“Legacy. Anything handed down from, or as from an ancestor.”(Webster)
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ALL of us must be aware that the greatest gift of God to every human being is his/her life. What he/she does with his/her life is his/her gift to God in return.
In addition, all of us, particularly leaders of various institutions, must also be concerned of our legacy to our family and society. This article is about the imperative of legacy – making of our leaders. All leaders, at the beginning, must formula his/her Vision and Mission of the institution he/she very leads.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s Vision is “Bagong Pilipinas”, Well and good. PBBM should follow this up with a well-defined Mission which so far is still missing up to now. Example of a Mission:
Total integral Human Development.
Rebuilding of our Nation through Systems Reform.
After the Vision and Mission Statement, comes the identification of Programs and Projects. Then comes Goals and Objectives setting. Our National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) should be assisting PBBM in this regard! NEDA seems sleeping on its job. It will help PBBM a lot if needed “Core Values” are also identified later.
Assuming that PBBM adopts the Mission I suggested above then, he should launch a People Renewal Program. To save time, money and effort PBBM should assist the Samal Eagles Club in the nationwide implementation of the Club’s “Be a New Filipino” People Renewal Program. “To effectively change a nation, change first the mindset and behavior of the people.”
Anent the “Rebuilding of our Nation” Mission, PBBM, should support Congress to amend our unresponsive 1987 Constitution via a Constituent Assembly. Aside from improving the economic provision to attract foreign investors in the Philippines, include to this the following amendments:
Correctly identify our sovereign territorial boundaries based on international law.
Specify voting separately in a Constituent Assembly made to change our Charter.
Adopt a right to clean and green environment addressing “development aggression”.
Adopt a Philippine-Style Federal System to address the Mindanao Independence Movement.
Minimize expensive elections by changing the terms of all elected officials to five years with one reelection effective in 2028.
Define what is a political dynasty.
This means “buy one-take-seven”, giving more benefits to our people and nation instaad of the “buy one-take-one” proposal. Total Constitutional Reform via Constitutional Convention maybe pursued in the future.
PBBM’s, vision of “Bagong Pilipinas” demands “Bagong Filipino” and “Bagong Constitiusyon”. Of course, one should not expect to achieve “Bagong Pilipinas” during the 6-year term of PBBM. These reforms should go beyond 2028. By being a “Visionary and Transforming President” is PBBM’s meaningful and lasting legacy to the Filipino people and nation. He could then write his own history for the information and inspiration of future generations. He should not miss this golden opportunity for greatness.
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In 1998, I wrote, a book titled “Struggle for Autonomy in Mindanao”. One of the articles in said book was about “Go Federal”. Let me quote below port of this article:
“Former Assemblyman Reuben R. Canoy gave this writer a copy of the brochure which he wrote during Cory’s presidency entitled “FEDERALISM: The Answer to Mindanao Secession.” We are quoting below some of the more salient portions of said brochure for your perusal:
Which is the best government? That which teaches us to govern ourselves (Johann Wolfgang von Gaethe)….
Mindanao is unquestionably the richest part of the Philippines. Fully developed, ifs resources would enable it to equal, if not surpass, the economic success of the tiny states like Singapore and Taiwan – the so-called economic dragons of Asia….
We must establish a new political system (federal) that will end the status of the people of the regions as second-class citizens and release their talent, energy, and capacity for development.
Only then can the Philippines enter a bright new era of economic prosperity and political stability. Only then can we build a peaceful, orderly and just society that will endure for generations yet to come.”
Our problem is the continuing “Manila Imperialism” attitude of NEDA! Watch for my forth-coming Pamphlet titled “Fight Manila Imperialism” Which I wrote last year 2023 and now being printed for distribution. The revival of the “Mindanao Independence” is a wake up call to the present and future administrations.
