Gordon urges Filipinos to work for genuine change
as the nation's heroes did

As the country celebrates today the National Heroes Day, Senator Richard J. Gordon (Ind.) urged Filipinos to aspire for genuine change and work diligently for it as the nation's martyrs did.

Gordon said that rather than just performing ceremonies to commemorate the event, what is more important is to instill in every Filipino's character the values and principles that have enabled the nation's heroes to make a difference.

"We must look at our history and learn from our heroes because they are the ones who had the confidence to break the walls in their minds. We have to recognize the contributions of our martyrs and see why they chose to defend the national interest. We must be able to look at our past with pride so that we can be able to conquer the future with a lot of confidence, hope and with conviction," he said.

"Our heroes may have lived in different periods of time in our history but they all fought against a system that curtails democracy, stood up against people who have no sense of the common good, and opened the minds of Filipinos to think of the national interest above their personal interests," he added.

Gordon said that the nation has a lot of challenges to face today such as poverty, corruption, and the lack of good governance. He said that the people must learn to assert what is good not only for them but for the whole nation to win over these obstacles.

He explained that education is key to eradicating poverty because poverty is an absence of choice and a populace that is uneducated will not be able to make good choices for themselves and for the country.

He said that improving the country's learning system should be a priority of the government and stressed that everyone should have access to quality education.

Meanwhile, in curbing corruption, the senator pointed out that the public must continue to condemn it; the media should faithfully and responsibly do their part in exposing wrongdoings and informing the public; and the Ombudsman must go after government officials who abuse the power given to them by the people.

He added that the lack of good governance is a major factor in the spread of corruption.

"We can expect good governance if we choose our leaders wisely. In less than a year, we will be electing our leaders again. Although we are optimistic of clean, honest, speedy and credible elections with poll automation, we cannot be assured of a better government if we are not able to choose the best leaders, leaders who can uplift and motivate the people and bring out the best in them, just like what our heroes did," Gordon said.

"Our heroes stood up for change. We must do the same. And if we want change, it must begin with us. I have always said, and will always say, that what this country needs is not just a change OF men but a change IN men," he added.