A GROUP is advocating a program ‘Bagong Filipino para sa Bagong Pilipinas’ as author Florencio "Chito" R. Gavino III launched his book “Be a New Filipino” at Kairos Restaurant in Brgy. Obrero, Davao City on Friday, April 19, 2024.
The Samal Eagles Club led by its President, Ricky Cabaltera, shared that the book is a tool on how Filipinos could change and renew to become a "New Filipino".
For his part, Gavino said that before we can achieve Bagong Pilipinas, it demands that its people also become Bagong Filipino.
"There are upper pillars that we need to adhere to: 1. Love of God, Love of Country, and 3. Love of Family. What's happening now is we have lost our patriotism, we overemphasize our love of family and what happens when the love of family prevails over all the other pillars? There will be corruption because you would want to take and take to give to your family," author Gavino said.
According to his book, the program "Be a Filipino" was first conceptualized in 2012. It was adopted by the Samal Eagles Club in 2024 to first change the mindset and behavior of the people preparatory to Constitutional Reform.
"How do you expect the country to progress? Napag-iwanan na tayo ng husto? Because ang ating values tila distorted? (We are far left behind because our values seem distorted)," Gavino added.
Gavino, who is an architecture graduate at the University of Santo Tomas, is married to Dr. Paquita. They bore children Pietro, Paolo, Portia, Pia.
He took his Masters in Environmental Planning at the University of the Philippines and held several positions. He was an architect at the Office of the City Engineer's Office in Davao City, an instructor at the College of Engineering and Architecture at the University of Mindanao, and a City Planning and Development Office coordinator in Davao City. CEA