From Kabayan to Kabayani

There is now a highly conscious effort among the citizenry to effect the societal changes that they want without government or less government assistance.

This, I believe, is the right path to take.

Less government means less public funds to spend. More people participation means more growth in the democratic sector. The more people involved in nation-building, the greater chances are, of a speedy recovery of government.

People power people is a concept which sprung from the experiences of Filipinos in EDSA 1986. Former president Cory Aquino took part in this great enterprise. Her untimely death has not waned the people's desire to partake in Nation-building, however small those contributions are.

Atty. Alex Lacson's book " 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country" is a veritable new Filipino kartilla. It talks about how ordinary Filipinos can accomplish great things by doing small ones.

Every single Filipino doing these small ones must consider himself part of the great Patriotic enterprise. By doing your share in Nation-building, you automatically become a Patriot.

A Patriot, by transliteration, means "bayani". Bayani is not "hero" when transliterated in English. Our concept of a "bayani" is more akin to Patriot than hero. Besides, heroes, according to Western concepts, are usually people who does things in historical spurts. While Patriots are living heroes, always doing the right things as a Citizen every single day of their lives.

If you believe in this, it is now time for us to abandon calling our fellow Filipino "kabayan" since the concept just means "my fellow Filipino born in the Philippines, the land of our births".

It is time for us to call every Filipino "kabayani" or fellow Patriot or compatriot. We are all Patriots, all those who believe that the responsibility lies in every Filipino, not just with government, when Nation-building is involved.