Remarks of

MGEN ROMEO D LUSTESTICA

Commander, 1ID

YOUTH LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, CLOSING CEREMONY

Philippine Science High School, Balo-i, LDN
14 November 2009

AMENITIES…

FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE PHILIPPINE

SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL CENTRAL MINDANAO FOR HAVING THIS
KIND OF ACTIVITY FOR YOUR STUDENTS. I BELIEVE THAT WE
ALL HAVE TO TAKE THE STAND AND GIVE OUR SHARE IN ANY
WAY POSSIBLE TO GIVE MINDANAO A CHANCE FOR PEACE AND
DEVELOPMENT.

LET ME STRESS TO YOU, THE BRIGHTEST MIND OF YOUR

GENERATION, THAT YOUR MILITARY SHARES YOUR ASPIRATION
FOR A BETTER LIFE FOR OUR COUNTRYMEN. ONE OF THE
GREAT STEP TOWARDS THIS END IS GIVING OUR YOUTH THE
PROPER FORUM OR VENUE WHERE THEY CAN SEE
THEMSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS WHO BELONG TO A SOCIETY
WHICH NO MATTER HOW YOUNG YOU ARE, YOUR VIEWS AND
OPINION COUNTS. AS TO WHAT WILL BECOME AND WHERE THIS
COUNTRY WILL BE IN THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS OR SO--- LIES
ON HOW WE HAVE EDUCATED AND PREPARED OUR YOUTH OF
TODAY. SEEING YOU, YOUNG PEOPLE OF PISAY INDEED THE
WORDS OF OUR HERO JOSE RIZAL HOLDS TRUE “ANG
KABATAAN ANG PAG-ASA NG BAYAN”.

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 THE YOUTH OF MINDANAO IS ALWAYS UP TO FACE THE
CHALLENGE OF THE DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT OF THIS REGION IN
TERMS OF BELIEF, ETHNICITY AND ORIGIN THUS SYNERGIZING
THESE ELEMENTS IS A TASK WAITING TO BE TOILED BY OUR
FUTURE LEADERS – YOU-- YOU ARE THE FUTURE LEADERS.

THE CHALLENGE POSE BEFORE YOU NOW MUST NOT BE

SEEN AS BURDEN LAID UPON YOUR SHOULDERS BUT AS A ROLE
THAT YOU NEED TO PARTAKE AS FILIPINOS. THE CHALLENGE
YOU ARE ABOUT TO FACE IS ENORMOUS BUT I SEE THE VIGOR
IN THE HEART OF EVERY FILIPINO YOUTH TO TAKE THE STAND
AND BE COUNTED. THE TASK OF BRINGING CHANGE IN
PHILIPPINE SOCIETY IS EVEN GREATER.

THE CONFLICT AND PRESSING ISSUES OF PHILIPPINE

SOCIETY WERE THERE ALREADY EVEN BEFORE YOU WERE
BORN, EVEN BEFORE I BECAME A LIEUTENANT. DESPITE THIS
UGLY TRUTH WE HAVE STOOD AS A NATION, WE HAVE LIVED AS
PROUD FILIPINOS AND TOGETHER WE HAVE SLOWLY WORKED
OUR WAY TOWARDS THE VISION OF A PEACEFUL AND
DEVELOPED PHILIPPINES.

WITH THE GENIUS OF THE PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHO SAYS WE CANNOT MAKE IT? BUT THE
FOUR CORNERS OF YOUR CLASSROOMS IS NOT THE ONLY
WORLD THAT YOU NEED TO FACE. THAT IS WHY YOUR ARMED
FORCES, REPRESENTED IN THIS PART OF THE REGION BY THE
1ST INFANTRY (TABAK) DIVISION UNDER MY COMMAND AND
MORE PARTICULARLY BY THE 104TH (SULTAN) BRIGADE LED BY

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COL BENNY DE LEON, THE NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES COLLABORATED IN THIS
PROGRAM “YOUTH LEADERSHIP SUMMIT”.

THE LECTURES GIVEN TO YOU BY NO LESS THAN

DISTINGUISHED GOVERNMENT PERSONALITIES TOUCHED ON
IMPORTANT ISSUES SPECIFICALLY GEARED TO IDENTIFY YOUR
INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO PEACE AND DEVELOPMENTAL
EFFORTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS AND OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS IN YOUR RESPECTIVE LOCALITIES.
SPECIFICALLY, OUR OBJECTIVE HERE IS FOR YOU TO REALIZE
YOUR ROLE IN ADVOCATING PEACE, PARTICIPATE IN THE
GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS CONCERNING THE YOUTH SECTOR
AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.

