Speech of Atty. Dominador D. Buhain
For the BOOK DONATION Ceremonies
Of PEPA-LMP, June 17, 1999
The greatest gift a man can give to another is one which does not require anything in return. And the best person to be given a gift is he who is not able to give back. Then and only then will our giving be an act of love and concern.
It is my personal privilege to be a part of today’s ceremonies. I consider this occasion as momentous and beneficial to the book industry and to the Filipino students not only because what we have been presented the opportunity to give and reach out but also because what we are giving out are precious materials which will aid the Filipino youth in preparing themselves for a better life in the future.
Books have shaped the history of the world. Even the Lord Jesus Christ, after giving up himself for us, left us with the greatest book that has ever been written. Today, after two thousand years, we feel His presence and know and follow His will simply because what He wants us to know and do have been preserve in a book, the Bible, the all-time world bestseller, the most influential material ever written.
Our very own history has unfolded through the help of books. Wasn’t the great uprising of the Katipunan a result of Jose Rizal’s great novels? Perhaps this is why Rizal was chosen as our national hero above Andres Bonifacio. He left us with books to ponder upon; for his ideals and virtues to be preserved for the future Filipino generations to know and uphold.
Time would fail me to enumerate the many great works of Shakespeare, Plato, Confucius, and other literary magnates that have influenced the evolution of modern society.
What we do today may be relatively small in scope. The books we are giving out in donation and the institutions we build for the purpose of reading and learning may not surpass or even equal the extent of influence that these great writers and materials have. Yet, if just one young life be improved through one of the books we are offering, all our efforts will be worth it. Our lowly activity which we now commemorate does not call for a pompous ceremony or national acclaim. All that we wish is for our books to reach the less privileged Filipino youth and through these reading materials our youth may be encouraged to read and thereby succeed in life.
Finally, may I extend my appreciation to all of you who came and graced this occasion. May this just be the start of a beautiful and lasting relationship between PEPA and the LMP for the benefit of the Filipino people. Thank you and good day.
