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YOUTH, CHANGE AND NATION BUILDING

Dennis G. Cosmod

July 18, 2011, Flag Ceremony Speech

Samar State University

To the University President, Dr. Simon P. Babalcon Jr., to the three Vice Presidents, Dr.

Eusebio T. Pacolor, Dr. Jose S. Labro, and Dr. Felisa E. Gomba, Deans of Colleges, University

officials, faculty members, personnel and students.

Before I greet everyone with peace and guidance from the Almighty, may I quote this

passage from Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) that balances the good and bad luck of getting or

working early every day as a response to a familiar quote EARLY BIRD CATCHES WORM

and I quote, I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough

the bad luck of the early worm. With this, I ask, who are you then? Are you the bird or the

worm? Ladies and gentlemen, GOOD MORNING!

Speaking of Former President Roosevelt, this month of July exactly sixty seven years (67)

ago, he declared that he would accept a nomination to run for president of the United

States for the fourth time. Such acceptance signaled another addition to the years of office

as president of United States and later earned a distinction as the longest serving president

of US up to now. Franklin Roosevelt is also considered by great historians of the World to

be one of the top three presidents of US together with George Washington and Abraham

Lincoln.

My address today will not revolve around the life and career of FDR but on how he had

created impact on capacitating young people for nation building.

He said in one of his speeches that We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we

can build our youth for the future. And by this statement, the youth, in essence, therefore

are both privileged and empowered, may be not now but in the coming future.

Privileged because as early as now, the youth are already destined to be the next leaders,

managers and builders of our nation. Empowered because as early as now along with the

positions they will be inheriting in the future, they will also exercise authority and power to

create, implement and interpret laws, policies and programs.

With this great task, I say, our adults must have a complementary effort in achieving thisdream. Our adults may it be our leaders in the government, teachers in a university,

parents in family, or even ordinary workers in offices must provide necessary experiences,

legal supports, encouraging words, and friendliest actions that will promote development

of individual and leadership potentials , skills, values and abilities.

Let us have reality check, what has been done by the government to achieve this? Yes, it has

passed the most unique legislative act in the world by institutionalizing Sangguniang

Kabataan (SKs) in barangays. But after almost 20 years of its implementation, why is it that

there are proposals for its abolition? Are these people going against FDR thoughts or have

they just realized that the youth do not deserve on what have been destined on them?

In my quest for answers, I have found out that if we will consider SK program as a failure, it

is not solely due to the youths inefficiencies and ineffectiveness but because of bad

political guidance of present politicians and their valuable accomplices, sadly, SKs parents

and closest relatives.

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For the past 10 years working with the youth, it is only in the SK system that I experienced

and witnessed how the youth are more taught and provided with ways and means to do

corruption. In the end however, I am not amenable in calling for SK abolition but a system

overhaul thru reforms.

Changing focus from the SK to other related community and government actions for youth

development, I also have considered weighing how schools thru teachers and otherpersonnel must motivate their students in making a difference in their respective

communities. I am reminded by the challenge raised by Mareng Winnie Monsod on her

students in UP in their last meeting of her Economics class. She said As scholars ng bayan,

the youth must not just aim for excellence, but you must also uphold your honor and

integrity always She added that the Philippines have already elected several excellent

leaders as president, vice president and legislatures in our government yet we are still

facing the same problems in our country. These leaders, however, together with their

partners and associates in government failed to meet the expected honor and integrity that

officials must possess. Commenting this way is going against the basic principle that FDR

advocated on democracy that the government must be by the people and for the people.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The

ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and

government officials, but the voters of this country. What he meant by the voters are those

ordinary citizens, ordinary people who may not be in office but have pledge allegiance to

the constitution and to its duly constituted authorities in the government. And with this,

therefore we can say that the achievements of the government are also our achievements,

the failures of our government are also our failures, and that criticizing our government is

also criticizing ourselves.

With this I rephrase my statement, the responsibility to be both adhering to excellence and

integrity must not just rest on our leaders but must cultivate also among each and every

one of us specially among the youth who will be the next captains and sailors of our

nationship.

Lastly, may I share this edited inscription from a tomb of an Anglican priest buried in

Westminster Abbey, the place where Prince William and Kate Middleton had their Royal

Wedding last April, and I quote, When I was young, I dreamt of changing the world, but I

realized that it wont change, so when I get older, I shortened my sight by aiming at

changing only my country; but my country is also immovable, so later in my life, I decidedto change my family, but it is also failed, now that I am lying in my deathbed I realize: If Ihad only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their

inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who

knows, I may have even changed the world.

Just last week, we started the implementation of Solid Waste Management Program here in

SSU with the tag line THINK CLEAN, THINK GREEN. The management has already acted

on its role but why is it that we can still see the same problems on waste disposal in the

gymnasium and other places in the university. I think the problem in on each one of us.

Some of our students and personnel including us faculty members are still reluctant tofollow such policy. WE HAVE NOT CHANGED FOR THE BETTER.

Finally, my challenge to everyone especially to the youth be the change that you aim to be,

do it not tomorrow but today.

Thank you for your patience in listening and again a pleasant morning.