September 14, 2008

 

My dear friends in America,

Thank you very much for the kind welcome and warm reception that you have so graciously given to me. I did not feel like I was a guest in a foreign land; rather, I felt like I was at home with close friends and relatives who treated me with familiarity so overwhelming that it seemed so undeserved.

If I am grateful for the openness I received, I am equally honored by your presence in all the affairs I attended. Your kind attention showed how much you wanted to weigh the issues surrounding our province, Pampanga, with equanimity, while your incisive questions revealed the depth of your knowledge and your thirst for the truth. Thank you very much for the frank comments. It will be my delight if you will continue this search, analyzing all sides of the matter, in the spirit of democratic dialogue for which your adopted country, the United States of America is known for.

This search therefore is my first response to those who have been clamoring for a concrete plan of action that will result in an effective move towards a lasting transformation in our country. Alex Lacson, a simple fellow whose love for our nation of birth is undeniable, has suggested ten basic deeds that expatriates can do to help: Spend your vacation, your dollars and other foreign currencies, in our Philippines; encourage and teach your relatives back home to be good citizens & good Filipinos; do more during elections, in the next and all future democratic exercises; buy Pilipino, wherever you are in the world; adopt a poor child as a scholar back home; support a charitable organization; teach your children about the Philippines, and to love it and its people; speak positively about our Philippines and our people; teach your friends and relatives to save 15% or 20% of the funds you remit; and finally, invest in the Philippines.

Allow me to add other ways of engaging the issue of national transformation: through the support of Kaya Natin, a movement of change in the way our local institutions are governed, and the Gawad Kalinga, a movement of humanity in the way we must uphold the dignity of the last, the least and the lost.

The first emphasizes the goodness and ability of every Filipino to positive change. Various local governments have shown best efforts in implementing a more authentic democratic environment within their spheres of influence. Kaya Natin aims to discover these best efforts and put to the forefront a synthesized template that can be adopted by everyone. The ease by which you have assimilated the American way of self-discipline also illustrates the spirit of Kaya Natin: if you in the US can fall in line, follow traffic rules, pay proper taxes, segregate garbage and advocate moves against bad governance, what reason is there for us here in the Philippines to keep us from following your example? Kaya ninyo. Therefore, kaya nating lahat.

The second emphasizes the dignity of man, which is the foundation of all ethical behavior. Gawad Kalinga believes in the right of every Filipino to a humane environment that will foster humane revolution in thought and action. It stresses the truth that the poorest of the poor deserves to be treated as people of hope, and not as beggars to be given the detritus of the rich. It is not just about building hopes. It is about building a person to his fullest potential, or the fullness of life. You, too began from so little here in the United States. But you persevered with a work ethic that underscored your dignity in the midst of skeptics. You made it through, and earned the respect of the very people who challenged you every step of the way. We do not want to promote a culture of patronage among our poor in the Philippines. We want to promote a culture of challenge, but in an environment of equal opportunity.

But all these will come to nothing unless every Fil-Am organization, club and community agree that we have to engage good governance and responsible citizenship in every town, city and province of our nation. They will only look good in paper if there is no unifying spirit among us: both the Fil-Ams and the Filipinos of good will coalescing, supplementing and complementing the efforts of each other. The discord among Filipinos in the United States is legendary. Therefore, if there is one request that I would like to see realized, it is this: that you begin by uniting, respecting your differences while promoting the issues that unite you. You were able to do it recently, when our local doctors were disparaged in an American television series. I am confident that you can do it again.

I have been criticized so violently for having made a three-day visit to the United States while so many issues in Pampanga remain unsettled. There has been an equally virulent condemnation of the campaign for accountability that I have been promoting in my speaking engagements outside the province. We Kapampangans can solve our problems without the meddling of outsiders, so they say. Such a myopic view of the issue denies the undeniable truth that the problem of transparency, accountability, efficiency and efficacy of governance is not a matter for a single ethnic group to solve. The Pampanga problem is a Philippine problem. And from your strident call to action, it is a Fil-Am concern as well. We are all in this together. We all have a stake in the realization of a Philippines that can stand proud among the pantheon of nations.

Three days are so short, especially when spent with cabalens who made me feel so blessed. Duty called, however, and I had to go back to Pampanga. However, I returned with the gifts of your assurances, criticisms, pieces of advice, evaluations and suggestions. Thank you for understanding the fact that a little more than a year is not enough to implement a far-reaching transformation in a culture of corruption that has become inert with the indifference of the citizenry. And thank you very much for offering to assist all people of hope in bringing light to our blighted nation.

I hope to see you soon.

Among Ed