Robredo: ‘Love means calling for effective governance’

ONE of the best ways to show love for one another in these trying times is to call for effective governance, said Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo on Maundy Thursday.

“In this time of pandemic, love means doing everything we can to protect the person next to us from infection,” she said in her Holy Week message. “It means spreading correct information about the virus and the vaccines. It means calling for effective pandemic governance. It means helping those in need.”

Quoting Pope Francis, Robredo added that love is the “most effective tool in building a better world: the better normal that we all dream about — a fairer, more just, and more humane society.”

Robredo underscored that the challenges brought about by the crisis are binding experiences and opportunities for Filipinos to help each other and contribute to the greater good.

“Ang pagpapabaya sa isa ay pagpapabaya sa lahat, at ang pag-angat ng mga nasa laylayan ay pag-angat din ng lahat,” said the Vice President. “Sama-sama ang pagsulong dahil itinuturing nating kapatid ang bawat isa.”

(Neglecting one is neglecting everybody, and lifting up those who are at the hem of society is lifting up all of us. We should move forward together because we are brothers and sisters.)

While ushering in the Holy Week is not the same for Filipinos for the second time around because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Robredo highlighted that it does not lose its true essence and meaning. Rather, it is a chance to “revive our faith and renew our hopes.”

“We all feel grief at loss and suffering, but we also find hope that life will always prevail over death, that good will always win over evil, that light will always shine amidst the darkness,” she said.

“Sa panahon ngayon ng pangamba, ng maraming banta sa ating kaligtasan at paraan ng pamumuhay, para bang napakahirap makahanap ng pagkukunan ng pag-asa. Pero pinapaalala sa’tin ng mga Mahal na Araw na nakatahi mismo sa pagkatao natin ang pag-asa,” she added.

(Amid fears, and threats to our safety and livelihood, it may be difficult for many of us to find hope. But this Holy Week, we are reminded that hope is within all of us.)