Bayanihan: Ensuring Peace and Security

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa enjoins fellow parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific region to heed the call of providing a peaceful and prosperous future for the people. During the first plenary session of the 31st Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) on Friday, November 24, 2023, Dela Rosa urged delegates to keep the “bayanihan” spirit in heart and mind. The bayanihan spirit is a Filipino tradition of communal unity, work and cooperation. “As leaders, we ought to see and understand the role of good and concerted policymaking in ensuring peace and security. We parliamentarians must be the first to appreciate how crucial it is for us to continually think and act together as one region to more effectively address the problems that beset us,” said Dela Rosa. “Whether they have to do with the development of our respective nations, or with combating the menace that is drug and human trafficking, the entire process hinges on our capability for proper and efficient coordination,” said Dela Rosa, chair of the APPF’s Committee on Political and Security Matters.