Press Release
December 20, 2019

De Lima: Let us not be indifferent to the plight of others

Senator Leila M. de Lima has urged the government to strengthen international cooperation and foster a culture of solidarity in the country to ensure lasting peace, security and prosperity for the entire Filipino populace.

In her message on International Human Solidarity Day today (Dec. 20), De Lima also encouraged Filipinos to always show kindness to other people and not be indifferent towards the issues other people, including those suffering from poverty, are facing.

"As we mark the International Human Solidarity Day, let us remind ourselves that pressing challenges such as climate change and growing inequality confront us to take collective action. We need to be able to count on each other, that those who are capable are always ready to help out those in need," she said.

"Lagi po nating ipamalas ang pagbubukas-palad at mabuting pakikipagkapwa-tao. Sapagkat sa ating malasakit at matibay na pagbubuklod, mas naitatama ang mali, at mas lumalakas ang ating hanay para labanan ang mga tiwali at mapang-abuso," she added.

The United Nations' (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is held every Dec. 20 of every year to celebrate unity in diversity, remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements, and raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity, among others.

It is also celebrated to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty eradication, and encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.

Amid the issues confronting the nation, De Lima said she hopes Filipinos would always remember to practice in their own simple ways the popular local custom of "bayanihan" or the communal spirit of working together to achieve a common end.

"As in the image of rural folks helping a family relocate their traditional house by putting bamboo poles underneath it, lifting it on their shoulders and moving together as one, let us stand united in realizing our shared goals," she said.

"In the wake of recent disasters in the Philippines, Typhoon 'Tisoy' (Kammuri) and a series of earthquakes in Mindanao, we have seen Filipino volunteers, both young and old, offer assistance to the affected communities. Such acts of kindness and compassion bolster our faith in humanity," she added.

Whenever people exert efforts to strive for equity and social justice for everyone, De Lima, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, shared that "a just and better world" is achievable.

"Given the interconnectedness of global issues--rapid population growth, food and water scarcity, infectious diseases, refugee crisis, and poverty--we cannot afford to be short-sighted and narrow-minded," she said.

"Let us not be indifferent to the plight of others nor risk the future of succeeding generations," she added.

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