Remember Cory the Cory Way: Ang Laban ni Cory

We grieve because today will be the last time that we will see Cory. We grieve because deep in our hearts, we real­ized that we just lost a great soul.

Yes, some of us prob­a­bly do not agree with her pol­i­tics. Some would even say that her admin­is­tra­tion was a fail­ure. Yet, we all agree that, in that moment in our His­tory, we were led by some­one who exem­pli­fied what the Fil­ipino really stands for.

We stand for full wor­ship and faith with God. Cory was every­thing Fil­ipino. Some of us would say, Cory has this near fatal­is­tic atti­tude, sim­i­lar to many of us. Yet, every­one agrees that, Cory was never a fatal­ist. Her strong faith in God was what made her utter words that every­one, espe­cially those who face tough­est chal­lenges, nor­mally invoke, ” Bahala na”.

We are nat­ural Samar­i­tans. Inher­ent within us is that genetic char­ac­ter of help­ing oth­ers in need. Cory was the First among us to do the right things.

We are an hon­est and hon­or­able peo­ple. And we always do the right things.

Today, we bid farewell to the one per­son that, through her life, taught us how to really live. We say our good­byes to a per­son who, through her own life, directed us to do good things and with excel­lence. We say our final greet­ings to a per­son who taught us that being Fil­ipino is never shame­ful and what we must be ashamed of is if we for­get our “Filipino-ness” and allowed evil to reign.

We, who are left here, must do the right thing---act with dispatch and correct the wrongs of History. It is our fate as a united Nation to fight those who continues to promote evil like this regime.

Today, I write the learn­ings I believe God wanted us to know from Cory’s exam­ple. Remem­ber her by being like her. In our own sim­ple ways, do things, the Cory Way.

Kartilya ni Tita Cory (The Cory Way)

1. Mahalin natin ang Dios ng higit sa ating sar­ili. (Love God above oneself)

2. Tulun­gan natin ang ating kapwa-tao bilang pagsamba sa Dios. ( Wor­ship God by help­ing others.)

3. Mag­bi­gay galang sa ating mga mag­u­lang at sa mga nakatatanda sa atin. (Respect one’s par­ents and those who are ahead of us in age.)

4. Igalang natin ang ating kapwa gaya ng pag­galang natin sa ating Dios at sa ating sar­ili. (Respect oth­ers as we respect our God and our own selves.)

5. Gawin natin ng tama at may husay ang mga bagay na ating ipinan­gakong gagawin. (Do all the right things we vowed to do and with excellence)

6. Gawin natin ang tama at makatarun­gan sa kabila ng kasamaan. (Do the right things and justly inspite of evil.)

7. Mag­ing ilaw tayo sa mga taong nalil­i­his ng lan­das. (Be the Light for others.)

8. Kung tayo’y manunungku­lan sa ser­bisyo ng Inang Bayan, gawin natin ang karapat-dapat nang walang pagi­im­bot at may tibay sa kat­a­p­atan. (If we serve the Moth­er­land, do the right things with utmost resolve and honesty.)

9. Kung tayo’y nasasa pam­pub­likong pasyalan, huwag nat­ing pitasin ni isang talu­lot ng bulak­lak. (If we go to pub­lic parks, do not even pluck a petal from a flower.)

10. Mag­ing dak­ila sa pag­gawa ng kabu­ti­han at ialay natin ang ating mga sar­ili sa paglil­ingkod sa nakararami. (Honor your­self by doing good and sac­ri­fice your­self to the ser­vice of the People.)

11. Sundin natin ang tama at makatarun­gan at talik­dan ang mga bagay na makasasama sa karami­han. (Obey what is right and just and deter from doing bad things that might harm others.)

12. Itama natin ang mali at gaw­ing tama ang pag­gawa ng katarun­gan sa lahat ng pana­hon. Labanan ang mga mapang-api at mga nang-aalipin.( Rec­tify the wrongs and it is always right to do things with jus­tice every sin­gle time. Fight the oppressors and those who enslave us.)