Go Rinconada Movement

Sulong Kabataan! Atin Ang Bukas!

Magandang umaga po sa ating lahat. Gov. LRay Villafuerte, Vice-Gov Sal Fortuno, Members of the Provincial Board, Auntie Alice and Auntie Lolly of Lakas Iriga, Mayors, Vice-Mayors, Councilors, Barangay Captains, at lahat ng mga lider ng Lakas. Thank you for this invitation.Isa pong malaking karangalan na ako ay nabigyan ng pagkakataon na makapagsalita sa inyo ngayon at maibahagi ang aking kuro-kuro sa ating tema ngayon base sa aking mga nalalaman at karanasan.

Kagaya po ng sinabi sa introduksyon, ako po ay purong taga-Iriga. Nag-aral po ng elementary sa Rinconada Allied Cultural School (alam po ng mga taga-San Jose yan) at High School sa Holy Rosary Minor Seminary sa Naga. Nagtapos po ako ng college sa University of the Philippines sa Diliman.

Napakaganda po ng ating tema ngayon datapwat nais ko sanang pagtibayin lalo ang mga katagang ito at gawing mas naaangkop ngayong mga panahon at sabihing, Sulong Kabataan! Kumilos Na Ngayon Para Sa Magandang Kinabukasan!

Di po ba mas nararapat na tayong mga kabataan ay kailangang kumilos na ngayon?

Para sa akin, ang pagpunta niyo po rito ngayon ay isang nang pagpapatunay na handa tayong kumilos. Para po sa akin, ang pag-organisa ng Youth Leadership Camp na ito ay isang pagpapatunay ng pagpapahalaga ng Provincial Government sa pamumuno ni Gov LRay Villafuerte sa paghubog ng mga susunod na henerasyon ng mga lider sa Iriga, sa distrito ng Rinconada at sa buong lalawigan ng Cam Sur.

For the youth to have a meaningful involvement, it is imperative that we raise our awareness of both global and national issues which confront us today. Global because what happens in the world’s political and economic landscape has either direct or collateral impact on all of us.

Globally, there is a slowdown in the world’s economy and aggravated by the escalating food and fuel price increases. Sa ngayon po, ang presyo ng langis ay umaabot na sa US130 per barrel. And this is still expected to rise in the coming months.

On the national level, the same is happening in the economy. Aabot pa daw sa Ps60/liter ang presyo ng gasolina. This creates a chain reaction – increase in the prices of basic commodities because of the transportation cost, hike in transport fares, and possibly increase in the cost of education. Inflation last month reach about 8%. Apektado po tayong lahat.

Buti na nga lang at di tayo nasalanta ni Frank. Kilala niyo naman seguro kung sino si Frank di ba?

But all is not bleak and gloomy. I believe the Phil. Economy will weather the storm. Why? Because there are bright spots in the horizon:

1) Annual remittances from OFWs averages US1B which pump primes the domestic economy with increased spending;

2) Growth of the BPO industry which generates jobs and services; and

3) Boom in the tourism industry with highest number of arrivals recorded last year around 3M.

And this is nowhere more evident than here in Cam Sur at the CWC where tourist arrivals in the province jumped more than 100% as compared to several years before. Because of the CWC and Caramoan which is the next Boracay of the Phils, Cam Sur is not only in the national spotlight but is now in the world map. Congratulations Gov. Lray, you have done an outstanding job of boosting the economic activity in the province, stimulating business activities, and generating jobs and services for the constituents of the province.

What can we do and what should we do in the face of all these issues? What is our role in all of this? Paano po natin haharapin ang lahat ng ito? Tatanungin ko kayo at sumagot kayo ng Oo kung kayo po ay sang-ayon sa sasabihin ko.

Di po ba na tayo ay kailangang makialam at makibahagi sa pagbalangkas ng mga usaping pangkalahatang panlipunan at panglokal? Di po ba na tayong mga kabataan ay kinakailangang tumaya sa paghubog ng lipunan para sa isang maunlad na kinabukasan? Di po ba na bawat isa sa atin ay kinakailangang mag-punyagi na maging lider at manindigan laban sa di wastong pamamalakad sa komunidad, sa distrito upang makamit ang tagumpay na dulot ng pagbabago! Hindi po hadlang o balakid ang pagiging bata sa pagsulong ng mga makabagong ideya at mabuting kaisipan.

