Nation Building...(On Valentines Day?)

Today is one of the significant days for people who are in loved. Likewise, this is significant to people who live in a life full of love. As I waked up early this morning, I received the earliest greeting from my only wife, who is in the Philippines sending me an SMS saying, “Happy heart’s day to a wonderful man that God had blessed so much. Jesus loves you so as we do.” This message made me say “Amen!” I came to meditate how good is God to me, my family and loveones. I realized how He spared us from daily risks and danger, how I was blessed with a Godly family. How he leads me in times of troubles. Besides, I was refreshed and assured that He loves me so much. I was really reminded of Psalm 23 which says,

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; He maketh me to lie down in a green pasture, He leadeth me besides the still waters. He restoreth my soul, He leadeth me into the path of righteousness for His name’s sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; His rod and His staff, they comfort me. He prepareth a table before me in the presence of my enemies; He anoint my head with oil, my cup overfloweth. Surely goodness and mercy will overtake me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

On this very special day, I have a business appointment in Tibar, Liquica. Minister Arsenio Paixao Bano of the Ministerio do Trabalho e da Reinsercao Comunitaria (Ministry of Labor and Community Reintegration) invited me to join the ground breaking ceremony of their joint project with the Community Housing Limited (CHL) building a center for disadvantaged women and abused children. After my short devotion, I prepared going to the office to meet Nina, our Resource Development Manager in Habitat for Humanity who joined me with Pak France going to Tibar. There we met my friends in CHL, Mari Contini (She’s a French) and Steve (He’s an Australian), the Executive Director of CHL. We met a lot of Government officials from the Ministry of labor, Sr. Eugenio Soares, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labor, Sra. Carmen da Cruz, the Director of the Social Services Unit, Sr. Mario of the Labor and Sr. Simon of the Training Center. I heard a lot of greetings in different languages like Happy Valentines Day, Selamat Hari Kasisayan, Parabens, Loron Domi Nian. Those are all greetings of love, though I still would like to hear it in a visayan language which is “Malipayong pagsaulog sa Adlaw sa Kasisngkasing”.

The ceremony started at around 10:30 AM and there I started to here speeches in Tetum bringing the theme, Nation Building. Sr. Eugenio Soares highlighted their partnership with CHL as a vehicle towards nation building and this was concurred by Steve when he was given the turn to speak. I personally agree on the messages for as a social worker, I do believe that all efforts done for the marginalized sector and poor will ultimately helped the effort towards nation building. However, talking about nation building during valentines day would also be very significant. It would significantly emphasize that nation building is not only a political battle cry but a movement that would start from the heart. Well, nation building, depends upon who is talking and what was the motivation for that talk. Let me share to you an article written by a 15 year old young lady on her view about Nation Building and the youth should do as stakeholder of nation building…

YOUTH ON PATRIOTISM; HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR YOUR COUNTRY?

By: SARAH KATE TIAM WATT BATILONG

Young people always want adventure an excitement in life. They can easily be inattentive in routinely activities. They have all the time to pursue the good, and waste their time and life on useless things depending on their self-motivation or on the motivation of the people they respect. As interdependent beings, it would be productive for the youth to take on challenges primarily for their own benefit and for the community they are in.

How far could I go for my country? I have to thing of this question a million times. What can I do? How can I help? How can my country rise again as high as it was before? That question comes into my mind each day I watch the news. For now as a youth I think it would be better to start in helping myself, by studying hard and not wasting my parent’s money and my life on useless things.

What is happening to our country? All I can see are children and young people roaming around the streets begging for money just for them to live. Where are their parents? Shouldn’t they be working to give their children a better future? Or are they just soaking their selves into vices, drugs and useless things. This keeps our country down! What will happen to their children? How could they give them a bright future?

We youth are the next generation of parents, professionals, workers and politicians, this will only happen if we will persevere for our future now! Not later not tomorrow but now! Help yourself before you help others that is the only way you can help our country!

This stage of life, being a youth happen only once in our life, this stage of life is the most beautiful and fruitful, so, why waste in useless things. God doesn’t want us to be poor, to be suffering, but he doesn’t have the power to tell us what to do. He only gives us a choice whether we are going to follow him or not.

Nowadays, the Philippines is known to be one of the homes of the most corrupt politicians. We are also one of the poorest countries of the world. These are the problems we youth should find a solution. If we study, persevere, and build our future at our young age, by the time we graduate, some of us will be politicians, politicians that are honest, reliable and brave, politicians who are God fearing, has wisdom and knowledge, politicians who has a teachable heart. Professionals who will provide us jobs. Parents who are responsible of their families, responsible of their selves, parents who will give their children a bright future, young people who are willing, obedient to their parents, to the law and to the laws of our almighty God.

Are we, youth, ready to do everything for our country, you don’t have to die, be executed to be called hero or patriot, all you have to do is help yourself, respect yourself, others, your parents, respect our country and our flag,

Philippines is the land, where I was born, the land of the loyal people, the paradise, the land of the brave, patriot hearts. We have been under the leadership of the Spaniards for a long time, we have been called "Indio" or stupid, we have also been treated like animals.

Our ancestors have felt lost, left out in the dark, being kicked when you’re down, feeling like you have been pushed around. But they fought for this abuse; they fought for freedom and kicked the Spaniards out of our country.

What is the use of my young strong body, if I cant protect my country from the problems and challenges of my times. So bring it on, I can do it, I’ll do better than my best, I have confidence even if you put me to the test, I’ll make you see I have confidence in me. With each step I am more certain, that, everything will turn out fine, I have confidence the world can all be mine. I believe that the sun will rise again in the Philippines if we are going to help each other. I as a youth encourage everyone to trust or selves, GOD, let us not put our country into shame, rise Youth of the Philippines, hearts full of hope, wisdom and knowledge.

We are talented, educated Filipinos, we can beat every challenges, we have a God bigger than any problem we have so why worry, God said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Where are you youth of the Philippines? Do you still have the brave spirits that our hero’s use to have.

I will not let my country down, I promise that I will help my country rise. Again! For I have realized that I must change my self, my attitude, my stand, how about you are you not going to change, are you not willing to do everything for your country? Do you not want your country to be known in the world, not to be known because of terrorism, poverty, corrupt, uneducated Filipinos, isn’t flattering to be known as intelligent, industrious, honest, obedient Filipinos, remember young people we are the hope our nation. Help now or you will regret it.

Well, that’s Nation Building in the kid’s perception. We adults, let’s do our part. We need not to write an article but we need to show what we can do. I agree on the kid’s statement, this would start from within us. One thing more, let me tell you that I am her father. Above is her picture taken at Yulia Hotel in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia during her school break last summer. Shalom. Happy Valentines! God bless.