Have You Chosen Your Presidential Candidate?

May 2010 seems so far away still but I am beginning to sense a good amount of desperation in my bones. I look at the current crop of candidates who appear to be jockeying to run for president of the Philippines and I am reminded of a line in one of my favorite children's story Mitchell is Moving -- same old, same old.

People who are respectable and who may have the capability and have actually done a lot of good, even without occupying a political position, do not desire to run. Politicians who have been around for years, and who have not effected any real change in the way politics has progressed (why does that sound so wrong and inaccurate?) in this country, seem to want to convince us that they are the change that we will need. Hohum.

As early as now, I hear people talking about the "lesser evil" that I wonder when a candidate for the "greater good" will show up. I likewise hear individuals saying that "honesty is not enough to be President." I worry about the influence of wives, girlfriends, mothers and the ability to govern alongside strong name recall. Sometimes, I really think that an ideal President would be an orphaned only child, with no desire to marry, and one who hardly had any friends or relatives. If that were the case though, how would he get the most number of votes?

In a democracy, the person who gets the most number of votes wins. In my imaginary world, sometimes I dream (it's ridiculous and unacceptable but of course, it is just a dream) that the opposite is true. The person with the least number of votes wins. Why? The crowd is not always correct. There are more average people than brilliant ones.

In my imaginary world too, candidates do not need to spend millions and billions of pesos. In fact, they are not allowed to campaign the usual way. The Comelec will buy spots on TV, radio, newspapers, blogs and YouTube and will give each candidate equal airtime and space. The major dailies and magazines will ask each candidate to answer the same ten questions and will publish the answers for all to see and read. Each candidate will need to spell out the first three things that he/she will do after assuming office and each voter will have access to each candidate's complete biography covering areas like family and educational background, professional experience, and achievements.

I don't have a presidential candidate to vote for yet but I assure you that I will vote. Whether I vote for someone I totally believe in or someone who is acceptable but may not be the best will depend on the crop of candidates that will come up. I hope that there will be more acceptable candidates to choose from. Let's wait and see.

Blog or Be Defeated

I look back at the year that was and I remember several controversies or fights or brawls that took place. One thing that stands out in all these developments or situations is: "Ang walang blog, talo." (He who does not have a blog, loses.)

Why is that the case? A blog gives anyone the medium to write his or her thoughts or opinions down instantly. What you write in your blog need not be factual or accurate all the time but written properly, it can sway public opinion and gain support for a thought or idea.

Caught in the middle of an issue, one does not need to wait for mainstream media (like newspapers and television and the like) to get your side of the story. You make your own story and document it for all to see. And while yesterday's newspaper may end up wrapping tomorrow's fish purchase, what you have written down in your blog will be retrievable years down the road, courtesy of our friends at Google.

So still debating whether you should start blogging or whether blogging makes any sense at all? The year 2009 may be a great time to start that blog that you have always been putting off. Don't wait for the time when you actually need it, before you start it.

Obama or McCain?

Election Day in the United States is about three days away and the whole world waits with anticipation to see if America will actually vote Barack Obama into office. I wonder when we will ever see just two candidates and parties competing here in the Philippines for a presidential election.

Barack Obama is lucky that he isn't running in an election here in the Philippines. If he were, Hillary Clinton would have set up her own party, and then run as president anyway.

I like Barack Obama's tag line: Change We Need. Obama supporters see him as America's chance to move in the right direction. People who are voting for McCain see Obama as the candidate of individuals badly in need of hope -- they look to this prospective president as a chance to improve their lot in life.

Oh well, all eyes are on America on November 4, 2008. After that, Filipinos can think of May 2010. Don't the prospective candidates for president scare you at this point? When will we get the change we need?

Stewardship in the Philippines

Are you happy about the way things are going today in the Philippines? Do you think that each Filipino is being given the opportunity to live the "best life" possible?

Well, I'm not very happy with the way things are going but there's no other place where I would like to be than here. I believe that those "who have more in life" can do extra things for those who have less and that most of our problems as a nation stem from people thinking only of themselves and from viewing resources as theirs and theirs alone -- even if in truth, these are not theirs!

We have seen 3 EDSAs in my lifetime, have put different presidents and leaders in position but our problems remain the same and seem to be getting more difficult to address from year to year. I have come to a point where I do not think changing people occupying particular positions will change things. We must change people. Period.

