Tribute to Cory Aquino

   There was little left to the imagination as far as the Filipino's love for Cory Aquino is concerned. It is difficult to describe the mammoth crowd that accompanied her to the grave such that one journalist said it made Ninoy's burial attendance look like an ordinary one. 

    So what was it that endeared Cory Aquino to a people that many had written off for their skepticism and cynicism? 

    No one can really say considering that no one has been appointed spokesperson of the entire mass that converged since her wake and until she was put to rest beside Ninoy. 

    The word that was either on the mouths of those who knew what it was or those who meant it if their definition was made the basis was sincerity. It was sincerity that made Cory stand heads and shoulders over the rest. 

    It was her sincerity that disarmed otherwise sophisticated and hard-to-please veterans of the corridors of power. It was her sincerity that endeared her to the masa even though she was never one of them or pretended to be so. 

    Sincerity it was that saved the day for her whenever she committed errors in judgment and procedural lapses during her stint in Malacañang. And this was the same factor that made her voice credible long after she had bowed out of power. 

    It would be the understatement of the year to say that she is the most admired woman and Filipino of this generation. The stampede that nearly crushed the frail among the mourners near her burial ground is enough proof of that. 

    Now that she has become larger than life in her death, it would not be far-fetch to think that the Cory wannabes among the present and future crop of politicians are legion. For every original copy, there would thousands of counterfeits all hoping to pass off as the real McCoy. 

    Sincerity however is not merely seen. It is felt because it comes from the heart. It has no need for expert PR consultants to come up with clever machinations that capture a moment's notice but requires a fortune to put up with it. 

    The fascinating thing about sincerity is that more often than not, those who exude it never gave it much thought. Sincerity is not a conscious by-product but a natural consequence of a heart given over to honesty and purity. 

    Sincerity does not pay immediate dividends, the reason why those who want quick fixes frown on it. And yet, Cory's life has taught the Filipino one valuable lesson that should tide him over in this age of cynicism and skepticism.  

    Without a doubt, sincerity has its own rewards.