Generation after generation, Filipinos have yearned for a country that takes its rightful place in the community of nations. We all seek a strong and prosperous nation, under just and peaceful governance, strengthened by an effective political system where accountability and the rule of law prevail, where Filipinos everywhere proactively participate in the mainstream activities of the Homeland and host countries, and whose citizens proudly assert: “Once a Filipino, always a Filipino”.
We have witnessed that people with divergent orientations and priorities could be solidly united on a common goal. In that singular expression of solidarity, we have demonstrated that collectively, we all seek good governance, anchored on grassroots economic empowerment and resolution of issues facing migrant workers and their families – with the raised consciousness of a nation ready to move as one.
An army of passionate citizens -- you, I, all of us -- fully support the Global Filipino Nation. Governance goal is the mortar that binds us together. That bond, which transcends appearances of factionalism in Filipino communities, finds expression in the cohesiveness of the action programs adopted in these hallowed halls.
There is resonance in the objective of converting small and medium enterprises into world class players. There is hope of healing the wounds of migrant families torn by the devastating influence of leaving loved ones. There is gathering momentum in the quest of the marginalized majority that the will of the people should dictate who manages the country’s affairs.
Global Filipinos have a firm resolve to use media and information technology to liberate their potential power bottled up by the current system. Those who have been empowered in the global Filipino community are determined to bring back to the Homeland innovation and technology collaboration in education, architecture, engineering and healthcare. Most importantly, we have focused on the national food crisis and a response initiative involving farmers and the urban poor.
All of our efforts bring out a sense of collective communal action – all reinforcing the overarching goal of good governance in the Homeland. With the Global Filipino Institute for Policy Research, we would be equipped to move our action programs from the logframe stage to the stage of reality. We now, in unison with our brothers and sisters in the Homeland and abroad, launch the Good Governance Movement and Coalition.
Together, we have labored in searching, sometimes with a sense of debilitating loss of hope, in getting the country on the path of sustained development. Together, we have faced hurdle after hurdle. But now the sea of humanity is with us. The wind is at our back. At last, we can loudly proclaim: “We shall not fail. We shall prevail!“ |