FROM TIME TO TIME, YOUR “ATES AND KUYAS” INFUSED

TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES TO EMPHASIZE TEAM SPIRIT AND
CAMARADERIE. OUR SOLE OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO DEVELOP
TEAMWORK, TOIL AND SPEAK AS ONE IN ADDRESSING
PRESSING ISSUES AND CONCERNS INVOLVING THE YOUTH
SECTOR.

AS WE CULMINATE THIS ACTIVITY, I HOPE THAT EACH ONE

OF YOU WILL WHOLEHEARTEDLY INTERNALIZE THE MOST
PRECIOUS VIRTUE THAT THIS SUMMIT HAS IMPARTED ON YOU –
LEADERSHIP. AND JUST LIKE THE MILITARY ORGANIZATION, WE
ALWAYS EMPHASIZE LEADING BY EXAMPLE. LEADERSHIP BY
EXAMPLE MEANS WE AS LEADERS MUST DO THE RIGHT THING.
WE MUST WALK THE TALK SO TO SPEAK. WE MUST NOT ONLY
SHOW THE WAY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY LEAD THE WAY. AS

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LEADERS, WE MUST SEE OUR POSITION NOT AS A BADGE OF
ENTITLEMENT THAT GIVES US THE LICENSE TO DO WHAT WE
WANT. INSTEAD, WE MUST SEE THE POSITION ENTRUSTED TO
US AS A CHALLENGE TO PERFORM ACCORDING TO THE
EXPECTATIONS OF THE VERY PEOPLE WE LEAD.

INVARIABLY, LEADERSHIP IS A MORAL CALLING. IT

REQUIRES IN ALL OF US THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF
DECENCY, ETIQUETTE, FAIRNESS AND MORALITY. IT IS NOT
ENOUGH THAT WE REJECT WHAT IS WRONG; WE MUST ALSO
SEEK WAYS TO RECTIFY WHAT IS WRONG WITHIN THE
ACCEPTABLE PARAMETER. WITH THAT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO
RECTIFY WHATEVER WRONGDOINGS YOU HAD IN THE PAST,
AND WORK FOR THE BETTERMENT OF YOUR PERSONALITY AS
YOU GROW THROUGH THE YEARS TO COME.

AND FINALLY, TO THE FUTURE LEADERS OF OUR NATION,

WE YOUR “TATAY, NANAY, ATES AND KUYAS” WILL REMAIN TO
BE YOUR PARTNERS FOR GROWTH. EVERY SOLDIER WILL
REMAIN A FRIEND AND MENTOR THAT ALL OF YOU CAN RELY ON
FOR ASSISTANCE. THE TABAK DIVISION AND SULTAN BRIGADE
AFFIRMS THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE YOUTH. WE
WHOLEHEARTEDLY TAKE YOU AS OUR INSPIRATION, IN
PERFORMING OUR DUTIES WITH A RENEWED SENSE OF
URGENCY, TO CARRY OUT OUR MISSION TO SAFEGUARD OUR
PEOPLE AGAINST THOSE WHO WISH TO DESTROY OUR
DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE.

BUT WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. WE NEED THE

CONTINUING SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE

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PARTNERSHIP OF THE PEOPLE ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG
GENERATION. WE NEED YOUR INSPIRING SUPPORT IN BRINGING
PEACE IN THIS PART OF MINDANAO. WE NEED YOUR
ASSISTANCE IN SPURRING GROWTH IN OUR RESPECTIVE
COMMUNITIES. WE SHOULD WORK AS A TEAM, AS A FAMILY. WE
MUST SHARE THE SAME VISION OF HAVING A UNITED COUNTRY
WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING THE BENEFITS OF ECONOMIC
PROGRESS DOWN TO OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.

I AM SURE THAT AFTER YOUR MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES

HERE, ALL OF YOU ARE ONE WITH US AT TEAM TABAK IN
PUSHING FORWARD 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION-COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS A PEACEFUL AND PROGRESSIVE
MINDANAO.

YOU BELONG TO A GENERATION THAT RESORTS TO

NONVIOLENCE AND ADVOCATE PEACEFUL MEANS TO RESOLVE
CONFLICT. REFUSE TO BE PASSIVE AND DO NOT MISS THE
HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE CONFLICTS TO AN END.
WHAT BETTER STAND THAN PEACE! WHAT BETTER TIME THAN
NOW!

SA MGA PAG-ASA NG BAYAN, SALUDO AKO SA INYO!

MARAMING SALAMAT AT MABUHAY KAYO!