The Itinerary to Rebuild the Nation

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Just gotten home from the rally. I’m actually tired but I’m longing for more. The rally’s up to tomorrow morning but our group decided to go home since we have students with us. They cannot be excused from their classes so we have to send them home or else we might suffer the litany of their mothers. But here’s our itinerary to rebuild the nation:

ü I started the day, well, with my household chores. As the cliché goes, to change a nation is to start from within. I drew the clothes from the clothesline. Then, I refilled the water station and iron my clothes for today. It’s a quite harder day to do it as I’m in a rush. The rendezvous at JILCF is 11.00 while I woke up 9.15. So, you see, I have to pressure myself a lil’ more than any other days.

ü My dad offered me money this day. Jeez, am I lucky or what. I got a whopping 300 pesos! I, at least, had the reward I deserve for the chores. But I didn’t do it on purpose, ya know? HONEST!

ü I arrived at JILCF 11.30. I’m double thinking if they’re still there, since the assembly time is 11.00, they might have gone without me! I’m already thinking of riding the MRT to Ayala and walk my way to Paseo de Roxas. Nonetheless, I’m wrong. They’re still there. And the orientation isn’t over. Oh, shoot, FILIPINO time. I thought change starts from within. Well, anyways, Ptr. Bobot orient us what we will do once we’re there. After a worship song and some more prayers, we took off at Bus #3.

ü Whew, it’s sure is noisy when you’re with the students. They’re so noisy I can’t help to say, Psssst!. In the bus, I have Ate Jen from the TEATRO ministry. I chose her to be my companion all throughout the rally because she’s hilarious and energetic. We did have a good time with each other, throwing joke to one another. Another co-joker is MG also from TEATRO. She’s the main attraction, though. She’s (MG) fat, I mean chubby, and a bit hungry; that’s why we kept hiding the food!

ü We arrived MRT Ayala Station but we will be dripping wet when we continued. It began to pour out and we have no other choice but to stop for a while. Being an inborn joker, I presented them some of my comical impromptu hoaxes. The jokes I gave them seemed to shorten the actual long time we stayed at the station. Some ate, some sat, and some… laughed!

ü And at last the fun began; we began walking to SM Makati. That’s the national rendezvous. We realized that we’re already late so we just resumed the march to the nation’s rebuilding. Then Paseo de Roxas. At first, there are the teachers from JILCF. Then we began seeing the crowd to grow. The Student Government, the JILian Press (The Visionaries), and the KKBs are among the youth in the area. We are summoned at the back to prepare for a grand barrage. Kuya Roan, head of KKB-UP, made the cheers and relayed it unto us. The cheers and chants are Pagbabago, Bro. Eddie, Sama na, Sama na, sa PAGBABAGO, and Diyos at Bayan.

ü And yes, we barricaded the whole Paseo de Roxas. We barraged in, chanted and shout our ways to heaven. We weren’t shouting to Gloria but to the Heaven above. We believe that God is smiling at us that time. We shouted our lungs out, waved the yellow and green flags, with the desire to rebuild the nation.

ü Bro. Eddie spoke and the crowd again flared in the rally. Shouts from the different parts of Paseo de Roxas can be heard. And of course, the voice of youth is vox dei! For we are the hope of this country!

ü Different people from the different sectors of the nation began to show up. The congressmen who don’t even gave a damn about our other rallies are now speaking their heart in the stage. Etta Rosales is a crowd fave. Joel Villanueva is a regular. But the Pateros congressmen (I forgot his name!) is absolutely new!

ü This is a prayer rally. We gather here to pray not to wreak havoc. A rally of prayers for the nation is sober, rather of mixed emotions. We jointly begged the Father in Heaven to “heal our land” and to unite us once again.

ü A special number from the myriad of talented members of the church performed for the glory of God. Some sang the English and Tagalog version of When You Believe and the other I remembered is the Tagalog song I don’t know the title.

ü And a victory proclamation is a usual for the JIL church. It’s a way of saying WE HAVE WON! To the tune of the hip but godly songs we like One Way, King of Majesty, and O Hesus Dakila Ka!. We danced and sang, praised the Almighty as we visualize how happy He is for His people are now united in front of Him.

ü Awww… it’s sad but we have to go. But it’s only 8.00 PM and the programme have actually only just begun. It’s because of those pesky (sorry for the word but they really are!) students. However, I dazed the evening while having a tête-à-tête with Ate Jen. We talked about her life, my life, college life, spirituality, liberty, the transformation of the government and why do we have to go in such an early hour! Well, she get off at the crossing at Bocaue. She resides in Guiguinto which is past Bocaue. While I traversed the dark road to home. At home I devoured the fodder at the dining table, switching turns with a drink. I thought, I didn’t ate lunch and I’m too late for dinner, such a jinx, but hey, we got a nation change so what’s a jinx?

The road might be swishing we can’t do it. The weather may oppose. The media can be unfriendly. But… we still don’t care. We only care about our beloved nation that will e no longer in the yoke of slavery of sin. We are redeemed, we are saved and thus, the change begins. We managed to start the flame within and we don’t mind igniting every once in a while. For we are the chosen people, for we are citizens and for we are the children of God; we won’t give the devil a chance to sneak past us. Our eyes wide open, our ears listening to his footsteps, our senses awake, our spirit strong; he is no more welcome to this land. We expel the devil in our nation along with his false piety. Then God reigns. FOR THE PHILIPPINES IS FOR GOD!

Now, I shall sleep. I need rest for the battles ahead. I need to recharge myself in order to keep in touch in what will happen in the next days to our nation. BANGON PILIPINAS!