ILOILO City – In the celebration of this city’s 84th Charter Day yesterday, Mayor Jerry Treñas highlighted Ilonggos’ virtues as fundamental pillars in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The city mayor said the celebration was a reminder of the Ilonggos’ katahom (beauty), kapisan (hard work) and kabakod (strength).
“This pandemic is not only a test of our healthcare system but also a test of our ability to survive as one community,” said Treñas.
Katahom, according to Treñas, is when there is beauty despite going through the adversity.
“Challenging times have taught us to see the shoreline beyond the rough waters ahead, rather than letting ourselves drown. Difficult as it may be, but having a positive outlook and seeing the beauty in every critical situation have become our only choice,” Treñas emphasized.
He added that this positive outlook has then stemmed into the Ilonggos’ willingness to band together to shoulder the responsibility of overcoming COVID-19.
The mayor stressed that every Ilonggo has played their role, especially the medical frontliners who did not mind being covered by their personal protective equipment (PPE) almost all the time.
They were exposed in the dirtiest and ugliest corners of their institutions to save lives but they kept going, said Treñas.
Meanwhile, with Ilonggos’ kapisan and determination, there’s a combined effort to make the work easier.
He said Ilonggos are determined to contribute no matter how big or small.
“We worked hard and remained determined despite our limitations,” he added.
Meanwhile, with kabakod, Treñas said Ilonggos remained strong even if they really feel tired and weak. They chose to be resilient and continue to act upon the main causes of the problems.
“Resilience will remain a positive concept, and here in Iloilo, it has always been a culture. This resilience has taught us to learn from past experiences and develop new coping strategies to move forward,” said Treñas.
He added that although it is still far from winning the battle, as long as these three virtues are embodied, Ilonggos will always remain on top of any critical situation.
“Ang katahom sang aton taguipusuon, ang kapisan nga duna sa aton, kag ang kabakod sang aton balatyagon ang magatib-ong sa aton padulong sa kadalag-an,” the city mayor added.
Treñas said this may not be the best time to celebrate, but as long as Ilonggos remain positive, determined and resilient, there will always be a reason to./PN
