Heeding a higher call.

When I was asked to give a testimonial on how CWTS has made an impact on my life, I started thinking:

ANO NGA BA? MERON NGA BA? ANO BA TALAGANG NAGING SILBI NITO SA BUHAY KO? TALAGA BANG NAKATULONG AKO O GINAWA KO LANG TALAGA DAHIL REQUIRED?

And then I realized. WALANG KWENTA PALA TALAGA ANG CWTS! Inaksaya ko lang ang oras ko na dapat ginamit ko nalang para makapaglibang ako. Sobrang alam nyo yun, nakakafrustrate pala talaga... kasi...

Walang kwenta yung CWTS kung nung natapos ako nung program ko, hindi ko naisip na pahalagahan yung mga tao sa paligid ko.

Walang kwenta yung CWTS kung nung natapos ako, nanatili pa rin akong bulag at mangmang sa mga tunay na nangyayari sa buhay ng mga kababayan natin.

Walang kwenta yung CWTS kung nung natapos ako, ang inisip ko lang ay sarili ko bago ang iba.

Walang kwenta yung CWTS kung hindi ko narealize na required ito hindi dahil sa required ako by law, pero dahil required ako dahil ginawa ako ng Diyos na taong malayang nakakaisip at nagmamahal.  

We are a privileged minority here in this country. We have been blessed to have an education that does not just seek to equip us with skills that will take us further into our careers, to earn big money and to get the highest position at a multinational.

Yes, it is true. Our parents are paying so much for us to have a Lasallian education, and it is but natural for them to tell us that after we have graduated, we have to look for jobs that will pay us well and allow us to afford a luxurious lifestyle. But being a Lasallian is so much more than that. Allow me to share my own experience.

I first set foot in DLSU, believe it or not, when I was three years old. At that time, just being here was enough to make me feel privileged. Being a Lasallian then made me feel like it was all about achieving and making me work for good enough grades so that I can enter DLSU.

I formally entered DLSU 14 years later as a college froshie, hoping to finish my degree in International Studies on time. I took CWTS because my tita wouldn’t allow me to take ROTC (and she did give the officers a stern look when they approached me to do ROTC instead of CWTS)

It was in second term when I had my C1. We were deployed at Gawad Kalinga Manolo in Valenzuela. At that time, it was only Tito Roger and Tita Mila’s house that was built and finished (and had a really nice CR) May billiards table pa! So you can imagine, all of my classmates wanted to be assigned at that place. Funny thing? Me and two of my friends, Ruthy and Regz were the privileged ones. In the course of our program, we had a facilitator who really tried to look after our needs despite having a very hectic work schedule, and so there were times that my friends and I  had to step up and make sure that everything was okay. I remember that we used to hold our tutorial classes for the kids on the first floor of one house. I remember playing cards with our host’s daughter, Lorna. Each Saturday, my friends and I took turns to sponsor lunch. And towards the end of the day, we played billiards. Tita Leling used to be the one person we went to for attendance. During our last major CWTS day, we brought all the kids to Manila Zoo for fun. 

I felt true happiness at that time. And it did really make a difference in the way that I saw things because first and foremost, I was able to build a relationship with the community and truly empathize with them.

But of course, college life had to go on. I have to be honest. Like all good things, CWTS came to an end (or so I thought it did).

I fell into the traditional cycle of seeking out positions in organizations, being active to “build my resume.” At that time, it made sense to me because I had to get into Unilever or the United Nations, whichever one had a vacancy first. And maybe if I got there, did some CSR. That was my dream. And in the process of working hard to build MY future, I’ve forgotten about the poor. Iniwan ko sila. I have left them behind. I forgot what true happiness was. I had replaced it with “pleasure”. And as Dylan Wilk, former 8th richest Bachelor in the UK turned social entrepreneur in the Philippines who sold all his BMW’s to build 700 GK homes put it: “Pleasure is different from happiness. Pleasure is a fire that needs constant fuelling with new clothes, new cars, and vacations. Happiness comes from somewhere else -- it comes from relationships and from knowing that you are fulfilling God’s purpose in your life.”

So at that time when I was really getting stressed and unhappy, I went back to what made me happy. Thankfully, I had friends who were volunteers in Gawad Kalinga and reeled me in. It started with a few activities where we had fun overnights to prepare for the event the following day. When I graduated and worked at an International Organization accredited by the UN and earned really well (see, I kind of “lived my original dream”), I always made it a point to devote my Saturdays to help GK SIGA get scholarships in DLSU. One day, I decided that once my contract ended, I will go back to those who needed me. Yes, I had to take a huge pay cut and came back to DLSU, initially to coordinate Gawad Kalinga efforts within the university. I get less than half of what I used to receive as an intern at IOM. But why is the sacrifice worth it?

