Two Saturdays ago, I had a very interesting guest over our weekly radio program that features Filipino servant leaders over Radyo Veritas 846. His name is Boyet Dy, he was the student council president and the class valedictorian of the Ateneo de Manila University in 2006. Since his graduation, he has started working with the Team Energy Center for Bridging Societal Divides at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).

During our interview, Boyet told me that he and his friends decided to start a volunteer group called Duyan ng Giting (Cradle of Valor) which seeks to empower and encourage the Filipino youth to do their own share in making the country a better place for all of us.

What is admirable is that all of the people who are part of this very worthwhile organization are volunteers thus, they usually meet after office hours or during weekends. So while many young people are partying, shopping or hanging-out, the organizers of Duyan ng Giting have made it their mission to reach out to young Filipinos in the hopes of getting them to become catalysts of change for our country.

BEING POSITIVE

Recently, they launched a very innovative and laudable program called One Tama, which encourages every Filipino to do positive things to help our country.

The idea is to get people to do simple acts and do these acts together because by doing so you get to multiply the impact of that particular act.

Filipinos are then asked to share what acts they have done to help the country through their website which I highly encourage all of you to visit, onetama.com. Some of these actions that are suggested by their group include:

• Say “thank you’’ more often.
• Perform random acts of kindness to a stranger.
• Give your seat to an elderly passenger when riding the MRT or LRT.
• When traveling short distances, walk or use the bike.
• Pick up litter and put it in the garbage can.
• Stop crab mentality! Support each other.
• Stop spreading rumors.
• Show your teacher you appreciate him or her.
• Pray for all our Philippine leaders.
• Walk on the pedestrian lane and use the MMDA footbridge.
• Do things without an ulterior motive.
• Register for the upcoming 2010 elections.
• Don’t spit in public places.

There are more positive actions that the group and its members are suggesting that you can see in their website. The nice thing about One Tama is that you can also suggest actions that you think will help our country.

I agree with their slogan that actions are indeed spoken loudest when it is shared! More importantly, I believe that genuine change in our country will not happen just by electing a great President rather, I believe that if we want change to happen, we should all become part of that change.

One Tama is an invitation to become part of the change that we want to see in our country. Will you accept this invitation? I hope so.

*****

The Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government (ASOG) will host the 2nd Future Leaders of Asia Forum on Social Entrepreneurship on April 15-18. This forum is open to student leaders and their faculty advisers from all over the Philippines. For those who are interested to register and attend this forum, you can send an email to cheeneex@gmail.com.

For those who are interested to spend your summer vacation taking part in a worthy cause, Ashoka-Youth Venture is now looking for volunteers who can help in developing young social entrepreneurs all over the country. There will be an open house for those who are interested to know more about Ashoka-Youth Venture on April 25, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., at the Ateneo de Manila University. For information, call Tieza Santos at (02) 497-7614.