ILOILO CITY, (PNA) — Young people from all over the country should unite and take the lead in demanding and promoting good governance to help curb corruption in government.
This was the challenge posed by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to his fellow members of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) in his message at the Temiong Awards of the 65th JCI Philippines National Convention over the weekend here.
“Take the lead in the pursuit of good governance in our country, for the good of our people and the future generations of Filipinos,” he said.
Pimentel said the country has the needed resources to “improve the quality of life of our people within our lifetimes.”
“If only we minimize the waste. If only we stop the corruption, which I believe we can do, if we help one another for this particular cause, kung magkakaisa tayo tungo sa hangaring ito,” the senator added.
Pimentel lauded the JCI, a non-partisan, non-government international organization of 18 to 40 years old individuals who desire to be catalysts of change, for its efforts to inspire the young Filipino to be agents of change through the Temiong Awards.
“Let me remind everyone that the Temiong Awards is not designed to measure the superiority or inferiority of anyone. For embedded in the principles underlying the awards is the belief that every person is just as capable as the one beside him or her,” he said.
Pimentel vowed before the 1,500 members of JCI that attended the convention that he will serve well during his six-year term.
He also urged the JCI members to be united in providing the Filipinos in the grassroots their needed support to be realized through various JCI projects implemented nationwide.
“And together with our Filipino brothers and sisters, as Filipino JCI members, let us unite with the rest of the Filipino people in the passionate call of the times, which is to fight corruption,” he stressed.