way. It will pay for your employee's children's
Filipinos, especially those in need. Invest in our country
good education. It will pay for vitamins and medication to
instead of somewhere else, and pay your people well.
make our youth healthy. It will pay for the reading materials to make our youth intelligent. It will pay for the lowwcost
If you are successful now or in the future, you must
apartment and house and lot to provide our youth a good
help our country by bringing home the benefits of your
living environment.
education and success. For it is only through sharing that we can keep our people knowledgeable and intelligent. It
A good salary to our employees will mean a good future for their children, our youth, our nation's future.
is only through sharing of knowledge that we can ensure the continuity and the progress of our race. By giving something back to our country, you are actually performing the
In the words of Dolly Levi in the "Hello, Dolly" movie, money is like fertilizer. It can only be good, it can
most important responsibility of every citizen, of every patriotic Filipino.
only produce beauty, if it is spread on the field so the plants 70
71
No exercise is better for the human heart than to reach down and lift someone else up, to serve others, to enrich your community. This truly defines a successful life. For success is the sum, not of our earthly possessions, but of how many times we have shown love and kindness to others. Remember that in Luke 3:11, God said -"Who-
ever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it to the hungry." Remember too what Abraham Lincoln said -"The
tJitimate measure of success is not what you have become, or who you have become, but what others have become because of you." Whatever your concept of success may be, may you always be guided by these beautiful lines from world famous poet Ralph Waldo Emerson- "To leave this world a little better... To know that at least one life has breathed
easier because you have lived ... This, to me, is to have succeeded."
72
The 1Oth Little Thing
PAY YOUR TAXES
"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society." (Oliver Wendell Holmes)
"By the taxes he pays, a citizen has every right to demand for a good and honest government. n (Franklin D. Roosevelt) 75
I
L
ast December 12, 2004, the National Economic De-
Of the many duties of a citizen under our Consti-
velopment Authority (NEDA) disclosed that our gov-
tution, paying taxes is one of the most crucial. Because
ernment needs at least US$ 7 Billion in 2005 to repay our
taxes are the lifeblood of our government, of our nation.
country's maturing obligations and to finance the budget It is what we use to buy the basic textbooks for
deficit.
our millions of children in the country, or to build additional Where will we get the dollars? Usual dollar sources
classrooms in public schools nationwide. According to the
like portfolio investments, OFW remittances and export
Department of Education records, we have a shortage of
income may not be enough. Initially, the government
44,711 classrooms in the public school in 2004. As a re-
planned to source it on a 78-22 ratio. 78% of the amount
sult, at least 3,000 schools nationwide have an average
witl be sourced locally while 22% will come from foreign.
size of 100 students per classroom, 800 schools have an
borrowings. But the problem with sourcing domestically
average size·of 100 to 200 students per classroom, while
the 78% of the $7 Billion is that it will dry up dollar supply
72 schools hold 200 or more students per classroom.
in the local markets as well as deplete our country's international dollar reserves, such that it will make the dollar
Taxes are what we use to buy the most basic of
more expensive than our Peso. As a res tilt, it will red' Jce
medicines, often generic and cheap, that our Department
the value of our currency even more.
of Health officials distribute to 34 million Filipinos nationwide who live below the poverty line.
On the other hand, if we borrow more dollars from abroad, it will bloat our present foreign debt of US$57 Billion even more, especially since our country will be paying higher interest rates (higher than the previous years) be-
It is what we use to pay all our government employees nationwide- our soldiers, our policemen, our public school teachers, among many others.
cause our nation's credit standing has been downgraded by 2 notches by Moody's Investors Service. Hence, what-
You may agree with this or not, but I believe that
ever course of action we take, our country is sure to en-
more than 7.0% of our soldiers are professional, that more
counter problems along the way.
than 70% of our policemen also want to do their job prop-
But these can be avoided if our government can only collect more taxes. 76
erly and are in fact willing to risk their lives to give us peace and order in our streets and neighborhood. I believe too 77
that more than 70% of our public school teachers want to
world, the first according to the Hongkong Political & Eco-
give their best and teach our students properly.
nomic Risk Consultancy Ltd and the latter according to Transparency International. It is estimated that around
They just need leaders to follow. They just need support and encouragement.
