A
Duty of Hope
PCL Luzon and Visayas Islands Conference
Today
we are hostage to a global crisis, which is likely to worsen before it
yields to solution or control. Captive to the woes of a war not of our
making, we have become fearful for our OCW's in the Middle East even as
Muslim filipinos klament an attack on fellow Iraqi Muslims. Reduced by
years of inaction to helplessness and lament, we Filipinos have become
frightened and mute.
Truly these are desperate and trying times, and we remain hostage to much that is beyond our control- spiraling budget deficits in the wake of oil increases and disappearing internal revenue allotment, the treachery of war even in the pursuit of our own local peace and order. But this is not the time to give up hope. For indeed the ransom the global crisis demands from us is determination and boldness. The determination to surmount the crisis and the boldness to adopt and pursue policies that befit the times. These are not the times for timid or equivocal leadership.
This is the paradox of our present condition. While many persist in reading this period as one of apathy, opportunism and despair, there are those who know it ot be a crisis that must in the end rather engender a challenge, stake new greatness and achievement. Many see only a period of misery and impoverishment, not realizing that as the wise man said, every dark period is a challenge for light to come and every crisis is a challenge for victory: and that the greater the danger, the greater the victory.
This is the PCL's challenge today, that we must together inspire and dare great things. For it is every leader's duty to hope, to inspire that the same hopefulness and vision in every citizen that follows him. The true political leader is one who articulates the yearnings of his people, who wails with them their cries long into the night. But he too must remind them it is time to sing their ancient songs of courage and of heroism. The true leader in times of deep and hideous crises must read his people, again and again, the visions they gave him in a more hopeful past, and to the future. This is our burden of leadership, and we must uphold our sworn duty to hope. This is the burden we carry together, but more you in your close and local leadership.
Yes, we face uncertain and trying times ahead. But there is no doubt in my mind that we shall prevail. The Filipino people, the Visayan people are a feisty and malleable lot, we have met crises far worse that this before and we have prevailed. WE shall overcome all difficulties, as we have proven equal to all the challenges of the past and will no doubt prove equal yet again to this present one.
But first today, let us swear once again to our duty of hope for our people.