We Dream

In this nation, the sole power driving the nation comes from the people. Theirs is the collective effort that brings forth a future where equality is inherent regardless of social class; where justice is served because people are born with it.

In this nation, the people don’t look westward, because this is where the sun rises to obliterate the dark -- shining rays of hope. This is a place where talent is given opportunity, and intelligence is nurtured; where both are put into a place it could spread its beauty.

This is a country where commerce doesn't need to establish corporate social responsibility, because the business in itself is the definition of social responsibility. Businessmen are not for the profit, because they've had their fair share of it. Instead, they work for strategies that will mostly benefit the consumers.

In this nation, people believe in goodness not because they have a set of dogmas to follow, but because they were born with a heart so full of compassion it would be painful not to share it. Faith is not mistaken for blind approval, because the latter suppresses free will. We have different churches of diversified beliefs, but all do not create division. One doesn't assume the worst of the other who do not share the same belief, because the people here are not bigots who crucify their brand of heretics.

In this nation, we hold hands during dark times. It is during those moments that we have a leader who lights the candle for all of us -- who dares not to curse the dark. This is where anarchy stands no chance because we don’t succumb so easily to it, as our sense of humanity is far stronger than our own carnal needs; because we have faith that refuge will come before our hope is finally extinguished. We take comfort in knowing that our public servants will attend immediately to the needs of the suffering countrymen, and whenever there’s a lapse in giving refuge, the last thing they’ll do is to lay blame on other’s mistakes, because they are replete with sense of accountability.

In this nation, the life of the unborn is valued, so we work hard to create a better place for them to live in, rather than have them welcomed without the certainty of raising them to become a good citizen. As we value the life of the unborn, we also recognize the life of those that are stripped off of liberty as penance for helpless disregard for the laws of the land, or worse, other’s rights. In this valuation, we see to its consistent adherence.

In this nation, we raise children not to the terms of conformity. Rather, we raise them with the responsibility to follow, and break when it starts to suppress their identity.

In this nation, women are not commodified nor relegated to simple house chores; they are qualified according to their competence. They don’t feel entitled for the respect bestowed only to women, because they think that they should earn it as a human being.

In this nation, education is not a luxury but a necessity, and is given in high standards to every student. Teachers don’t inject what to think at the expense of dreams and aspirations. They show students how to think, and utilize that skill to better themselves, better the world. Here, learning doesn't stop from class dismissal, but extends beyond the school’s confines, beyond borders and universes, that stems from deep within. Here, learning and schooling are understood to be entirely different.

In this nation, sportsmanship is tantamount to humility; where there’s a thin line that separates true sportsmen from mere players. Where coaches don’t just train ace players but create players with great character; where these great characters don’t wear sardonic faces when competing with novices, because they are given the responsibility to inspire those who aspire. Seasoned players don’t think that it’s a waste of time to play with beginners, because they believe that it’s more of a waste to not impart their experience with these promising talents.

In this nation, the power that freed the people 28 years ago will always be remembered, so that never again – in the next 28 years nor the years succeeding that – will we be a bondage under the dictatorship of our own kin.

In this nation, people are encouraged to dream, because it is only in dreaming should we struggle to achieve the reality that these are the things we still have to work for, because we are never fazed by the bluntness of reality. And for what it’s worth, we dream, together.