In your own little way, how do you help make this country a better place to live in?

Lydia Reyes, Bataan: I help make this country a better place to live in by being a good citizen. Makabawas man lang sa sakit ng ulo ng gobyerno.

Rico Fabello, Parañaque City: I don’t pity easily. Such emotion gets eaten by lazy people. Instead, I offer alternatives on how to live better. My advice is cheap.

I care for the environment

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: By not being a litterbug, I help make this country a better place to live in.

Norbet Fuentes, Zamboanga: Dispose garbage in their proper place by separating biodegradable from non-biodegradable waste.

Edwin Castillo, Tanauan City: I maintain clean surroundings through proper garbage disposal.

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: First, despite my hectic schedule, it is my habit to grow tree seedlings in my backyard. I give them for free for those who are willing to plant tree in order to help once again regreen our surroundings. Second, I developed an odorless backyard swine pin so that I can’t disturb the natural environment. Third, my pigs are fed with a natural feeding that are available around so I can prevent the consumers from eating grown artificial swine.

Gia Felicci Mathilda Alonzo, Vigan City: As a steward of God’s creation, I have the responsibility to take care our environment and not to ruin it to preserve its beauty. By simply recycling and reusing my used papers from school, I can help in decreasing wastes, so we would have a cleaner environment to live in and, more importantly, we would have a better place to live in.

Celina Denise Javier, Vigan City: In my own little way, I help make our country a better place to live in by helping in efforts to clean our environment through waste segregation and recycling. I can also help by educating other people on the importance of preserving Mother Earth.

Dan Adviento, Ilocos Sur: I can help make our country a better place to live in by recycling wastes and not throwing trash just anywhere. Another way is by promoting peace with one another.

Law-abiding citizen

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: My little contribution for my country is to follow the rule of law, pay taxes in due time. Follow traffic rules.

Edwin Chinel Monares, Rizal: Being an ideal law-abiding citizen can make a difference. Such does not mean blindly sitting idly on a corner. As a democratic government, power and authority emanate from the people, hence, we have to exercise that power and authority in ensuring that the communities in which we belong truly enjoy the blessings of democracy. Remember, we are only to walk this way once. Whatever we can do, we have to do them now for we may never walk this way again.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: Being a law-abiding citizen and practicing “The Golden Rule”, coupled with godliness/cleanliness and environmental consciousness, and denouncing corruption through this section, are my own little ways to make this country a better place to live in and a conducive place to do business.

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: By obeying the laws and reporting violators, and helping protect the environment by participating in tree-planting and community cleanliness program.

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: I obey traffic rules, pay the right taxes, plant a tree each month and donate to the needy.

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: As a retiree for almost 10 years now, I always make it a point to be a law-abiding citizen in all my actuations especially in the community where I live.

Mentoring

Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte: Being a teacher, I inspire my students to bring out the best of what they are and of what they can be.

Louella Brown, Baguio City: In my own little way, I help make this country a better place to live in by inculcating in my grandchildren respect for their elders and kindness to their peers.

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: After work and during weekends, I volunteer for community building and child and youth development in the Gawad Kalinga areas. My confreres and I conduct pastoral and values formation to young and single people, trying to make a difference and positive change in both our lives and in this world. These, I think, add up for a better world around us.

Shout-outs

Cris Rivera, Rizal: By sending my views and comments to Inbox World, fervently hoping it can help revolutionize our political and environmental outlook and actions.

Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: By calling the attention of sleeping local officials regarding unabated and rampant dynamite and trawl fishing within the limit zone of Lamon Bay.

Elpidio Que, Vigan: I subscribe as much as I can to Masonic Brother Edmund Burke’s dictum, “The only thing necessary for evil to live is for good men to do nothing.” It has become my crusade to prod, urge and criticize the national government, to nail this notorious tax evader known as the top corruptor of our government. Having him nailed would enable the government to recover the hundreds of billions, thereby making our pauperdom into a progressive kingdom as consequence.

Believing in the power of prayer

Jesus Mendoza, Pangasinan: Prayers work more things than these world dreams of. My loving deeds are already prayers in action and I try to be better each day.

Desuel Pardo, Mandaluyong City: It is difficult for an ordinary and poor citizen to make our country a better place to live in like Efren Peñaflorida, Tony Meloto and their kind have been doing. I am nevertheless trying my best to develop my own children to be good citizens, but our society’s bad influence is too great to overcome. I am left with no other alternative but to offer them all to our Lord.

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: Pray and pray real hard that we will have a change of attitude in so many aspects of our lives. Start being positive by electing competent leaders.

