Mature nations derive their eternal significance according to responsibility. The most powerful is not necessarily the greatest. The greatest is the most responsible.
Of the five ages of Country, my fellow Filipino compatriots, only the first four is well within our natural competency as a nation distinct but not apart from our one family of nations.
The fifth age is a supernatural event. For at the hour of fulfillment, when all things true and good the LORD, our God, shall restore unto their original beginnings, all nations shall be transformed into ascended nations - together.
This hour is commonly known as the Last Day or General Judgment. Now, as the one heart of Mankind implicitly knows, this hour shall certainly come to pass for the promised time shall indeed be fulfilled.
But this hour is known to God alone.
So we shall leave it at that. For we are a nation under God, my people, and we shall forever be that way
Therefore, for our own intents and purposes of building a better, brighter, kinder Philippines, it shall be sufficient for us to concentrate our freedom and our will on the first four ages of Country.
We shall be aiming precisely for the fourth age - a mature Republic.
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A Nation Distinct But Not Apart...
These days, under our President Noy, we are laying the groundwork of those things to come.
Now, being always mindful that our nation as a whole is always greater that what the present can perceive, let us make that last statement more complete:
These days, under our President Noy, we are laying the groundwork of those things to come - for us, here in our present time, and for all our generations, past as well as those that are yet to come.
My honorable compatriots, if we perceive ourselves only in part, we shall find it quite difficult to grow into a fuller, more potent appreciation of who we are as we are - as we must be.
Consequently, we shall find it hard to qualify in our souls those little, seemingly unknown acts of civic responsibility and common patriotism that we are everyday required to meaningfully accomplish as citizens to each other. For they will seem pointless - like a fish out of water.
But a miracle is almost always composed of little acts of faith.
Likewise, to get to the fourth age of Country - a mature Republic, we must labor to commit ourselves sedulously to accomplishing meaningfully those selfsame acts of civic responsibility and common patriotism - for ourselves (i.e. family, friends, tribes, communities), here in our present time, and for all our generations, past as well as those that are yet to come.
- selah -
Every nation is unique to itself and to it belong its own destiny.
When this destiny is understood by the peace of its people - the vision of the national success is perceived by the whole of the nation.
When this destiny is likewise perceived by the Responsible State, it drives forward the motion of Country (for Country is a verb) into its ages in time.
For the peace of the State and the peace of the Nation are one. And this vital unity builds as well as enriches the Common Market, prospering the people, giving glory to God.
- selah -
For our intents and purposes, my brothers and sisters of the Promise, our destiny is to work our way into becoming a mature Republic and to shine in the brightness of its remembrance - not only for the good of our own nation, but equally so for the good of all the kindred nations of our one family of nations (represented in and by our United Nations institution).
Truly, one who understand these things should agree with me that it has now - more than ever - become vital for us Filipinos to awaken to a knowledge of who we are as ourselves - as our new, old Philippines.
- selah -
We were not situated by the Providence of the LORD, our God, upon a continent so we should not be thinking in terms continental nor should we be building in terms other than tropical and archipelagic. We have to re-discover our own unique forms of architecture.
Too some say that national power is intrinsically linked to national productivity. This is true.
But national productivity is first of all, linked to civic responsibility. And this sense of civic responsibility is founded on a heart of peace that in this Republic "we belong" truly as citizens to each other.
This is how we shall "open a way for the poor".
Indeed, my friends, middle class is key.
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Our Justice System
We are not a material people (i.e. unspiritual).
I can name you precisely those problems that we face today that arise out of a forgetfulness of those things we have just mentioned above.
I am quite sure however, that those of us who are abreast of these things already know them.
These problems affect those fundamental national functions because those things that lack our remembrances are existential national truths.
Having said that, I greatly admire Secretary de Lima for her indefatigable spirit and unwavering determination to make things work. She is truly a blessing to this great Country of ours.
It is always a good thing that we pray for her and for all our national leadership.
One must never again doubt the fact that our women have a great contribution to make to the future of this Republic.
Our Justice system is not broken, my people. It has always been there.
Its spirit has apparently become diluted however, and therefore, keenly require our own greater participation that it may continue to preserve the life and the promise of our nation.
Having said that, here are the Five Pillars of our Justice System:
- Our National Community
- Our PNP
- Prosecution/Public Defenders
- The Law Courts
- Corrections/Penology.
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Our Common Market Environment
Our natural resources are the patrimony of all our generations.
It is sad to hear the report from among our news agencies about the plunder of our coral reefs.
These reefs take generations to grow, my fellow Filipino compatriots and they are presently being destroyed in a comparatively very brief span of time.
Is this not an outrage?
In a previous post, I have identified four major sources of poverty (i.e. corruption, geography, division, ecological depletion) - this plunder of our natural resources is one of them (ecological depletion).
We are being taken for fools by criminals who do not recognize the value and the beauty of the natural patrimony of this nation of ours.
I think it's about time we citizens wise up to them. Let us echo the call of our DENR and of our President Noy -
Boycott all black coral products!
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The Joplin F5
Lastly, let us pray for the victims of that massive tornado in Joplin, Missouri, USA.
May all of those who have been lost to friends and family find their way back to God and may all of those whom they have left behind be likewise led by the LORD back to safety and peace.
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Mabuhay ang Pilipinas, long may our remembrance serve us! God bless us all.
Patient Perseverance