Transitioning between adolescence and adulthood, I experienced and witnessed many twists and turns in culture and society. The ‘twist’ was the dance craze on television; the then newly built Araneta Coliseum was the venue for a contest to choose the best dancing couple.

When the decade of the seventies began, I was a freshman at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Due to my Catholic school upbringing, I joined the UP Student Catholic Action (UPSCA). Two years later, I found myself in the company of national-democratic activists denouncing the triad evils of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism.

Fast forward to last week’s 40th celebration of EDSA People Power: on the eve of the event, I devoted myself to writing an editorial on its current significance, by reflecting on past lessons learned.

Past my MBA schooling years, Yvonne Elliman’s Moment by Moment became a favorite song: “Though our love is like a winding road of uncertainty/ Moment by moment, our lifetime goes on/ Till one day, oh, some days are gone…”

Indeed, time seems to have flown at a fast and furious pace even if, truly, we live and experience it one day at a time.

What will the future hold for my eight year old grandson who will be a third grader in a few months?

I could only wish that like his parents, he will also learn many valuable life-lessons along the way, while being spared from severe and brutal crackdowns such as those that our cohort of activists experienced.

On Valentine’s Day two weeks ago, my former Cabinet colleague and esteemed friend, Dr. Jesus P. Estanislao, chairman of the Center for Excellence in Governance, wrote a thought-provoking essay on A Way Out of Our Crisis: A Perspective for Ordinary Filipinos.

I am taking the liberty of sharing here some key excerpts:

“When government fails to lead, citizens must step up. This is why the idea of a national multi-sector governance council matters. Such a council—made up of respected, non-partisan citizens from different sectors—can help guide a long-term national transformation. It can coordinate efforts across government, business, civil society, and communities. This is not about politics. It is about responsible citizenship.

“Where do we begin? We begin by calling on ordinary Filipinos who feel lost, betrayed, and discouraged. The call is simple but demanding: be part of the solution. Live by the core values our laws already recognize—maka-Diyos, maka-Tao, maka-Kalikasan, at maka-Bansa (or pro-God, pro-People, pro-Environment and Nature).

“These values must stop being mere words recited in ceremonies. They must shape how we live, work, and relate to others every day—at home, in offices, in schools, and in our communities. Our values and our daily actions must become one.

“Institutions do have a crucial role to play in promoting the observance of core values, Companies, government agencies, cooperatives, schools, and civil society organizations must pursue their own transformation programs, grounded in values. As they form employees and leaders, they must connect institutional values with national values. This is what the crisis demands of every institution today…

“To succeed, we must focus on three national priorities: 1. Social equity – giving the poor real opportunities to rise permanently out of poverty; 2. Productivity – fixing broken processes, using technology wisely, and removing corruption-prone bottlenecks; and 3. Growth – unlocking the full value of our natural, human, and financial resources.

“This crisis should not paralyze us. It should push us to act. Even without ideal national leadership, we can move forward—through values-driven institutions, citizen solidarity, and coordinated governance. If we do this together, we can turn today’s crisis into an opportunity for laying the foundation for our Dream Philippines, as we journey toward 2046, the centennial of our independence as a Republic.”

By 2046, my grandson will be 29 years old. If the Dream Philippines vision has been attained substantially by then, he and his cohorts — like their parents — would have been spared the ordeal and tribulation endured by my generation of First Quarter Storm activists.

That is why the Benedictine motto Ora et Labora, or Pray and Work, is worth adopting as a guidepost for life anchored on faith and devoted to the betterment of one’s community and country.