According to Obama

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

From MNSBC

To stop monsters, we need good citizens

The following is a Letter to the Editor from the Inquirer.

I remember when I was young and dreaming of becoming the president of this country. Today I no longer hold that dream. I just wish to become a good citizen.

I think what we imperatively need more nowadays are good citizens who know how to care and love for this country, make it safer to live in, who know how to voice out their grievances without fear and who are prepared to die for their rights and principles.

There are only a few of these people now in our country.

There are more of us who rest content with our private lives and are unmindful of the issues of the day. There are many of us who cannot leave our comfort zones and instead decidedly remain spectators to what is happening in our country. They don’t bother to ask why their families starve, why there are broken families, why crimes abound, why classrooms are not enough for their children, why textbooks are scarce, why there is graft and corruption. Our society is becoming a voiceless society. It is this voicelessness that created roaring monsters in the government. While we may have heard the voices of some who appear to be messiahs of this country, theirs are irritating noises and are out of tune because of their self-seeking interests. What we need is a unison voice likened to the biblical passage that says “people shall shout with a great shout and the wall of the city will fall down flat.”

For the year 2009, it is my prayerful wish that we learn to become good citizens. It is my prayer that we should learn to be more aggressive about our rights, freedom and dignity as a people. I do not wish to leave this country even when it is filthy to live in. That would be unpatriotic. There is hope for this country. Let us start contributing our fair share by caring for and loving our country, making it more decent and respectable in the eyes of the international community and God. And we can do that by learning to become good citizens.

Thank you.

REGINALD B. TAMAYO, member, Sangguniang Bayan secretary general, SAVE Cagayan, Aparri, Cagayan


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Definitely good citizenship is part of the solution.

Fighting corruption

The following was posted on the comment section of this blog.



Fighting corruption is the best way to fight powerty. But how do we fight corruption?

There are two kinds of corruption, a one way corruption and two way corruption. One way corruption is about those people in the position, either elected or appointed by someone we elected, and use their position for personal gain. An example would be awarding contracts to relatives/friends. This is the palakasan system. The two way corruption is one where there is a giver and a taker. An excellent example is the transaction between a traffic violator and a traffic enforcer. This is the padulas system. Eliminate the palakasan / padulas system and corruption is minimized. Less corruption, less poverty, less hunger and peace is built. But how do we eliminate the palakasan/padulas system?

Even the Church has failed in this area. Only if the Church has guided its flock well, we will not be in this mess we are in right now. The Church teaches the rightwus path and the people don't seem to follow.

But something can still be done. The Church can still play a huge role in the CHANGE that we all seek. This is not just about religion. This is about attitude, way of thinking, a different mindset, a whole new perspective. We need a different approach and strategy. If we want to eliminate palakasan and padulas system, we need to capture first the imagination of our people. But not a single advocacy is working on this strategy. We have thousands of advocacies around us and yet not a single one seems to create a dent. Why? Because not a single on has captured the imagination of our people. Capture the imagination and we will be on our way to the CHANGE that we all seek.

Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas!

Three stars and a sun

While waiting for the Malabon Citisquare Mall to open at 12 noon, it was very peculiar that a lot of teen aged guys are wearing the three stars and a sun tshirts. They come in various designs either with a Philippine map or the text "Pilipinas kong Mahal". It is doubtful if these are Francis M original shirts. They must all be imitations. According to the FrancisM Clothing Company blog, a shirt costs P550.00. That's quite expensive for the CDE and imitations are being sold for as low as P150.00. Other than shirts, I also saw sandals with Philippine Flag design on straps. Apparently, the three stars and a sun or a Pinoy pride design has become fashionable.

In the context of an Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas campaign, this fashion trend is very timely. The public can easily appreciate the campaign without really knowing yet that the campaign is all about the CHANGE that we seek.

And another one

Here's another one, KAYA NATIN!.

From what I read, Kaya Natin espouses genuine change and ethical leadership by promoting transparency, social accountability, people empowerment and electoral reforms. We've heard of these words before. These are no longer new. Here is a list of groups who seek more of the same.

MOVEMENT FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE

TEAM RP

Simbahan Lingkod Bayan

Ang Kapatiran

Center for Responsible Governance, Inc.

Transparency and Accountability Network

Coalition Against Corruption

Transparent Accountable Governance

Pagbabago@Pilipinas

One Voice

Black and White Movement

Ang Bagong Pinoy

Moral Revolt

Dilaab Movement

Citizen's Battle Against Corruption

Kilusang Balik Kaayusan

just to name a few.

But nothing will really change unless we change the way we do things.

A campaign/movement will only be effective if every sectors in our society can be part of it. It shoud not matter if you are rich or poor, Christian or Muslim, Cebuano or Ilocano, overseas or Philippine based, student or retiree, magtataho or banker, etc. The audience must not be passive but active participants in the campaign. Corruption is truly a menace in our society. But corruption is not something that we could fight head on. Wether we like it or not, corruption has become part of our system, of our culture. The "baka makalusot" and "baka makaisa" attitude are reflections of this. It is easy to point fingers at people in government. But let us look at ourselves in the mirror. One way or another, we had our own shortcomings.

For the campaign to succeed, it has to be faceless. Nobody can come out clean, not even the Church. SAbi nga ng Bible, he who has no sin cast the first stone. Take out the face and a certain degree of credibility is achieved.

By combining the two, a campaign that involves everyone and faceless, then it will capture the imagination of our people. Once this is achieved, CHANGE will not be far behind.

Here comes another one

In as much as I would like to avoid making comments on what's happening out there since I feel have stated my stand on most issues through this blog, I just can't help but react on this Inquirer article.

Again, the intentions are good and noble. There may be no personal agenda and the movers may be credible but Almonte????, anyway......

Somewhere, sometime ago, I know I have read something like this before. Advocacies such as clean elections and automation, voter education and empowerment, good governance have been battlecries for decades. Has anything changed? Nothing. And here comes another one and I doubt it very much if they will make a dent at all.

The strategy of these advocacies is very skewed. They always start with the media just as how this new group got the Inquirer headline. Well, that is a lot of free and big time space. It really gets the attention just how it did to me. But will anybody be talking about this group tomorrow? I doubt it.

When new groups are formed, it is always the media that is first targetted. Very logical since a press release is free, it gets the attention and creates awareness. But by taking that route, the advocay starts with a bang and ends with a pfffft. It is unsustainable, elitist and intangible.

There is only one free press release and that usually is the launching. That may be the only newsworthy part but the daily activities may be only good read in blogs or websites. The media will never give that daily free updates. The next option is the group to buy media space and that will cost. When money becomes an issue, disintegration begins.

It has been my observation that we are really have this penchant to form groups. At the onset, we believe we have common goals and aspirations. But through time, personal differences sets in, personal agenda gets magnifies, political colors come out and disintegration begins. Nothing gets sustained.

Elitist because ordinary Filipinos are mere observers. We are not active participants in this movement unless we are a member of a member group or know people who belong to this group. Why waste my time in the first place. Yes, the motives may be pure but I have seen this a thousand times before and nothing reall too off and what makes it different this time around. And where will my iconic magtataho come into the picture?

Gawad Kalinga has been very successful simply because their advocacy is very tangible, houses. From nothing you see someting. You can see it and touch it. That is very tangible and that gets a lot of support. But good governance, electoral reforms, votere education are very intangibles. Thay can be assessed through numbers and statistics which may be difficult for most of us to grasp.

For a movement or advocacy to really make a dent, it has to be sustainable, it can capture the imagination and it has to be very tangible. Lose one element and all the CHANGE that we all seek will not happen.

Sa Aking Pagkawala

May halos 8 buwan din akong nawala sa blog na ito. Hindi dahil tinabangan o tinalikuran ko na ang advocacing ito, Wala na lang siguro akong bagong masasabi pa. Pakiramdam ko, nasabi ko na ang lahat ng gusto kong sabihin sa blog na ito. Pagnagkataon, magiging paulit ulit ang mga sasabihin ko dito. Kailangan ko nang itaas ang antas ng adhikain. Walang mangyayari sa pa blog blog. Ang internet ay isa lamang instrumento para sa pagbabago. Hindi nito mababago ang Pilipinas. Nasa labas ng cyberspace ang laban.

Upang maisulong ang laban sa totoong mundo, kakailanganin dito ang pondo. Kailangang maglabas ng pera. Ika nga, put your money where your mouth is. Sa puntong ito, wala kahit isang kaluluwa ang lubusang maniniwala sa kakayahan ng kampanyang ito na baguhin ang Pilipinas, ang Pilipino. Tanging ako lamang ang sadyang nakakaunawa kung saan ito patungo. Sa kadahilanang ito, imposibleng makakalap ng pondo upang maisulong ang kampanya. Sa sarili kong bulsa magmumula ang lahat. At iyon ang dahilang kung bakit nanahimik ang blog na ito. Tag hirap ako.

Kahit ngayon taghirap pa rin ako pero mas maayos na ang kalagayan ko kumpara nitong mga nakaraang buwan. Kahit papaano siguro itong daratng na bagong taon, may masisimulan na ako. Siguro makakapag paimprenta ako ng kahit ilang piraso muna ng ikap sticker. Pag maging mas maayos ang kalagayan kong pinansyal, mas mapapapalaganap ko pa siguro ang kamalayang ikap. Sa kamalayang ikap, doon magsisimula ang lahat.