Today, we are honoring Rizal. Our national hero is the most gifted Filipino who ever lived, truly the pride of the Malayan race.
A century ago, he made the ultimate sacrifice for the Filipino people, giving up his life at Luneta field. Jose Rizal’s martyrdom led to the creation of the Philippine Republic in 1898.
In the hundred years that have passed since Jose Rizal was martyred, the world has undergone rapid change.
Throughout the world, it is now clear the transparent, open and democratic societies give to the fullest opportunities for individual merit and effort to bloom.
These societies have created a culture that allow their citizens to use the advances that technology and Information Age have brought in order to create a better life for both individuals and collective society. In these societies, the result has been the development of mature politics, strong government institutions, and the generation of the material benefits undreamed of during Jose Rizal’s time. These are the main elements of a strong and modern society, the Strong Republic that I dream of for the Philippines. We’re still far away from that dream but it is within our reach.
Indeed, it’s ironic, that ours is the first Republic in Asia. But over the last decades, it has become one of the weakest, steadily left behind by its more progressive neighbors. The fundamental reason is the persistence of an outdated social system wherein vested interests and traditional politics have stunted development towards a strong and modern society. Thus, our country is now only a bit better but the category of backward countries wherein powerful, selfish interests are able to exploit poverty and ignorance to maintain the status quo or impede open progressive development.
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