Alex Lacson: The wonders of little acts of patriotism

I learned about the book 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country during an interview with businessman Chris Tio, who is a big fan of the book and the author, Alex Lacson. I really got curious about the book so I searched the net for more information about it. It was then that I stumbled upon a column of the late Max Soliven, which narrated an experience wherein his car broke down and a man offered him a ride. The man was Alex Lacson.

Alex Lacson is a lawyer. He finished law at the U.P. College of Law in Diliman, and took post graduate studies at Harvard Law School. He also studied at the Philippine Military Academy for three years. At present, he is a partner at the Malcolm Law Office in Makati.

When President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called on Filipinos to help the country during the financial crisis in 2004, Atty. Lacson was one of those who took the call seriously and decided to contribute by using his best talent, which is writing. The book 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country is his answer to the President's call. In less than six months from its publication, the book became a national bestseller. The book is now on its 8th printing, as many companies, schools, organizations and individuals order copies of the book in bulk.

Why did Atty. Lacson write such a book? Let's find out in this short interview with The FREEMAN Lifestyle.

1. What was your inspiration in writing the book?

Eight years ago, my wife and I seriously thought of migrating to the US or Canada. At the time, many of my relatives and friends were leaving for abroad. In my family, a sister and a brother of mine, with their respective families, had already left for abroad in search of the so called greener pasture. At the time too, my youngest brother and his family were applying for migration to Canada. They eventually left a few years later.

 So I guess my wife and I were also tempted to do the same. But after seriously talking about it for several months, we decided to stay. We decided to live our lives here and raise our family here.

Since then, many friends have asked me the question - Why did you stay? Since then too, I have asked myself many time this question - What if our Philippines does not progress in 20 or 30 years?

I guess the inspiration to write the book came to me gradually, like a seed of patriotism in my heart that started small but one that keeps on growing everyday.

The opportunity to write the book itself came in August 2004, after it was announced that our nation was facing a serious financial crisis. And there was a big call from our leaders and media to help our country. A Freedom Fund was created where people could donate. A number of businessmen donated millions to it. Many students also pooled their allowances and donated to the Freedom Fund.

I was inspired by that so I also asked myself - What can I do to help? After a few days of thinking, I decided to contribute my best talent, which is writing. Seven months later, I finished the book.

2. What made you write about the topic? What is the purpose of the book?

There were two ideas that made me write about the topic.

The first is what Ninoy Aquino said in his written speech when he came home from exile on August 21, 1983. Unfortunately, Ninoy was not able to read that speech anymore due to his assassination.

In that written speech, Ninoy said that our country the Philippines, given a good leader, will become a great nation because the Filipino people are essentially good followers. I believe in Ninoy's observation about the Filipino people, so I told myself that perhaps if we have a list of things to do on how we can help our country - like the little things we can do everyday in our lives - maybe we can gradually awaken the spirit of patriotism among our people, and perhaps things will change for the better.

The second idea for the topic came from Malcolm Gladwell, author of the bestselling book "The Tipping Point". In this book, Gladwell talked about the power of little things, the power of details.

One of the many stories told by Gladwell in the book was about a campaign against diabetes in a US State known for having the highest number of diabetics in the country. The epidemic was so alarming that a series of seminar-awareness campaign from village to village was made. After the first three seminars conducted, the organizers were disappointed that only 10 percent to 20 percent of those who attended the seminars actually went to the hospitals for their free medical check up and treatment. This bothered the organizers. But in their next seminar, they included a simple map on how to go to the hospital. This time the number of those who actually went to the hospital reached 75 percent to 85 percent of those who attended the seminar. Gladwell concluded that, apparently those who did not know how to get to the hospital did not bother to find out how to get there. The map made it a lot easier for them to go to the hospital. That simple map, that little detail, was the key.

Gladwell's book is all about the power of the little things. Gladwell believes that if we change the little things around us, they will eventually change us and our environment.

Famous poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said it many generations ago. A thought, he said, is very powerful. Because a thought could become an action, and a repeated action could become a habit. A person's habit could become his character, and his character could become his destiny.

