Rely on your own efforts for your progress and happiness. Be not easily discouraged. Persevere in the pursuit of your legitimate ambitions

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

Title: Rely on your own efforts for your progress and happiness. Be not easily discouraged. Persevere in the pursuit of your legitimate ambitions
Language: English
Source: Code of Ethics submitted to the President of the Philippines
Year: 1940
Rights
Fulltext: loused hands 0£ labor. We should not allo.w our muscles to be atrophied by ·· indolence. Men are sent to this world not to stand the whole day idle, but to go forth to work and to l~bor until evening, not the evening• of a day only, but the evening of life. XII. RELY ON YOUR OWN ·EFFORTS FOR YOUR PROGRESS 0 AND HAPPINESS. BE NOT EASILY DISCOURAGED. PERSEVERE IN THE PURSWT OF YOUR . LEGITIMATE AMBITIONS. Our life is ·what we make it. If we are . to ·succeed, it is necessary that we possess self-reliance, courage, and perseverance, for out of these qualities, new "trength is •born which will enable us to overcome adversities and cpnqiter difficulties. _ Even a bend~d tree finally succeeds in asc~nding .the sky and resisting the winds by its own selfsufficiency. Therefore, trust yourself, be courageous, and persevere -in you1· t8.sk. Jn the life of Apolinario Mabi~i, we see a shining example of the triumph of selfreliance and perseverance over dire poverty and physical infirmity. B0orn of poor parents, his life wa·s ·a constant struggle against untold hardship and suffering. His studies were repeatedly interrupted for lack of funds and · yet by dint of hard work and sheer tenacity and self-denial! he was able to finish his Jaw course, which though belated, was attained ~ith highest honors. IFtiends and admirers offered him financial assistance during l)is student days but he consistently refused theii; proffer . of generosity. He feared that if 'he owed favors to any!iody he might be forced later on to do an act against his convictions out of gratitude to his benefactor. He was thus able to fnaintain an unshak'eable firmness of purpose and singular independence of thought and action to the end of bis life. Stricken with paralysis in his later years which deprived him of the use of both legs, his physical handicap did not deter him from taking an active part in the r evolution, first as propagandist, then :ts principal adviser to General Aguinaldo and later as Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister of the Revolutionary Cabinet, which positions he discharged with such earnestness and brilliance that he is known to this day as the Brains of the Revoiution. He was fip~Uy appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which office he was not able• to assume ,beca,use of the success of American arms and the consequent defeat of the ephemeral Philippine RepuJ!ic._ In his biography of Mabini, Rafael Palma aptly said: "The study of the llfe of Mabini a;fords ve1·y important teachings. It shows how poverty, far froin being a sign of malediction, is a strong stimulus which goads a man to improve his condition; how labo1· and study contribute to the formation of charncter, open to a man all the opportunities to rise and reach the heights, and help him maintain himself with digri\ty in any Teverse of \fortune, whether it be lucky or unlucky; how perseverance and determination win over difficulties and obstaclell, and how success in all cases is the i·eward of consistency, perseverance and firmness , of determination." Teodoro M. Kalaw said the following of Mabini: "Agree with m:i in that a' great part of his life was a life of poverty, of sufferings and of abnegations. The inspiration of a poet would find (in it) a theme for an elegy. Rarely would the fragic picture of pain be found hovering above man and endeavoring to dominate the vision of his future. Rarely would privation be found intimately connected with sickness, until it ends in a horrible death. But agree with ·me also in that poverty of origin and life's misfortune'S were 1 not insurmountable ob,.. stacles to the. attainment of that humal) greatness, that extraordinary frame of mind, that we admire in Mabini. Mabini triumphed over his century, and he triumphed not only' as a patriot a11d statesman, but as a man as well. Fate persecuted him ·from his birth and he triumphed against Fate. Through his own efforts, he made a career, by fighting against such obstacles, a thing which few in the world would · have been able to do. He was a real self-niade m~n.". Ignacio Villamar was ,another youth who rose from obscure poverty to positions of honor and 1·esponsibility in three distinct epochs of Philippine history, namely : the Spanisl\ regime, the Philippine r egime, and the American occupation. BecaUse his parents