The Pearl Principle
As a young man, I carry with me what many older people would usually call “idealism”. They define it as “innocence”, something which, according to them, has to be abandoned in order to survive the “real” world. They abandon it in exchange for a paradigm which they call “practical”. Without knowing it, they eat cynicism, apathy, fear, hate and boxed-up thinking for breakfast. I refuse to abandon idealism. I refuse to embrace their paradigm. I never went wrong with my idealism, and I don’t intend to go wrong now. Idealism reminds me that good always trumps evil. It makes me see truth and love as something that could defy everything—that there can be no boundaries. Idealism, therefore, is something I am very proud of. It is the reason why I am passionate. It is a fire I will light within me forever.
Our country needs this fire burning within the hearts of each of its citizens. This fire will make them furious to know that their country is the least competitive country in Southeast Asia (World Competitiveness Scoreboard 2009), and ranks a dismal 71st place out of 125 countries (2009 Global Competitiveness Report) on account of, among others, insufficient infrastructure, lower productivity and efficiency, and deteriorating quality of education. This fire will make them break the chain of betrayal by our leaders. They will say “no more to corruption and poverty!”
The Pearl Principle, as a national philosophy, can light this fire within each Filipino, and lead us to the path of recovery. We will discover not a new Philippines, but the true Philippines—a land whose veil no hopelessness can pierce.
As a young man, I carry with me what many older people would usually call “idealism”. They define it as “innocence”, something which, according to them, has to be abandoned in order to survive the “real” world. They abandon it in exchange for a paradigm which they call “practical”. Without knowing it, they eat cynicism, apathy, fear, hate and boxed-up thinking for breakfast. I refuse to abandon idealism. I refuse to embrace their paradigm. I never went wrong with my idealism, and I don’t intend to go wrong now. Idealism reminds me that good always trumps evil. It makes me see truth and love as something that could defy everything—that there can be no boundaries. Idealism, therefore, is something I am very proud of. It is the reason why I am passionate. It is a fire I will light within me forever.
Our country needs this fire burning within the hearts of each of its citizens. This fire will make them furious to know that their country is the least competitive country in Southeast Asia (World Competitiveness Scoreboard 2009), and ranks a dismal 71st place out of 125 countries (2009 Global Competitiveness Report) on account of, among others, insufficient infrastructure, lower productivity and efficiency, and deteriorating quality of education. This fire will make them break the chain of betrayal by our leaders. They will say “no more to corruption and poverty!”
The Pearl Principle, as a national philosophy, can light this fire within each Filipino, and lead us to the path of recovery. We will discover not a new Philippines, but the true Philippines—a land whose veil no hopelessness can pierce.
The Legend of the Pearl of the Orient
The first stanza of our national anthem, Lupang Hinirang, goes “Bayang magiliw,Perlas ng Silanganan, Alab ng puso, Sa dibdib mo'y buhay.” This is embedded in our national anthem and our countrymen sing this all the time, yet they do not know exactly how we came to be known as “The Pearl of The Orient Seas” in a historical and cultural sense. The Legend of Pearl of the Orient lets each Filipino discover “why”, by relating the historical events and folktale handed down from generation to generation.
The Pearl Principle, shared with the story of The Pearl of the Orient, can be the guiding principle of our country. Its alternative title is The Little Blue Book, just like China’s Mao Zedong’s The Little Red Book, coined by the West for its pocket-sized edition for easy carrying. While The Little Red Book is aimed at transforming Chinese society, The Little Blue Book is aimed at transforming Philippine society.
In our beloved motherland lies a new era—an era in which Filipino workers, students, teachers and leaders embrace The Pearl Principle. Once The Pearl Principle is adopted by more and more Filipinos, there is created an inexhaustible source of strength and a passion capsule of infinite power. It will revolutionize our people's thinking. It is my hope that every Filipino will embrace the Pearl Principle and bring about a new nation-wide high tide in the application of The Pearl Principle, and strive to bring our country to its true state—the great and magnificent country—The Pearl of the Orient.
The Pearl Principle, shared with the story of The Pearl of the Orient, can be the guiding principle of our country. Its alternative title is The Little Blue Book, just like China’s Mao Zedong’s The Little Red Book, coined by the West for its pocket-sized edition for easy carrying. While The Little Red Book is aimed at transforming Chinese society, The Little Blue Book is aimed at transforming Philippine society.
In our beloved motherland lies a new era—an era in which Filipino workers, students, teachers and leaders embrace The Pearl Principle. Once The Pearl Principle is adopted by more and more Filipinos, there is created an inexhaustible source of strength and a passion capsule of infinite power. It will revolutionize our people's thinking. It is my hope that every Filipino will embrace the Pearl Principle and bring about a new nation-wide high tide in the application of The Pearl Principle, and strive to bring our country to its true state—the great and magnificent country—The Pearl of the Orient.
Know More About The Pearl Principle
I therefore call on every Filipino to read about the Pearl Principle authored by Prof. Nelia Cruz Sarcol. Our country can go a long way if every one just takes to heart said principle.
Lighting the Fire Within,
Chris Lao
Member, Sphere of Influence
Special Projects Officer, Centre for International Education (CIE)
To know more about The Pearl Principle, visit http://www.cie.edu/, http://pearlprinciple.blogspot.com/, or you may visit Centre for International Education (CIE):
Makati Extension Campus
Gold Tower, Palanca Street,
Legazpi Village, Makati City,
Philippines
Call: (032) 888-0909
CIE Main Campus
168 Pres. Magsaysay St.,
KasambaganCebu City,
Philippines
Call: (032) 412-7622CIE
thanks for the sharing..
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