When Max turned off the lights last Friday, November 24, I thought the lights went out with him forever.  But this is not so, because that light continues to shine upon us today, as I see gathered here tonight his family, his friends, his peers, his colleagues in media, people from the government and the military, young men and women—people virtually from all walks of life whose lives he has touched in one way or another—and who believed in him.  I see that light of hope for this country, which Max nurtured deep in his heart—continuing to burn.

Two days before Max passed away, he called me—as he always did whenever he was abroad—not knowing it would be the last time I would be talking to him.  After telling me about his trip, the places he had been and everything that was going on, he stopped for a moment.  As I look back and recall that moment, what was striking in our conversation was his serious and emphatic tone when he uttered his last words to me before he put down the phone, and said: "Brother, keep the home fires burning!"

Without sounding too presumptuous, I would like to believe that Max wanted to give a message to all of us—that we must let the light of hope shine for this country and continue to burn in our hearts.  For he always believed that the Philippines would be able to overcome its many challenges and difficulties, and rise above the mire.

Max loved to travel around the world, but in the end, he would always come home to this country which he loved so much.  He would compare it to others, and he would be so full of frustration when he saw other nations progressing faster than ours.  With an amazing grasp of world history, he would apply this vast knowledge to urge our country's leaders to learn from the past and always do what is right for the nation and our people.

He used to talk about Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the "triumph of hope"—how one man crippled by polio and operating from a wheelchair, wrought a "political miracle" on a nation that was on the brink of losing everything during The Great Depression.  Roosevelt, during his Inaugural Address, encouraged Americans by telling them that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

"How contemporary this ringing challenge would sound to us Filipinos today!"  Max wrote in one of his columns.

In the last few months of his life, he would also talk about Sara, and how lucky he was to have her for his daughter.

Sara, he loved you very much, and I remember how proud he was when you started to write a regular column for the STAR.  He would tell us, his friends: "Sara had a fantastic column today!  Did you read it?"  He was really proud of you, Sara.  He loved you and your mother very much.

Perhaps he is passing the torch to you now, Sara, and is telling you to continue the legacy he started, urging you to keep the light of hope burning.  And through your writings, to always remind the youth, whom you represent, to never ever lose hope for this country.  I believe that is what he would have wanted.

Allow me to share the thoughts from an email I received the other day from a young, 33-year-old Filipino who lives in Seoul, Korea.  He wrote: "I am saddened by the death of Tito Max, whom I never had the chance to meet.  But his articles kept hope burning in my heart just when I was losing it.  Like a prophet from the old scriptures, he would inspire us and make us continue dreaming that some day, we would see a better Philippines.  He shared his hopes and aspirations for our country, and when he wrote about the Filipino Diaspora, a river of tears would fall from my eyes.  But in the end, I know that a generation of Filipinos will return and will rebuild our nation, motivated by pure love of God and country.  We will pick up the pieces and one day, we will heal this nation and make it whole again."

Max, that light of hope that you kindled in all of us will continue to shine.  It will burn in our hearts, as we continue to share your hopes and dreams for this country.

I'm pretty sure Max brought with him his old, portable typewriter.  And even now as I speak, I can see him putting together the Philippine STAR, Heaven Edition.  He's now getting ready to write his column, persuading the saints and angels to continue looking after this nation, urging them to keep the light of hope shining in the hearts of our people, believing that one day, the Philippines will become a great nation, all of us bound together by love for this country—as Max so passionately did.

Thank you for your friendship, Max.  Thank you for everything you have done for all of us.

Goodbye.

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