Community development and freemasonry

Media

Part of The Cabletow

Title: Community development and freemasonry
Language: English
Source: The Cabletow Volume XLIV (Issue No.1) January 1968
Year: 1968
Rights
Fulltext: Challenge and Relevance. . • e Community Development and Freemasonry Mr. Ricardo Labez • Address of Ricardo Labez, Public Relations Director, International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, before the Annual Convention of Masonic Lodges of Cavite held in Imus, Cavite, November SO, 1967. When I was asked, over the tele phone, about speaking here today, my impulse was to say no, I am not the man for you. I stopped to listen only when community development was mentioned as the subject you are interested in. It happens that community development, especially in the rural setting, is something I am willing to talk on anywhere. To be able to discuss it with Freemasons, I regard as a particular privilege. That we would do this in Imus, Ca vite clinched my acceptance. For Imus has a special meaning to me and to mv family. To me, because years ago — so many years ago he probably no longer remem bers it — your erstwhile mayor and the then governor of Cavite, Mr. Camerino, suggested that I come and see this great, historic province. Curiously, we met in Bacolod on one of those occasions when he was with the late President Quirino and I was there for our newspaper. The then Senator Montano, too, invited me, fully assuring me that, contrary to the general impression, this was a peaceful province. Perhaps both Mr. Camerino and Mr. Montano, the loyal and faithful Caviteiios that they are, will be hap py to know that I have come — I have become an adopted son of Ca vite and an active member of CASEDEC — and what is more, I bear per sonal testimony from my extensive travels and community development work in all three regions of the coun try that, indeed, Cavite is one of the most peaceful and certainly one of the most promising provinces. Cavite interests me for another reason — my wife was born here, in this very town of Imus. Her father, the late Col. Garma, was then PC provincial commander. Mrs. Gar ma was a public school teacher and I would not be surprised if some of you here were among her pupils. But, more than this, Col. Garma regarded as his greatest fortune that he belonged to Pilar Lodge and counted it his greatest honor that he had been given the privilege of serv ing it as worshipful master. Now, if all this is not enough to qualify me to appear before you, there is the additional fact that An dres Bonifacio, in whose honor to day is a holiday, started out as a commoner, in view of which per haps we can afford at least this day to be charitable to commoners, in cluding your speaker. This is not suggesting a comparison to the Great Plebian. I am only submitting that, now and then, it may be well for our leaders to turn to the common peo ple and listen to their common sense. The great lesson to be drawn from the life of Andres Bonifacio is that commoness is no bar to greatness. It is my humble understanding of your great order that Freemasonry is built on precisely this assumption. Another lesson from Andres Boni facio I am invoking is that of fearTwm to neat page JANUARY, 1968 lessness. Ordinarily, your VWB Pisig, the manly and military man he is, is to be feared; so when he said I should speak for 20 minutes to one hour, I interposed no objec tion, though usually I am good for not more than one-half that time. But, fear not. I will not have you standing out there in the scorching sun that long. In the spirit of '96, I shall defy Brother Pisig. With all due respect to him, I hardly think this is the time or place to discuss with any practical thoroughness, as he said I should, community develop ment and how Freemasons should get involved in it. My suggestions on that would be wiser given and bet ter received in each individual lodge. Brother Pisig prepared me for this address by pointing out that the prin cipal tenets of Freemasonry arc brotherly love, relief and truth. I should like to relate community development to them. In the modern context, community development, like rural reconstruct tion, is concerned with maximizing the efficacy and efficiency of the de mocratic process or, as the IIRR and PRRM put it, with “building de mocracy from the bottom up.” Its focus is on fundamental values and the right beginnings with people. The truth is that in a fundamental way you are being true to Freema sonry in your interest in community development. If Freemasonry is a system of morality, community de velopment is a system of community service. As pointed out by an United Nations expert on the subject, “Com munity development, pure and sim ple, is the improvement of local con ditions by the community’s own ef fort and industry, and not by some outside agency.” Therefore, in es sence it is brotherly love expressed in acts of giving relief to the needy. Scientifically thought out on the basis of observed and evaluated experience, this has brought emphasis on release — release of the potentialities of the people for economic productivity and social and political responsibility aimed at the balanced growth of the individual and the total development of the community. What is the truth about our com munities? How do our people meas ure up to the constitutional requisites of a good citizen — personal discip line, moral character, vocational effi ciency, civic conscience and the dis charge of the duties of citizenship? What is the truth about what each and everyone of us is doing about the nation’s shortcomings? What is the truth about the nation al leadership on those deficiencies? We are heartened by the spirit and sweep of administration efforts. The recent polls gave proof of the peo ple’s profound approval. Still, we must ask whether administrators would do their programs the same way if they had it entirely in them to decide on policies and procedures, let alone budget limitations and pres sures of politics. To be sure, there is much firing. What of strategic aiming? Are we reaching, hitting or missing our marks? Are the people cooperating enough with the