An inspiring triumph that was awaited for decades
Published May 17, 2022 12:05 am
FINDING ANSWERS
Former Senator
Atty. Joey Lina It took 36 long years or almost half a lifetime to pull off a truly spectacular feat. I’m referring to the UP Fighting Maroons, the newly-crowned UAAP champion. It was a phenomenal display of unbridled passion, deep pride, and infinite hope that engulfed basketball fans like me who share one thing in common: University of the Philippines is our alma mater and the roller coaster of emotions we went through last Friday was simply nerve-wracking. But when Joel Diomar “JD” Cagulangan sunk the game-winning three-pointer that broke the 69-all tie with half a second left in overtime, the thrill of victory was exhilarating. In an instant, our collective dream has come true. From being the perennial cellar-dweller in the premier collegiate basketball league, our beloved UP is again on top. The euphoria we felt as the UP Fighting Maroons finally dethroned the Ateneo Blue Eagles, which came so close to a four-peat win, was certainly unlike any other experienced earlier as we followed our alma mater’s fairy tale rise to the championship. Four years ago, we almost made it to the top. Yet, even if Ateneo eventually emerged champion in 2018, we still felt so proud then that we made it to the finals at last. To make a feel-good story even better, some even cautioned Ateneo to really watch out for UP which never lost the championship finals – only because 2018 was the first time UP entered the finals since 1986. But to finally become Numero Uno instead of being runner-up again is really ecstatic. Especially so because scores were so close all throughout that no team was certain of victory until the game was down to the last split second. The suspense was breathtaking as elderly alumni of both universities poured their hearts out as they cheered. But it was the frenzied display of emotion by young fans highly energized into cheering wildly for both schools that got me thinking again: What if the same passion is harnessed in pursuit of national development? Young Filipinos can indeed be a force to reckon with, being the largest sector of Philippine society, with hardly any vested interest to protect, with time on their side, with talent and potential to develop. When fully enlightened, motivated, inspired, and mobilized, the youth sector is the most formidable block of citizens that can change society. As I’ve written countless times before, our youth can be the prime mover in improving our nation’s quality of life. They can bring about an effective and honest government responsive to the pressing needs of the people. They can be the driving force to choose God-fearing, competent and compassionate leaders who have the right strategy to create jobs and livelihood for the people and bail out the country from poverty, injustice, underdevelopment, breakdown in peace and order, inequality, and other social ills. With present-day information technology, today’s youth can utilize powerful tools capable of reaching millions, influencing them with ideals and aspirations, and mobilizing them to act in unison to bring forth progress and truly effect critical positive change and renew the people’s faith in government. To dream is a privilege of the youth which they should never abandon, lest they lose their youthfulness with the sense of idealism it entails. The Filipino youth, to be the hope of the fatherland as prophezied by our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, ought to dream big — of a better place, a more developed country, an egalitarian society. With the millennial generation already making its presence felt in the public discourse, there is no doubt that youth empowerment is alive. There can be so much hope that positive change for the country would be achieved with the youth playing a vital role in national transformation leading to a better quality of life for all Filipinos. I call on today’s youth to push forward, not just as fans or followers of basketball teams, but as leaders and influencers to usher in positive change. Use social media in an effective manner. Use the power of technology not just for play or self-interests, but harness it to make your generation an informed, organized and significant power base to achieve full progress for our country. Email: [email protected]
Former SenatorAtty. Joey Lina It took 36 long years or almost half a lifetime to pull off a truly spectacular feat. I’m referring to the UP Fighting Maroons, the newly-crowned UAAP champion. It was a phenomenal display of unbridled passion, deep pride, and infinite hope that engulfed basketball fans like me who share one thing in common: University of the Philippines is our alma mater and the roller coaster of emotions we went through last Friday was simply nerve-wracking. But when Joel Diomar “JD” Cagulangan sunk the game-winning three-pointer that broke the 69-all tie with half a second left in overtime, the thrill of victory was exhilarating. In an instant, our collective dream has come true. From being the perennial cellar-dweller in the premier collegiate basketball league, our beloved UP is again on top. The euphoria we felt as the UP Fighting Maroons finally dethroned the Ateneo Blue Eagles, which came so close to a four-peat win, was certainly unlike any other experienced earlier as we followed our alma mater’s fairy tale rise to the championship. Four years ago, we almost made it to the top. Yet, even if Ateneo eventually emerged champion in 2018, we still felt so proud then that we made it to the finals at last. To make a feel-good story even better, some even cautioned Ateneo to really watch out for UP which never lost the championship finals – only because 2018 was the first time UP entered the finals since 1986. But to finally become Numero Uno instead of being runner-up again is really ecstatic. Especially so because scores were so close all throughout that no team was certain of victory until the game was down to the last split second. The suspense was breathtaking as elderly alumni of both universities poured their hearts out as they cheered. But it was the frenzied display of emotion by young fans highly energized into cheering wildly for both schools that got me thinking again: What if the same passion is harnessed in pursuit of national development? Young Filipinos can indeed be a force to reckon with, being the largest sector of Philippine society, with hardly any vested interest to protect, with time on their side, with talent and potential to develop. When fully enlightened, motivated, inspired, and mobilized, the youth sector is the most formidable block of citizens that can change society. As I’ve written countless times before, our youth can be the prime mover in improving our nation’s quality of life. They can bring about an effective and honest government responsive to the pressing needs of the people. They can be the driving force to choose God-fearing, competent and compassionate leaders who have the right strategy to create jobs and livelihood for the people and bail out the country from poverty, injustice, underdevelopment, breakdown in peace and order, inequality, and other social ills. With present-day information technology, today’s youth can utilize powerful tools capable of reaching millions, influencing them with ideals and aspirations, and mobilizing them to act in unison to bring forth progress and truly effect critical positive change and renew the people’s faith in government. To dream is a privilege of the youth which they should never abandon, lest they lose their youthfulness with the sense of idealism it entails. The Filipino youth, to be the hope of the fatherland as prophezied by our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, ought to dream big — of a better place, a more developed country, an egalitarian society. With the millennial generation already making its presence felt in the public discourse, there is no doubt that youth empowerment is alive. There can be so much hope that positive change for the country would be achieved with the youth playing a vital role in national transformation leading to a better quality of life for all Filipinos. I call on today’s youth to push forward, not just as fans or followers of basketball teams, but as leaders and influencers to usher in positive change. Use social media in an effective manner. Use the power of technology not just for play or self-interests, but harness it to make your generation an informed, organized and significant power base to achieve full progress for our country. Email: [email protected]