Cory laid to rest; Now, the real work begins again

We are a nation that shed tears the entire day, as we brought Corazon C. Aquino to her final resting place.  However, the tears aside, we celebrate her life and we cherish the lessons she leaves us.  We celebrate the real lessons of democracy and EDSA 1.

Then what?

The real work begins again — the work to keep the spirit of Cory alive.  The challenge is to work to preserve our democracy by buckling down to work, working for real change, by being vigilant to preserve democracy and the institutions that make it possible.

There is still a long way to go before our country sees the change we have so long desired.  And we trust that the gestures and thoughts of the past few days will now be translated into concrete actions.  Let our thanks and tributes to Cory not stop with words.  May we not be content with just having worn yellow, tying yellow ribbons, and showering ourselves with confetti.

May our public servants now heed the call to be on the right side of history — to be on the same side as Cory and many of our heroes.  May they act to protect the national interest.  May they act to strengthen and protect our democracy instead of weakening it.

And for us ordinary citizens, may all do our part to keep our democracy alive in our own big and small way.  Yes, we look forward to 2010 to realize these changes.  But we need not wait for next year for change to happen.  The call for us is to work now.  Tuloy ang laban.

We fully take into heart all the more that the Filipino is indeed worth dying for, and both Cory and Ninoy are heroes who died for us.  But as we look back at their lives and close yet anoth er chapter in our nation’s history, we take into greater consideration that they have been honored because they lived for us Filipinos.

Because the Filipino is worth living for.   Now, the baton of preserving democracy has been passed to us.  And we are called to live the best lives, to serve and help one other to raise our nation up.