Basketball frenzy in pursuit of national progress
THE
euphoria felt by fans of the UP Fighting Maroons that came close to becoming UAAP champion recently was so great that some people, to make a feel-good story better, even cautioned Ateneo to be well-prepared for UP that never lost the championship finals in 32 years – only because it was the first time UP entered the finals since 1986, the year it emerged champion.
It was an exhilarating display of pride, passion, unity, and neverending hope that was etched on the faces of basketball fans like me as we watched the games and followed our alma mater’s fairy tale-rise this year from being the UAAP’s perennial cellar-dweller to become a force to reckon with in the premier collegiate basketball league.
While elderly alumni poured their hearts out in support of the University of the Philippines’ Fighting Maroons and the Ateneo Blue Eagles, it was the frenzied display of emotion by young fans highly energized into cheering wildly for both schools that got me thinking: what if the same passion is used in pursuit of national development?
Young Filipinos can indeed be a force to reckon with, being the largest sector of Philippine society, with hardly any vested interest to protect, with time on their side, with talent and potential to develop. When fully enlightened, motivated, inspired, and mobilized, the youth sector is the single most formidable block of citizens that can change society.
Our youth can be the prime mover in improving our nation’s quality of life. They can bring about an effective and honest government responsive to the pressing needs of the people. They can be the driving force to choose God-fearing, competent and compassionate leaders who have the right strategy to create jobs and livelihood for the people and bail out the country from poverty, injustice, underdevelopment, breakdown in peace and order, inequality, and other social ills.
With present-day information technology, today’s youth can utilize powerful tools capable of reaching millions, influencing them with ideals and aspirations, and mobilizing them to act in unison to bring forth progress and truly effect critical positive change and renew the people’s faith in government.
To dream is a privilege of the youth which they should never abandon, lest they lose their youthfulness with the sense of idealism it entails. The Filipino youth, to be the hope of the fatherland as envisioned by our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, ought to dream big – of a better place, a more developed country, an egalitarian society.
With the millennial generation already making its presence felt in the public discourse, there is no doubt that youth empowerment is alive. There can be so much hope that positive change for the country would be achieved with the youth playing a vital role in national transformation leading to a better quality of life for all Filipinos.
Youth empowerment is essential for every generation and our nation’s history is replete with examples of young people who dreamt big and bold for our country. Jose Rizal led the writers of the Propaganda Movement in spreading the truth and inflaming the hearts of the Indios to rise up. Jacinto, Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, Del Pilar, Mabini, and countless others gave their lives to unite the nation against foreign invaders.
Today’s youth are in a better position to achieve significant change with the use of the Internet through desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, and other gadgets to access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, whatever. There are now so many resources to communicate, upload, share photos and videos, and do many creative things to organize, connect faster with others, and influence people who matter.
I call on today’s youth to push forward, not just as fans or followers of basketball teams, but as leaders and influencers to usher in positive change. Use social media in an effective manner. Use the power of technology not just for play or self-interests, but harness it to make your generation an informed, organized and significant power base to achieve full progress for the country.
“It is a useless life that is not consecrated to a great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field without becoming a part of any edifice,” Rizal said. By actively participating in the building of a just, humane, peaceful, prosperous and democratic society, young Filipinos can prove that youth is not always wasted on the young.