At the end of the day, our role is to be instruments of change and progress. And the journey towards a brighter tomorrow, a brighter future starts with all of you here.

For me, the formula towards this journey, towards this transformation are Leadership + Change = Progress. Leadership and Change are the main ingredients or enablers that we need to attain progress. The 1st requires taking charge of your destiny and believing in yourself, believing in your capabilities, believing that you can be a leader. I would not be where I am now if I had not believed in myself. I would not be where I am now if I didn’t persevere and excel in my field. Gov Lray believed in himself. He believed that he can do it and he did.

Being a leader does not only mean becoming a political leader. Marami pong larangan kung saan tayo ay maaaring maging lider. You can be a leader in a school organization. You can be a leader in the community by organizing people either for livelihood or socio-civic projects. You can be a leader in just about every profession there is; business and corporate leader, government, military. What’s important is regardless of the profession or calling we choose in our lives, we should not just be good in what we do, we should be great, we should excel because excellence is the mark of a true leader.

But what really does it take to be a leader? Kinakailangan ba maingay, malakas magsalita, gwapo o maganda, para matawag na isang lider? A great leader should embody and practice CHANGE.

CHANGE

Competence – to effect change, you should first have the capability. How do you make yourself competent/capable? Continuous learning

Hope – Be positive! Believe that you can do it however great the odds maybe!

Ambition – It is not wrong to have an ambition; it propels you, it motivates you!

Network – Expand, make friends, establish linkages

Goal – Without a goal, you have no direction. Draw up your roadmap now and not tomorrow.! If you want to be something, prepare, do it now. Set targets for yourself. Plan ahead!

Excellence – Be great not just good! Give it your best in everything you do!

If you do all these things, then your transformation to being a leader has begun.

Again ano nga ulit yung formula natin? Leadership + Change = Progress! Ano nga ulit ibig sabihin ng CHANGE?

This is my recipe in charting my growth in the corporate world. And this is the same formula that I shall execute as I embark on a bigger challenge of giving something back to the community – leveraging on my capabilities, leveraging on my network in order to significantly contribute to the development and progress of Rinconada.

With this in mind, I established Go Rinconada Movement – a non-stock, non-profit socio-civic organization of Metro Manila and locally based professionals with the aim of contributing to the development and social upliftment of the people in the district. My vision is for the organization to be a catalyst for progress and positive social transformation in the district by :

Provide livelihood, skills-building, and employment opportunities through linkage with private companies, relevant government agencies and NGO's.
Promote education, literacy, and values-formation a mong the youth
Promote sound nutrition, health, and wellness among families
Develop the overall economy of the district by promoting business, investment, and tourism opportunities
Promote the preservation of Rinconada culture and history
Promote accountability, transparency, and good governance in public office

Barely 5 months since we founded the organization with youth leaders from the different towns, we feel that we have made a difference. We conducted relief goods distribution in Nabua and Buhi at the time of the flooding, we had medical and dental missions last April held simultaneously in Iriga, Baao, and Buhi. Next to be rolled out this July is a scholarship program for selected and deserving GRM youth members funded by contributions from GRM donors both local and overseas, and this October, a multi-purpose cooperative with micro-finance and livelihood components for qualified GRM members and their families.

Today, GRM membership is almost 1,000 and continues to grow with the youth as the core group. My vision is for GRM to be an umbrella NGO with a multisectoral component of private and business groups, women’s group, church, and other sectoral organizations in the district.

This is just a start, and the least that I can do to help.

As I end my talk today, let me give this simple advise:

We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are. Work hard. Take risks. Grab every opportunity that comes your way. If there is none, create one for yourself.

Kung di tayo ang kikilos, sino? Kung di ngayon, kelan pa? I invite the youth, JOIN ME in my journey! The jouney towards LEADERSHIP! The journey towards CHANGE! The journey towards PROGRESS!

Sana po nakapagbigay ako ng inspirasyon sa inyong lahat. Maraming salamat po at MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT!

(Text of speech given by Mr. Jay Magistrado Dimaiwat at the Youth Leaders’ Summit on June 28, 2008 in Iriga City)