Our children are our most cherished possession. In their early years we must make sure they get a healthy start in life – President Gloria Arroyo, SONA 2009
It is 1984 and the Marcos regime is getting shakier as Anti-Marcos rallies are all over the place. This was my conversation with my then boyfriend (now husband)
Me: Do you plan to marry me? if you have no plans, then I am leaving for the United States to be with my sisters and start a new life there.
The Boyfriend (now husband): Yes, I will marry you next year. (of course he got pressured).
I felt like leaving the country then because the peso-dollar exchange rate dropped drastically. I wanted to be with my sisters.
No, this is not a love story.
See, I got married at the time when the political situation was so unstable. Was there a future for me and my husband? When People Power removed the dictatorship, I was ecstatic. I felt the future seemed promising for my children. My sister sent me immigration papers in 1987 and wanted me to move to the USA with my family. I declined. I wanted my children to stay here and work for the future of their country
I accept the plea of the people. I accept the responsibility to continue the fight for the people. I accept the challenge to lead in this fight. I will run in the coming elections, Noynoy Aquino
The Noynoy’s ad is just brilliant! Well, technically it is. The support given in this ad from the entertainment and advertising professionals is just inspiring. The star-studded cast will surely attract the masses.
A love offering to Senator Noynoy Aquino from entertainment and advertising professionals Video Link
It’s beautifully made with an all star cast including two TV station’s talents such as Sharon Cuneta, Kris Aquino, Boy Abunda , Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Bea Alonzo, Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Aiai delas alas, Mariel Rodriguez, Bianca Gonzales, Eric Santos , James Yap , PBA Players and more.
It certainly has mass appeal, but wait do we know noynoy’s platforms?
“I don’t consider myself a survivor; that’s someone who has gone through something terrible.” Geraldine Ferraro
Of course, you know our home suffered the Ondoy Flood Damage. My husband is traumatized about it already that he obsesses on the weather report. Friends ask me how it has been. I feel guilty that we didn’t really suffer that much damage, I mean comparing our situation to the Ondoy victims in Marikina and the Pepeng victims of Northern Luzon. I have to give credit to my husband who took a week’s leave of absence to clean our house. All I did was call insurance companies, service centers, and internet providers. My husband had to live in our flood damaged home for a week while me and my two daughters had it good in my sister’s home in Quezon City.
A week after Ondoy, we finally returned to our Pasig home. Internet connection was back. As a fussy homemaker, let me share you some tips I learned from the damage.
BEFOREbefore the floodwaters reached waist deep. My husband and two househelp try to save as much as they can to the second floor
I suppose I should be jaded by now. After living through the Marcos dictatorship, the revival of democracy through President Cory Aquino and the perception of President Gloria Arroyo‘s (GMA) bleak administration, the Philippines is not getting anywhere. The security of our children’s future is at stake as usual. I often wonder if our politicians truly love our country or are just living for the moment. They too have children, nieces or nephews who will inherit the future of this country. What is the use of all that money when you can’t bring it to the grave with you?
We agreed, let us forget about ourselves,” he said of his conversations with Noynoy. ““This is not about us. This is about our people and our country.”
““I do this for unity and in support of change. And that means that somebody must make a sacrifice. It must be me. Ako na,” Roxas said
That is a remarkable move for Senator Mar Roxas but it is not surprising news.
“In the end, sites that blend professional journalists with amateur, citizen journalists will probably do well,” Jay Rosen
(I have a perfect excuse why this blog has not been updated for almost a week. Holed up in the mountainous area of Laguna, internet connection was just painfully slow to do anything except check email, whine in Plurk , Facebook, Twitter. But I am back.)
I always feel stumped whenever I get invited to meet the “presidentiables”. These politicians don’t impose a definite agenda for these blogger meetings except perhaps to be known to our community or searchable in online media. I have talked to the likes of Senator Manny Villar, Senator Mar Roxas, Mayor Binay, Bayani Fernando, Erap, Loren Legarda but I still don’t know much about them. Just to veer away from the usual overplayed news by old media, I try to be more meaningful by delving on concrete platforms. Not just what? but how?
The next question I ask myself is, why am I doing this anyway? My blog is mainly a parenting blog yet I care a lot about the future of the country because my children are part of the voting population. Yes, I love my country and continue to hope that a leader will bring us forth to prosperity and a bright future for my children. The least I can do is to share my hope to all of you. As a blogger, my resources are limited to commentary, opinions and observations. I know I need to surpass myself than just being a mom blogger. I believe voter’s education is crucial at this point because an automated election (If supreme court decision does not stop it) is the first in Philippine history. There is so much to learn. Technology can be intimidating to the technophobes.
The 2008 USA election has been called the YouTube election, the Facebook election, the new media election and so on. I can see that our local politicians are also making use of the same strategy. I see them scrambling ways to make the most of blogs, bloggers, Facebook, online video, plurk, Twitter and all of the new tools out there. My initial belief was that it is high time for the new media, including bloggers, to take over where traditional newspaper, radio broadcasters and television journalists have failed, well until I received a training invitation.
““Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” George Jean Nathan
The rooster crowing from afar reminded me that it was time to wake up. What an unholy hour 5:00 AM was, as I grumbled and struggled to get off from bed. I was doing this for my daughter, M as it was her opportunity to register at the barangay center over the weekend since she works during weekdays. The previous saturday, she was unable to register because the barangay cut-off was 500 registrants. The Commissions on Elections (COMELEC) staff advised her to come as early as 7:00 AM to fall in line. I also thought it was time for me to reactivate my voter’s registration. My name was delisted because I was out of the country during the past two elections (before the 2007). M and I were pleased with ourselves for arriving at the barangay hall at 6:00 AM but what did we discover?