P200 billion is lost annually to graft and corruption. In a 2002 study, the World Bank said that the Philippines lost approximately US$48 billion to graft and corruption in the
Viewed in this light, the taxes that you and I pay
last 20 years. This is despicable, especially when you think
are actually not lost or wasted completely. A substantial
of the 34 million Filipinos who barely eat everyday, as well
portion of the taxes we pay is still put to good use. Be-
as the many OFWs who suffer under cruel working condi-
cause there are many public servants - not only a few or
tions abroad.
some -who still do their jobs properly. There are many of them, these honest and faithful ones, but maybe many of them are just in the rank and file, like you and me.
Right nc5w, figures show that our government's revenue collection effort is only around 14.1% of our Gross Domestic Product (GOP) for 2004, one of the lowest in
But they are there. Among the silent many who hold the center and keep our government from falling apart.
Asia and in the world. Even Panama is better at 19.1% tax collection ratio.
They are the ones who keep our public institutions intact through storms and scandals, notwithstanding the mis-
In 2003, P83 Billion was collected from individual
guided ambitions and corruption of some df their leaders.
income taxes. But 91% of this amount came from salaried workers from the government and private sector, people
It is for this reason that we should continue paying
who have no choice since their income taxes are withheld
our taxes. The good ones in the government are still good
mandatorily. Only P7 Billion of P83 Billion (or 9%) came
reason for us to continue paying our taxes properly. The
from businessmen and professionals like doctors, lawyers,
challenge for us is just how to increase the number of these
accountants, architects, and dentists, among others.
good ones in the government. But how can this be? Guillermo de Joya, spokesBy March 2005, the Philippines has become the
man for Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Indus-
second most corrupt country in Asia and the 12th in the
try, told the Senate on 12 October 2004 that there are at
78
79
least 50 Billionaires and 42,500 millionaires in the country who do not pay taxes properly. Can you imagine if our businessmen and professionals pay more income taxes? Or if our government is able to collect 21% this year instead of the 14.1% last year, because we all decided to pay 50% more of taxes this year? This means that our government will have more funds to perform its duties and obligations to the public. As an alternative, you may want to consider giving donations to duly accredited charitable institutions or NGOs like Caritas, Unicef, and Pando ng Pinoy. Your donations to these charitable institutions are tax-deductible, and will go directly to social services of your own choosing. But we have to pay our taxes proP,erly. Because we all live in the same country. Because this government, whether we like it or not, is our government. Its cost is a burden we must all share. The task of building this nation is a task that we.all must share. We all must contribute to build the kind of nation we dream for ourselves. Each one of us has a role in it. Each one of us has a responsibility to it.
80
The 11th Little Thing ADOPT A SCHOLAR, OR ADOPT A POOR CHILD
"Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it to the hungry." (Luke 3:11)
"Remember; each one of us will stand before God for a judgement .... .for a personal accounting ..... - what did you do with all the gifts & talents I gave you?" (Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 10:31)
"Your life is God's gift to you. What you do with your life is your gift to God." (Danish Proverb) 83
T
here are two kinds of adoption I propose here. You
which allows anyone to send a poor child to school for a
may adopt a poor child as a scholar. Or you may
donation of P15 a day or P450 a month. World Vision is
adopt a total stranger - an absolute angel - as a family
part of an international organization that sends poor chil-
member, the one that you bring to your home and raise as
dren to school to give them a better future.
a child of your own. At present, more than 88,000 Filipino children are Choose which one you are comfortable with. Just
under the care of World Vision. Another 200,000 Filipino
adopt. It would already mean a lot- to the child, to you, to
children have already been helped by the group since 1957.
our nation, and to our world.
When you sponsor a child, you will receive a photo of your adopted child, his or her yearly progress report, as well as
To adopt a poor child as a scholar seems to be the
the chance to exchange letters with the child.
easier of the two. And to do this, you need not look far. All you need to do is look within your clan, among your rela-
You too can make.a difference in the future of our
tives. I am sure you will be able to find one relative who
country and our world by making a difference in the world
needs help. If you cannot find one within your clan, I am
of children.
sure you will find one within your immediate circle- among the families of your househelps, yayas, drivers, or messengers in the office.
