Finding hope and light in the story of Efren Penaflorida

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, … it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...”

I took these lines from the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities, written in 1859 depicting the state of the times before and during the French Revolution in the two cities of Paris and London.

I recalled these lines because for the past few days I have been thinking how they also very accurately describe the state of our beloved Philippines today.

For some reason, however, I could only see “the worst of times… the season of Darkness… and the winter of Despair”…

As a 67-year-old parent and grandparent who wants a better tomorrow for his children and grandchildren, I could only feel in despair as I see the continued deterioration of peace and order, the anarchy among motorists in our roads, the wheeling and dealing in our politics and government institutions, and the growing number of poor people who are hungry, sick and abandoned. I thought I would start to see light with the coming 2010 elections only to see darkness settle in with the present horse-trading, changing alliances and the questionable automated elections. I could only see the worst of times in our deteriorating environment, the floods never seen before in history, and the rising number of diseases whose cure has yet to be discovered.

My feelings were aggravated most especially by the events of the past few days in Cotabato where I have spent some few good years of my younger life. I started to get depressed as I recalled and imagined the place where the so-called “Maguindanao Massacre” happened. I remember traveling by that same highway many times in the past from Cotabato City on my way to the southern part of the province. It seemed like nothing has changed since the 70’s but has even gotten worst. Painful memories came back as I was told that the massacre happened almost on the same spot where my classmate and friend, Fr. Nelson Javellana, OMI, died from an ambush many years ago. They say that Fr. Nelson’s ambush was the result of a mistaken identity. True or not, it remains a fact that the recent incident involving the violent and murderous killing of 57 people that included innocent lives is a much worst scenario and indicative of the “worst times, darkness and despair” that to my mind prevail today. What probably added to my depression was the fact that the innocent Lechonsito couple who were not part of the original targets and who apparently met violent deaths are family friends from Tacurong City who are close to me.

Yesterday, I realized there was nothing I could do but pray for the repose of their souls and hope that they get the justice they deserve.

This morning I woke up to the merry announcement by a television host that today is exactly 26 days before Christmas and that this coming Sunday is already the First Sunday of Advent. Almost immediately, the TV host followed it up with the news that today the government is finally honoring Efren Penaflorida in Malacanang. And my mind started to make the connections…

Almost everybody by now who reads the newspapers, watches television, and surfs the internet knows who Efren Penaflorida, Jr. is. He is the 27-year-old Filipino professional social worker and teacher, the CNN Hero of the Year who was cited for his innovative way of reaching out to the children of the slums in his native Cavite City.

In my desire to know more about him, I googled Efren’s name and found more than 800,000 references most of which relate the story of the beginnings of Dynamic Teen Company that he founded in 1997 initially giving tutorials in reading, writing and math to children in the slums in order to lure them away from a life of violence and crime in the streets among teen-age gangs. The program later evolved into a full-blown mobile mini school using volunteer teachers (former street children themselves) and what is familiar to the street kids in the slum areas – the pushcart or “kariton”. The rest is now, as they say, history.

I thought I found in the story of Efren the “best of times, “the season of Light, and the spring of Hope” that I was looking for at this time.

Today, as we approach advent some 27 days before Christmas, I dug from my files an old reflection on hope by Fr. James Keller, Maryknoll priest and founder of The Christophers. I find it very appropriate as we contemplate the story of Efren and the coming Advent and Christmas. It goes:

“Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst. Hope opens doors where despair closes them.

"Hope discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot. Hope draws its power from a deep trust in God and the basic goodness of human nature.

"Hope 'lights a candle' instead of 'cursing the darkness.' Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities.

"Hope cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism. Hope sets big goals and is not frustrated by repeated difficulties or setbacks.

"Hope pushes ahead when it would be easy to quit. Hope puts up with modest gains, realizing that 'the longest journey starts with one step.'

"Hope accepts misunderstandings as the price for serving the greater good of others. Hope is a good loser because it has the divine assurance of final victory."

What more can I say? Efren Penaflorida’s story embodies all of these. Maybe, there is still hope for the Philippines after all!