My Personal Credo

Finally, I was chosen to be a participant to a program that I had been interested to join for quite some time now. Per OMB Office Order No. 09 – 143 dated April 13, 2009, I attended the Ehem! Aha! Self Check Seminar on April 15 held at one of the training rooms of the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB).

A little bit of history. The OMB and the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and createda Technical Working Group (TWG) to implement the Ehem! Aha! anti-corruption scheme. Ehem! was a program developed by the Jesuit Fathers rooted on cultural sensitivity and reflection.

There are four general modules - 1) Experiencing Corruption, 2) Analyzing Causes and Consequences of Corruption, 3) Reflections on Corruption and 4) Action Planning.

I couldn’t finish the seminar course due to the usual intervening assignments over and above my usual tasks. On April 16 I was given instruction to represent the office and participate in a high–level consultative meeting between government officials led by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and representatives from the Japanese Embassy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) held at the NEDA main office.

It would take me more than another month to finish the seminar’s 3^rd and 4^th modules with another batch of OMB employees. So on May 21, 2009, I was able to finish the course and earn my certificate of participation.

Among the various activities that really made a strong impression on me was the formulation of our individual credos. The personal credo was to remind us of our realizations and commitments born out of this endeavor against corruption.

I’d like to share the credo I wrote during the seminar with all the netizens of the cyber world. May it inspire others to take action and contribute in any way, big or small to the establishment of a new Filipino culture of integrity and zero tolerance for corruption.

My Personal Credo

I am a child of God.

A being made in His image and likeness,

Entrusted as steward of all His creation.

And yet through my transgressions,

I have exiled myself from His heavenly kingdom.

I thank Him for the gift of life and salvation

through Christ Jesus.

Despite my unworthiness and brokenness,

Your forgiveness and mercy has again cleansed me

and made me white as snow.

By God’s grace, I will strive to follow His precepts…

The Lord’s will be done…not mine.

His blessings I will share with those in need.

My time, talent and treasure,

will I use for His greater glory!

I am thankful…

…for I am a child of God!