Hometown Hero

[photo source]||||||||||||[photo source]|||||||||||||[photo source]

[photo source]

I frequently attend seminars given by prominent political and business figures with my dad. He believes it is a good way for me to be exposed to the activities in the community. But none of these talks were as striking as those by Dr. Cecilio Pedro.

I've seen Dr. Pedro deliver a speech twice. One was during Tony Blair's visit in Manila and the other was during the PBSP (Philippine Business for Social Progress) seminar. He is an interesting and admirable orator not only because he is clever and humorous, but also because of the values he conveys. I never saw anyone who is so optimistic, patriotic and religious.

Most businessmen would fold up at the face of crisis but Dr. Pedro himself said that he loves such a situation. In fact, his company was born out of one. I admire his ability to see opportunities in crises and even if there are none, he still believes that threats could be turned to advantages. He keeps on saying that if you want to be an entrepreneur, you should have started yesterday. Such optimistic attitude is what every aspiring entrepreneur should have for them to keep on chasing their dreams despite overwhelming odds.

It is difficult to see what is good about the Philippines given the present condition of the nation. Poverty is on the rise, there are political disputes and taxes are incredibly high. At a glance, a business person would say that the Philippines is not a good place to invest. But attitude can sometimes make all the difference against statistical facts. Dr. Pedro has so much faith in the skills and talent of the Filipino people and what they can achieve. He believes that the Philippines is still the best place to invest because of its unique natural resources. And despite all of the political and economic crises that ravaged the nation, he still didn't think twice of moving his business elsewhere.

Above all, Dr. Pedro's devotion to God is what I admire the most. He puts his faith into practice and applies his duties as a Catholic into his business. Just look at his company's motto. He developed corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs not for the sake of gaining popularity but because he wants to answer God's call to be a Steward of His creation. His company plants trees inside their compound. They also employ deaf-mute staff because Dr. Pedro believes that any disability should not prevent people from having a livelihood.

The message he conveyed during those seminars made me reflect about my current attitude towards life and the direction I'm taking. I realized that I have lost my faith in my country and my countrymen. I have admired other countries so much for their achievements that I've forgotten our own. I've put too much blame on the government that I've forgotten my own shortcomings. I've forgotten how to surrender my self to God and obey without any doubt. But I don't want to simply wallow in shame for my behavior. I want to change. I want to be a better Filipino, a more responsible citizen and a more faithful Catholic.

Dr. Cecilio Pedro may not be the wealthiest man in the country like Henry Sy. He may not own a conglomerate like John Gokongwei. What he has is something greater. It is the power to change lives, motivate people to love their country and redirect them back to God. Dr. Cecilio Pedro can be an excellent role model for many.

Tony Blair in Manila

My dad and I went to Tony Blair's speech on the Leader as Principled Negotiator. Too bad my camera has a poor zoom function that's why Tony Blair cannot be seen clearly. One of the main sponsors was DLSU and they gave him an appreciation award and a school jacket. They probably heard the news that ADMU also gave an Ateneo jacket to Mr. Blair during his earlier speech at the Irwin Theater (ha ha). His talk in Ateneo was supposed to be an "invitation only" event but there were more of students than faculty, staff and alumni guests combined... so who were the lucky bastards who got invited? The ticket in Sofitel costs P1000 each but despite the crowd and traffic, it was all worth it. But of course it still feels different (and probably better) watching the event from your own alma mater (and it was probably free!)

Moving on to more important matters... Tony Blair's talk is about negotiation as the primary tool for leadership. Surprisingly, this kind of leadership is not limited to politics but also in business, social activities and the like. He said that problems are not solved through conflict or force but through dialogue and conversations (yes this comes from a man that declared war on Iraq). One must always be willing to engage in open conversation and negotiations with another party. Once dialogue is closed, how can a compromise be reached? With such topics being pointed out, I couldn't help but remember the Rorty's philosophy echoing in my memory. He said the same thing about continuous dialogue, a willingness to negotiate and reaching compromises. Tony Blair's description of leadership can be summarized in one word - courage. It is to have the courage to listen to the views of the opposition, the courage to question or even abandon your own stand and, yes, even the courage to continuously find resolutions despite the possibilities of failure. With this, I like to end with a line in his speech that struck me the most:

"What is forgivable is to fail but what is unforgivable is to not try at all" - Tony Blair