A few years ago, I came across the concept of "stewardship." Stewardship is a way of life focused on gratitude, responsibility, generosity, and giving back to the Lord with increase. Stewardship recognizes that all the good things that you have are gifts from the Lord and these gifts must be used to do His will.

What is the Lord's will? "Love one another as I have loved you." Such a simple command -- so difficult to carry out. But if you think about it, if each person will only think about his or her neighbor in a manner similar to how he or she thinks of himself or herself, the world's troubles would probably be few, if not non-existent.

Stewardship is the answer to our problems and concerns. Stewardship, however, is not an instant thing. It is a consciousness that is built and strengthened over time but we must start somewhere.

Stewardship will change individuals. Stewardship will transform communities. Stewardship will change the Philippines and the world for the better.

To get a quick introduction to Stewardship, why don't you check out www.momsastewardess.com

The book Mom's A Stewardess (Or Why There is No Vacation from Your Vocation) -- Stories of Stewardship, my very first book published by Claretian Publications will be out in the market this July 2008. Do get a copy for yourself, for your family, parish, organization, or community. It is my hope that after you read it, you will want to do more for the Lord and for your fellowmen, wherever you may find yourself.

Of Fresh Mandates

It is GMA's birthday today and of course, we wish her a happy birthday. Birthdays are a good time to reflect too, about the things we have accomplished and on the direction that we will take.

It is a known fact that a lot of people and sectors in Philippine society have been asking GMA to step down since some years back. Given this scenario, I was quite surprised to see the write-up about her in the Philippine Star today were I found the following portions which were taken from GMA's own websites.

"...more fondly known as GMA..."
"...one of the most popularly elected officials since her debut in politics in 1992..."
"...she won the Presidential elections for a fresh mandate..."

You have got to hand it to her publicists. They continue with their positive statements even when they know that more and more people are expressing greater dissatisfaction with how things are in the country now. Some people, for example, just call her GMA (instead of PGMA) as they do not recognize her as the legitimate president. One of the most popularly elected officials and winning the elections for a fresh mandate? Hello Garci remains unresolved and continues to haunt her to this very day.

Well, to each his own. If the publicists don't write such positive and glowing articles, then they might be out of a job by now. The trouble begins when they all start to believe what they have been writing all along.

Of Lies and Hidden Truths

It has been almost a month since Jun Lozada testified at the Senate and we still do not know the complete story. People are still telling us conflicting stories.

This is a great time to own a newspaper. Have you noticed those numerous, expensive one page ads that have been appearing left and right in the last few days? They can be in support of or against GMA. From the Assumptionistas, to the former Cabinet officials, to the congressmen, mayors and governors -- you name them, they have a statement to make.

Some years back, I asked a priest about "white lies." He was a strict priest and this was how he replied: "It is either the truth or it is a lie."

More recently, I asked another priest about not telling the truth in the need to accomplish something. This priest being more lenient -- talked about motives and intentions and how not telling the truth should be weighed against the danger or harm that it may cause another person or individual.

In this whole Jun Lozada episode, I ask, is it enough not to tell a lie or to just unmask the lies? What about truths that need to be told? It is very possible for someone not to tell a lie and still be not totally truthful. Which is the greater sin?

I have always believed and have always been told that just to avoid doing something bad is not enough. We must also do good. At the end of our days, we will all be judged not only according to the lies that we lived with but also according to the truths that we left unsaid.

Of Goats, Guava Trees, and Paying this Country Back

By this time, we all know what transpired during the Senate hearings on the ZTE deal when Jun Lozada appeared last Friday. I may believe him. You may not believe him but I guess that is beside the point. There comes a time when circumstances may force you to do something -- not for the good of anybody else but for yourself. More than anything else, I think Jun Lozada was concerned about saving his soul. If he saves our country, the Philippines, in the process, then that would be a pretty good bonus.

I am usually amused by Tita Miriam and this case was no exception. My personal favorite was her reference to the imported goats that Jun Lozada bought while he was president at Philippine Forest. With the goat expose and the other things that she mentioned, she had meant to "test the credibility of the witness." I guess that was tit for tat. The witness, after all, was heavily testing the credibility of government and several of its institutions.