government in ways they should ? The truth is that we do already have most of the blueprints neces sary for progress. Ours is not a prob lem of lacking know-how. Ours seems a simpler case of being short on do-it. Let us do what we can do for our selves — for our community — our country — the world. We can do what we determine we must do. In 1896, our national for bears felt they had to declare them selves politically free to maintain Tum to page 23 The Cabletow COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT... From pag* 4 their self-respect. They preferred certain death to continued subser vience to tyrannical foreign rule. If we are to achieve economic dignity in our day, we must be ready to suf fer and endure the temporary hard ships and privations of a principled, disciplined nation in transition. It is the price we must pay for what we want and what we want is worth it. Let no one deter us from the path of principled, disciplined action our forefathers wisely laid out for us to follow. We must not be short either of vision or of action. The little things the littlest among us do for the good of our country can be as the single candles that, lighted together, light up a whole length of darkness. What can each of us do to lighten the load of our leaders — to light up their way that their stewardship of our national independence may be a true one — brightening our corner of the world for peace and freedom? Let me congratulate you of the fra ternal order of Freemasons on your sterling example of soul-searching and service. The truth is that members of this great fraternity were not only among the first to sound the cry of revolution in our country’s early days, but were also among the first to em brace the cause of community develop ment and rural reconstruction in re cent years. Key to national development is not the sending of more workers to the rural areas but getting the people themselves to undertake development programs. Getting government serv ice to the people is but one task and the earnestness of our government on this is admitted. However, equally important, if not more fundamental in a free society, is finding democra tic and effective ways and means of inducing the |>cople into community development activity or development al efforts on their own initiative or largely on the principle of self-help. For the latter, volunteer, non-gov ernmental, private citizen example is demonstrably desirable. As has been observed, dedication, enthusiasm, idealism, energy and drive are the hallmarks of volunteerism, and as Dr. Yen of the IIRR has said, “Techni cal know-how can be taught, but the crusading spirit must be caught” — from those aflame with it. In the final analysis, what will build a na tion — any nation — will be in direct proportion to the spirit of the people generated and harnessed behind the national purpose. Today the ideal of freedom is un der crucial challenge mainly because it means nothing to one who is hun gry, homeless, hopeless. Only in ut ter hopelessness will a man lose faith in freedom, lose faith in himself, lose faith in God. Thus godlessness, the antithesis of Freemasonry, is usually the product of helplessness. More than a race to the planets in the universe, the ideological strug gle is a battle for economic supre macy on earth. That side will win that satisfies the stomach, wins the heart, excites the mind and strength ens man’s faith in his future. Let me suggest that community de velopment may have a real message for you, for it addresses itself in par ticular to those who wish to share but don’t know where; who can help but don’t know how; who for com munity service will volunteer — and eixlurc — because the cause of peace and freedom and brotherhood means that much to them. It is to the everlasting credit of Freemasonry that the first PRRM barrio in Cavite — Barrio Quintana in Trece Martires — was sponsored by the Grand Lodge of the PhilipTum fo next page JANUARY, 1968 23 pines. This was in 1957 or a full 10 years ago. Out of this joint ef fort a soil-brick barrio center was constructed, higher-yielding rice va rieties were introduced, and cultural revival begun. What has been started can be fol lowed through. This is your moment of truth. Let the truth be a firm commitment to community development. Let me suggest that the Cavite Socio-Economic Development Council offer strategic involvement. In all free communities, thera will always be political and personal dif ferences. Whatever they are in ours, let us remain united on the objectives and values we can agree on as citi zens of the Republic and, deeper than that, as sons and daughters of a Comnoil Creator. We may disagree on details — even on principles — but agree al ways we must on loyalty to country and community. Let us fight, as members of a family often do, but let no one take the family lightly. Or Cavite. Let it be said of everyone of us that we have both the ability to think and the courage to say what we think. But never let it be said of any of us that we did not know how to ap preciate the good in the worse of us. Be it on the international or on the local community level, the danger lies, not in our differences, but that, dif fering on non-fundamentals, we de stroy each other. Let us differ where we must, but let no differences tear us apart com pletely. As much as we may distrust or even despise another, let us recog nize the great truth that he remains, in the eyes of God, our brother. As such, let us never waver in the trying to understand him. Let there be true humility in our humanity. Let ours be a cry of reconsecra tion to God, country and community built on unity — liberty — fraternity. Unity in diversity. Liberty for all. Eraternity not lodged in the few but flowing out to the many. Brotherly love expressed in shared community development activity. Relief through release of human potentials. Truth to keep us free. A Knights of Rizal arriving at the Duneta, 7:00 AM, Dec. 30, 1967. Every gear the Knights commemorate the last journey of WB Jose Rizal from Fort San tiago where he was imprisoned to the Luneta where he was shot on Dec. 30, 1896. 24 The Cabletow