Ifugao general enjoins folks in nation building

By Vency D. Bulayungan

KIANGAN, Ifugao -- As the veterans and the public commemorated the 66th anniversary of the informal surrender of General Tomoyuki Yamashita to Philippine and American authorities Sept. 2, 1945 in this town, a young Ifugao military officer enjoined the public to participate in nation building.

Speaking to his province mates and visitors from adjoining provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Mt. Province, Kalinga, Benguet and Baguio City during the opening program, Gen. Francisco Uyami Jr., guest speaker, said “what we can do for the moment is to enjoy our freedom and promote our theme , ‘freedom reigns’ and let us join in nation building by simply being good citizens.”

“Let’s obey the laws and pay our taxes; let’s be good to our neighbors; let us help those who are in need; let us be responsible by not throwing our wastes everywhere; let us not pollute the rivers and engage in destructive cutting of trees, because today our lives are no longer threatened by an invading army but by pollution, soil erosion, lack of water and flood.”

He encouraged the public to take care of the environment and make it a habit to plant one tree at least once a week. “The trees are our sources of water that we drink and the oxygen that we breath, we need water for our homes and for the fields from which we grow our food,” he said.

He also urged the public to help leaders promote good governance saying they have good intentions to guide all citizens into a direction where the province and the nation can achieve peace and progress. “Let us not be the obstacle to all the good programs and projects that our leaders have laid down for us, instead, let us cooperate and support them.But while we stand as one and be united to achieve our vision for a progressive community, let us be vigilant and follow the line that our President Benigno Aquino III is advocating, “Patungo sa Daang Matuwid at landas ng pagbabago.”

He also mentioned the value of education and preservation of the rich culture which should be taught to the younger generation. “It is in education where we gain knowledge, of wisdom and it is through this knowledge or wisdom that will guide us to our future and let us be proud of our customs and traditions and continue to practice and preserve it,” he said. May the 66th victory day anniversary continue to inspire us and to make us understand that we can only be great if we love and defend our country and may we learn from the sacrifices and the heroism of our living and fallen heroes and may we value the freedom that we gained and continue to protect and preserve it.”

Uyami, 51, a lawyer whose parents are from Hingyon and Lagawe, is the first general in Lagawe town.

He is currently the Executive Officer, Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Southern Luzon.

He graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1982 and finished law at the Baguio Colleges Foundation in 1989, took up his Masteral Degree at the Pamantasan ng Lunsod ng Maynila in 1997 and finished his doctoral degree at the Bicol State University in 2001.