Alex Lacson

Alexander L. Lacson
Because of Lacson's advocacies, one biographer[1] has said that "Alexander Lacson is more than just an author – he is a nation-builder."
Born	(1965-01-00)January , 1965 Kabankalan, Negros Occidental
Nationality	Filipino
Other names	"Pinoy" Lacson
Education	University of the Philippines Diliman, UP College of Law, Harvard Law School, Haggai Leadership Institute
Employer	Malcolm Law Office
Known for	lawyer, author, lecturer, philanthropist and politician.
Notable work	"12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country", "I Am Filipino"
Political party	Liberal Party of the Philippines
Religion	Roman Catholic
Spouse(s)	Pia Peña
Children	Theo, Angely, Ally, and John
Parent(s)	Jose Lacson, Fe Lacson
Awards	Good Citizen/Good Filipino Award from the People Power Commission, February 25, 2009; Best Filipino (in Linguistics) Award from MI International School, March 2009; Young Filipino Achievers Award from Global Pinoy, 2006; Galing Pilipino Award from Galing Pilipino Movement, 2005.
Website
http://alexlacson.net

Alexander L. Lacson is a Filipino lawyer, author, lecturer, philanthropist and politician best known as the author of "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country.",^[2] and for having run in the 2010 Philippine Senatorial Election.^[3]

Because of the significance of Lacson's advocacies in a country faced with as the Philippines', one biographer has noted that "Alexander Lacson is more than just an author – he is a nation-builder." ^[1]

Personal life

Early life

Lacson was born in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, the sixth of 8 children. His mother was a second grade elementary school teacher, serving "mostly poor children living in the mountains." His father, a businessman, abandoned his family when Lacson was only 14, leaving them in a dire financial state, and with the shame that such an abandonment brings upon a family in a small rural town. Lacson would later credit that shame for planting a desire, specifically to rebuild his family, and more broadly to rebuild "his bigger family – the Filipino nation." ^[1]

Education

Lacson graduated from high school in 1982,^[1] and was then granted a scholarship at the Philippine Military Academy. He studied there for three years, but then transferred to the University of the Philippines Diliman to earn a bachelor's degree in political science. In order to finance his studies at UP, he worked as a Professor's Assistant by day, and as a telemarketer by night. He also received help from his sister, who was working in Japan.^[1]

After graduating with a Bachelor's degree, he enrolled in night classes at the University of the Philippines College of Law, and worked full-time during the day. He graduated 1996.^[4] In 2002, he undertook postgraduate studies at the Harvard Law School.^[1]

Family

Lacson eventually married fellow lawyer Pia Peña^[4] and the couple now have 4 children, Theo, Angeli, Ally, and John.^[5]

In 1990, Lacson discovered that he had an illegitimate brother whom his father was refusing to recognize as a son. In 1995, he went out in search of that brother, and found him - a subsistence fisherman with three kids. He helped his brother find a new job and is now paying for the education of his brother's children.^[5]

Distance of Blood Relation to Panfilo Lacson

Among the questions most often asked of Lacson during the senatorial campaign^[6] was whether he was related to the incumbent Senator Panfilo Lacson, since the two share the same family name. Panfilo Lacson has been sought by authorities as a suspect in the Dacer-Corbito Murder case.

Earlier in the campaign, Alex Lacson was not certain whether a distant family tie did exist, because the two had never met and thus had never been able to compare their family line. However, after doing some research, Alex Lacson found out that he and Panfilo Lacson shared the same great-great-grandfather, which makes them very distant relatives, even if the two Lacsons have yet to ever meet. In addition to saying the two of them had never had any association, Alex Lacson also pointed out that their life-stories were vastly different.^[6]

When asked whether he thought the association with the Lacson family name was an advantage or disadvantage for him, Lacson said that he considered it an advantage, citing the long history of Lacsons who have been involved in public service in the Philippines, including former Manila mayor Arsenio Lacson, Philippine Revolutionary War hero Aniceto Lacson, and the numerous Lacsons who have served in various capacities in Negros Occidental.^[6]

Law practice, opinion column, and other activities

He is the founder and currently the chairman emeritus of Kabayanihan Foundation (KF) that seeks to promote the greatness of the Filipino and our Philippines through cultural transformation. KF believes that what our country needs today is a Cultural Revolution, a revolution of patriotism among our people, even through small acts of patriotism everyday.

Alex Lacson also founded Team Pinoy, Inc. - a social enterprise that is committed to creating an empowered Filipino nation. Team Pinoy, Inc. specializes in creating school-based and company-based leadership training and consultancy programs that aim to empower Filipino citizens and companies to become active partners in nation-building efforts.