You can send your donation via credit card, postdated checks, Bayad Centers, or bank deposit. If you want more information about World Vision, you can visit its
It does not cost so much to adopt a scholar. There are good elementary and high schools that don't cost much.
website at www.worldvision.org.ph or call its telephone number 372-7777.
Public schools are free and there are some of them that are really good. When your adopted scholar gets good grades in high school, he might even earn a scholarship to college. The technique therefore is proper motivation and guidance during elementary and high school. As an alternative, you may want to consider the Child Sponsorship project by a group called World Vision 84
As another alternative, you may want to consider the Adopt-A-School Project by the Foundation of World-
wide People Power chaired by Eggie Apostol. This project is specifically covered by law .. Republic Act No. 8525 which grants to every donor a gross tax deduction equivalent to 150% of the value of donation. 85
Through FWWPP, more than 200 elementary schools in various provinces have been adopted by vari-
ally adopted him when he was still a very small child in 1945. Michael said that he was very lucky because he felt
ous groups - local and multinational companies, sociocivic clubs, NGOs, women's groups, and individuals. Also,
he was the chosen one. That Ronald Reagan gave him, as well as his (Michael's) 2 children, a wonderful life. Allow
through FWWPP, more than 600 public school teachers
me to quote Michael's eulogy here:
and principals have undergone a "Mentoring the Mentors" program where teachers are taught new skills and meth-
Good evening. I'm Mike Reagan. You knew my fa-
ods to become effective teachers.
ther as governor. as president. But I knew him as dad. I want to tell you a little bit about my dad.....
The second type of adoption is more difficult to make, I am sure. But it is certainly the more noble one. The resistance here will be strong, and it is based largely
Ronald Reagan adopted me into his family in 1945. I was a chosen one. I was the lucky one. And all of his years, he never mentioned that I was adopted
on fear.
either behind my back or in front of me. I was his
The fear of bringing a total stranger to your home,
son, Michael Edward Reagan.
to grow up with your own kids. The fear that the child may come from a line of murderers, thieves, liars. The fear that, with the new adopted mouth, you may nol be able to pro-
walk away from the one to go to the other. But he
vide much to your own kids.
became a father to both. To Patti and then Ronnie,
When his family grew to be two families, he didn't
but also a/ways to Maureen, my sister, and myself.
But it is at that point when the Christian in us knocks. The sacrifice we make to save a poor soul, an
We looked forward to those Saturday mornings
innocent child, and to give him a world where there's food, love, and a secure future, is a worthwhile one.
when he would pick us up, sitting on the curve on Beverly Glen as his car would tum the comer from 'Sunset Boulevard and we would get in and ride to
I remember the story of Michael Reagan, told as a eulogy to his father, the late US President Ronald Reagan.
his ranch and play games and he would always make sure it ended up a tie.
Michael told the world on CNN that Ronald Reagan actu86
87
We would swim and we would ride horses or we'd
he gave me that I think is wonderful for every fa-
just watch him cut firewood. We would be in awe of
ther to give every son.
our father. As years went by and I became older and found a woman I would marry, Colleen. he sent
Last Saturday. when my father opened his eyes for
me a letter about marriage and how important it
the last time, and visualized Nancy and gave her
was to be faithful to the woman you love with a
such a wonderful, wonderful gift.
P.S.: You'll never get in trouble if you say /love you at least once a day. and I'm sure he told Nancy every day "/love you" as I tell Colleen ....
When he closed his eyes, that's when I realized the gift that he gave to me, the gift that he was going to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
At the early onset of Alzheimer's disease, my fa-
He had, back in 1988 on a flight from Washington,
ther and I would tell each other we loved each other
D. C., to Point Mugu, told me about his love of God,
and we would give each other a hug. As the years
his Jove of Christ as his Savior. I didn't know then
went by and he could no longer verbalize my name,
what it all meant. But I certainly. certainly know now.
he recognized me as the man who hugged him. So when I would walk into the house, he would be there
I can't think of a better gift for a father to give a son.
in his chair opening up his arms for that hug, hello,
And I hope to honor my father by giving my son
and the hug goodbye. It was a blessing truly brought
Cameron and my daughter Ashley that very same
on by God.
gift he gave to me.
