Lead a clean and frugal life. Do not indulge in frivolity or pretense. Be simple in your dress and modest in your behavior

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Part of Code of ethics submitted to the president of the Philippines

Title: Lead a clean and frugal life. Do not indulge in frivolity or pretense. Be simple in your dress and modest in your behavior
Language: English
Source: Code of Ethics submitted to the President of the Philippines
Year: 1940
Rights
Fulltext: Pedro Cui of Cebu was not content with helping the poor and contributing liberally to the cause of the Revolution during his life time. On his death, he donated one-half of hi's fortune valued at 6ne million pesos to the Ho~picio de San Jose of Earili, which still exists to give refuge, food and clothing to invalid ' natives of Barili, Dumangas, -Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Carcar, Aloguinsan, Pinamufigahan, Toledo, Balamban, all of 1 the province ef Cebu; and to maintain permanently three fe1lo\vships for poor students of both ·sexes ,; ho are · natives of Cebu; one in the Cebu Hfgh School, anotller in the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines, and the other in the School 9f Pharmacy of the 'Same Unive1·sity. In the University of the · Phjlippines, ,there also exist several scholarships for poor students, notable among which are the Limjap scholarships in engineering and the , Bailon-De la Rama scholarships in medicine and other profes'Sions. . Charity is manifested in kind deeds by men whether endowed or not with material wealth. In the Katipunan Prime,., we are told that, "To do good for some personal motive and not because of a true desire to do good is not virtue." As Jacinto exp·ressed it, "From love and helpfulness for our fellow-men spring sincerity and charity, that beautiful flower of the heart, that gentle and sweet balm of the unfortunate." Be oourteous but dignified.- Ignacio Villamor said: "Courtesy gains all and costs nothing. This is a truth especially applicable to our country where everything can be obtained through politeness; that is, where the manner counts far more than the strength. Often, good words spoken with • kindness convince better than good argument1s uttered with arrogant petulance. "Courtesy, politeness, right conduct are those acts which make our relations ·with our fellow-beings pleasant. They are the expressions of good education, and good education is just .as essential to the man of high position a!s it is to the ordinary man as well as to everyone else who lives in society." It is · simple courtesy and not slavishness for the people to show respect and consideration for the men whom they themselv~s have elevated to high positions in the government. As Jacinto tersely puts it, "Do not let anyone believe that the equality proclaimed is contrary ·to the respect due all authority governing the people; no, this preeminence, which was created .by the people, the people respect; but the representative of the authOrity, as a man, is a man just like the rest." IX. LEAD A CLEAN AND FRUGAL LIFE. DO NOT INDULGE IN FRIVOLITY OR PRETENSE. . BE SIMPLE IN YOUR DRESS AND MODEST IN YOUR BEHAVIOR. Cleanlines's is next to .godliness. Life 1 is more than a gift,-it is a trust which we must not ·abuse. We owe it to our 'C1·eator to conserve life and that we can do only by observing clean habits, both o:l\ mind and body. Cleanliness is closely associated with frugality. Frugality means the simple . life, -both physically and moraily. In its material a'Spect', it means bodily health· and ~on servation of wealth and energy. From the spiritual standpoint, it means modesty of conduct, cleanliness of thought and speech, refinement of taste and behavior. ' Rizal amply demonstrated this two fold development. When he was a boy he was sickly, but his. uncle Manuel developed his physique until he had ·a supple body of silk and 'steel although he .did not entirely lose his somewhat delicate looks, According to Retana, "Rizal .altliough slim in build, and with an appearance that did not show g'reat energy, yet showed extraordinary vigor and dexterity. From the time he was a child he was given to gymnastics which he perfected during his stay Jn Japan. From that time on he became some sort of an acrobat and daily exercised according to Japanese methods. He was well-to-do but he did not waste his time in frivolity, because it would undermine not only his health but also his character. In comparing him with other youths who .went to Europe, Tavera said: "The young men who leftl the Philippines to go to Em·ope did. so in compliance· with the will of their elders when they undertook · the voyage for educational pmposes, or on th'eir own initiative when their purpose was to see the