by: joeborgz
Philippine President Benigno
Aquino III - 2nd worlds' most influential person. LLUSTRATION BY DAVID DESPAU
FOR TIME.
An
honorable time
WITH
all the negative issues and events currently ongoing, both in the Philippines
and around the globe, this comes as a refreshing bit of good
news.
Recently,
President Benigno Aquino III (PNoy) emerged as one of TIME Magazine's 100 most
influential people in the world for 2013.
PNoy
ranks second among the world's 23 most influential leaders, next to Rand Paul (a
junior US senator from Kentucky) and a notch higher than President Barack Obama,
who is in third place.
"In
a country of nicknames, Filipinos proudly call their President PNoy — a pun on
the word they use for themselves: Pinoy. For his courage, however, he really
should have the pet name the family gave his eldest sister Maria Elena: Ballsy,"
wrote TIME news director, Howard Chua-Eoan, to describe
Aquino.
Chua-Eoan
said that while PNoy may have inherited the legacy of his parents, Sen. Benigno
Aquino, Jr. and former Pres. Corazon C. Aquino, he "quickly began making his own
name."
"The
sputtering economy stabilized and became hot. Aquino pushed through a
reproductive-rights law that many said was impossible in the fervently Catholic
nation. Most important, he became the face of the regional confrontation with
Beijing over its claim to virtually all of the South China Sea. It is a brave
stance, the long-term consequences still unknown,"Chua-Eoan further
said.
PNoy
reacted modestly to this recognition, saying that he is merely the "face" of
Filipinos.
"This
is perhaps a recognition of our countrymen, of all Filipinos, more than anything
else. I'm just the face. Like in battles, I'm just the first one to move
forward, and I accept that. But if there is any triumph, it's a triumph for
everybody," he said.
"We
have been reminded that we did quite a lot in terms of achievements. It's clear
to me that we only did this because the people are behind me," PNoy further
said.
The
president credits his motivation to the public's support of the reforms that his
administration initiated.
"...because
our countrymen are there behind us, they are the ones that gave us the
opportunity to reform and continue to support us until now, then I can accept
with much honor that distinction – on their behalf rather than for myself," PNoy
said.
According
to Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, TIME Magazine's article recognized
"the true grit which characterizes his (Mr. Aquino's) leadership, and the
optimism, dynamism and renewed pride which has restored the standing of our
nation in the eyes of Filipinos and the world."
"We
take pride in how the ideas of good governance and inclusive growth that are the
major thrusts of the Aquino presidency resonate not just with Filipinos but with
the entire world. This is especially relevant today, as countries all over are
trying to become more inclusive economically, politically, and even culturally,
President Aquino is already doing it in the Philippines," Lacierda
said.
Of
course, not everyone feels the same way.
Some
senatoriables gave mixed feedback about this recognition.
Sen.
Gregorio Honasan thinks that PNoy's inclusion in the list is not enough to make
Filipinos feel the benefits of economic growth.
"We
should be happy, but that will not be enough to convince our people that our
economy is growing...This honor is deserved I think, but for our people to be
equally proud and to feel this on the ground, we should do more than recognize
the President," Honasan said.
Zambales
Rep. Mitos Magsaysay opined that PNoy being regarded as a most influential
person/leader does not mean much for the poor.
"The
ordinary Filipinos are concerned about where to get money they can use to feed
their families, how to survive the next day, what will be their job to generate
income. That is the focus of ordinary Filipinos," she
said.
Nevertheless,
this should still be a cause for elation and celebration among
Filipinos.
While
the Philippines continues to flourish (albeit slowly but surely) and be regarded
with more respect in the global community, there are things that we are better
off removing from our own "list" -- crab mentality most of
all.
After
all, PNoy said it best: his victory is our victory.
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