REDISCOVERING FILIPINO VALUES: I SEE. I ACT. I ADVOCATE. The Filipino people have a reputation for being cultural hybrids.

The population of the archipelago reflects the great variety of external influences which have blended with the original Malay culture, giving rise to a complex set of Filipino values. Now do you wonder why the Filipino is so complex? Our ancestors handed over to us a very precious heirloom, a culture accompanied with values such as the bayanihan spirit, hospitality to visitors, care for those in need, faith to God and a lot more. Ladies and gentlemen, if only these great Filipino cultures and values would be planted deep into the very nucleus of everyones heart, evil things such as envy, avarice, hatred, pride, lust and corruption will surely be eliminated. Yet, the youth of today are vulnerable targets and hostages to the consequences of the fast changing world, of virtual reality, of the decadence of morality, and the onset of spiritual decay. As technological advancements mushroom, the Filipino youth is exposed to greater challenges most of which uproot the solid foundation of values and virtues. Could there be a deterrence to all of these and eventually transform the Filipino youth into formidable forces in nation building? The answer is yes! Yes, we can. Despite the difficulties and failures at the moment, despite the trials and frustrations of the present, I still believe that one day, we, the youth of today will heed the challenge for a better Philippines and transform ourselves as oases of abundance and responsibility bringing this humble country to its most longed glory. We are the advocates who will perceive these challenges, act accordingly and create a nation of virtuous Filipinos. There are no negative values, for there are only wrong uses of these values. We must have new ways of looking at our traditional values, of reunderstanding them so that we can harness them to work for us. To do this, we need to free our minds from the biases of the old colonial value-models and to build new ones that reflect the best in us. We need to set our value paradigms, recast out mindsets and to redefine our perspectives from one which sees our traditional values as sources of social ills into another which sees them as sources of inner strength and moral will to survive and excel. We have to re-inquire into the nature of our traditional values and to reemphasize their original and functional meaning in our daily lives so that we

can appreciate the nuances of our experiences and bring our analysis of the logic of Filipino behavior closer to Filipino grounds. The sooner we understand what our culture and values are all about, the easier it is for us to embrace them. And the sooner we accept the values we have, the more chances our community will have in achieving empowerment. We must strengthen our ethnic pride to increase our self-esteem. Let's get rid of the colonial mentality, self-blame, submissiveness and passivity. We, the advocates must find opportunities and means to build pride in Filipino culture and heritage. Yes, we are the ones who will carry the Filipino torch and we are responsible in making its glittering flame brilliantly lighted as we make our country a dynamic one. Filipino youth have the power to make this happen. Remember that in every toss of a coin, we have always two options. Do you want to remain as powerless individuals or be a community with muscle? The choice is yours to make.

Note: Please do the necessary revision if you desire to. Feel free to add more prisitine ideas which you believe would make this piece more comprehensive and dynamic. Good luck.