SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE KALIBAPI

CAMILO OSIAS, OVER STATION PIAM, AT THE KALIBAPI LUNCHEON HOUR,

During this time, 1943, the Philippines are already under the Japanese occupation era
(1942-1945). The Philippines has been home to the largest Japanese community in the South
East Asia since the early 20th century. KALIBAPI was interpreted as mere tool for Japanese
propaganda and function as a single political party in the Philippines after the Japanese Military
Administration had forced all other party to dissolve. In December 4, 1943, a speech was
delivered over Station PIAM (Philippine Island AM), first program held on Saturday noon.
Usually they had their program known as 'KALIBAPI Radio hour every Tuesday noon

"At the outset, I am taking this opportunity of thanking you for listening to
the Kalibapi Radio Hour every Tuesday evening......

"This is our first program to be held on Saturday. although the period last
only one-half hour from 12 noon to 12:30 p.m it is our desire to give listeners as
good a prom as we are capable of rendering....

He then state that Executive no.109 known as the Charter of the kapisanan sa
paglilinkod sa bagong Pilipinas, had been officially approved by the Commander-in-chief of
the Imperial Japanese forces and Chairman of the Philippines Executive Commission last
December 4, 1942.

"I might state in this connection that exactly one year ago today, the then
chairman of the Philippine Executive Commission, with the approval of the
Commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces in the Philippines, I
promulgated Executive No. 109, now known as Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa
Bagong Pilipinas.....

Camilo mentioned that Kalibapi as an organization of, by, and for Filipino, will
continually try to give accounts of their activities and plans to help the Filipinos grasp the idea of
what their are doing. He also mentioned that during this time people seems to be chronic kickers,
habitual complainants and grumblers, in connection with this he clarify that he wanted to use the
word longanimity (Latin: Longus- Long and Animus- Spirit) instead of longevity in his speech
delivered on National Heroes' Day, for this was a virtue he believe that the Filipino sorely
needed in times of Trial and stress. This was exactly what the kalibapi is engaged, To Revise
and revolutionize the spirit of the Filipino so they will be more prepared to suffer long without
complaints and to have the spirit of discontent, and to determined to lift themselves from where
are they now.
 Clearly, Camilo wants to transform the virtue he was seeing from Filipinos during that
time from Negative (Chronic Kickers, Habitual Complainants and Grumblers) into something
that will ignite their determination to lift themselves including our country, Philippines.

"The word I needed is longanimity, which is derived from two lain words:
longus. meaning long and animus, meaning spirit. Longanimity is the ability to
suffer long without murmur or complaint and contend that it is a virtue these
days in the face of the deplorable fact that a great many of our people seem to
be Chronic kickers, habitual complainants and Grumblers..

"The kalibapi is engaged precisely in the task of revising and even

The next statements with regards to the speech is all about the sufferings of the Filipinos
in which according to Osias is inevitable with or without war. Effects of war includes: (1)
Shortage of food due to disruption of trade and lack of bottoms and (2) Increase in population
from six hundred thousand before war to a million and half. But even without the war, people
would still be suffering due to the provisions of the Tydings-McDuffie Act in which the export
taxes would have been put into operation and the people would now be feeling the pinch.

One of the reasons for organization of KALIBAPI is to unite the Filipino people and
connect or coordinate all services and organizations which may promote or develop welfare in
several aspects (socially, spiritually, physically, culturally, economically,
and etc.). According to Laurel, 1944 in his speech in the Labor Institute of “The remedy
the Kalibapi at the opening of its sixth term: is in our
The New Order is committed to the principle that the welfare of the hands.”
community is superior to the welfare of the individual and, for this reason, Camilo Osias
the individual should find his greatest happiness in working for the welfare
of all.

The understanding of this principle is basic to our survival as a people. We can ill afford
to neglect it if we believe in ourselves as Filipinos, and if we believe that we have a glorious
destiny ahead of us.

Osias and Pres. Laurel both agreed that amidst the chaos there is no
“It has been substitute for work. As workers, you might think it superfluous to be
said that reminded that we need to work harder than ever if we are to go through
troubles come these difficult times and if we are to lay the foundations of a republic
not singly but
in battalions.”
Camilo Osias
designed to endure. At all times and in all places and under any circumstances, there is no
substitute for work in order to promote the health, happiness and security of the community of
which we are an intimate part. But we must remember that there is a way of work that is
exceedingly wasteful of energy, time and resources. This is especially true when we do not have
the necessary skill and discipline and when the essential objectives are not clearly established in
our minds.

Osias also talk about elemental law of economics in which most people don’t give
attention not knowing it was beneficial. When the demand is greater than the supply, prices are
bound to soar; but when supplies about equal the demand, prices become normal. When supplies
exceed the demand, then the prices go down. In Philippines, there are what we called seasonal
plants like corn, wheat, and a lot more that can be planted rotational to avoid being stagnant and
being efficient in maximizing resources. There are also instances where a vacant lot is not
utilized like raising poultry which in result may lessen the prices in the market when done. But
since we are not doing this the inevitable result is that the demand exceeds the supply resulting in
higher prices which may be quite shocking in some ways.

Osias also gave emphasis to the spirit of longanimity in which there are times that we
would welcome hard times and consider them as sent from heaven and according to the will of
God because he believed that it will instill on us, individually and collectively as a people, a new
sense of value and a greater desire to work, to create, and to produce.

It can be understood based on the statements above that KALIBAPI has really good
purposes for Filipino countrymen. Even in the speech on fundamental purposes of Honorable
Benigno S. Aquino (Vice President and Director General of KALIBAPI) on December 30, 1942,
he stated that, “Far from dividing and weakening the people in order to facilitate their
subjugation, the Japanese Military Administration in the Philippines is making an earnest effort
to establish here the Philippines for Filipinos, a race vigorous and strong; it is doing its best
toward making a people prosperous and happy, with a culture and a civilization of the highest
possible degree; and, finally, it is exerting its utmost to make of us a happy people, free from the
shameful marks of inferiority and contempt to which we had been subjected in the past, a people
worthy and proud of being truly Oriental. To despise the precious opportunity which the
Japanese Military Administration now offers us would be an act of simple blindness if not of
gross ingratitude.”