A Filipino man was on an overseas trip. In the hotel lobby, while he awaited his room on the 18th floor to be set, he was approached by a stranger and gorgeous woman. He was asked if he wants a good time with her, but tells her no and that he is married. The man then tailed the hotel porter to the elevator up to his room. Integrity is the unwavering and unchanging display of a person’s uprightness in whatever situations. So Young Kang says, “Integrity requires an inner sense of ‘wholeness’ and consistency of character. When you are ‘whole’ and consistent, there is only one you. You bring that same you wherever you are regardless of the circumstance.” The said description resonates with the Latin adjective integer, where the word integrity evolved from, meaning whole and complete.
Moreover, integrity is something “we’re not born with it - or without it - which means that it’s a behavior-based virtue we can cultivate over time,” says psychologist Seth Meyers. Consequently, we could commence being a person of integrity with the help of God by exercising the following: do what you say you would do, arrive before the scheduled time of appointment, serve others ahead of yourself, be transparent with your spouse, value others opinion, take responsibility for your action, accept your fault and do better, give people the benefit of the doubt, and do a favor for others without expecting in return. Alan Cohen said the test of integrity is when the life you live on the outside matches who you are on the inside. 
Furthermore, “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed”. This scriptural passage teaches that whenever our life contradicts not the moral law, authored by God, we are under his favor and watch. While people accuse, blame, or intimidate us on our morally upright principles, as revealed in the Scriptures and the Constitution, God would surely vindicate us as we are on his side. In contrast, people who choose to live the crooked way would find themselves disgrace as God exposes their moral failure for correction and discipline.It says in the book of Proverbs that the integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” (LCM, CRFV)
them.” (LCM, CRFV)

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A new year, a fresh start. Celebrating New Year usually invites us to look back with gratefulness for surviving and thriving the past year and, with excitement, we look forward to what lies ahead. Inspired by one’s determination and passion to right the wrongs and bring the right to a higher level, it also gives us a sense of a new life. Such reflection is normally focused on the individual, family relationships and the immediate environment. However, with the current crisis confronting the society, this New Year celebration calls us to widen our perspective of a new start not just for ourselves but also for the nation. This brings us to reflect on the value of patriotism.
 
Patriotism, or our love for the nation, is the mark of a true citizen. Every citizen then must endeavor to contribute for the good of the nation rather than satisfying one’s personal interest at the expense of this nation. Naturally, a person always looks for the benefit or what he or she gets rather than what he or she gives for being part of a nationality. A true Filipino makes sacrifices to keep this nation free – free from invasion but as well as free from all forms of ills in society. This is what we profess every time we sing our national anthem. Gone are the days that we take advantage of our position, power, or undue influence to amass wealth for personal gain. We abdicate our personal wishes and ambitions for public good.
 
Looking into the above perspective, exemplifying patriotism is not just determined by patronizing local products. Loving the nation requires us to exert effort for the betterment of the country. A vision for a better Philippines and doing something to make it a reality become part of a citizen’s heartbeat. It does not have to be nationwide in scope. It can be done within our means and within our own influence. We can contribute something in our offices, agency, or barangay. It is proactively creating an impact and significant change within our reach. For instance, policing our own ranks so there will be no corruption and malpractices in government is helpful enough to safeguard our nation from abuse and destruction because our nation can be destroyed internally and need not externally. We work not only for the nation’s independence from foreign intrusions but also from local intrusions by people who profess to love the Philippines yet their actions characterize a traitor.
 
At the peak of the pandemic, we have heard certain huge amounts of budget that were not properly accounted for. There were services rendered and goods acquired that did not go through the standard operating procedures. News of inefficiencies and other irregularities saturate different media platforms. These are the things that our nation must be protected from. Our nation must have freedom from all forms of impropriety in government if we are to realize progress and prosperity in the country.
 
In all of these, how much do we care? As we have entered 2021, we must have a new beginning where the old ways are gone and the new living way has become. Let us bring the future in our days by sowing the seeds now. Glory is waving at the horizon.  (AOS, CRFV)