Greetings to all!  Happy April Fool’s Day!!!  The Western World celebrates today by playing pranks on people.  Nakakatawa naman na ito ang araw na nandito ako sa harap nyo ngayon.  But for me, today means youthfulness and fun, candor, and a trusting heart.

But for many of us, in many places in the Philippines, the end of March and the start of April have many significant events – vacation, fiestas, and most significantly graduations and inductions.

Induction is a word heavy with meanings and today this is coupled with an even more meaningful word, ‘turn-over.’

For the outgoing officers, history will judge you. You have been given the chance to effect chance, I know you did all that you could and I trust you will be remembered well.

Hold your head high because history, often harsh, never lies. It judges without favor and its purpose always is to teach, to guide the future and to give direction.  Some of you may think, you need more time to serve as leaders and that, perhaps, at times you doubt a little that the ‘young guns’ are not yet ready to take the big responsibility from you.  The truth is, those next in line, when given the reign are left with no choice but to lead well, to do their best and write their own history.

Let go, move on.  Trust the new breed, their time has come.  You may no longer hold the reigns but you can still be the teachers because you have been molded by time and ripened by experience.  All you can do now is observe, share your views when sought, to offer advice. Hand over the scepter with a big heart.

For the incoming officers, you know that the time has come for you to prove your God-given facilities to lead, and to lead well. Learn from history. Emulate the great examples and reject crime, sin, and mediocrity.

To The Youth

As it is during challenging times that heroes are made, so it is during challenging times that organizations become great.  Because it is when help is needed the most that those with big hearts, the incredibly compassionate among us, come to the fore. And for the Jaycees, traditionally, it is the time for the youth to lead.

The Jaycees was founded in the Philippines as a solution to the restiveness of very young Filipino professionals who wanted to start change after the wars.  This was a very rich piece of history.

The Jaycees believe that the development of individual character and personality will result in better communities and eventually, a more peaceful world. This is a sure step to greatness, a supreme advocacy.

Congratulations for taking the heavy responsibility of being an active part of the problems of the nation by helping find solutions so we can all be assured of a better future for the country.

Compassion and the genuine desire to serve should be the measure of a great organization – formed by responsible citizens who refuse to ignore the “writings on the wall”.

Declaring them as the hope of the future, society has bestowed a heavy responsibility on our youth.

But we should all be proud that our youth, our young leaders, are aware of the threats around them, such as the evils of corruption, the need for leaders with high morals, compassionate, highly principled, deeply committed to the country and fearful of God.  Alas, I am proud that our youth today are leading the campaign for a better tomorrow.

Serve Only The Best

Humans through times have bonded together for one reason – survival.  For there is strength in number, there is comfort in unity. But in our modern times, bonding to create a force by number has formed a new meaning – service to others.

I have always admired the basic philosophy that the members of the Jaycees groups have explained their reason for being, and that is “Service to Humanity is the Best Worth of Life.”

Do not lose sight of this basic understanding of what service to others is all about. Do not lose hope that doing good is still the only, cool, in-thing, to do. Continue to celebrate life by being one with the people, one with the needy, and by breathing life to the principles of service to humanity,

Please give yourselves a big round of applause, Jaycees. You deserve a standing ovation!

Growing up in a family of educators, and servants, I have realized early that inspiration and salvation can best come from each one of us who belong to a community that is gelled together with a common goal – to serve.

I have learned early too that leadership is a mammoth responsibility. It means the willingness to take on a task of leading a trusting, questioning, pack, to turn challenges into opportunities, to turn uncertainties into determined steps toward a goal, and to stand and speak for what is right, just and humane.

We, the youth of this country must learn to bring out idealism from within ourselves to become the driving force that will help us steer the country to a bright future. Never mind if the cynical sometimes look down on the concept of ‘idealism,’ it is still the sign of youth, it is what’s expected of us.

I believe our youth is on the right track because they are aware, active and willing to be part of the action.  I am proud that our youth, the next leaders of our nation, have become vigilant and increasingly responsible. I am particularly proud that our youth today are leading the campaign for a better Philippines.
 
Going Forward

For the Jaycees of this chapter, the future starts today.

Our current society poses many challenges that often put to test how we define the good from bad; right from wrong; justice from deceit; and salvation from oppression. Let us not lose sight of the lessons we learned.  Let us all anchor everything in our inherent love of God and country.

Our forefathers could only talk through the pages of literature and history, let us seek their wisdom.  Our past leaders, including the ones preparing to give the reign to the ones next in line, could only refer to what they have done or did not do, let us take all these lessons with ‘a grain of salt’ and decide based on what is best for all, for a better and stronger future for the Filipinos.