Message: Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) Opening Ceremony

Message of Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda

Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) Opening Ceremony

29 August 2019 | House of Representatives

Good morning, everyone.

I am pleased to meet the hard-working people behind the great doors and offices of this Congress. Thank you for helping make our legislative sessions, hearings, and meetings faster, more convenient, and more productive.  I can tell that many of you, if not all, work tirelessly to get your job done.

However, being able to survive in this kind of environment is not enough reason to stop learning. The goal, as in everything, is to be the best at what you do. Especially because you are public servants, it is important that you continue learning and developing your knowledge, skills, and talents to serve the Filipino people.

Like all of you, I was once a beginner in my field. I was 38 when I received my first mandate from the Filipino people as Senator of the Republic. Albeit the youngest among the batch, I like to believe that, even then, I was ready. I was readied by my 20 years of experience as broadcast journalist, which opened my eyes to see the raw and convinced myself to do something more.

From then on, I kept that same spirit of inquiry and insatiable curiosity and let it guide me in everything that I did. I allowed myself to make mistakes and learn, because it is from learning that we are able to better ourselves. I worked hard, prepared myself for the responsibilities of legislation, and kept that fire inside me burning.

Keep it burning. I hope that you keep the fire inside you burning.

Take classes, attend trainings, and grab opportunities offered to you, because not everybody gets to take them. Ask questions. Be curious. Find. Discover.

You are seated here today, because the Filipino people believed in your capacity to lead. They trusted you.

The Filipino people gave you the privilege to lead and manage the government, and I hope that this activity will allow you to discover the leadership that you possess. I hope it fuels two of the most important things that you need in public service: passion and dedication.

If there is one thing that I always tell my staff, it is that if they want to be like me, they have to be passionate and dedicated. They have to give 100% of their best in everything and learn complete staff work. Like me, I want them to learn from their mistakes and find answers to problems. I want them to keep asking questions and finding solutions that work.

Ladies and gentlemen, through this activity organized by the Development Authority of the Philippines, I hope that you will not only be able to discover your skills and enhance your competencies as leaders of the country, but also instill passion and dedication.

Thank you and good day.