A Toast To Sec. Jesse Robredo

There's a difference between making a furniture as a hobby and making a furniture for 50 pesos a day when you're ten years old. Poverty in our country have no substantial change since the start of the millennium, according to National Statistical Coordination Board. The late Sec. Jesse Robredo intended to make a change thus the shift from corporate world to public service and governance, and he did.

What's more, having achieved this, he turned around and offered hope for people who work to live rather than living to work, for those who are trying to get out of work just to be able to live life just a little bit.

My point being that the late secretary blended his work and identity as a form of philosophy.

Having your work make up who you are isn't optional, in some sense, but the question is whether you want the identity you end up with. I remember in particular a job I had for a while in one BPO company (no offense meant) though enjoyable, however it seemed dividing me up. Bringing my head up in the skies while my hands are on the earth.

If I may quote Vince Lombardi, "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious." Though his death was unexpected but he was indeed victorious.

I've never met the late secretary, but my father did, and to hear him talk about Sec. Robredo seemed to me like he was describing a one of a kind vintage wine. Devotion, passion, pure and full-body embedded in one.

A good man was laid at rest today and deserves a toast.

Cheers!