The Common Market
Time, Territory, Treasure: Of the three elements of Country, one characteristic sets this one apart - it is material and therefore, temporal in scope. Therefore, every consideration must be viewed with regards to the Common Market with this nature in mind.
It is limited in its material nature.
The problem with wealth and wealth generation, most especially here in our midnight world, my honorable compatriots, is that the definition of wealth and its honorable pursuit is often profaned by things that are the means created to attain to our prosperity.
The Common Market serves the national wealth. And this wealth is not wholly material. The building up of the (inhabited) earth is a labor that is an economy of both matter and grace.
The end that the Common Market serves is in fact, spiritual. For the happiness that it enables Man to pursue is ultimately one that must transcend it.
The true Filipino dream is freedom.
This freedom in the absolute sense is freedom from all forms of temporal bondage; an end to suffering, an end to war, an end to exile tears and a return to our original Promise.
In terms of the national destiny - this freedom is the natural birthright of all Filipinos.
Therefore, this national destiny must be perceived by all Filipinos to be available to all Filipinos.
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From Emerging to Developing...
Once again, my fellow Filipino compatriots, we are feeling the effects of our own vulnerability. God love the Philippines, O my nation, but there is still a quite significant lack of opportunity in this Country. The repatriation of our OFW's fleeing the turmoil in the Middle East have forced this issue upon us now.
We have much work to do: Opportunity is key. For a culture of opportunity is a culture of hope and a culture of hope is the cradle of leadership. It is where leaders beget leaders and where service is distinct from servility.
The refining place of nations is like the birthing place of stars; a place of great internal activity. Here the dust and the darkness of the void is transformed into energy and light. Therefore, given the troubles of this present time, we are not far from this culture of hope, O my nation. The labor that through our ages in time will take us through from emerging into developing only takes humility and heart.
First and foremost, we must work to achieve a lasting, durable and meaningful peace through to next year. We owe it to God and Country to devote ourselves to this essential task. Because we can not harness our fullest potential divided and dark from within our own self - without this peace, my people, we are only a shadow of our real nationhood.
Indeed, we must complete our remembrances through to next year.
In every Filipino individual (most especially in our youth) are the seeds of something great and these seeds of human potential are nourished first and foremost within the embrace of every Filipino family.
Do you yourself share this conviction?
Then let us work for a culture of hope and desire in our hearts to obtain from God the peace that ensures the order of our generations: A culture of hope nourished in an atmosphere of peace is a culture of life.
If we are to really become one of Mother Asia's new tiger economy, we must work to inculcate in our culture, a real appreciation of the raw power of our local potential as a nation. As I have written to you before, my honorable compatriots, there is merit in our people - we are a nation not because of weakness or evil but because of what good there is and what good there is is because God is and that is all: He is the LORD.
What of the movements seizing those undertakings of Country in Middle East Asia? Are these mass outpourings of popular sentiment secular or are they religious? They are neither. All of these movements are essentially human because of the fact that they are national. They are by nature civic in scope and are therefore fueled by issues that concern the citizenry.
Therefore, only in human terms can we attempt to perceive them. There are no precedents to these events. However, there still remains that familiar danger of distorting the essential nature of these movements.
It is important that we arrive at a right understanding of these things. Because the current of these days events lead us on toward solutions - if we are attentive.
Darkness is but darkness that does not lead us to the light: As we are a nation distinct but not apart from our other kindred nations, we must not be one to stand aloof from the suffering of other peoples. If we are to love others as ourselves, we must understand that they too are as ourselves - human with common human needs.
There is a risk that these movements might become radicalized.
Therefore, we ought to pray for and respond to these needs not just as human individuals but as a nation in ourselves - ever with an understanding heart and a willingness to be decisive.
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Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! God bless us all.
Common Human Needs