Your mantra for the week: “I show my love of country by obeying its laws.”
Two weeks ago, our mantra was, “Everything is going right in my life.” This week, it would be appropriate to use the same phrase as some sort of a reminder for Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) week in Manila.
Say it to yourself again: “Everything is going right in my life.” And then look at your relationships and know that everything is going right.
Whoever has to be forgiven, you are forgiving. Whoever has to forgive you, is forgiving you now. And most of all, you are forgiving yourself for thinking that things were not right.
Your relationships are getting better and better every day. They are becoming more loving, more supportive, more nourishing. There is now perfect communication and everything you and your partner do together turns out right.
And you say to each person in your life, in your mind you say to each of them, everything is going right in your life. You see the good everywhere. You bring happiness wherever you go, and as you do, happiness finds you.
Through all the people in your life, your friends, your associates, your helpers, say to them in your mind: “Everything is going right in your life, for you are thinking right and noticing all the good that surrounds you.”
The truth is, you become what you notice. Notice all the beauty that surrounds you every day.
Note how healthy are the people who move around you— the people you meet, the people whose lives you touch. Observe how happy they are. Mark that every day, they are prospering and it gives you a sense of wonderfulness that everything is going right in their lives.
Notice that each person who touches your life succeeds. See how they are succeeding. Look how they are discovering all their talents, their abilities. Watch how intelligent they are becoming, how more aware, truly outstanding children of the universe.
Yes, everything is going right for them. You know this and you fully understand and are grateful that everything is going right in their lives. No matter what the appearances, when you see beyond these, you know everything is going right.
It may not seem so at the moment, but because you believe in your heart of hearts that everything is going right, you will see it unfold before your eyes—that, which you thought wasn’t right, was perfect after all.
You wake up every morning knowing that everything is going right in your life. You notice the sun shining in the sky and how beautiful it is—how much life it brings, how it makes things grow, how it prospers the earth. Behold how much beauty it brings as it rises and as it sets.
You go where your attention is. And so you follow all the prosperity that surrounds you wherever you go; you see that there is always a surplus of all that is good—so many trees, so much harvest, so many fruits and flowers, so many things to be grateful for. Indeed, everything is going right in all our lives.
Excelling
Twenty countries will convene in our paradisiacal Philippines on Wednesday and Thursday for the Apec.
Let us all, in our little way, show how wonderful we are as a people. We are known for our hospitality, our warmth, our talents and our beautiful women (two Miss Universes, five Miss Internationals and one Miss World). Not to mention, that our debonair gentlemen have won the hearts of the first Miss Universe, Finland’s Armi Kuusela, who married playboy businessman Virgilio Hilario; and the first Miss International, Columbia’s Stella Marquez, who exchanged vows with Jorge Araneta, scion of real estate mogul J. Amado Araneta.
Excellence
More seriously, we have demonstrated that we, too, are capable of excelling in various sports. We have boxing champions like Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire and, as early as 1923, Francisco Guilledo. Also, Flash Elorde in 1960.
In bowling, we have Paeng Nepomuceno, Bong Coo, Lita dela Rosa, Biboy Rivera and Christian Jan Suarez. In tennis, we have Felicisimo Ampon.
Of course, in billiards, we have Efren Reyes and three other world champions; in chess, Eugene Torre and 14 other grandmasters.
List of greats
In the classical arts, we can be proud of premier soprano Rachelle Gerodias, who has gained worldwide acclaim for her performances.
On piano, our list of greats includes Cecile Licad, Rowena Arrieta and Cultural Center of the Philippines president Raul Sunico. And in dance, we have prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde.
In musical theater, the multi-awarded Lea Salonga is outstanding; in pop, Charice Pempengco and Jessica Sanchez; and in current cinema, Brillante Mendoza and Francis Pasion, among other great filmmakers.
Inventors
We have Filipino inventors whose distinct contributions have made our lives better: Gregorio Zara and his two-way television telephone, his airplane engine that runs on alcohol, and the “Zara Effect” in electrical kinetic resistance; Dado Banatao, a byword in Silicon Valley for his single-chip graphical user interface accelerator; Alexis Belonio, Rolex awardee for his low-cost, environmentally-friendly rice husk stove.
Erythromycin was discovered by Ilonggo doctor/scientist Abelardo Aguilar but was never given credit by Eli Lilli Company in those pre-Apec years.
Rolando dela Cruz, in two separate competitions, won the top prize—first in 2000 when he was awarded for his Mole Remover, a formula that could remove moles or warts without leaving marks or hurting the patient; and in 2005, at the prestigious International Inventor’s Forum for his anticancer cream, a product intended to specifically fight skin cancer.
Francisco Quisumbing invented Quink Ink which was ultimately used by Parker pens.
Agapito Flores’ invention is the most familiar with humanity—the fluorescent bulb which General Electric (GE) bought and made millions from. Notice that the bulb carries the name of the inventor.
Our valedictorian
And, finally, from one of my closest friends, Dr. Baldomero “Toto” Olivera, our valedictorian at the UP Prep High School and summa cum laude graduate Bio Chemistry at UP Diliman: The title of “Harvard Scientist of the Year” in 2007 was bestowed on him for his discovery of toxins from cone snails that can be found only in the Philippines.
Through this research, the world will soon have a new product for pain control to end all painkillers.
Other inventions that may not have won awards but have gained worldwide recognition include the karaoke by Roberto del Rosario; Maria Ylagan’s banana catsup; and Eduardo Vazquez’s modular housing system.
All these achievements have made the world take notice of the Philippines. We are so unique that, even when we decide to have a revolution, we can come up with one that is peaceful. Through Edsa I, we have established a precedent in the world map of freedom fighters with no deadly weapons but carrying only flowers, prayer beads and lots of smiles.
The planet earth this coming week will have its eyes on the whole Philippines with its 7,107 islands, 17 regions, 80 provinces, 136 cities with its 300,000 sq km of land and over 100 million Filipinos.
Heads of state will be our visitors. Let us show the world what the Filipino is truly like— upright, disciplined, respectful, intelligent, generous, fun loving, exuding warmth like its climate and always ready to share a kind of smile that one cannot help but share with others.
Ang galing ng Pinoy. Talagang malaki ang A-pec (pardon the pun) sa mundo.