To Be Continued

I belong to an interesting generation. I am one of the millennials. I live in a fast paced

information-driven era. My world has gone so complicated. What had been wrong before is now
believed to be right. What had been a lie before is now being fought as the truth. The once
antagonist of the story is now the hero of the town. The world has gone topsy-turvy. No wonder my
generation is so confused and divided. We are in a vast sea of stories and information that our young
minds have trouble wading into it. However, amidst this confusing labyrinth of facts and lies are
truths that stand the test of time. They are truths that transcend generations, cultures, and borders.
Such are the truths of life and death. These are truths that require no research or analysis to be
understood. Because once a persons heart stopped beating, no intelligent evil individual can cover
up the end of his existence.
People put primacy on the value of life and, once it ends, no sane man will contradict its
truth. Life and death are fixed truths and this is exactly why I had no confusion of understanding the
life and legacy of Fr. Godofredo Alingal, S.J. despite being a confused millennial and the fact that his
death and my birth are generations apart. In his lifetime, Fr. Ling, as he is fondly called, was Christ-
like. He was like a modern day Messiah sent by God to help and guide the people of Kibawe,
Bukidnon. He was Christ-like because he was a king, a prophet, and a savior.
He was a King to Kibawe in leading its people to stand up against abuses, fight for their
rights, and protect their lands. He was like a father to Kibawe the man people run to in times of
conflicts and problems and when people from outside try to take away their precious land through
mocking documents because the farmers of Kibawe could not even read nor write. Fr. Ling was a
Prophet when Martial Law regime was at its peak and media were shut down by the Marcos
Administration. He was a Prophet that would write suppressed news on a giant blackboard in front
of the local church for everyone to see. In his activism, he received a number of death threats, but
he was not shaken. Still, he was a fearless bringer of truth to his community. And on that fateful
night of April 13, 1981, he was a Savior. That peaceful night was torn by the urgent cries of help
from two parish houseboys. In his desire to help, Fr. Ling opened his door to imminent danger.
Masked gunmen appeared before him and, just like how Jesus faced death to save His people, Fr.
Ling took a bullet to his heart, completing his ultimate sacrifice for the people of Kibawe and his
vocation as a servant of God. His assassins were never known. And on the day of his funeral, the
people of Kibawe mourned for the loss of a great man, carrying with them a ringing question that is
still being asked 36 years after his death. Hain ang justicia?
Today, its easy to twist the facts of Fr. Lings life story. Anyone can say that he was involved
in illegal drug smuggling. Anyone can string evidence supporting that claim, sprinkle it with over
dramatic words, and the confused members of my generation will blindly believe it. Worse, share it.
But there is only one thing that will remain true in many possible versions of his story, it is the truth
that he boldly embraced the arms of death for a reason. Indeed, the truths of life and death
transcend generations because his life and legacy left a challenging calling to me as a millennial to
continue the fight. Articles about him say that he never feared dying because he believed that others
will rise up, take action, and continue the fight because, 36 years after his death, the fight is not yet
over. It only has taken a different form.
 And to be able to continue this fight, one important question needs to be answered. What
kind of fight am I in now? Mr. President said that we are in a War on Drugs. I dont believe him. We
are in War on Deceit and Twisted Morality. As a millennial, my fight is against people that fashion
immorality as the new norm of the society. My fight is against propagandists that rewrite the past
and continue to poison the minds of our fellow poor millennials. My fight is against power hungry
people that take advantage of our countrys poverty for personal gains. And in this fight, I need
three weapons courage, faith, and love. And as a future teacher, I choose to fight with these
weapons in my future war zone called classroom.
I need to have courage like Fr. Ling had. To be called to teach is to shape the countrys
future generation. That, alone, is a huge responsibility. As an Education major, my calling is
overwhelming and daunting, for who am I, with my limited skills and abilities, take part in the
making of these childrens future? But I need to be brave like Fr. Ling was. The challenge of
teaching is no match to the death threats received by Fr. Ling, but he was fearless because he
believed. He had faith, and I think I should have too.
I need to believe like Fr. Ling did. I need to believe in myself, my future students, and my
country. I need to believe that I can take the responsibility and my students can be as best as they
can be with me. I need to believe in my country that there is always hope for her, that there is room
for change, that all things are possible with her people through faith. To believe, I need to see my
life beyond its flaws and circumstances and this vision is only possible through love.
Yes, love. I need to love like Fr. Ling did. He had courage and faith because he loved.
Through love, Fr. Ling saw the obstacles of the path of his dream, but he saw that the end of it is so
much brighter than the path itself. Fr. Lings immense love is the same amount of love that I need
to look past the horrors of teaching and the maladies that our ailing country has, for love is the most
powerful of all the weapons. Love accepts the ugliness of the world and celebrates the beauty and all
the potential goodness it still has for us. Love silences all doubts and fears and braves the unknown.
Love is steps back, humbles ones self, and puts others sake first on top of everything. Love is brave
and faithful. Love is a prime mover. Finally, as clich as it may seem, love conquers all.
Thus, the fight is still on. For as long as evil and ignorance lurk in the corners of my place,
the fight continues. I will be the courageous, faithful, and loving person the world needs me to be. I
will be the idealistic game changer that my school, Ateneo, wants me to be. And in the moment that
I step in my real classroom, my future battlefield, my battle cry will be, Yes, Fr. Ling. To be continued.

Jessica E. Genotiva
3 AB BSE English