Pacquiao’s unifying message

I’m going to step back from the community celebration for a moment and make an observation, because there is a point worth making.

That Pacquiao could, with his fists and gloves, single-handedly focus the attention of Filipinos is both a feat and a statement.

The feat we all clearly understand: Pacquiao pulled off a convincing and awe-inspiring victory over a favored, and better known opponent. He captured our collective attention and pride.

But the statement? The statement is unexplored, or at least not articulated. And because our community cannot afford to waste any opportunity toward self-improvement, let us unpack the message that Pacquiao brings before us.

In my view, the relative peace and order Pacquiao inspired among Filipinos on December 6, 2008 says two things:
1) that the Filipino imagination, inspiration, aspiration, and ambition could be focused into a singular purpose, and
2) that the Filipino is hungry for and capable of creating a common, unifying purpose.

We, Filipinos, make up a diverse breed and we have an unfinished democracy. We tend to fetishize our differences, instead of finding a way to build consensus. We are often known to be as unkind and dismissive of one another as we are extremely generous and accommodating of non-Filipinos.

While we toil for others and our individual families – and while this is all good – wouldn’t it be amazing if we also worked as one toward something? If we gave our collective attention toward one thing? — Maybe a First World Philippines.

Pacquiao’s historic victory – and how it moves all of us, still, to reach for higher ground – reflects the untapped potential in us as a people.

At some point we can’t just be about untapped potential. We have to execute.

What is stopping us? We already know we can prevail.