You have to hand it to Mr. Jun Lozada. He uttered a lot of memorable lines as he told his story but I particularly liked his tale (a real one) about the guava trees. He narrated that he traveled to the province once and noticed that the guava tree had plenty of fruits. He suggested to the man that he was talking to to get the guavas and sell these so that the man could earn some money. The poor man answered: "Hayaan nyo na yan sa mga ibon." (Let's leave the guavas for the birds.) It was at this point that he felt uneasy about what he had suggested initially. He found it ironic that the man that he was talking to, who did not have much could still be focused on caring for the birds while prominent, well-off people in Metro Manila were so greedy.

Asked about his motivation for doing what he did, he brought up the story of his Chinese father. His father was so poor in China and decided to come to the Philippines. After coming to the Philippines, their family's life improved and his father's businesses prospered. His father then loved the Philippines so much and would remind Jun Lozada from time to time to "pay this country back." To his mind, Jun Lozada had been paying this country back to "pay honor to his father."

That's as good a message as we will be able to get on any day. We all need to pay this country back in our own little ways. For us to pay this country back though, we must first realize just how much good we have received and appreciate just how beautiful and blessed this country is.

What will come out of this Jun Lozada incident? Not much I think. Government will probably remain the way it is and real change will not be effected. Clarissa Ocampo and Jun Lozada can probably have coffee in the near future and talk about the time when they each paid the country back. I hope that they don't need to wait too long though to see more Filipinos doing the same thing.

The UP Centennial

The University of the Philippines is celebrating its 100th year this year. Naturally, everyone is excited about it and several ways have been lined up to celebrate the event: from regular newspaper features, to car plates, to various memorabilia, to various writing projects, to the setting up of professorial chairs, etc.

Am excited about it too. I will always look back to UP with great fondness and thanksgiving. Not only did it give me a good education (at an unbelievably low price) but it has also introduced me to great friends, super bright students, and the realization that a school does not have to be glitzy to teach you a lot of good lessons.

It may also have been in UP when I started to be proudly Pinoy. I took a lot of electives in Filipino at that time and marveled at the talent of Filipino writers and how rich Philippine literature was. I remember making a term paper on "Ang Babae sa Maikling Kuwento" (Women in Short Stories) and I traced the changing portrayal of women in Filipino short stories through several decades. It was engrossing to say the least.

So to UP on its 100th year, congratulations! To all UP graduates and faculty everywhere, may you live your lives contributing to the betterment of the Philippines in your own little way so that we may all live up to being "mga iskolar ng bayan." (scholars of the nation)

Living Under a Rock

I apologize for being so silent for more than a month but the holiday season has left me so busy. Add to that the demands of family, work, and everything else, and so my newspaper reading habit has not been a habit for about a month now.

This is the first time this has happened in my lifetime. Typically, I only don't read the newspapers when I am on vacation. In my previous job, reading the newspapers was something that was required as we constantly had to be updated about industry and company developments.

Not to worry. There will be changes soon and I should be back to my newspaper-reading habit (and more frequent writing habit too!) in no time. I can't wait for that day to come. I will be happier and the world won't seem as dark. I guess that's how it is when you live under a rock.

A Nation of Isolation

Recently, there have been a lot of "isolated cases." Mariannet Amper was said to be an isolated case. Just a few days ago, news reports on radio had the tourism secretary saying that the Batasang Pambansa bombing was an "isolated case" and that it was safe for tourists to visit the Philippines.

I agree that travel advisories about the Philippines and news reports in other countries about the Philippines tend to be exaggerated. I get a bit irritated though when I hear the words "isolated case." Just to push the argument, it may be true -- but does it make a difference to those who lost a loved one or a friend in that isolated incident?

Then again, there is some truth to such things being an "isolated case." Why do such things happen? They happen because people don't care enough about other people. Individuals are just concerned about their own objectives that it does not matter if someone gets hurt or killed. Philippine society or politics is the way it is because all of us do not care enough about things beyond our homes or families.

Until each lives his or her life, with the good of the greatest number of Filipinos in mind, we will continue to be confronted with "isolated cases" in a nation of isolation.

