Creating a brand of H.O.P.E for the young Filipino

Monday, 11 April 2011 08:31

Written by Aaron Benedict De Leon

Filipinos throughout the world have made their mark and their own legacies of greatness – from sports with the likes of Efren Bata Reyes in billiards, Paeng Nepomuceno in bowling and Manny Pacquiao in boxing, to entertainment with the talents of Lea Salonga, Apl De Ap, Bruno Mars and Charice being showcased internationally and even in politics, with Former President Corazon Aquino. They have made us proud with their performances in their respective fields, and they have given us reasons to be proud as Filipinos.

As a country, we have established ourselves to be the only “Christian country in Asia” and the innovators of the popular movement in modern day democracy called “People Power.” Without a doubt, these moments in our history have left an indelible mark in the eyes of the world.

But as the world continues to evolve, and inventions and innovations throughout the world are being discovered and being brought to life, our country is wanting of new heroes, of new moments that would define the greatness of our nation, of new historical landmarks that would pave the way for a better and brighter Philippines.

There is no need to echo further on the situation of the country today, and there is no need to enumerate the enormous problems we are faced with, because we have always been conscious of its existence, not only because we would like to believe in them, but because we are witnessing and experiencing it right before our very eyes.

I wouldn’t want to be overly ambitious and try to come up with a holistic, one size fits all approach take in this article, but I would like to underscore a very important component towards achieving progress and development, and there is no better way to start it than in your own backyard.

I would like to refuse the idea that hope is lost for our Filipino youth today, that we have become an impulsive generation which has produced drunkards, drug addicts, juveniles, criminals, sexists, and even killers. This has been the brand which has not only plagued our generation, but has further deteriorated the morale and the spirit of our constituency.

Indeed, the first challenge that confronts any youth leader, or any nascent youth organization, is to create a brand which would encapsulate the collective dreams and aspirations of the youth, and at the same time, this blueprint be accepted because of its inclusiveness amongst all classes. There has been “mutual discrimination” which has existed for a very long time, between rich and poor individuals.

And in order to break that barrier, we have to identify an encompassing interest. That encompassing interest should be our families – to ensure that we are able to provide the best future for them, but at the same time, not sacrificing the morals and the standards which were nurtured and developed at home. Whether you’re rich or poor, there are values which exist within each family.

No matter how rebellious a child is, there is a space in his heart which dictates that he has an emotional and financial responsibility to his/her family.

We all could point to our families as a starting point towards something we could do together, as young people. We study, we work, we go abroad and we become good citizens because of our families.

In that common pursuit, we could build a brand. And why is a brand important? Why is a brand and an identity essential toward our maturation as individuals, as a sector and a country?

The brand and the identity of any entity represent the spirit and the life of its organic body.

The stigma remains that the youth is very impulsive and very emotional. Statistics bear these truths, thus we cannot languish in misery over this misimpression.

The first thing which must come to mind is the realization that there is some truth to that, but coupled with that, must bring to life a commitment to reverse that stigma.

Public opinion and perception changes over time, thus there is always an opportunity for us to make amends and do what is right. But what must usher in is humility in our current fate, acceptance of what went wrong and a disposition to make good decisions for our future.

If cheating has become a normality in school, there is no other way to reverse the trend than fight popular opinion. There is no excuse in doing something dishonest, even our age could not be a justification. If one person or a group represents a change agent within the institution, they must accept that it will go against the popular notion, that it will be met with so much criticism and that there is so much pain that goes along with the defiance. Nevertheless, pain is the only way we would grow together as a sector.

Our values should never be compromised just to obtain the best results, because learning is not just about output, but also about developing habits, habits that in the long term would help produce consistent and sustainable results.

H: Honesty, to ourselves, towards our families and friends, is the first virtue which should be part of the collective brand we wish to communicate to society.

Many say that the youth today has become so vocal about their sentiments about life in general, thus the emergence of social networking has been mostly used as medium of this expression. Often, Twitter and Facebook have become venues for cyber bullying, fighting and exchange of sultry feelings between friends and enemies alike.

Today, I say, being vocal and being open are two different things. We just cannot say what we want, because we also have a responsibility to respect others’ perspectives, the same way they should respect ours. We must be open, since we are in the communications age, where talking and listening is equally essential for the process to produce good results.

O: Openness, to our own faults and mistakes, to listening to other people, to accepting that what we always want is not necessarily always right.

For as we all know, our success should not be dependent on government provided subsidies, or even in game shows that provide financial relief, not freedom. Often, it involves a lot of sacrifice, a lot of hardwork and prayer for us to achieve it.

We have to be patient, and we can ill afford to cut corners just to make ends tie. We must refuse this culture of mendicancy and start acting like the dynamic people we were said to be.

It begins in the four walls of the classroom, it begins with fulfilling our obligations both to our families and society, it begins with us taking part in governmental laws which safeguard the existence of each and every family towards a peaceful environment.

P: Perseverance, to work diligently, and to dedicate ourselves to develop good working habits, for more long-term benefits.

And in the advent of all these three virtues which are required to build this brand, is a commitment to work that goes beyond standards, that goes beyond what is expected of us, that demands integrity and that nurtures behavioral and institutional capability

E: Excellence, the fulfilment of the promises, the achievement of our collective ambitions and dreams.

We are indeed the HOPE generation, the HOPE warriors, that this country has been looking for. But that hope just wouldn’t remain a belief in this context, but a virtue, which the youth, us, must commit ourselves to.

We cannot promise an end to poverty, to corruption, to criminality, and to all forms of injustice, but the HOPE Generation can guarantee to work for the incremental elimination of these elements.

In fact, we may not even reach the point in our lives where we can enjoy all the fruits of our labor. But at least, the HOPE Generation, the HOPE brand we have established for ourselves when we were young, can spark renewed vision for the next generation, to hopefully put an end to all these elements that contribute to the long standing malaise this country has experienced.

We are the HOPE warriors, the youth of today.