MESSAGE
of
HON. JEJOMAR C. BINAY
National President, Boy Scouts of the Philippines
Chairman, Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee
GRAND TOBS HOMECOMING
Grand Villa Hotel, Pateros
October 1, 2009
“A moment comes,” said the great Indian statesman Jawaharlal Neru, ”when we step out from the old to the new,” and so today, in this day of gladness and joy, the Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts of the Philippines Association dares to step forward and be recognized. Sure it will.
I would like to sincerely thank you all for participating fully in this year’s selection process and in putting up the program. I thank Wigberto “Wigz” Encarnacion Jr., for spending time going to the office to ensure the success of the event, including his right hand man, specifically Maurice Albert Figueras, and to Jerome Ilagan, the former TOBSPA Chair and Mr. Redempto “Dondon” Parafina, who has introduced many remarkable projects for the BSP. TOBSPA indeed has gone a long way since its founding many years ago. Mister Ilagan and Parafina have shown the true meaning of the word commitment and brotherhood. Mabuhay po kayo for being an example worth emulating by those who have just arrived to take a sit in the prestigious TOBSPA.
I cannot thank you more my friends, I know that from the bottom of your heart, it is not important to hear these words, just a nod and an appreciation of your works, I believe is enough to make you all jump for joy.
Well, you may now jump for joy my TOBSPA friends, because I am here to officially announce to the whole Scouting world the BSP’s appreciation of your concern not just for the search but the entire Movement as well.
I know you will play a huge part in the forthcoming 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Jamboree. I was told that your members have been allocated to render assistance, from public relations, to program and all. Mabuhay po kayo! Another reason to jump for joy.
Today, however, TOBSPA, magsusumbong ako sa inyo.
Isusumbong ko ang mga nagaganap sa ating kapaligiran, sa ating lipunan, sa buhay ng ating mga mamamayan. I am telling you this, because, now more than ever, and you, more than anybody else could listen to me intently of what I have to say.
Yes, TOBSPA, I know how you feel right now, at this moment, I know you’re hurt, because I too could feel the pain of seeing our fellowmen now almost gasping for breath because of the destructive typhoon that wrought havoc to wide areas of the metropolis and other parts of Luzon. Indeed, a few days after Typhoon Ondoy left a swath of destruction and death, a tsunami ravaged a part of American Samoa.
Nature’s wrath, shall you say.
Kalunus-lunos pong pagmasdan ang nangyari sa ating mga kababayan, nakakikilabot. Only in a well-made movie worthy of the Oscars could we see so much destruction and pain. Only in a disaster movie can we see people – rich and poor, celebrities or not — clinging to dear life and begging for help while death was looming behind. Life imitates art, or art imitates life? No one for sure could answer that question, because life and death is not worth imitating at this moment.
Only a monument, only men with heart of stone, would not shed tears, watching footages of men, women and children being dug up from debris of mud and garbage or people lining up for relief goods. Their eyes betray the pain, the anger and the frustration.
As I said in my speech during this morning’s TOBS ceremony, baka ibinabalik lamang sa atin ng Inang Kalikasan ang mga itinapon nating basura, o pinapaalalahanan tayo na dapat na nating ibalik ang mga punong ating pinutol, mga lupang ating kinamkam, mga bundok na pinatag at mga ilog, dagat, at himpapawid na pinagtapunan natin ng ating mga basura. Is nature capable of revenge? I think sure is. I believe this catastrophe has something to do with the environment, with man’s indifference toward nature.
I challenge you TOBSPA to consider playing big role in the BSP’s environment project. I challenge you all to sit down with us in ensuring that our environment projects would have impact on this planet. I challenge each and one of you to contribute your one-cent worth to realize BSP’s dream of making this world a better place to live in, where nature and its creature live in harmony in a well-balanced ecology. Where economy, culture and tradition go hand in hand as we trudge the development path.
I know that you belong to the crème dela crème because if not, you would not be here and listening to my speech and joining others to jump for joy.
And so today, some issue, most of them political have been buried in the mad rush to rescue people from rampaging flood. A few days more, when all shall have return to normal, when people start to rebuild their life, when all the debris shall have been cleared to give way to a new beginning, we will go back to the issue of the day.
There are many issues that our society has to confront. Like calamities, we should have been prepared as we had been forwarned. We know for a fact that we have just unleashed a poisonous and deadly political season where mudslinging would be as worst as the mud that buried many of our fellowmen.
A few months more, we shall elect, if God would allow, new sets of leaders who will man this country. We have seen the way the present dispensation has ravaged our society. Like Typhoon Ondoy, the destruction has been unbearable for ordinary Filipinos. We are all angry and frustrated and we could do no more than just to clench our fists and grit our teeth in silence. We have been witnesses to the massive corruption in almost all government offices; we have read the news that put the name of this country in the global who’s who of most corrupt nation. We are soaring past, so past that we could bury our head in shame as we read the name of our country getting to the top of the world’s most corrupt government.
I congratulate Mr. Redempto “Dondon” Parafina for bringing his social responsibility project to the BSP or for involving us in this worthy endeavor. This is a speck of dust in the constellation, but we know that it will make a dent in an effort to curb corruption in the future.
Now, my friends, what can the TOBSPA do to help change the system? I know that you will not just sit down and wait things to happen or let fate take its course. You can be the voice; you can be the heart of the movement for national renewal. You can lead the way; lead our young boys to a path that would bring end to this cycle of graft and corruption and indifference in government. You have the best resources on earth to do these things: your mind is your wealth, because you have great minds. You will not become a member of this unique organization for nothing.
This forms part of my challenge No. 2: Help this society rid itself of corrupt people, be the light in the dark, be an example, be the voice of the young generation. Now is the time, not tomorrow. Today, let us all unite and set a common goal to make us all Filipinos proud. Do it my friends and you will have our full support.
And so today, as we offer a toast to everyone, I would like to again express my appreciation.
Extend my greetings to those who have not made it in tonight’s affair.
Maraming salamat po.