"

Fil
i
pino
sdo n
'treal
iz
ethatvi
ctor
yisthechi
ldo fs
tru
gg l
e,t
hatj
oyblo
ssomsfro
ms u
ffer
ing
,and
r
edempti
onisaproductofsa
cri
fi
ce.
"-Jos
eRizal
."Comoseg obi
erna
nla
sFili
pi
nas
"(Howonegover
nsin
t
hePhi
li
ppi
nes),
publis
hedinLaSoli
dar
idad(1
5Dec ember1890)
.

Thi
squotereall
yembo ldenedmys elftoeva l
uat
eh owdi dIres
pondt othepi
ctureofvi
c t
ory
thr
oughtheu nr
elenti
ngsuf
fer i
ngtha
tI per sonal
lyencounteredinth
es pectr
umo fhuma nexperi
ence
befor
eandevent o
da y.
Wh atIloveabou tthisquotewa sit
'sreal
lyaneyeo penerfo
reveryFili
pi
nowh o
i
sa f
rai
dtog othroughpai
nan dlamen t
ation ;
wh owa n
tst ohaveah ost
il
e-fr
eeo ri
nst
an tl
i
fe.Buti
n
real
i
ty,t
here'snosuc hi
nst
an torapieceo fc akeprocess.Everyoneofu swasbo un
dt oexperi
ence
suf
feri
ng,t
urmo i
loreventheu nprec
eden tedc i
rcu
ms ta
n cessuchasthispandemic.

Bu tdespi
teo ft
h eses tuff
s,j
oyc omeso nceween dure.Rewardco mes.onc eweper si
stent
ly
i
nc r
eas eourfait
h,breathingn o
ti
ngbu tpos i
ti
vit
ya ndc on
sist
ency.Ibel
ievethatGo distoogoo dt
ol eave
uswh erewea replantedo rposit
io
ned.Wh enther i
ghtti
mec omesa ndt h
es oi
lintheg ar
denisfertile
th
enwea stheflowerwi llbloomirr
esist
ibly.Fi
li
pinosareresi
li
entpeopleandI'mpr oudtosayt hatI'
m
countedin.Foreveryba t
tlethatIhaveisf ortheswea tofmymo t
hera broa
da n deverymo veIma keis
fo
rGo dt hatrai
sedmef r
omdea t
htolif
e. Hebr oughtmeo vertheruggedh i
ll
,allofmyh eartach
esa nd
pains
. NowI underst
a nd,tri
alscomet oma kemes trong.I
gottostayinther a
cea ndal
lofusmu stkeep
pressi
n gon.Thi
sismyt es t
imonytoyo u;Igotvictor
yevent houghIdon'tl
ooklikewh atI'
vebeen
th
r o
ug h.Thepa i
nthatI endurednow, Ico
u ntitvic
torya n
dpu rej
oy!