Poverty Has A Name

Do you remember Mang Pandoy? Was that during the presidential campaign some years back? Whatever happened to him? Or what about those three boys who had those paper boats during one of the State of the Nation addresses of GMA?

Just a few days ago, we were all shocked by the suicide of a girl called Mariannet Amper. She was a 12-year old girl living in Davao City who felt helpless and hopeless about being poor. She did not even have transportation money to go to school regularly.

So, do you care to listen to statements about how strong our economy is? How we are doing much better in terms of GDP or inflation? They do not mean very much right when a citizen of the nation seems to have seen no other recourse but to end her life?

What were you thinking when you were 12 years old? Did you think of the big problems of this world? People that age are supposed to be in school, enjoying life, with not a care in the world. Sadly, it does not always work that way.

Sadder still is when others refer to it as an "isolated case." How many suicides do we want for us to take notice or take action? When we do not recognize that this is a real problem, then that's the real problem.

I also do not find comfort in the fact that there is an outpouring of generosity and of donations in the wake of Marrianet's death. Wouldn't it have benefited them better had they received the help when Marrianet was alive?

News reports mention that before Marrianet died, she had managed to write a letter to the show Wish Ko Lang. A few days ago, I heard over the radio that Vicky Morales had gone to Davao to condole with the family and to belatedly grant Marrianet's wishes. I can vouch for how many people rely on that show for their dreams and wishes. For some reason, I had referred to that show in some post of mine in another blog. Ever since that time, I have continuously received e-mail from readers I do not know, with some addressing me even as Ate Vicky. They do not care to even read what I wrote about the show. Or how I referred to it. All they know is that as soon as they read the words "Wish Ko Lang," it is the answer to getting closer to their hopes and aspirations.

What do I do with their e-mail? I forward them to Wish Ko Lang although I must say that I have never gotten a reply from them. I don't get any error message too so I guess the messages are getting through. If they catch me at a good time, I try to reply and wish them all the best with their problems and the things they need helping out with. There are numerous Marrianets out there. All with varying concerns, all with difficult problems.

What is my wish? My wish is that sometime, someday, every individual will have the chance to be what he or she would want to be. That every child will have access to food, good education, and opportunities to uplift himself or herself. That no one will be so troubled so as to think that there is no more hope nor help in the days to come.

What can you or I do? Find a good cause to support or to be involved in. Look beyond your family and your home. Do things for others in your own little way. Pray. You and I may not be able to make a difference to all the Marrianets of this world, but there may be one Marrianet in your community that you can help out.

I Beg Your Pardon

Erap is now a free man. Do you agree with his being pardoned? I don't know about you but I feel kind of ambivalent about the whole thing. There's the side that thinks about forgiveness and there's the side that is resigned to the fact that people can do almost about anything in our country, the Philippines, and get away with it.

You can never really believe anything that you hear or read in this country. Just a few months ago, Erap's camp was talking about never asking GMA for pardon. There was even a statement that Erap was ready to go over to Muntinlupa if necessary.

Just a few days ago though, we have Erap thanking GMA for pardoning him. I guess the fact that his mother is very sick had much to do with the way things went.

Expectedly, various groups in the country look at the pardon differently. The Erap supporters, of course, are happy. The militant groups, as always, are up in arms. Do you think GMA pardoned Erap so that when the time comes and if ever she is put in the same situation, the leader that comes after her will also be as forgiving?

Oh well. Life goes on. If Erap is free and he has not acknowledged that he has done anything wrong, what is there to pardon? If there is nothing to pardon then should GMA still be in Malacanang?

Show Me the Money Bags!

Ever since Secretary Neri testified about his "Sec, may 200 ka dito" experience, we have been bombarded by various news items about bribes, pay-offs, and lately, the cash, given out in bags, during an affair at Malacanang.

What must I do to get such a bag filled with P500 thousand in cash? I guess I'll have to be mayor or a governor from whom they really want nothing in return. (Really now.) Now, there's news that GMA had already ordered an investigation about the money in the bags right after it had been given away but news of the investigation only came out after Governor Panlilio (also known as Among Ed) talked about the cash he had received. Para naman yang ZTE. Na-investigate din but we always find out about the investigation after someone raises a fuss about some issue.