The purpose of the books is make great patriots of our people - thru small acts of patriotism, thru little deeds of heroism in their daily lives. It is to help awaken that great spirit of patriotism that we know is just there buried deep in the hearts of our people.

Perhaps this is also what we need in our country. Perhaps we can change and transform our country piece by piece, brick by brick, block by block, one heart, one Filipino at a time.

If we are able to convince our people that they have the power to change our country, through the little acts of patriotism they can do, like the 12 little things in the book, perhaps soon we can have millions of faceless, nameless but great patriots of our country nonetheless.

St Therese is also a believer of the power of little things. The little deeds that she did with great faith in her life continue to inspire and transform millions of lives today.

3. Do you think the present efforts to awaken national pride and patriotism will work? What do you think will be the best way to awaken the Filipino spirit?

I am sure that the present efforts to awaken national pride and patriotism among our people are wonderful works. They would add up to all previous works. But whether they would bring us to reaching a tipping point, a point that would inspire our people to incorporate it in their daily lives, is another question.

According to Lee Kuan Yew's book "The Singapore Story", one of the most important reasons why he became effective as a leader of his country was his credibility.

When he campaigned against graft and corruption in his country, Lee Kuan Yew himself took the lead. He believed that he would only become effective if he himself is clean. So he disciplined himself and his family and those close to him not get involve in graft and corruption. In 1966, when a member of his cabinet, who also happened to be one of this closest friends and supporters, got involved in graft and corruption, Lee Kuan Yew did not hesitate to condemn and apply the full measure of the law on him. Lee Kuan Yew did not allow him and his family to leave the country. Lee Kuan Yew had him arrested and put to jail. After that incident, most Singaporeans trusted Lee Kuan Yew. When Lee Kuan Yew spoke about loving Singapore, whether they were private citizens or in the government service, the Singaporeans believed him.

In leadership, there is a principle that applies to it. It is called leadership by example.

The best person to talk about leadership is no other than a person who is a true leader himself. In the same manner that only a true patriot can talk about genuine patriotism.

And only a true patriot will be able to awaken that true spirit of patriotism that is there but deeply buried in the hearts of our people.

4. Aside from writing the book, what other patriotic acts do you do?

When the book came out in June 2005, I started receiving invitations to share its message. In 2006, I was invited to give almost 300 talks and speeches. In 2006, there were more than 250 such invitations. This year, 2008, every week I continue to receive 3 invitations on the average per week.

So in the past 3 years, I have devoted so much of my time to sharing the book's message of "small acts of patriotism" in various parts of our country.

Out of the sale proceeds of the book, my family is also able to support today 38 scholars, 11 of whom are in college. One of our scholars graduated valedictorian and magna cum laude last March 25, 2008. The scholar is now a CPA.

At present, I am finishing my second book. It is almost finished and should be published soon. Its title is "The Wisdom of our Race. The Wisdom of Filipino." It is a collection of great thoughts of great Filipinos in the past and today, on various areas like God, Country, Family, the Filipino, Citizenship, Leadership, among others. My sole purpose in this book is to help the Filipino today and tomorrow to have a beautiful self-image of himself or herself as a Filipino, as a beloved child of God like everyone else, and for him or her to have a deep sense of faith and love for the Filipino.

I believe that if we, as a people, have a beautiful self-image of ourselves as Filipinos, coupled with a deep sense of faith and love for one another, the full measure of the Filipino's beauty and greatness will soon bloom out for all the world to see. For there is so much beauty that can spring out from a beautiful heart and a wonderful mind.

Alex Lacson will be in Cebu on Saturday, November 29 for the launching of Dilaab Foundation's Pwede Pala Pinoy, 3 p.m. at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuits Gym along Gen. Maxilom Avenue. Pwede Pala Pinoy is a telling, sharing, and retelling of largely untold, inspiring stories of faith-impelled work promoting the common good. Other speakers for the event are Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio and retired PNP Gen. Samson Tucay.