lacked the means to defray his education, he enrolled in the Seminary of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, as an ag'raciado. In the Colegio de San Juan de · Letran at Manila he worked his way' first by helping his casera in her household and religious duties PAGE 18 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW SUPPLEMEN'(' in exchange for free boa1·d and lodging and later as capista in the college. Before the advent of the revolution he had already founded two schools. Then, he became a member of the Malolos Congress representing Abra and was one of the founders of the Universidad Literaria de Malolos. During the American regime . he helped Enrique Mendiola found the Liceo de Manila. Afterwards he was appointed President of the University of the Phifippines, and later Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. In his book on lndu?trions Men which he dedicated to the youth of the land, he left us a legacy in the form of biographies of illustrious Filipinos who overcame poverty and ignorance through the sheer force of selfreliance, thrift, indush'y and perseverance. Worthy of emulation is the example of one of these men, Mariano Pan1intuan, whose advice to the youth is "Don't ask another for what you need; get "it you'rself." Self-reliance was tlie gospel of the Revolution. In a desperate but prophetic mood, when he had given up hope of the mother country ever initiating reforms to ameliorate conditions in the Philippines, Graciano LopezJ aena, reformist turned revolutionist, wrote from Madrid to Rizal at Berlin on March 16, 1887: "We ~ee, therefore, that we have nothing to expect from tM powers that be ; we have to rely upon ourselves alone for our own p~·ogress and regeneration.11 If self-reliance was the shibboleth of the revolution, its twin-virtue, perseveral\ce, was the slogan of the period 9f propaganda which preceqed the "revolution. Marcelo H. de! Pilar, speaking for the intrepid group of reformists which· Rizal and he headed, said: "Let us not hesitate even if we meet barriers and thorns on the way. What are these little inconveniences compared to the great misfor.tune of our country?" The life of_, Rizal was the consummate flower of the virtue o.f perseverance, just as the life of Mabini• was the quintessence of the virtue '?f self-reliance. Villamor said: "Dr. Rizal, like all great' men, found his way strewn with difficulties and obstacles. But such difficulties were the touchstone of his character. We might almost say that he was born thinking of a country, that he studied and labored to make 1a country, and that he died in order to give life to a country. His difficulties and sufferings stimulated his pi rseverance, and the many obstacles which he encountered along his way stirred up his ene1·gy and fortified his character. In this way he was able to complete his two literary works which gave him universal renown. And this is because .in persons of good disposition, sufferings temper their character and give l'ise to profound and elevated thoughts. As there are flowers which need to be distilled in order that they may give out their most delicate fragrance, there are also individuals who must undergo some grueling test in order to a1·ouse everything good that they have in them. Some Filipinos, apparently useless and with• out resolution, when placed in some difficult and responsible positions, have shown strength of character, ability, courage and abnegation which were never before seen in them. Anil it is because trying experiences bring forth thir latent virtues and reveal their hidden qualities. His fortitude and determination is shown in the following evaluation of his character by Dr. ~ardo de . Tavera: 'He submitted to the inevitable, and upon thinking that all that he was doing was leading him straight towards death, he smiled according to his custom,' reflecting that all roads lead to death and that nobody can say how he shall die, but that everybody must decide how and for what he shall live.' " Self-reliance is incompatible with the idea of seeking progress or triufuph through .protection or i·ecommendation. The examples of Ri·zal and Mabini amply show that difficulties are no obstacle to the realization of our legitimate ambition1 s if we persist and try hard enoug. h. They remained hopeful and brav~ in the face of great difficulties. As Mabini · said: "A high ideal whatever it may be, although difficult of attainment, may be realized through constant endeavor and honest effort." The Creator has endowed each and everyone of us with certain aptitudes and these we should develop to the limit of our abilities, seeing that upon ourselvesr alone de~ pend our own progress and advancement in life. Let us seek inspiration from Mabini's injunction in his True Decalogue: "Third--Thou shalt cultivate the special gifts which God has granted thee, working and studying according to thy ability, never leaving the path of righteousness and justice, in order to attain thy own perfection, by means whereof thou shalt contribute to the progress of humanity; thus shalt thou fulfill the mission to which God has appointed thee in this life, THE l.IOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW SUPPLEMENT PAGE 19 and by so doing, thou shalt be honored, and being honored, thou shalt glorify God;" xur. DO YOUR WORK CHEERFULLY, THOROUGHLY, AND WELL. WORK BADLY DONE IS WORSE THAN WORK UNDONE. DO NOT LEAVE FOR TOMORROW WHAT YOU <;AN DO TODAY. A nation of energstic and busy people, a people :working cheerfully and thornughly, all shoulders to the wheel, with muscles swelling, with hearts pounding, a people finding in work the consummation of all their hopes and all their desires, a people who considers a auty well done as its own sufficient rewa.rd, is a nation destined, under , God, to be great and strong. The fom·th precept of" the Duties of the Sons of the Peovle prepared by Bonifacio tells us that: "Calmness, constancy, !'Cason, and faith in all wo1·k and actions cro\vn eve1·y good desire with success." And in the seventh rule of Kativunan Primer prepared by Jacinto, we fi~d the following injunction: "Do not squander thne; lost riches cai~ be recovered; but time lost can not be regained." Rizal exemplified these virtues to no mean degree in his passion for industry, thoroughness and determination to finish any work he , had set out to accomplish. His advice to Madano Ponce in a letter dated June 27, 1888, from London epitolnizes his idealism in this respect: , " The fact that you have had little success in the newspapers does not mean that you may not be of any use as a writer. Not all of us are newspapermen, nor were · horn newspapermen, and not all litera1·y men a1·e newspapermen. I take it that the question of wTiting with more or less literature is a secondary thing; the principal thing is to think and feel straight, work for a goal, and the pen will take charge of transmitting it. The principal thing that should be required of a IF'ilipino of our generation is not to be literary, but to be a good man, a good citizen who may help with his head, with his heart and, if need be, with his arms in the progress of his country. With . the head and with the heart, 'we can and should work always; with the arms, when the moment arrives. Now the principal instrument of the heart and of the head is the pen; others prefer the painter's brush, still others choose the chisel. I prefer the pen. Now, the instrument may not be to us the primal object. Sometimes with a bad one, say the Philippine bolo, great deeds are accomplished. Sometimes with a bad literature great b:uths may be stated." In another letter to Ponce, dated at London, October 12, 1888, he revealed that upon being offered the opportunity to direct ~ newspaper to carry on the Filipino propaganda in Spain, he had to prepa1·e himself by studying day and night in order to be better able -to discharge his new i·esponsibility. H~ said: " Wi~h respect to the newspaper, I am very grateful for your wish, - but I am afready engaged, or somewhat, to manage one. ' Now I am devoting myself night and day to certain studies, for I should not want to manage any paper without ha'ving certain knowledge of the country, its history~ its ad'ministra..tion, because, as I understand, we 'shall have to fight much, and it would be nice to fight and defeat the enemy. For this, I shall have much use for the very rich collection of the British Museum, a collection that is not found anywhere else, for which reason I shall still remain here for a long time. From here it is easy for me to go to Belgium, Sweden and Norway, by way of Holland, Germany and Denmark." · Acco1·ding to a Tagalog parable which Rizal quoted in a letter - written in Europe sometime in October, 1891, "'runay at masama ang p~nahon, paYat allg lupa, mabalang, mabagy6 at inililipad fig haiigin ang tanim, ii.guni at sa kaiiii.gat ay may palos na matutuklasan." (It is true that the weather is bad, the land is ·barren, lhere are many locusts, it is stormy, a;,d' the plants are being c_ arried by the win~; but if. the field is well prepared, an eel\ is usually found in jt.) Rizal also had occasion to quote the English adage, "Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today," in a letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt dated at Brussels, July 5, 1890, by way of advertence •to the Spanish government to immediately ·effect reforms in the administration 'of tne Philippines before it was too late. P AGE 20 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT . REVIEW SUPPLEMENT
pages: 18-20