Jun Lozada, Bearer of the Compass

Sometimes it's hard to separate the man from the message. Eng'r. Jun Lozada, the Senate witness on the controversial NBN-ZTE deal, like a voice from the wilderness, has been all over the country spreading the word for societal transformation. With undeniable charisma he has touched the lives and imagination of the simplefolk, the middleclass, intelligentsia and the high society. Yet he has remained stubbornly humble, refusing to be aligned to any politician or party or even established civil society and activist groups.

We cannot help but believe his message as genuine. He has never showed or even hinted of any political ambition. He has repeated with consistency that all he ever hopes for is for the Filipino to awaken from the slumber induced by systemic corruption. He has called on to every Filipino to light up the truth within them and not be afraid to be the change they want to be. That from each individual the light of truth should spread to enlighten the whole of society.

Jun Lozada's call for societal transformation is also a call for spiritual renewal, as change in society goes hand-in-hand with personal revolution. He often tells the crowd that routinely gathers around him to stop the habit of always pointing at others for reform but instead start addressing their own personal truths.

Societal transformation must also not stop at replacing leaders but should target the very root of corruption and social cancer. The culture of bad governance and the defeatist mindset of the poor must be replaced with the culture of compassion and hope.

He has further explained his social analysis that for Filipinos to bring about the potential greatness of their country they must embrace a conduct and attitude that encompasses transformative vision, courage, grasp of social reality and unbending ethics.

Mr. Lozada is optimistic that the Filipino can pull it through but the all too elusive "unity" must happen first. He said that this country does not lack visionaries and good-intentioned activists but the problem lies on our arrogance against individual agendas. We all claim to be the "way". We all claim, in fact, to be the "only" way. To this Mr. Lozada proposes that we learn to respect each other's "map" and instead set our sights on the "compass" of truth for societal and personal transformation. While we will be coming from various diverse socio-religio-economic demography we all long for a just, sustainable, and peaceful Philippines. The core of the message is to follow the true north of lasting change.

In his talks around the country, Eng'r. Jun Lozada is being protected by his spritual advisers -- the nuns from various religious congregrations, the La Salle Brothers and several bishops. The nuns are led by no less than two of the country's foremost babaylans and social activists, Sister Mary John Mananzan and Sister Estrella Castalone.