We had wonderful blessings of that nature. Won·
Knowing where he is this very moment, this very
derful, wonderful blessings that my father gave to
day, that he is in Heaven, and I can only promise
me each and every day of my life.
my father this. Dad, when I go, I will go to Heaven, too. And you and I and my sister, Maureen, that
I was so proud to have the Reagan name and to be
went before us, we will dance with the heavenly
Ronald Reagan's son. What a great honor. He gave
host of angels before the presence of God. We will
me a Jot of gifts as a child. Gave me a horse. Gave
do it melanoma and Alzheimer's free. Thank you
me a car. Gave me a Jot of things. But there's a gift
for letting me share my father, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
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89
The 12th Little Thing
BE A GOOD PARENT. TEACH YOUR KIDS TO FOLLOW THE LAW· & TO LOVE OUR COUNTRY
"Be the change you want to see in the world." (Mahatma Gandhi)
"We can change the future by changing it today. n (John Maxwell)
"Today;s children will someday rule and lead this world. But whether they will be bad rulers or good leaders, will depend largely on how we raise them today." (Author)
93
S
ome years ago, there was a TV commercial that went this way - "Sa mga mata ng bata, ang mali ay
nagiging tama." {In the eyes of a child, what is wrong becomes right). The TV commercial showed a father driving
If we teach them to sacrifice for one another and for the family, they will someday know how sacrifice for the country and for the common good of our people.
a car, violating a traffic light, his 10-year old son seated beside him at the passenger side, looking at his father.
If we teach them to be united in small things and in big things, they will someday know how to act in unity as one nation.
How true that message is. Every child in the world acquires his concept of right and wrong, his definition of good and evil, from his parents. He acquires it from what he sees in his parents.
If we discipline them to follow our house rules, they will someday know how to follow the rules and laws in our society.
The family is the core of every society, the foundation of every nation, and of the human world. Our Con~ stitution states that. Every Constitution in our world affirms that. The United Nations made a declaration on that.
So much of our nation's problems today -like the lack of love for country, lack of respect for the law, lack of respect for others, lack of unity, among many others- begin at home, with what we parents show to and teach our children.
What happens in the family will eventually happen to our country, and the world.
Truly, it is in the family where the child learns to be respectful and grateful. It is there that he learns to say
If we teach our children to listen to each other,
uplease", "sorry", "excuse me" and "thank you."
they will someday know how to listen to other people in our society.
It is in the family where the child learns that to lie and cheat and steal are wrong, and that to condone any of
If we teach our children to respect each other's
it is equally wrong.
views, they will someday know how to respect other people's views.
Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, father of the modern Malaysia, says that what you see in every family, you will 94
see in the nation.
95
It is in the family that the family culture is perpetuated. And in a larger scale, it is there that our culture as a
these children would grow up in love and peace, the whole world too will experience love and peace.
people and as a nation is perpetuated. It sounds so simple, because it is really that simple. American author James Fallows said that we, as
A good father who teaches love of God and country to his
a people, have a damaged culture. Perhaps he is correct.
children will someday have God-fearing· and patriotic citi-
And maybe this is due in large measure to almost 400
zens as children.
years of Spanish rule and another 50 years of American domination of the country, during which period, we as a
When you are a good parent, you raise good chil-
people were deliberately prevented from working together
dren who will most likely become good Filipinos and citi-
as a people and as a nation as the foreign rulers feared a
zens of the wor~d. You can actually help make our country
united revolt from us Filipinos.
and our world a little better. When you are a good parent, you can actually help change the future of our country,
But the foreign invaders are long gone. We are
and maybe our world. When you teach your kids the good
therefore in a position to correct the damage, if ever there
values and the right things, you are actually investing in
is any. And the solution to that is in every family, particu-
the future. You are actually giving hope to our future.
larly, in the parents of every household. Given the present state of our nation, with so many I have always believed that becoming a good fa-
problems that we don't even know where to begin to solve
ther is one of the best yet simplest acts one can do to
them, our children are always a good starting point. They
make our country, and our world, a little better.
are the future. Their minds and their hearts will shape and color the future.