Previously worked for the Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro and Leaño Law Offices. Currently a lawyer and a partner at the Malcolm Law Office in Makati, he served for seven years as legal counsel of the United Nations Development Programme in the Philippines. He is also a columnist for the BusinessWorld, but is currently on leave from that post. He serves on the board of trustees of World Vision (Philippines), Dilaab Foundation and Alay Buhay Foundation, and was former Lord Chancellor of Alpha Phi Beta at the U.P. College of Law. He is also a member of Philippine Haggai, Couples For Christ, and the Rotary Club of the Philippines. He is a champion debater and a sharpshooter.^[2]

Awards

Rewards Lacson has received over the years include:^[2]

1. the Galing Pilipino Award for 2005,
2. the Young Filipino Achiever’s Award for 2006, given by Global Pinoy.
3. the Model Filipino award given by the Edsa People Power Commission in February 2009, and
4. the Best in Filipino award, an award in Linguistics given by M.I. International School in 2009.

Philanthropy

The Lacsons have established a foundation to help unprivileged children through school, and are now subsidizing 27 scholars in different public schools in Negros Occidental, his hometown.^[4]

12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country

When Lacson and his wife Pia made a conscious decision to remain in the Philippines instead of searching for greener pastures abroad, they also decided to advocate the idea that conditions in the Philippines could be improved if individual Filipinos took action to improve matters, rather than move to another country. Lacson reasoned: “The answer is in us as a people; that hope is in us as a people.”

To further that advocacy, Lacson wrote the 108-page booklet "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country," and had it published at the Alay Pinoy Publishing House in Quezon City.

Alex Lacson with his wife Pia at a 2010 fundraising event for the 2010 Philippine Senatorial Elections.

The twelve little things mentioned in the book title are:

1. Be On Time
2. Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.
3. Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino. (Or, if you read the book, he suggests: 50-50).
4. When you talk to others, especially foreigners speak positively about us and our country.
5. Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.
6. Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
7. Support your church.
8. During elections, do your solemn duty.
9. Pay your employees well.
10. Pay your taxes.
11. Adopt a scholar or a poor child.
12. Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.

The book's first printing sold out in spite of the fact that Lacson did not initially sell in major bookstores because their markup price was too high.

Meeting Maximo Soliven, and "12 Little Things" goes viral

The popularity of "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country" increased greatly because of a column by Philippine Star founder Maximo Soliven. In it, Soliven described how his car had broken down on his way to an important appointment at Malacañang palace, and Lacson, not knowing who Soliven was, offered him assistance. When Lacson found out who Soliven was, the two started discussing Lacson's advocacies and his book, which Soliven also described in detail in his column. That column later became a viral e-mail hit, leading to an increased interest in the book.^[7]

2010 Senatorial Candidacy

Alex Lacson at a campaign event in March 2010.

On November 28, 2009, Florencio Abad, 2010 Presidential campaign manager for the Liberal Party of the Philippines announced that Lacson had been allotted the tenth slot on the party's slate of candidates for the Philippine Senate. Abad also noted that Lacson was instrumental in convincing Liberal Party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino to run for the presidency.^[3]

Lacson's chosen core message for the campaign was "Bayani ang Bawat Pilipino. Tayo ang mga Bayaning Kailangan ng Ating Bansa." ("Each Filipino is a Hero. We [ourselves] are the Heroes our Nation needs.") Issues he has identified as priority campaign concerns include: honest (government) service, employment, education, environmental protection, support to Overseas Filipino Workers, and the development of a Filipino culture that would spur national development ("Kulturang Pilipino na magpapaunlad sa ating bansa").^[5]

"3-Point Agenda to Optimize Opportunities"

While Lacson has not yet published a single document presenting his proposed legislative agenda in bullet points, his campaign speeches have championed a consistent plan of action. Writer Lester Cavestany summed up Lacson's points after one meeting, dubbing the resulting bullet points "Alex Lacson’s 3-Point Agenda to Optimize Opportunities":^[8]

Agenda: Educational Support

Plan of Action in the Senate:

• Community Learning Centers in the barangays
• Increase cooperation between private/nonprofit sector and government in providing education support (such as feeding programs, computers, etc)

Agenda: Scholarships

Plan of Action in the Senate:

• Focus on the Committee on Education in the Senate and initiate policies that would increase the number of scholars nationwide
• Bring the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to the rural areas and institutionalize study-and-work tie-ups with the business sector

Agenda: Faith in the Filipino

Plan of Action in the Senate:

• Push for more socio-civic education in schools to teach the next generation about responsible citizenship

References