NATIONAL progress should come from “organizational discipline,” not just individual discipline.
This was the message that came out of a meeting called by Vice President Jejomar Binay, which sought to address lack of discipline among Filipinos that is being blamed for problems such as heavy traffic, flooding, and pollution.
Binay met with representatives of religious, educational and youth groups ahead of plans to launch a national movement advocating discipline later this year.
In a roundtable discussion at the vice president’s official residence, the Coconut Palace, last Aug. 29, Binay said discipline must start from Metro Manila.
“[N]oong nakaraan, discipline was done individually. [Dapat ngayon] ay organizationally. Kasi ang disiplina sa atin ay kailangan pinupuwersa, hindi nanggagaling sa tao mismo,” Binay said during the meeting, which was attended by the Varsitarian.
The meeting was the second preliminary discussion for the proposed movement, tentatively called “Kilos Kaayusan.”
The first meeting last July 25 was attended by Metro Manila mayors, representatives from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the military and police, and presidents of state colleges and universities.
The movement, expected to be launched between September and October this year, aims to explore ways by which Filipinos can help in collectively solving the worsening conditions of traffic, garbage and flooding in Metro Manila.
Former Sanlakas party-list representative Jose Virgilio Bautista, one of the project's main convenors, said the movement would need maximum participation from citizens.
“You cannot leave government itself to solve the problems of society. Citizens must have a direct participation in trying to solve these urgent and immediate problems,” Bautista told the Varsitarian.
The movement plans to lead several projects and start advertising campaigns to instill discipline among the people. "There is no society that has progressed [or] has attained a high degree of economic progress and development [without] discipline,” Bautista said.
Nothing new
Winefreda Asor, education superintendent of the Commission on Higher Education-National Capital Region, said the advocacy wasn’t new and that such movements had been launched before, but not sustained.
“We have passed the stage of conceptualization,” Asor said during the meeting. “There are so many laws that have been passed [and] implemented but [there is] no monitoring and evaluation.”
Caloocan Auxillary Bishop Francisco de Leon, who is the apostolic administrator of the Caloocan diocese, said discipline should start "externally" from community leaders to influence citizens “internally.”
This can be done by setting a good example, such as a change in negative attitudes, he said.
A final meeting will be scheduled by the Office of the Vice President before the movement’s formal launching. Lord Bien G. Lelay and Gena Myrtle P. Terre
