“Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan.” (The youth are the hope of the nation.)
Growing up, this quote from our national hero, Jose Rizal, was deeply ingrained in my mind. But the events of the past month have threatened the very people we call the hope of our future.
On June 8, two players from the Ateneo Blue Eagles basketball team tragically drowned. Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia lost their lives in what appears to have been a preventable tragedy during a training activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.
Their deaths were not only a heartbreaking loss for their families but also for our country, which lost two young athletes with the potential to bring pride to the nation.
As a mother, my heart was utterly broken. I could only imagine the pain their parents felt, and continue to endure.
Still trying to recover from the heartbreak and anxiety brought by this tragedy, we were confronted with more devastating news: schoolchildren being attacked by none other than their own classmates.
On June 16, seven Grade 5 pupils were stabbed by a Grade 8 student. In the days that followed, more reports surfaced of students being stabbed by other minors.
What shocked me most was the shooting incident in Tacloban, where three students were killed, and twenty others were injured. The two suspects were reportedly just 14 and 15 years old. School shootings have become tragically common in the United States, but in the Philippines, such incidents have long been considered unimaginable.
What is happening to the next generation? What has become of the future hope of our nation?
We are losing them—to the unhealthy influences of social media, to excessive gaming, and to the darkness of this world.
As their stewards, we must fight for them. And that fight begins at home.
In light of these tragedies, my husband and I have become even more vigilant and intentional in praying for our two children, Callie and Yohan, and for the generation they represent and the generations they will one day influence.
We are purposeful in how we raise them and careful about the influences we allow into their lives. We strive to plant seeds of conviction, discernment, and wisdom in their hearts so they may know right from wrong and truth from falsehood, preparing them to face the world when the time comes to let them go.
Yet as much as we want to shield them, we know the world that awaits them can be dangerous. Ultimately, we trust that God is sovereign over their lives. That He is their protector, their refuge, and their defense.
So I have a plea. To parents at home, to teachers in our schools, and to the leaders of our nation: let us protect our children from the evils of this world.
The future leaders of our society need our guidance, our support, and our care. May their welfare always be our priority. May the policies our leaders enact be for their good. May we champion them, fight for them, and pray for them. May we make this world a safer and better place where they can grow, flourish, and succeed.
Lord, have mercy on the next generation. We entrust them to Your hands. Please save our children.
“Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan… sila’y dapat ingatan at pangalagaan.” (The youth are the hope of the nation… they must be protected and cared for.)
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