“Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile.”

For in the end, you shall generate thousand truths that will make your sounding integrity and honor echo in every corner of the country.

I am one common Juan dela Cruz, faced with many adversities that tend to test my holistic being.

That whenever I feel like I would be broken, I tend to create the most ruthless act many of us consider a grave sin – lying.

This then reminds me of Psalm 34:13 – “keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile”.

A simple line yet difficult to carry out.

It is difficult because of the fact that most of us fear rejection, disapproval, failure and humiliation.

This is the reason why I, a Juan dela Cruz, would usually crave for honesty from the people around me, most especially from the people who I should emulate.

But then, reality bites as many would say, that though it is difficult to accept, I belong to a country where the virtue of honesty rarely prevails.

Honesty is not only about telling the truth but also about being sincere and loyal to anyone.

It does not only talk about speech but also about action.

From honesty comes sincerity, honor, equality and love.

It is honesty which is difficult to inculcate and develop among all of us especially if we are born egoistic.

In effect, one would not learn to understand honesty if he himself does not even know how to characterize his right or wrong behavior as Socrates would best explain it.

Ladies and gentlemen, if we have to live a life where honesty and integrity reigns, then we have to start within ourselves.

But how could this be possible if many of the people today hardly epitomize honesty?

Just consider the various controversial local and national issues from where the question of honesty and integrity enters.

These issues had dominated the daily tabloids and had emitted different views that question the moral integrity of every citizen of our country.

Many of us today would turn to lying and deceiving other people for our own interest.

Some of us would even take advantage of other people’s ignorance and weakness just to suit ourselves.

Some would mislead other people.

Some even keep what is true because of the fear of causing pain to others.

Some of us blame others and use others to cover our mistakes.

Some even use our power to control our subjects.

These may be just simple acts for us but they effect explosion.

If these unfavorable acts continue then we are to build a society where honesty is not ubiquitous and we will fail to have honesty as a cultural norm.

If honesty hardly exists, where then shall we place ourselves as the youth of today?

We can still do something.

We may be like candles that melt, but candles that continue to glow though melting.

We may be of less power but we can make a great change.

What we need is just to be honest even if others are not; even if others will not; even if others cannot.

It is true that we belong to a society where everyone seeks approval and acceptance to the extent that we have to deceive and exploit other people, but this is not a favored act.

We have to be dauntless to confront issues concerning what is moral.

Let us start with ourselves.

Simple acts like returning to the jeepney driver the excess change of our fare or giving back a wallet full of money that we have found could mold us to be honest in simple ways.

Being able to admit our own mistakes is also a manifestation of honesty.

Let us not be afraid to be ridiculed just because we told our friend the truth or just because we explained the real reason to our classmates and teacher why we weren’t able to do our homework.

Let us be honest with ourselves by admitting responsibility for our actions; never blame others for our mistakes.

If we are confronted with an issue, let’s not lie; instead let’s think of the possible effects of our lying.

If we are faced with situations, let us be bold enough to face them instead of running away from them and covering them with lies.

Even if our parents would question us with the course we want to take in college, still let them know, so that they, too, will learn to listen and be honest with their opinions.

If it is necessary to tell the truth, let us do so despite the consequences.

Even if it means hurting someone, we should speak up but in a thoughtful and sincere way.

Do not pretend especially if it contradicts what we believe in and what we feel.

Do not get angry with someone if he or she just told you the truth.

Do not even try exaggerating issues, be straightforward instead.

Let us not be self-centered, let us think more of the general benefit of being honest.

Be honest even if others are not; even if others will not; even if others cannot.

Ladies and gentlemen, it takes a lot of kind efforts to live up to these, but from these acts, we shall receive enormous results.

We shall be able to get fewer conflicts; we will not create confusions but understanding; we will not be blamed nor punished because we did what is right; we will be able to gain the trust of everyone else even the most hostile one; we shall have a serene and secured life; we shall drive people to learn from us hence, they, too will be honest; and the greatest of all, we will receive greater amount of honesty from other people thus, gaining a reputation.

From ourselves, let’s extend our reach to other youth, then to the parents, to the teachers, and to the young children.

By then, a chain of change shall emerge and an honest society shall stand with pride.

I am very cognizant and certain that if we will be one in this advocacy, then we will stand with honor and we will be able to bring every broken piece in our disarrayed society in place.

I may be one common Juan dela Cruz, but with my powerful voice, my message, shall echo into every nation and everyone shall keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile.