PURSUING BIG goals is not always needed to improve the world, former vice president Leni Robredo said, as she urged the youth to find value in the “space” given to them even if others view their acts to be lacking.
Robredo urged the youth to invest in their advocacies through gradual yet consistent progress and to “drown out the noise” of those who discredit their efforts.
“I always tell them (volunteers), drown out the noise. We have a bigger job that we have to do, but whatever space is given to us, we stick to it,” Robredo said in a forum on Saturday, April 6, at the Frassati building auditorium.
“Sometimes when we’re young, we want to change the world, and if we can’t, we become frustrated. But my advice is, even if we only help one person, that’s already big,” she added.
The former vice president called on the youth to pursue endeavors out of genuine concern rather than to build a reputation.
According to her, well-intentioned initiatives should be paired with firsthand experience in understanding the struggles of different communities.
“I believe [leaders] who extend help with their hearts and understand the [people’s] needs can do more than those who just give since they may have no utang na loob (debt of gratitude) because they think ‘they got something from me,’” she said.
“[Leaders] who go through the problems are the [same leaders] who find the most effective solutions to those problems.”
According to Robredo, the youth should be encouraged to continue volunteering even without the “excitement” that accompany elections
Robredo, who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was known as an opposition leader and a critic of the brutal drug war of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
She ran for president in 2022 but lost to Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., whom she defeated during the race for vice president in 2016.
The seminar titled, “Girl Talk: An Ascension of the Modern Filipino Hija,” was organized by the UST Asian Studies Society. F
