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Rediscovering Filipino Values: I See, I Act, I Advocate

The document discusses rediscovering Filipino values such as integrity. It tells the story of Brady Davis, who demonstrated integrity by pointing out an unfair advantage during a spelling bee. It questions how many Filipinos, government officials, parents, and students demonstrate integrity today. It also discusses how media portrays violence as acceptable and how this influences attitudes. The document advocates teaching youth positive ways to deal with challenges through developing integrity and changing their own behaviors and communities.

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Jonathan Rebucas
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55 views

Rediscovering Filipino Values: I See, I Act, I Advocate

The document discusses rediscovering Filipino values such as integrity. It tells the story of Brady Davis, who demonstrated integrity by pointing out an unfair advantage during a spelling bee. It questions how many Filipinos, government officials, parents, and students demonstrate integrity today. It also discusses how media portrays violence as acceptable and how this influences attitudes. The document advocates teaching youth positive ways to deal with challenges through developing integrity and changing their own behaviors and communities.

Uploaded by

Jonathan Rebucas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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REDISCOVERING FILIPINO VALUES: I SEE, I ACT, I ADVOCATE

Let me share with you a story lifted from the daily devotional: Our Daily Bread.

Brady Davis was a high school senior and was one of the best and brightest in

his community. He was talented and intelligent. But his greatest asset was his integrity,

which he demonstrated during a regional spelling bee. When his school was given the

word auditorium, Brady glanced down to think about the answer. As he did so, he

noticed that the word was printed on the microphone stand. Brady called this to the

attention of the judges, who then gave the team a more difficult word. Brady did what

he knew was right, whether others noticed or not. He showed exemplary behavior,

which made his community even more proud of him. He knew what he was capable of

doing and he embraced this responsibility with all the right values.

Integrity as we all know means uprightness of character. A person who

demonstrates integrity practices and values honesty, shows responsibility, compassion,

courtesy, with high self – esteem and therefore a good leader which others should

emulate.

With this, we begin to question, How many of us Filipinos do you think have the

value of integrity? How many government officials have you voted during elections

because of their integrity? How many parents do you think are rearing their children to
possess such values? How many of us students are not cheating during exams? There

are no such things as definitive answers on these issues.

The increasingly violent images portrayed in movies, on televisions and in music

portray violence as an ordinary and often appropriate way of resolving conflict,

demonstrating power and releasing emotions. Such things as massacres like the

Maguindanao massacre, snatching, war among nations, corruptions are some of the

usual things we see and hear on daily news. It is so ironical that instead of being

horrified and baffled by the rising rates of real-life violence, so many of us Filipinos are

fascinated and even enjoy watching and hearing them on the news. Worst, the youth

would comment as, “You Rock!” and “ It’s cool!” or even LIKE it on Facebook. It

shows how greatly influential these are on our attitudes about the acceptability of

violence.

At any time someone intentionally hurts another, either in words or actions.

Recently, we have been wrecked with news on TV about corruption. Leaders of our

country were accused and charged of corruption, using our money and spending too

much for their travels abroad and even on their own personal use. How could they be

so cruel? Where is the value of honesty in this case? Doing bad really is limiting our

lives!
I remember my four – year old sister who sat beside me one evening while I was

reading a book. She suddenly uttered “ Kuya Emman, Where is God?”. I could not

answer her as I was totally astonished with her question. I also began to ask myself.

Does my little sister also feel and understand what our country is facing at present?

Does she already anticipate how vague her future will be due to the turmoil that our

country is experiencing? Where are the right values of our people now? I then realize

that the first step to gain back our values is to realize that we all are children of God.

Thanks to my little sister!

Every person - you too - has a set of inner values. Moral codes and standards in

society or groups are based on these values. As always, they have developed in us. We

just have to awaken ourselves to the realities of life. It is time to teach the youth how

much more freedom we would all have if we have integrity, if we all are honest. So we

can simply say to anybody, “don’t anymore lock the door in your house, no intruders

will get inside anyway”, ” I am never afraid to walk or jog at dawn”, or that women

are not intimidated or afraid of a man because of the possibility of rape or sexual

harassment anymore.

If we agree that freedom from violence is right, then that places a responsibility

on all of us to behave with respect toward each other. As a youth, I feel very powerless

to change the problems of corruption and violence. I can't change the world, but I CAN

change me like Brady Davis. I can change the way I solve problems in my own life with
my fellow students and friends and family and neighbors. I can teach them by setting a

good example for other people in my life. I can turn off violent TV shows, music,

movies, and video games. I can be honest even if others are not. I can change my

corner of the world! I can be an ambassador for peace in my own little way. We all can

begin to teach the youth appropriate ways of dealing with these challenges.

This is what others should also do to teach the youth, they must have a vision to

strive toward. They should be aware of the positive ways to handle their own struggles

in life. They must possess the value of integrity! We need to teach them to learn all

they can about the world so they can be informed voters, but ultimately, the way to

change the world is for all of us to think first about our little corner of it. Let's inspire

our young people to imagine what it would be like to live in a world without corruption

and violence. We've got to just pick a place to begin and then get started.

So easily our fellow Filipinos can turn off violence in all its ugly forms -- physical

violence, sexual violence, family violence, corruption, dishonesty, etc. We all need to be

advocates of change. Let’s continue to encourage our countrymen to actively participate

in changing the corners of our world, let’s all take actions, it’s never too late. We all can

make a difference like Brady Davis whose goal in life is “ to change the world around

him while never compromising himself “. This pursuit of life, integrity and exemplary

behavior will create for us a country with wealth beyond earthly riches!

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