PAGBABAGO               Dr. Florangel Rosario Braid I thought that there was a show of great fervor and enthusiasm by the people during last Monday’s celebration of the 157^th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio. Or could it be just my own perception, having been in solitary quarantine for some 9 months, and watching Netflix shows like the Turkish series “Resurrection” and the like? I passed on posts such as the musical rendition of our Supremo’s “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa” by the late Karina Constantino and Becky Abraham on Facebook and it was shared with others. One positive effect of this lengthy lockdown is that many of us were able to  reflect and  examine our values and priorities. And are forced to slow down and simplify our lives as well. In a way, COVID-19 has turned our lives towards what others describe as “undergrowth” or “de-growth.” And with it, a return to the community and its values of sharing, trust, and faith in our own capacities. Hopefully, we could find the way out of this present divisiveness. A recommended reading as it shows some clear path towards a desired future is “A Sense of Nationhood, the Bobby Tanada Reader, which is a collection of 34 speeches delivered by the author  over the span of three decades. Almost as resolute in protecting the country’s freedom and independence  as our past heroes, Senator Bobby had eloquently spoken on crucial issues of the day – sovereignty, an independent foreign policy, peace-building, , human rights, social justice, and Charter change. What is shown here is a relentless advocacy in the  pursuit of one’s beliefs. In his Preface, he narrates how he entered public service, a calling he served for nearly five decades. The first one started in March, 1986 when he reluctantly accepted President Cory’s offer to become Commissioner of Customs. Subsequently, he ran for the legislature where he served as a senator and later, a congressman. Throughout his tenure, he focused on  the formulation and implementation of an independent foreign policy that allowed the country and the Filipinos to become participants in the understanding and application of science and technology in industrializing  the economy. An  independent foreign policy must dispel distrust of country, he said. Thus, he  encouragedopportunities for cultural exchange. An imperative of a just peace that is durable is based on the pursuit of social justice, and an economic paradigm that puts the country’s interests ad people’s well-being above all else, he further noted. He said No many a time – to the US military bases and nuclear weapons, to “vigilante” groups, to the re-imposition of the death penalty, to foreign land ownership, to Charter Change, privatization, deregulation, and neoliberalism. And Yes, to healing, uniting, and rebuilding our divided nation by building people’s confidence and sense of dignity; Yes to  Trade Alliance, a well-rounded industrialization program based on the optimum use of our human and natural resources and the full development of the domestic market, protecting rights of farmers through the coconut levy and the marginalized through schemes like Conditional Cash Transfer and winning the fight against poverty through  an integrated approach to rice self-sufficiency, enhancing productivity of the agriculture sector, and rehabilitating the fisheries resources. Although Senator Bobby may have been discouraged at times  with what we continue to see up to these days – human rights violations, injustices, greed, and inequalities – he never succumbed to hopelessness. In fact, this is what he noted in his dedication:  We will get there! May bukas pa! My e-mail, [email protected]