Oh my. I wonder how government will extricate itself from this news and/or development. Some people have again called for the resignation of GMA given this particular money bags issue. Have you not learned your lesson? She does not care about what you or I think. If she was even thinking of letting go of her present position, then she should have done it long ago.

Will we ever find out where the cash specifically came from? For what purpose will it be used? Things really smell fishy when no one accounts for the money that is being given out. If the money is given to support projects of or for the poor, where are the poor? And if this has been happening repeatedly over the years as other politicians say it has, then where did all the money go?

Of Lies and Half-Truths

Wala talaga akong masabi kay Tita Miriam. I listened intently to her this morning as she asked the all important question: "Who doublecrossed whom?"

As we listen to the Senate hearings on the NBN-ZTE deal, things just seem to get more convoluted. The picture isn't getting any clearer. What's clear is that someone is not telling the whole truth; that the process of awarding contracts is highly questionable; and that government officials need to be more careful in their words and actuations.

Where will all of this lead? I don't know. What's particularly interesting to me is when Secretary Neri said that he told GMA about the 200 bribe attempt by Abalos. He went on to say that GMA told him "not to accept it." Is that still something that has to be said or instructed?

And if that narration is true, why is Abalos still in Comelec? He is accused of offering a bribe and he can still continue as Comelec chair?

Some things don't make sense.

The New Alphabet

Philippine politics has a way of influencing every little detail of our lives. With the hearing at the Senate yesterday where Joey de Venecia was present, we now have a new alphabet, sung to the tune of your regular ABC...

"A B Z T E F G..."

That's the new joke I heard on AM radio this morning which reminded me of why I listen to AM radio (DZBB) in the first place.

The morning shows were talking about "mister ni ma'am," este mystery man pala -- given Joey de Venecia's statement that FG Mike Arroyo reportedly told him in a meeting to "back off" from the ZTE broadband deal.

Misery man (according to one radio show listener) or mystery man, am sure we all want to hear what FG has to say when he gets back from his trip to wherever.

I don't know. This looks like a "his word against mine" kind of thing -- maybe am not too trusting given that both parties in this case have political ties. Whether you are married to a powerful woman or whether you are the child of a powerful man, wouldn't it have been safer to stay away from deals that involve government? You have less headache that way. Different strokes for different folks. Oh well.

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

Everyone was awaiting the Sandiganbayan's decision on Erap's case today. Guilty or not guilty, either way, there will be unhappy, disgruntled Filipinos. Actually, it was both not guilty and guilty. Not guilty on perjury, guilty for plunder.

Uncertainty is in the air and already, we see the peso slipping and the stock market? We'll see how it goes. This has been a long-drawn fight (six years?) and over that time, our views of the participants and involved people may have changed somewhat. A guilty verdict, will probably be easier for most people (although that is not the point and shouldn't be) while a not guilty decision would have been more complicated and troublesome.

We still await the next move of Erap's lawyers but this fight is closer to the end as I see it. Fights are never really meant to last. We have seen it happen in politics and in life -- sometimes the very person you fought with may be the same person you will need or thank tomorrow.

Which brings me to the Pinoy blogosphere which is beginning to look more like a microcosm of Philippine society as the days go by. It has started to have its share of fights due to differing views, semantics, the way a comment was worded, etc., etc. This much I know, bloggers are passionate people... and when you are passionate about anything...things start to heat up.

As in life and politics, in the blogosphere, it is tricky to know how and when to start a fight, how to sustain it, when to end it and when to move on to next fight or issue once your traffic starts to wane. =)

Personally, I never did like fights. It's too draining. So, since energy and resources are not unlimited, it is wise to pick your fights carefully. Not all battles are worth the effort. The person you despise or do battle with today may be the one who may help you tomorrow. After all, b(i)log ang mundo.

Peace!

Are You Saying That...

Salbahe talaga ang Inquirer. Their headline today reads: "Surprise! 7.5% growth" And today, I realize even more why Inquirer is my favorite newspaper. It's not only because they have my favorite writer Conrado de Quiros but because they make reading the newspapers entertaining. In my forty years, I have realized that what gets communicated through media all depends on the "spin" that a certain story will take. Am sure GMA's head is spinning in anger as she reads the Inquirer today.

