In days of darkness, let’s highlight stories of hope – Robredo

MANILA, Philippines – “If [it] is true that darkness is the mere absence of light, then it is up to us to fight this darkness by surrounding our society with our own light.”

Amid a stream of negativity and “darkness” in the country, Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday, March 11, launched “Istorya ng Pag-asa,” a collection of stories of hope and triumph of ordinary Filipinos.

Robredo said that Istorya ng Pag-asa “is born out of this need to change the national conversation.”

“We want to bring extraordinary stories of ordinary people to every nook and cranny of our country,” she said in a speech at the University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City.

She then featured 3 inspiring stories from around the Philippines.

Nanay Lorna, sari-sari store owner

The first was of Nanay Lorna, a sari-sari store owner who sells turon and banana cue in Quezon City.

“She is a widowed mother, she struggled day by day to send her children to school and by sheer determination and strength as a mother, brought all her 4 children to value excellence and hard work,” said Robredo.

Three of Nanay Lorna’s children went on to become a lawyer, a teacher, and a nurse. Her 4th child is enrolled at the Intarmed program of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Medicine. 

Mike O, an OFW

The second story shared by the Vice President was about Mike O., an overseas Filipino worker (OFW).

Hailing from La Union, Mike O. flew to San Diego, California in the United States to work, but still aims to return and settle in the Philippines.

His hard work paid off, said Robredo, as he now resides in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. He also owns a resort in Pagudpud town and a restaurant.

Alexander, the traffic enforcer 

As for the 3rd story, Robredo talked about Alexander, a dancing traffic enforcer in Eastwood, Quezon City.

Robredo said that Alexander channeled a heartbreak into dancing and used his talent on duty while directing traffic. He later found a new love: Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

The Vice President highlighted the athlete’s journey from humble beginnings in Mindanao to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, where Diaz participated in weightlifting.

“In the end, the entire nation was transfixed as her small body carried not just the weight of metals but also the pride of her nation,” Robredo said.

‘Find the light’

“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear,” the Vice President said. “We need more of it to counter the negativity in this era of post-truth, fake news, trolls, and alternative facts.” (READ: Robredo urges millennials to fight misinformation)

Robredo then emphasized the need to “choose hope in the midst of hopelessness.” But, she said, “we cannot wait for hope to find us.”

She encouraged everyone to “find the light” in themselves, and “give it a place to stay in our hearts and our minds.” 

“We need to feed it with extraordinary stories of ordinary people around us. And we need to tell stories of hope to our people, wherever they are.” – Rappler.com