Message of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda: PROJECT W.A.T.C.H. (We Advocate Time Consciousness and Honesty)

I would like to laud the Mapulang Lupa National High School – Valenzuela, the Department of Education, and the JCI Senate Philippines in advocating for the importance of time consciousness and honesty.

Strengthening the values of punctuality and honesty boosts a person’s integrity and contribute in one’s successes. We have to complement our academic achievements with these virtues for us to be truly successful in life.

I believe that these virtues do not come naturally.  Instead, these are gradually imbibed and learned through experiences, teachings and a process of socialization. Thus, it is the responsibility of parents, teachers, and adults to instill in and reinforce among the youth the importance of punctuality and honesty in creating a culture of integrity and respectability.

Our youth are our country’s hope. They are our future leaders and movers. Programs like Project WATCH play a pivotal role in giving opportunities for our youth to develop their character and uphold moral ethics that can influence in shaping their qualifications as leaders of tomorrow.

The values of punctuality and honesty are even more important in these difficult times.  The pandemic has compromised the ability of some individuals, organizations, and even the government’s integrity and productivity, leading to troubling issues that continue to challenge our society as we adjust to new realities amid our fight against COVID-19 and natural disasters.

A punctual and honest governance is what we truly need for us to end up victorious over these health and environmental crises. We have to ensure that services and assistance to the people especially to the marginalized communities are provided without delay. Information dissemination on current status of the COVID-19 and appropriate health and safety protocols should be relayed to the public on time. Vaccination roll-out should be unhampered.

As we find solutions to the current pandemic, there is also a need to address the widespread of so-called infodemic, which results from manipulated facts and disinformation that cause uncertainties and affects the public’s trust and perception of the government’s pandemic response.

Moreover, the public should also uphold honesty and transparency at all times considering that every decision and action that they make may directly impact the rest of the population. It is our moral responsibility to actively participate in contact tracing since this is one of the basic mechanisms needed to mitigate the increase in COVID-19 cases. A successful response to the pandemic requires coordinated efforts from the public, the government and the private sector.

Again, I would like to commend the Department of Education, JCI Senate Philippines, and all the schools that committed their full support in advocating for time consciousness and honesty.

It is through this effort that we strengthen the country’s defense against unprecedented threats and crises. We have to continuously uphold these values and bolster decisive implementation of programs for our country to thrive and succeed in achieving a sustainable and equitable growth and recovery.

Thank you and keep safe.