Two hundred people were ahead of us. I groaned. I learned that the early birds queued as early as 3:30 AM. Why oh why did it have to be this complicated? If I didn’t love my country enough, I would have left right there and then. My experience in the barangay voter’s registration was truly a test of patience and determination to be a registered voter. Imagine the whole registration process lasted from 6:00 AM till 2:00 PM.
Let’s see COMELEC’s Registration Procedure and how it applied to me and my daughter’s experience.
FIRST STEPA qualified applicant need only to appear personally at the local COMELEC office.
It does not say that you might queue for hours so be ready to bring a small stool (which we did. M went home to get more papers), water and snacks. For the next two hours, I didn’t want to remain idle and bored. I voluntarily guarded the queue from latecomers who might insist on cutting in. Filipinos can be so nice to the point that they are abused. A woman pointed me to a man who jumped the queue beside her. I asked the person if it was true but he just ignored me and left the line. It was at that point that I called the barangay workers to moderate the line. The line soon became orderly when the people were told that they shouldn’t allow anyone to cut into their line,
Being a responsible citizen starts at simple tasks and good manners like ” fall in line and don’t cut in”.
““A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” John C. Maxwell
Disclosure on Political Affiliations: I do not work for Senator Manny Villar or any other politician. I was only aware of his friendship with Senator Alan Cayetano through my husband when he told me a day before the interview. Ties with Senator Pia Cayetano and Senator Alan Cayetano date back even before they became senators. Former President Fidel V. Ramos is a family friend due to ties from my father-in-law. I used to be a student activist in my UP Diliman days. My political views range from conservative to liberal. I don’t have plans to run for public office. Meeting with politicians and writing about their programs is part of my current plans for this blog till 2010. Any endorsements (if any) will be made just a few weeks before Elections 2010.
I have always been curious why Senator Manny Villar ranks high in most Presidentiable polls. There must be something he did that made him quite popular with the masses. My helper told me that he is known to help her “kababayan” way down south. Really? All I know about Manny Villar is that he is a successful real estate business man and associated with that C5 mess. Yesterday, I asked my husband what questions to ask Senator Manny Villar. Butch said “ask him about the corruption charges with regards to C5” and added “oh and they are good friends with Alan Cayetano”. Read More »Getting to Know Senator Manny Villar
Elections are a good deal like marriages, there’s no accounting for anyone’s taste. Every time we see a bridegroom we wonder why she ever picked him, and it’s the same with Public Officials. Will Rogers
Politics again! I know, I know…I veered way too much from my usual programming mode in this blog. It’s just that the current political situation in our country merits my attention. Don’t you think that the future of our children lies in the politicians that rule our country? I am not much of an opinion maker when it comes to politics and the only way to be informed is to actually be there and feel the pulse of these politicians. I missed the ANC Forum held last May 11 at the Ateneo de Manila Campus and I made sure I didn’t miss the second leg today held at the UP School of Economics. Sen. Francis Escudero, Sen. Richard Gordon, Sen Manuel Roxas II, Gov. Ed Panlilio and Sec. Gilberto Teodoro each took the hot seat in the first forum where they responded to a barrage of questions on their stands, issues and competence as public servants.
Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed. He who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or decisions possible or impossible to execute.
Abraham Lincoln Visit notoconass.com for the manifesto
In the baby book of my daughter, Lauren, there is a blank space written there for current events on the day of her birth. You know how moms are. We want to document everything and reminisce on those good old days. I clearly remember scribbling down …Today, March 25, 1986, THE 1986 PROVISIONAL “FREEDOM” CONSTITUTION was proclaimed. What joy it was to whisper to my first-born that she is going to live in a democratic society. I stroked her chubby little fingers and told her that “A new government was installed through a direct exercise of the power of the Filipino people assisted by units of the New Armed Forces of the Philippines and the heroic action of the people was done in defiance of the provisions of the 1973 Constitution.” Oh yes, our country held so much hope for her future.
The following year on February 11, 1987, the 1987 Constituion of the Philippines was proclaimed and took effect, just six months before I gave birth to my second daughter, M. So full of hope and love of country, I threw the US immigration papers aside that my sister sent over to me, as I read the Preamble:
We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.
And what happened just a few hours ago? It took only a few seconds for the House of Representatives to approve a resolution that would convene Congress into a constituent assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution. (click here to read Proposed Charter Amendments).
““Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Albert Einstein
Disclosure on Political Affiliations: I do not work for Kiko Pangilinan or any other politician. Kiko and my husband know each other way back in the UP College of Law. Neither am I affiliated with a political party. I am close to Senator Pia Cayetano and Senator Alan Cayetano . Our relationship ties date back even before they became senators. Former President Fidel V. Ramos is a family friend due to ties from my father-in-law. I used to be a student activist in my UP Diliman days. My political views range from conservative to liberal. I don’t have plans to run for public office. Meeting with politicians and writing about their programs is part of my current plans for this blog till 2010. Any endorsements will be made just a few weeks before Elections 2010.
Niña Terol, fellow blogger and Political Communications head of Senator Kiko Pangilinan said it was an “an intimate discussion/dialogue about how we can use the power of social media to transform the Philippines and usher in positive things for our people and our country” and would last from 6:30 PM till 8:30 PM but our dinner actually ended at 10:00 PM. As usual, I’m an early bird and took my time taking photos of Mesa Greenbelt 5 which I found later on is owned by Kiko and friends (read my Mesa, Greenbelt 5 post). Shortly after, Kiko walked in. Oh, he is an early bird too. I found out that he knew my husband way back in Law school so there was a lot of common ground to babble around with, before his staff and the other bloggers arrived.
