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