12 Little Things For Christmas

I have observed that there more Filipinos who are now more fixated on trivial even selfish things. Worse, it is more prevalent among the youth. They worry more about the latest fashion or what's the newest gadget to acquire. It's not even surprising that when we ask most of them about their future goals, their answers were commonly: to have the newest cellphone available or to have those newest shoe styles they saw on TV. Sadly, it's not only the youth who're guilty of this. It is just rare to even hear anybody say what they could give back to their parents much less to their country anymore.

So, am posting what the Philippine president said about "12 Little Things Our Youth Can Do To Help Our Country". It's a good reminder for us that there are more important things during Christmas or any time of the year than the latest gadget to have, the latest fashion to wear or even the latest material things to buy.

Here are 12 little things we can do for our country:

1. Be On Time, Honor Your Commitments. - "Filipino Time" as "on time, all the time."

2. Fall in Line, Respect Others.

3. Sing our national anthem with pride.

4. Study well. Give your best in everything you do. - Here, the President recalled his mother, the late President Cory Aquino, always telling him that "your obligation is to study well so you will do what's right in your generation," an advice, he said, that would be apt for today's youth.

5. Do not cheat or steal. Report any crime or illegal act. - Should I add premarital sex on this. That's also cheating on your parents or one's self especially if one knows that the responsibility that entails in having an accidental pregnancy is huge.

6. Conserve water, plant a tree and dispose your garbage properly.

7. Do not smoke, avoid drugs and stay away from vices.

8. Buy Pinoy. Do not buy fake or smuggled goods.

9. Save, invest and learn business early.

10. During elections, vote for and support the best candidate.

11. Respect our elders, practice 'mano po' - It is very important to keep this truly Filipino tradition going.

12. Pray for our country and our people. - The President enjoined the youth "not just to pray hard for the country and its people but also to do your share in nation building and in being part of the positive change." He also urged the youth to be active participants in discourses about helping the country move forward and project the positive.