world and have a good time,. Rizal desired to go to ' Europe \n order to educate him·self, to become mo1·e useful to his people. He was not moved by the wish to have a good time .and to enjoy . life." In a letter to Mariano Ponce dated at L0ndon, June 27, 1888, Rizal expressed a • becoming modesty PAGE 14 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW SUPPLEMENT . "";" ~ when he i;eferred · to the manner in1 which he was being idolized eveq by foreigners for the publication of his Noli Me Tangere: ," I am .not immortal nor invulnerable, and my greatest joy would be to see myself eclipse.a by a group of my countrymen at the hour of my death." He wekomed criticism. In another letter to Ponce dated at Hongkong, May 23, 1892, wherein he asked to be furnished with clippings containing attacks again1 st him, he s~id.: " .. . for I am interested in knowing what they write against me because sometimes tliere al'e truths that are profitable. I have always wanted to hear attacks because they. improve bim who wishes to ~mprove himself." · Mabini was thrift and modesty exemplified. Raymundo Alindaqa in who'se college Mabini taught to partly defray the exl/enses of his law 1 studies, sPeaks of him thus: "His extreme fondnes for study, t~ which he devoted himself with edifying earnestness, availing with undiminished vigor, of every leisure time, by day as well as by night, afforded by his duties as aspirrinte de Hacienda and as assi• atant professor in my College, filled me with admiratfon .. . Never during this period of ·time was he seen to take pa1-t in games and indecent jokes, or to frequent places of dissipation, or to allow the shortcomings of others recounte0d in his presence. The'se are points which I do not want to omit because of the ·brilliant evidence afforded by them in forming an idea of him." Rafael Palma sums up the modesty of Mabini and the simplicity of his manners as follows: "Ji'e?"emberin_g his humble o'rigin, he always preserved a plain modesty and a delightful simplicity of manners. Even dUl'ing the days of hi•s greatest intimacy with Aguinaldo, he neither grew conceited nor felt the giddiness of the heights. · He appeared to his former ·childhood friends with the same affability and familiarity of old and he never tried to put distance between himself and his fellow-man, however humble he .may be, by reason of his high position." Cayetano S. Arellano, famed Filipino jurist, was likewise the embddiment of simplicity and mode~ty. He rose from humble beginnings to become the first Chief J ustice of the' Supreme Court of the Philippines under the American regime. He entered the Colegio de San Juan de Letran at the age of five as an ag1·aciado so that he could finish his primary and secondary courses. He never indulged ip. exti·avaganCe or frivolity though he could well afford the luxuries of life in later years. He continued to be si~1ple in his dress, and unassuming in his behavior. His exemplary moral rectitude , was manifested in his spotless private life and official conduct. Of such a type also was Librada Avelino, founder and directress of the Centro E.scolar de Senoritas, later Centro Escolar Unive1'Sity, largest and most successful college for young women in her time. Ifl w~iting the stm-y of her life ber biographers conf~ssed that one of their fundamental aims waS "to honor in a modest way the life of a woman who was herself the very soul of modeaty, but who had accomplished so much for her people in the field of education." "Here is a woman,'.' they said, "without hypocrisies and superficialities. Wnile it was the fashion of the dal' for ~omen to be timid, to be full of sighs ... this little teacher o. f powerful eyes and serene countenance remained natural, quiet, and preserved a moral fortitude which influenced those with ' whom she came in conJ;act. 'She was devoid of all affectation in her manners. Neither was she of a showy sort of disposition, nor was she a· woman fond of1d.isplaying that literary erudition and vast cultµre that by right was hers,-a temptation hard to resi•st in those d~ys when a self-educated woman was considernd a pher nomenon, constituting the subject of conversation in social circles." Frugality and modesty are also conducive to 'personal and material well-being. In Julian . Mercado of the eastern coast of Leyte, we have an. example of a. simple man who built a fortune on a foundation ' of thrift. He was a musician when he y.va'S not busy as a fisherman. When he finally became on~ of the wealthiest men in' his province, he never gave up his habits of simplicity and moderation. While he sat to eat his usual dish of rice and fried dried fish fo1· breakfast, some one criticized his e<;onomy. "My dear friend," the rich man replied, "it i's better to eat that \Vhich is familiar to me and which gives me health and strength than those delicacies which shorten life and energy." Mariano Pamintuan of Pampanga who, although' he possessed only the rudiments of reading and writing, ca~ie to accumulate one of the largest fortunes in his province, was so thrifty that in spite of his ample mean1S, now and then he would caution his student son: "Don't spend more than you can earn." Juan Sison of Pangasinan was, because of his thrjft and business acumen, able to ~onve1:t the • small inTHE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW SUPPLEMENT PAGE 15 heritance which he i·eceived f1·om his parents into vast property holdings. He never boasted of his riches and with exemplary modesty' he presented himself with the same eimplicity and poverty to which he was accustomed before he became rich. · In common with Rizal, Mahini, Arellano, and Librada Avelino, we should lead .a life of modesty and moderation; and like Julian Mercado, Mariano Pamintuan and Juan Sison, a life of frugality and simplicity. x. < LIVE UP TO. THE NOBLE TRADITIONS OF OUR PEOPLE. VENERATE T~E MEMORY OF OUR HEROES. THEIR LIVES POINT THE WAY TO DUTY AND HONOR. · A nation will not long endure if it is wrought in the midst of foreign and , exotic · ideals. Just as a tree will not grow up straight, 'strong and luxuriant, unless it is native to the soil and air so a nation will not assume girth and strength unless its roots are planted deep into its own past and its soul is nourished by its own tradition's. This does not mean that we should reject everything that is · not Filipino but it does mean that we' should discard that false concept that everything foreign must be good and, therefore, must be imitated. We must u'Se discrimination and prudence in adopting foreipi models. If we have to follow foreign ' patterns, we should blend them with our own customs, traditions and ideals, purifying them first of .whatever grossness or imperfection they may be afflicted with. Paraphrasing the language of President Lopez of the Federated Government of the Bisayas, asserting the authority of the Central Government of Malolos in defiance of the forces of Ame1~ican occupation on January .'9. 1899: Filipino nationality is founded on the sacred bonds . of blood, customs, ideals and common sacrifice·s. _ The possession of a common imperishable tradition is' the most poten,t of all factors in nation-moulding. The essence of nationality is sentiment. It is pride and glory in a common inheritance \Vhich strengthens the bonds of union. Our national heroe'S embody the character and ideals of our country. Their memory should thrill us with the spirit of emulation. The recollection of their glorious deeds should ser ve to rekindle. in our hear ts the love for freedom. The veneration of our heroes implies our recognition that in playing their part, they did with courage and wisdom what their patriotic duty dictated them to do; it means also that in playing our part we assume the obligation to do in the light of present condition's what our heroes would do if they were alive. Each epoch has its own i·esponsibilities. It behooves us now to discharge ours, with the same honor and dignity with which our ~eaders of the past discharged theirs. With virility and courage and with unswerving resolve, we must safeguard our magnificent national heritage, for our future li~s not in slavish imitations of ·foreign ideals but in our native qualities, and in the "composite voices of our great heroes that once trod our soil."• XI. BE INDUSTRIOUS. BE NOT AFRAID OR ASHAMED TO DO MANUAL LABOR. PRODUCTIVE TOIL IS CONDUCIVE TO ECONOMIC SECURITY AND ADDS TO THE WEALTH OF THE NATION. L:fe is work. . Man perfects himself by, working. Man reinforces himself by industry. Great ends· necessarily demand great labor. There is virtue in the spade and in the hoe. There is a'S much nobility in plowing the field as in writing on philosophy. . Labor leads the m'ind of men to serious things; it sharpens the mind of men by study; it inspires manly vigor by exercise and discipline; and, it leads to the intense cultivation of land, so essential to the life of an agricultural nation. By labor, by work, by industry, jungles are cleared, barren lands are made to yield, fair fields arise, and stately cities born. Emilio Jacinto said: ... Many are ashamed to work, principally the wealthy, the powerful, and the learned who make a vain show of that which they style the comforts of life or corporal well-being. "And they finish in the mire, leading a miserable and abject life that tends to bring about the destruction of the human race. PAGE 16 • T '1TI" THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW SUPPLEMENT
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