I caught the video footage yesterday on television when a reporter was asking GMA about the fantabulous economic results being reported. She responded by saying: "Are you saying that the NSCB people are liars?..." I personally got irritated right there and then and I thought that the remark was uncalled for. The reporter was asking a legitimate question and she did not deserve such an answer. The last time I looked, being in Malacanang does not give you the power to put words in other people's mouths.

Did we get the explanation? Well, in the newspapers today, the explanation is there. The evening newscasts only run for 30 minutes so right after that response, the video was cut. You could say that it was a bit unfair as people will now be focusing on what GMA said and will probably think that the answer never came but that is the risk that she took by coming up with that question rather than addressing the legitimate concern of the reporter (and probably numerous other Filipinos) directly.

Oh well. So what are we in fact saying? I will spell out what I want to say. We are saying that most people do not feel the 7.5% economic growth. We are saying that we need leaders who will think first before they open their mouths. We are saying that 2010 seems to be an awfully long time from today. What we didn't say was Hello Garci. =)

Is There No Parent at the DepEd?

As early as 5am this morning, my husband and I were already tuned in to AM radio. We were listening for any announcement about the suspension of classes in Metro Manila as it had been raining hard since 2am.

What we heard was some official from the DepEd or the Department of Education saying that he left it to the discretion of the parents and the schools on whether to suspend classes or not. The radio show host also repeatedly announced: "May pasok po." (There are classes today.)

While I am always looking out for the safety of my kids, I am also a parent who ensures that they do not miss a single day at school if it can be avoided. My son had his quarterly exams scheduled today so no amount of "discretion" on my part would have led me to stop him from going to school today.

So it was off to school for my 5-year old daughter and my 10-year old son, in the rain. Their school buses picked them up.

At 7am, now, the DepEd makes a late announcement that classes are suspended for grade school and high school. Text messages went back and forth in a flurry. My brother texted in reply to my text that classes had been suspended: "Great! Nasa katpunan flyover trfc jam na kami!" Another parent texted: "What a pity. My daughter is already in school." Upon arriving here at our house, my brother lamented: "Kanina pa akong umaga nagtatanong..." (I had been asking since this morning...)

Oh well. Can anyone tell us who will educate the DepEd? I don't know why the DepEd is so shy about suspending classes early enough when the rains are heavy (even when there is no typhoon signal) as all it takes is a little common sense. All they need is to ask themselves, "Would I feel safe letting my kids go to school in this rain?"

They ask themselves that important question and they can save us parents all this hassle and stress.

Ang Gala ng Lola Mo!

Last Saturday, the Philippine newspapers featured Simeona Adamos, a 102-year old lola (grandmother) who was among the first recipients of the new machine-readable passports from the Department of Foreign Affairs. (DFA)

Bilib talaga ako kay lola! She had a nice photo, was elegantly dressed, and she was still traveling to visit her children and grandchildren in New Jersey -- all at the young age of 102! I actually dream to live to be a hundred and given my penchant for travel, Lola Simeona will be my inspiration through the years. I hope I will be as blessed as she is with good health and a long life.

Asked about the secret of her long life, Lola Simeona said that she has meals of cereal and milk, takes fruits for snacks, avoids hatred and focuses on beautiful things. Ang ganda-ganda talaga ni Lola.

I hope Lola Simeona continues to live long and be healthy. May she live to be a 110 years old.

A Few Versatile Men

Angelo Reyes has been named as Energy Secretary while Lito Atienza, former Mayor of Manila, has been named as Environment Secretary. Angelo Reyes was previously at the following departments: defense, interior, and environment.

I wonder what skills you need to have to be able to shift so easily from one area to another. Should I learn that skill? I've been looking around for career opportunities in the last two months and so far, people treat me like I have a big sign that says CREDIT or RESEARCH on my forehead. Not that I want to stay away from these fields forever but sometimes, you just want to try something else like sales or marketing -- but then when they see my resume, they classify me right away into areas that involve the writing of reports.

Back to government. Why do we keep seeing the same old names being moved around? Are there no other men capable of leading these departments? And if such capable men exist, do they really not want to have anything to do with government? (That was a rhetorical question, I guess.) And why is it that every time an issue arises concerning the appointees of GMA, some spokesperson will always say that these people "serve at the pleasure of the president"? When will government officials serve at the pleasure of Filipinos in general?