Imagine if all the fathers in the world would teach their children to help their poor neighbors, to follow the
According to Mr. Tomas Osias, Executive Director
law, to be honest and fair in dealing with others, to love
of the National Commission on Population, almost 40% of
their country, and to pray to God? All the children in the
our country's 84 million population are under the age of
world would grow up someday to become God-fearing,
15. That's 33.6 million Filipinos below the age of 15. These
good citizens, and yes, good fathers themselves. And as
are still kids in high school and elementary and kindergar·
96
97
ten, the majority of whom still live with us, their parents.
In the book I just recently finished- Built To Lastauthor Jim Collins talked about how some companies be-
In fact, 10 million of these 33.6 million are already
come great. Great companies - like great product brands
aged 10 to 14 years. In just a short period of 4 to 8 years,
- are built exactly the same way - bit by bit, step by step,
these 10 million will become active citizens of our country,
little by little, with discipline and hard work over the years,
either as voters and/or workers.
sustained by integrity, sacrifice, and faith.
If all of us, parents of these 10 million children Fili-
I guess building a nation towards progress and
pinos, would today start teaching our respective children
greatness is like that too. We have to attend to the many
love of God and country, respect for our law and neigh-
little things in our national life, and start setting them right.
bors, in just a period of 4 to 8 years when these kids be-
And our family, pur children, is the starting point for this.
come of legal age, our country will have an additional 10
Each child is a potential good Filipino. Each child is a po-
million God-fearing, law-abiding and responsible citizens.
tential patriot of our country.
This will be new blood, a new generation of 10 million Filipinos with the youth, energy, idealism and dynamism to help us build a better future for this nation.
Our future is in the hearts and minds of our children.
I hope we, dear parents, all see the mathematics of this. I hope we all see the importance of this, and our crucial role in it. We, parents, are leaders in a very definite way. We are leaders of young souls, our children's, entrusted to us by our Creator. The lives, security and upbringing of these young souls are a measure of our leadership. What we teach them, what we show them, is our responsibility. What they become is our responsibility.
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A CHALLENGE BE A CANDLE OR A MIRROR "In this age of darkness, there are two ways of spreading light. You may either be a candle, or the mirror that reflects its light." (Ninoy Aquino, while In prison, wrote this In his December 3.0. 1977 letter to Jose Antonio Gonzales)
BUY ONE FOR A FRIEND Dear reader, if you believe in what this book says, please be a candle or a mirror. Buy one for a friend. And request that friend to gift one also to another friend. Network marketing can also be used to build our nation. To buy copies, please contact Tel Nos. 840-0338 to 41. Or email
[email protected]
PROCEEDS WILL HELP SCHOLARS Part of the sale proceeds of this book will go to an educational foundation that the author conceptualized several years ago. 101
A WORD OF THANKS To Pia, my beautiful wife, who has given me three truly wonderful children, for editing this book, and for the depth of her love, as well as for understanding why one of us needs to do more for our country and for our people.
To Joey Forteza and Jun Parcon, two of the finest military officers and gentlemen I have known, for their ideas and contributions.
To Reiner R. Puna, a dear friend for many years, for the book layout and cover design concept.
And last but definitely not the least, to Mamang who fought to keep me despite my father's initial insistence for an aborM tion, for her pure and unceasing love.
Needless to say, all errors and oversight, including of opinions and analysis, are entirely mine.
103
THE AUTHOR Alexander Ledesma Lacson, 40, is a lawyer by profession. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines, College of Law (Class 1996) and has taken post graduate studies at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Four years ago, he and his wife (Pia) had a serious discussion about migrating to the US or Canada· because the Philippines, as a country, appeared hopeless as it only got worse year after year. They wanted to know if they and their children would be better off staying in the country or abroad in the next 20 years. They asked themselves this formula question Philippines probress in the next 20 years?"
"Will the
If the answer is YES, they will stay. If the answer is NO, they will leave and relocate their family abroad while they are still young and energetic. But after a long discussion, they could not give a definite answer to the question. Until they realized that actuany the answer to that question is in them. The country will improve if they do something about it. It will not if they do not do anything. They realized that the answer is in us as a people, that hope is in us as a people. Since then, Alexander and Pia decided to do more for the country. This book was written by Alexander and edited by Pia. This is one of their ways of doing more for the country. To reach the author, please send an email to
[email protected] 105