Elmo Cruz, Manila:After cleaning our own yard, I also clean our frontage, including the drainage, but a few minutes later, others will just throw their trash around with abandon, clogging the water flow in the drainage and sometimes getting into our yard. Complaining about their misdemeanor will just invite further trouble. I cannot do any better but pray that our barangay officials will soon be awakened to perform their duties appropriately.

I pay my taxes

Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: To pay penalties, surcharges, interests and compromise tax. Wow, what a way to tax a balding, diabetic, hypertensive senior citizen. Tsk, tsk.

Col Ben Paguirigan Jr., Ret., Zamboanga City: By being a good Filipino in paying our dues to our government, but are we receiving the same from our government people, let’s hope yes.

Roger Caravana, Bulacan: In my own little way, l am an honest taxpayer. I have also been diligently imposing discipline on my kids.

Diony Yap, Bacolod City: We can help our government by paying taxes promptly. Be honest at all times. Report immediately any illegal activities in your areas. Be vigilant and responsible.

Using my precious vote

Ric Vergara, Rizal: I do my little bit during polls wherein I campaign hard and vote the right candidates. Kaya lang, kalimitan, talo ako.

Erwin Espinoza, Pangasinan: Next time, come election day, gagamitin ko na ang utak ko. I will vote for the right candidate. ‘Yun bang incorruptible, honest, and intelligent.

Role model

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: By supporting all the programs of the government and the leadership of President Aquino. I also try to be a role model by remaining a good law-abiding citizen and an honest individual in all my transactions, be it private or government-related. Lastly, I remain active in our community programs on good governance.

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: I can help make my country a better place to live in by: a) by paying my taxes religiously; b) by being an active participant in the advocacy for a clean, healthy and balanced ecology and peaceful environment; c) by showing to the world that we are peace-loving people; and d) by inspiring others to become service-oriented servant-leaders in the next generations to come.

Lending a helping hand

Cris Rivera, Rizal: Working for a local manpower servicing company helps me find jobs for those willing to work as janitors, making them productive community members.

Smile and the world smiles with you

Kelvin Casamayor, Ilocos Sur: By following our road signs, proper garbage disposal, and being optimistic. Always smile to the world so the world smiles with you.

Carmela Ramento, Cagayan de Oro City: Even if I am down and tired, I make it a point to meet friends and acquaintances with a welcome smile. In my little way, such gesture I hope will make this country a better place to live.

Jose Nobela, Albay: In almost all of man’s daily actions, a call to be different is an invitation. The golden rule is everyday, say words that can brighten someone’s day. If there are words that can tarnish someone’s reputation, keep it to yourself. In this way, you can influence an attitude of positivism amidst the hard rules of complicated living.

Self-discipline

Valerie Joyce Go, Manila: If all citizens have self-discipline, a strong sense of practicality and character change, our country would become a better place.

Delfin Todcor, Quezon City: We must discipline ourselves and keep reminding our officials and leaders to seriously take their responsibilities in protecting our freedom, knowing that any action we all do will eventually affect the nation.

Ed Gulmatico, Bacolod City: Start with yourself and your family by living with harmony, understanding and love in instilling proper discipline within the home, practicing waste segregation, protecting the environment, loving and savoring the beauty of nature.

I promote my country

Larry Parroco, Metro Manila: I can be an ambassador for my native town, Pontevedra in Negros, by promoting its products and tourist spots.

Lolong Rejano, Marinduque: It’s been more than a year since I started my program “Erguhan”, an uploaded video program where I am the host on Facebook and Youtube. This advocacy program with the use of an improvised studio in my place focuses on Filipino culture and progress in general. No doubt, the program promotes our country and its culture as a better place to live in.

Vigilance

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: I have been advocating going back to basics, upgrading the qualifications of voters and candidates, transforming our judicial system from adversarial and confrontational to reconciliatory and reconstruction with no prejudice to justice based on truth and righteousness, utilization of public lands for productivity, income and employment generation, cleanliness and beautification, banning names and images of politicians in public properties and places, supporting our scientists and inventors in exploring possibilities of coming out with means of meeting our needs, improving our educational system with Pilipino as medium of instruction and many more. The problem is the difficulty of selling my advocacies considered as weird and impractical. I offered them first to the Lord, but still no positive answer. I am not giving up, though.

Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: “Treat people sincerely, we should mean what we say.” – Ven. master Chin Kung. With this as my guideline, I try to help make RP a better place to live in. When I was in traffic management, my former bosses said one thing and did another. I was sacked because of my “no to kotong, no to patong (tong-pats) policy. My successor was shot three times by a gunman but he survived. Recently, another traffic enforcer was abducted and salvaged. Truly, it is when the ruler of a country is just and good, that the ministers will become just and good. When the ministers are just and good, the officials will become just and good.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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