After working so hard and going through the process of seeking opportunities to engage people in getting our country out of poverty by the year 2024 through my work as Gawad Kalinga coordinator of DLSU, I have come to realize that I can build my resume so much. I can get a lot of awesome credentials. When I finish my Master’s degree, I will be a somebody. But at the end of the day, the greatest credential I can ever have is  being a NATION-BUILDER. In the end, I was able to say that my Lasallian education was able to enhance and enrich my capacity to dream for my country and its people, especially the last, the lost and the least.

My CWTS experience did not end when I got my final grade. My Catholic faith does not die when I go out of the church. My Lasallian education never ended when I graduated. My being Filipino does not end when I die.

Dahil ang pagiging estudyante, Lasalyano at Pilipino natin ay hindi natatapos kapag natapos ang CWTS. Dahil paglabas natin sa DLSU, may isang baying naghahanap ng mga taong handang magmahal at magmahal dito at aako ng responsibilidad para pagandahin ito. God did not make a mistake when He made me a Filipino, so I commit myself to working hard to make my country the best it can be. 

There can be no better time than NOW.

Lately, I have been thinking of the things that I have been doing, and I can't help but be inspired.

They say that people who are in love are always inspired. Well, I do not have a significant other, but I do know for a fact that I have really fallen in love with my country. Like we always say in GK La Salle, I do not have a love life, but I am living a life full of love because of Gawad Kalinga.  (Pero Lord, kung naririnig mo ako, okay lang din po kung meron. Haha!)

Over the past months, life has taken me where I did not think I would be. We have so many challenges at present, whether it be within the confines of the university or outside. In the university alone, we have to face the challenge of having to inspire more Lasallians to realize their part and their calling to achieve and to dream not only for themselves, but also for the country. I like how Mike Enriquez reiterated the quote during one of the masses of the Lasallian action week, "To whom much is given, much is required."

In a lot of ways, we are so blessed. The kind of education we get is simply the best we could ever hope to receive, but whether or not we make the most out of it is a different matter. What is making the most out of our education? For me, it means teaching minds, touching hearts, and transforming lives guided by the spirit of faith, zeal of service, and communion in mission. How do we do this? By actively seeking ways to be of genuine service to the last, the least, and the lost. Archers always try with all their might to hit the bulls-eyes. Tito RD put it more beautifully when he said,  "Aim your BOW and release the ARROW of your dreams to the dream of your country, especially the poor." 

How can we expect change to happen if we do not act on it ourselves? A lot of us can complain about how institutions have failed. Yeah, they might have done that. But do we ask ourselves, how many times have I failed my country as a Filipino? When we cheated during our exams, when we failed to follow traffic rules, when we bribed officers to get away with the things we do, and when we have given up hope that there is a better and brighter future waiting for our country. 

It is so easy to be very negative. It is easy to say that we can no longer hope. It is easy to give up when the battle isn't over. But can we be negative, can we say that we can no longer hope,  can we give up the battle for the ones we love?

We may be right when we say that there are so many flaws in our system. The question of accepting the matter however, poses a challenge on us. Tito Tony always tells us during love forums that there is no perfect person, but our love can make the person perfect. Putting it in the context of loving our country, it means that we may not have a perfect country now, but giving it our love, devoting our time, talents, and treasures to make things better and to bring out the best in every single Filipino, can make it perfect for us. When I studied in STC, we were always told to let our light shine and be a blessing to others, and it means not just keeping the light but also passing it on to others so that they too can affect real and lasting change in the country. 

We can always be right about the things that are happening, we can come up with so many studies about possible solutions, but what is more important than being right? It is better to love than to be right. To love means to give the best for this country and to become part of the solution by acting now. Mother Teresa says, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." 

When we worry about whether or not there is a future for this country, let us start acting now to ensure that there is even a future to speak of. I personally would not want to face my nephews and nieces (and maybe my future daughters and sons -- but I'm not hoping to have some anytime soon, mind you. Haha!) and apologize to them for not having built my dreams on this country. I would not want to tell them, sorry, I was not able to make this country better for you will no longer witness the beauty that this country used to have, simply because I failed to love and to care. We must really start anchoring our dreams on the dreams of this country, hopefully sooner than later.

Now is the perfect time to start loving.

Now is the perfect time to start caring.

And now is the perfect time to be part of the beautiful future of our country.