Br. Bernie’s Take on Winning and Losing

In his second Town Hall Assembly (THA), Br. Bernard S. Oca FSC tackled the issue on Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more popularly known as pork barrel, subsequent to his discussion on the GREEN Raffle Project.

 
On September 27, Lasallian Partners gathered at the Sylvia P. Lina Theater to attend the said THA. Br. Bernie began his talk with an opening prayer composed of selected prayers made by the students during their retreat.
 
For Br. Bernie, his assignment in DLSZ came with a mission that is to help the school raise enough funds to send more deserving students to study in DLSZ, thus the GREEN Raffle Project.
 
“You may win a prize but more importantly you will win because you will give someone a chance to win in life,” stressed the school’s President.
 
Contrary to winning, Br. Bernie opened the issue on PDAF where all taxpayers came out as losers. For him, the allocated funds should benefit the most marginalized in our society; and everyone should have a voice on how the government should spend the money.
 
Last September 3, during the first STAR Session for this academic year, the Lasallian Formation and Mission Department (LFMD) encouraged all Lasallian Partners to reflect on the country’s pressing problem.
 
One of the questions that surfaced during the session was, “What specific course of action can we do to respond to PDAF?” Based from the accumulated results, the following answers came to light:

• Join Mass Actions or Rallies;
• Share and pass factual information that can help Filipinos to be aware of the current events and issues in the country;
• Prayer as a means of responding to the situation;
• Prayer for enlightenment;
• Prayer for transparency;
• Prayer for truth;
• Challenge oneself to be truthful;
• Integrate the value of humility to one’s class lessons.

 
According to Br. Bernie, there is poverty and misery because some people are not honest, generous, kind and compassionate.
 
For him, a Lasallian educator entails giving out one’s self completely without asking anything in return. “I believe that if you give off yourself in all generosity, God will give you much more than what you have given; something more than money cannot buy but will give us joy beyond what we will experience in our present life,” he uttered.
 
In his parting words, Br. Bernie expressed, “To me, the greatest reward is seeing young people pass through your life and say, “You made a difference in my life”. I think that is more than enough.”
 
To mark the end of the assembly, a short video of the scholars expressing their gratitude was shown. It also served as the closing prayer, prior to the Alma Mater Hymn.