The brand of grace
They say that grit determines that life’s challenges will neither defeat nor define us, while grace gives kindness to ourselves and others even when it is hard. In an interview with TV host and actress Toni Gonzaga on ALL TV channel, President Bongbong Marcos described the Filipino brand in one word – grace. Spiritually speaking, grace is a divine gift that perfects us, especially in the challenging moments of life. Personally, it is something I pray for in the most difficult times.
I only inherited two things from my grandfather Tomas Morato – a necktie and a box of books. One of my most treasured possessions is a book entitled “The New Philippine Republic” written by former president Ferdinand Marcos. For me, this book is somewhat like a diary of the president’s accomplishments that included the vision he had for our country. Today, as I see and hear our President speak, I can somehow say, I understand where he is coming from.
At some point in our history, and as narrated in this book, former president Ferdinand Marcos assigned to the first lady Imelda Marcos a daunting task (as the former president described), where she embarked on a mission that led the Ministry of Human Settlements to highlight not just a tax-paying and law-abiding citizen but rather empower the capable Filipino, dignified by his work and the fruits of his labor through the development of communities for public welfare. Included in the profile of every Filipino was his culture and heritage.
While it was an astounding challenge as described by the President in his book, the first lady ventured on this journey that, in effect, created a great convergence as envisioned by the former president. It was clear, as President Marcos journaled the succeeding events that took place, how convergence was made through a vast consultation that went beyond the Cabinet and the president, as it included villagers, town halls, engineers, mayors and even computer programmers.
Raising the issue on dictatorship, just like how we were taught in school, I agree with PBBM when he said in his one-on-one interview that dictators do not consult. Clearly in this book, one can learn how the Ministry of Human Settlements was able to reconnect operations into a smooth framework that attended to the most basic needs through a battery of consultations where in the end, funds were generated, somewhat like a holding company. Culture was among the priorities in the creation of the Ministry of Human Settlements, where the individual and the community were its focus. This convergence worked. It also highlighted the need for heritage studies that very much play a role in our brand today.
Grit and grace… our life’s journey will certainly confront us with circumstances that allow us to harness both. Grace, however, builds our character and the Filipino brand that bears it is the same brand that tells the story of our people. When the Spaniards landed in the Philippines, it was grace that led our forefathers to save a crew of sick men. The Filipino brand has even in our history showed us that we may bend but never be broken. The iconic line by General Antonio Luna – “Bayan o sarili, pumili ka!” – not only continues to make us reflect on what is most important but rather also admit that it is only by grace that any of us will choose country over self-interest.
When we really think about it, we are a people that deserves not only admiration but respect. As president FEM said in his book, Filipinos suffered war and tragedy on an unprecedented scale for the first time in their history during the Filipino-American war, but they accepted defeat and faced their future with new resolve and realism and, despite sweeping odds, fought and died for an independent nation.
As we enjoy our sovereignty today, it is also important for the world to know who we are, as our story not only defines us but also shows the rest of the world that no matter what we have been through, Filipinos will always be kind, empathetic and favored because of our personal way of ensuring dignity among all people. We did this in the past as history has shown and putting our people first is an inherent virtue of grace. It is the same kind that we give to others by making them feel at home.
This inherent nature of every Filipino that has time and again made us so proud is the same virtue that connects us to other nations in the global arena. It will take grace to leave a lasting imprint on the rest of the world, yet we Filipinos are so good at making others “feel at home” as, after all, grace would not be amazing if it didn’t in itself carry the generosity and compassion that we Filipinos are known for.