TO THE YOUTH

By Maria Lourdes Sereno

June 12, 2021

I see a river whose waters lead to the city of God
They say it makes glad this city
Beloved of God, men and women
Who for some reason, some sad unfortunate reason
Forgot He who loved them first

These are the brave ones
Asking questions of beloved Pilipinas
Saan na tayo patungo?
Meron pa bang bukas
Kung sadlak sa hirap at dahas?

And yet they ask, for in their hearts
Hope springs
Not for them the sarcasm of the smart
Nor the tricks of the flattering tongue
But the sting of antiseptic truth

Hurt they must, in asking
Yet they will not flinch
For they must know what lies ahead
What went before
All these dread things

So gingerly they dip a toe or two
Not knowing whether this river
Tis of the mighty Jordan or some other
Generic raging waters that sweep away
Men, memories and time

But these brave youth
Will not flinch for theirs is the future
Tis what they feel, tis what their heart tells them
To own, not hide from
Whatever truth brings

Then plunge they a calf, half a calf
Till all their nakedness is plunged
Into the river Jordan
Pain, ache, cold, shivers, wound
Washed away, washed away

Till what remains is the unseen
The life that counts for worth, that lasts
Not in the I, but in the we
Not in shame or guilt but in love
Washing over everything that seems wrong

The river is glad for it is made of blood
Of the purest form
Shed to make whole what was broken
To pick up shards of broken dreams
And create new prisms of light and beauty

It shouts forth joy and in its depth is peace
This river of boundless love
Offering once again itself
To make all life renewed
In Inang Pilipinas

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Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is living proof that true courage is forged through adversity.

Sereno rose from humble beginnings to become the country’s first female Chief Justice in 2012. She attended public elementary and secondary school, then pursued higher education through scholarships. She graduated valedictorian from the UP College of Law in 1984, and holds a Masters of Law degree, specializing in law and economics and international trade law, from the University of Michigan.

She was a law professor at the UP for nearly 20 years. The World Trade Organization recognized her stellar credentials with her 1998 appointment as Counsellor of their Appellate Body in Geneva, Switzerland. She was also involved in successful international litigation as co-counsel for the Republic and was AIM’s Executive Director for their Policy Center.

With her modernizing outlook and firm belief in the power of technology, she co-founded a corporation that developed the first annotated electronic research system in Philippine Law. Her tenure as Chief Justice is marked by far-reaching reforms, including eCourts, automated hearings, case decongestion, continuous trials, and expanded small claims courts. At the heart of her reform program is the strong conviction that justice and the law’s protection should be accessible and responsive to the most vulnerable Filipinos. Because she was a staunch defender of judicial independence, Sereno was subjected to intense persecution.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is now a major voice for people-centered change in Philippine society. She believes this change is part of God’s desire for this country, that every Filipino is precious in God’s sight, bawat isa mahalaga, and that each citizen and every community has a role in building up this nation. She is an advocate for faithfulness to the vision of a “just and humane society” in the Philippine Constitution, and integrity and accountability in governance.

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