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Sometime
in 1938, a young boy was to graduate at the top of his
elementary class in the fishing town of
Hagonoy
in Bulacan. It was to be one of the happiest moments in
the life of Felix Ople, a tradesman, and his wife, who,
despite their own limitations, had nurtured the boy’s
keen interest in reading and learning more about the
“world out there.”
There
was only one hitch, though. They did not have enough
money to buy the boy a new pair of shoes, which he can
use on this most auspicious occasion. It was good a
cousin who was of the same age as the top-notch graduate
offered to “share” his brand-new shoes with him.
Although a bit tight, the bright young boy managed to
walk and deliver his stirring valedictory to the
applause of his classmates, their parents and the
community as a whole. Thanks to his cousin’s generosity,
that day not only turned out to be one of happiest for
the Ople family, it was the start of a long and glorious
march to recognition and fame for their beloved Blas,
who had always looked back at that moment as an
inspiration in a much acclaimed and well remembered life
as a public servant.
On
Saturday, February 3, Hagonoy and the nation will
commemorate Blas Fajardo Ople’s 80th birth anniversary
with a Mass at his gravesite at the Libingan ng mga
Bayani in Taguig. Before that day, a series of
activities, in Hagonoy and in Metro Manila, will be
undertaken in his honor courtesy of the Blas F. Ople
Policy Center and Training Institute, which is presently
managed by his daughter, Susan “Toots” Ople.
One of
these activities will be the distribution of new pairs
of shoes which the center has managed to solicit from
friends and admirers of the late Ka Blas, as he has been
fondly called, to deserving students. This “Shoe
Project,” which was started sometime back, has become
such a hit of sorts that we are being told it has gained
a number of adherents from as far away as North America
and the Middle East. In addition, the center will be
sponsoring its first jobs fair at the Market! Market! in
Taguig on February 2, to complement its other ongoing
initiatives in the area of labor, training, employment
and workers’ welfare.
Definitely, these are welcome initiatives, especially
from a center which has come to be associated with the
life-long advocacies and achievements of the late Ka
Blas. A man of towering intellect and unblemished record
of public service, he was not only the country’s
longest-serving secretary of labor and employment but
was toasted as one of the most articulate defenders of
the rights and welfare of the working man.
Having
risen from humble beginnings, Ka Blas dedicated his life
to their uplift in all aspects and, by necessary
consequence, the egalitarian dream of a free, democratic
and progressive nation. His initiatives and record in
this regard highlighted, in part, by the enactment of
the internationally acclaimed Labor Code in 1974 have
yet to be matched in terms of comprehensiveness and
impact on the life of the working man and his community.
As one
of those who served under him at the DOLE, I am pleased
and honored to note that one such initiative, the
systematic organization of the country’s overseas
employment and contracting program, has metamorphosed to
be one of the main pillars of our economy over the
years. Properly handled and nurtured to the optimum,
this program has not only propped up the country’s
financial position and provided reasonably paid jobs to
our growing labor force, it also has the potential of
turning the country into the bulwark of the most dynamic
industry in this century—the service industry.
Already,
Pinoy workers have been most trusted and dependable
partners-in-progress in the more than 100 countries they
have chosen to work and live with. Without them, several
key sectors in these countries will simply deteriorate
and with it substantial decline in their competitive
position and their quality-of-life in general.
For a
man, part of whose drive and inspiration in a life well
lived and loved came from wearing a donated new pair of
shoes, that is certainly something to be proud of. I am
sure those whose lives he touched in the process will
agree with me that his example remains a treasured
memory. We join one and all in that fond remembering and
in ensuring that his life-long advocacies for our
people’s welfare will be pursued with even more vim and
vigor.
And,
speaking of inspirations, we continue to hold in awe and
admiration the drive and determination of tycoons Lucio
Tan and Henry Sy, to name just two of the more
aggressive promoters of the Philippines and Filipinos,
as they bring the flag in friendly and, might I add,
profitable competition with the best in the world to
foreign shores.
I am
told that after solidifying his position in key sectors,
such as retail, communications, food and real estate in
the booming Guam economy, the man they call Kapitan as
Mr. Tan has been fondly called, is inching to other
service areas.
Lately,
he has been joined by the mall magnate himself, Mr.
Henry “Tatang” Sy, who just opened a new ShoeMart on the
island in response to the growing tourism market and, of
course, the anticipated entry of close to 15,000 US
troops and their families within the next five years
which is expected to draw in billions of dollars. These
troops will be transferred from their base in Okinawa as
the US consolidates its position in the Pacific and
Indian Oceans
by upgrading its facilities in Guam and the nearby
islands.
These
developments should augur well for Filipinos and
Philippine products as the buildup of Guam continues and
definitely sustained for the foreseeable future. And,
with this inspiring and welcome development, comes
ancillary services and related undertakings which new
Filipino entrepreneurs can take advantage of. What are
they waiting for? |
