Our shared tomorrow

Last week, Cebu hosted a distinguished visitor, Judge Marc Spitzkatz, the director of Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung’s (KAS) Rule of Law Programme in Asia. KAS is the political foundation associated with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Germany and is named after the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany who was also CDU’s co-founder.

KAS has more than 70 offices all over the globe and projects in over 120 countries. It plays a major and unique contribution in promoting democracy, the rule of law and a social market economy. At the core of its mission is “for people to be able to live self-determined lives in freedom and dignity.”

The University of Cebu, through the College of Law, was privileged to organize Judge Spitzkatz’ lecture on “Germany’s Constitutional Court and the Euro Crisis.” We are grateful to him, Susan Chan, KAS regional project executive, KAS and the equally distinguished members of the panel who contributed immensely to the sharing of information and experience that took place. Mention should be made of the inspiring and brilliant legal minds in our midst: Regional Trial Court Cebu City Branch 13 Judge Meinrado Paredes, Elaine Bathan, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City Chapter and the Assistant Dean of the University of San Jose Recoletos Faculty of Law, Dean Joan Largo of the University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance, Dante T. Ramos,  a faculty member of the UC College Law and the hubby and partner in advocacy, and Ian Dominic M. Orino, UC law student, and of course, our much-loved Dean Baldomero C. Estenzo. We are forever inspired by the students who showed their tremendous interest in integration and its impacts on existing principles and processes.

For lawyers, law professors, students and members of the civil society sector who participated, the lecture offered new lessons, insight and appreciation on how Germany’s institution, the Constitutional Court, is playing a key and delicate role in enhancing the system, institutions and structures of an integrated community, the Eurozone, without having to sacrifice the values and principles of democracy in the member country.  As it is interconnected as we all are, the community is mindful that an internal crisis faced by any of its members require urgent and positive action from the community including reforms that need to be instituted. The members are aware that any misstep has serious internal and external repercussions. Germany, like many countries in Europe, has mature institutions, political systems and stakeholders which should be able to withstand challenges along the way.

This brings to mind the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ integration in 2015. Is the country as equally prepared as the others are in embracing the changes and meeting the trials that will surely test the capacity and perhaps the strength and resilience of our people, institutions, systems, cultures and values? It is worrisome that many in the Philippines are still unaware of such eventual reality and its implications.

Speaking about resiliency, another buzzword as sustainability is nowadays, do we have what it takes to cope with the climate challenges and the consequences staring at us in the face now and in the future?

If we engage with our transformative champions like Vice Mayor Al Arquillano, Jr., Cebu City Councilors Nida Cabrera and Nestor Archival and civil society leaders Joel Lee, Bob Bajenting and John Menguito, to mention a few, the answer is “definitely yes.” As a Cebuano, I am proud to say that they have the heart, the hand and the head to help make the future better for the present and even for the generations yet unborn.

For KAS Director Spitzkatz to have a glimpse, in his very short stay, of the “little miracles” in Cebu to strengthen our  capacity to face the future, in the midst of the climate challenges, we introduced him to Councilor Nida Cabrera, Engr. Maricon Encabo,  Lito Vasquez, lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, Joel Lee, Vice Mayor Al Arquillano and the astonishing people of San Francisco, and Councilor Nestor Archival.

Councilor Archival’s latest project, done in his capacity as  Citizen Nestor, is the awesome stand-alone model house of the future, a 50-square meter, off-the-grid solar-powered abode with a rainwater catchment and a solar centralized air conditioning system for hot days. The rooftop contains the greenhouse for herbs and plants, and the storage for the batteries. The project will surely catch fire especially among the young professionals who are aware of the urgent need to reduce our carbon-footprint in the overheated home planet we have created, through our own “I-me alone matter” mentality. I understand this project will be launched in July. Perhaps our officials in Cebu and in Malacañang including the Philippine Climate Change Commission, Departments of Energy, Interior and Local Government, Education and of course, Environment and Natural Resources, should visit this laudable initiative of one who knows what it takes to veer us away from the perilous path to nowhere.

Our political authorities should likewise revisit San Francisco and see the typhoon shelters that people constructed with their own collective efforts and resources as the community’s well-planned adaptation strategy to climate change. They would also know the issues that the constituents have to face on a daily basis. Most important, they would hopefully realize that the key to transformation is through mobilizing and tapping people’s vast reservoir of wisdom, talents and skills as compassionate stewards of our planet.

Hopefully, by doing so, they will discard, finally, the mindset that they alone control our choices towards living a life of dignity and honor in our so uncertain and shared tomorrow.