o keynote speakers of the 3rd Aboitiz Future Leaders Business Summit (AFLBS) held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel last weekend. Atty. Alex is best known as the writer of the book, “12 little things every Filipino can do to help our country.” In that book, he described 12 little things that we should do that if all done collectively will automatically restore our pride as a people.The premise for this came from the book “The Tipping Point : How little things can make a difference
” written by Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote about the high rates of criminality in three decades (1960 to 1990) of the city of New York. A lot of solutions were already tried and had proven futile until 2 police consultant
s proposed a radical social experiment. They proposed to clean up the city’s subway train system. They cleaned up all the graffiti and painted all the trains and surroundings sparkling clean. They improved the lighting and posted policemen. Believe it or not, this caused the crime rate to fall dramatically in the subway system and contributed to a 65% drop in crimes in the City.It does make sense. According to Gladwell, “do not underestimate the power of little things.” In the Philippines, we can see the disparity in the average rates of crime in slum areas versus gawad kalinga villages, There is almost
practically no crime rate in the latter villages. GK has a simple premise, the idea that bright colors uplift the dreary atmosphere to which the poor have become accustomed, and this uplifting fosters improvement in their lives. That’s why GK houses and villages are very colorful.Atty Al
ex applies the same principles to our wounded Filipino psyche. In order to combat the prevailing sense of apathy and helplessness, he proposes to do 12 little things that will rekindle our sense of civic duty as well as slowly spark our national pride. They are as follows:1. Follow Traffic Rules. Follow the law.
2. Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for a official receipt.
3. Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.
4. When you talk to others, especially foreigners, speak positively about us and our country.
5. Respect your traffic officer, policeman, and soldier.
6. Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
7. Support your church.
8. During elections, do your solemn duty.
9. Pay your employees well.
10. Pay your taxes.
11. Adopt a scholar or poor child.
12. Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.
It sounds very simple. Almost too simple. But that’s what t
he people of New York thought about when they first heard about the proposal to clean up the subway system. Think about it. We often heard that the Filipinos when living abroad are model citizens. They are law abiding, courteous and polite and are a testament to our tenacity as a people. Why does’nt that happen here in our country consistently?
I drove Atty. Alex to the airport and spent some more time chatting while waiting for
his flight. I found him to be very soft spoken yet very articulate, humble and yet very passionate, a world of contradictions. Here was a man, who is very accomplished, a lawyer, a product of the UP College of Law, with post graduate studies from Harvard. And yet, he chooses to devote a significant portion of his time on a cause that many people would deem hopeless. That is until, you talk to him and read his book.
The great
American Benjamin Franklin said, “Our people’s habits can be the destiny of our nation.” Think about it. What are the 12 common habits that you do right now in your daily life? Does it lead to a better view of our country or worse? If it is for the worse, it is time to change. We cannot rely on others when we ourselves do not do our part. Let’s start doing the 12 simple things every Filipino can do to help our country.
2. Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for a official receipt.
3. Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.
4. When you talk to others, especially foreigners, speak positively about us and our country.
5. Respect your traffic officer, policeman, and soldier.
6. Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
7. Support your church.
8. During elections, do your solemn duty.
9. Pay your employees well.
10. Pay your taxes.
11. Adopt a scholar or poor child.
12. Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.
It sounds very simple. Almost too simple. But that’s what t
he people of New York thought about when they first heard about the proposal to clean up the subway system. Think about it. We often heard that the Filipinos when living abroad are model citizens. They are law abiding, courteous and polite and are a testament to our tenacity as a people. Why does’nt that happen here in our country consistently?I drove Atty. Alex to the airport and spent some more time chatting while waiting for
his flight. I found him to be very soft spoken yet very articulate, humble and yet very passionate, a world of contradictions. Here was a man, who is very accomplished, a lawyer, a product of the UP College of Law, with post graduate studies from Harvard. And yet, he chooses to devote a significant portion of his time on a cause that many people would deem hopeless. That is until, you talk to him and read his book.The great
American Benjamin Franklin said, “Our people’s habits can be the destiny of our nation.” Think about it. What are the 12 common habits that you do right now in your daily life? Does it lead to a better view of our country or worse? If it is for the worse, it is time to change. We cannot rely on others when we ourselves do not do our part. Let’s start doing the 12 simple things every Filipino can do to help our country. Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.
For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit http://www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com/ .
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