Kaya Natin! leaders back CARP extension

Kaya Natin! leaders back CARP extension

By: Tonette Orejas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
December 22,2008
http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/agrarianreform/view.php?db=1&article=20081222-179344

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Local officials involved in Kaya Natin!, a national movement for good governance and ethical leadership, on Thursday expressed support for the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), provided this came with reforms.

Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija Mayor Sonia Lorenzo, Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, Ifugao Gov. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. and Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio were the first local officials to have supported the CARP extension.

In a statement, they also voiced support to the moves being taken by the Catholic Church to “reform the current CARP law that will ensure that proper support services are given to the beneficiaries of the land reform program.”

Signed into law by then President Corazon Aquino in June 1988, the CARP was extended for another 10 years until June this year.

The Department of Agrarian Reform reported having an unfinished balance of more than one million hectares of private lands, seeking also an extension of three years to be able to provide more support to agrarian reform communities through infrastructure, farming and marketing services.

“As local government leaders who witness the day-to-day struggles of our farmers, we believe that the non-extension of the CARP will be a big setback in our fight against the rampant poverty that is being felt by majority of Filipinos,” the Kaya Natin! leaders said.

They said it was “sad to note that despite being a predominantly agricultural country, the main heroes of our food security, our farmers, remain to live in poverty wherein many continue to subsist with less than P100 a day.”

In extending the CARP, they said “land resources will be equitably distributed among the Filipino people and will thus provide our farmers and their families with a chance of accessing a better quality of life.”

The reforms, they added, should center on promoting social justice and equitable distribution of wealth and resources.

They also appealed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to certify the CARP extension bill as urgent and to encourage her allies in Congress to pass the bill when session resumes in January 2009.

The Gamechangers in the 2010 National Elections (Part 1)

EVERY time I ask my friends about whom they will vote for in the coming 2010 Presidential Elections, I usually receive two different answers. The first answer is, "May magaganap bang election? Mukhang ayaw talagang bumaba ni Gloria eh (Will there be elections in 2010? I don't think the President wants to step down)."

The other answer is, "Wala pa akong mapili sa mga gustong tumakbo, kasi mukhang pare-pareho lang naman silang lahat eh (With the current crop of Presidentiables, I can't seem to choose any one of them since all of them seem to be the same)."

It is therefore not surprising when former Bulacan Governor Josie Mendoza-Dela Cruz informed us yesterday at a forum hosted by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung that there are still more than 40 percent of Filipinos who continue to be undecided on whom to support for the coming Presidential elections.

If the trend continues and we will have 5 or more Presidential candidates, just getting a majority of the 40 percent of these undecided voters will give a candidate a fighting chance of winning the elections. More likely these undecided 40 percent is looking for a reform and alternative candidate given that many of them feel that there is no one among the current crop of Presidentiables, which will effectively address the main social problems of the country particularly food security, housing, education and health.

Aside from these undecided voters, one of the other gamechangers in the upcoming 2010 National Elections aside from the large number of young voters is the growing number of Filipinos who are either living or working overseas.

Estimates have shown that by 2009, a year before our elections, the number of Overseas Filipinos will be around 8.5 million given that more than 3,000 Filipinos continue to leave our country each day.

These overseas Filipinos, most of which work in progressive and first world countries, such as the United States of America, Singapore, Italy, Japan, Australia and Canada, have seen how governments of these countries have been able to function effectively towards providing opportunities and a better quality of life for most of its citizens.

More importantly, because of their experience living and working in these countries, many of them would aspire towards also seeing the Philippines move out of its current state of rampant poverty and underdevelopment.

Like I said in one of my previous articles, if only 20 percent of these overseas Filipinos become active volunteers and contributors in electing a reform-minded, effective and ethical Presidential candidate, then I believe that we do not have to always settle for the lesser evil among those that we have right now.

With the absentee voting law now in effect, overseas Filipinos now have an opportunity to make their voices heard but it doesn't end with just voting, with the new wealth generated by Filipinos working overseas, they can actually contribute small amounts to a candidate that they feel would represent the real needs of the Filipino people.

We all know for a fact that Philippine elections cannot be won without the right amount of financial resources and many of these good candidates by virtue of them being honest leaders do not have the amount of resources needed to run an effective campaign.

Aside from this, they can also influence their families in the Philippines to vote for this candidate especially since they are most likely the main breadwinner of their families.

Next year will be critical since we will be a year away from choosing our next leader, it would be interesting to see if there will be a reform or alternative candidate in the Philippines that will generate the same excitement and passion as U.S. President-elect Barack Obama did for his own country.

We saw it happen already in Pampanga through Gov. Eddie "Among Ed" Panlilio's victory against well-entrenched politicians and also in Isabela through Gov. Grace Padaca's defying of all political odds to beat a half century old political dynasty not only once but twice! Can we make it happen for our whole country? If you ask me, I believe so.

Kaya Natin! launches drive against Charter Change

The Kaya Natin! movement which was initially convened by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government and is led by local government leaders Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City, Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and Gov. Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao reiterated its stand to oppose any moves to amend the present Constitution before the 2010 national elections.

According to the group, any move to amend the present Constitution before the elections will only serve the interests of a few politicians whose main aim is to continue to hold on to power.

More importantly, the group also stated that with the present global economic crisis looming over the country, it is better for members of the House of Representatives to focus on developing policies and programs that will enable the country to weather the pending economic and financial storm.

According to Robredo, the government should be sensitive to the needs of majority of the Filipinos and focus on creating programs that would help millions of Filipinos move out of poverty.Robredo also cited a recent survey by the SWS showing that majority of Filipinos do not prefer Charter change thus, the present government should take this as a sign that launching Charter change now is ill-timed and will not be welcomed by the people.

Panlilio said that ordinary Filipinos are not so concerned about Charter change given the fact that many of them have to live on a day to day existence.As such, Panlilio challenged the government to be more vigilant in its fight against prevailing social problems such as jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling that continue to hinder the improvement of the quality of life of the poor.

For her part, Lorenzo said that instead of trying to push for Charter change, government leaders should focus its attention on a bigger problem which is the rampant acts of graft and corruption in government as evidenced by scandals that it has been facing for the past years.In addition, Lorenzo said that in her initial consultations with her constituents, majority of them are not for amending the present constitution.

Thus, the movement has launched an online signature and text campaign which encourages Filipinos to join in its bid to oppose moves for Charter change prior to the 2010 national elections.Those interested to sign the online petition can visit http://www.petitionon­line.com/nochacha/petition.html or you can text No to Cha Cha and your complete name together with your city, municipality or province to 0922-8570496.  

Give Meaningful Gifts this Christmas!

Dear Friends,

Good day to all of you! :)

Its just a month away from Christmas and I'm sure that many of us are now starting our Christmas shopping for our love ones. Thus, I hope you won't mind if I send you this email and ask for your help towards making Christmas more memorable and meaningful not only to you but more importantly to our less-privileged Filipino brothers and sisters. As such, I would like to ask you to to consider giving any of the following gifts this Christmas because as you buy these gifts you also help provide a better future for our country. Here are my suggested gifts:

a.) Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON Foundation) Christmas Cards - Did you know that millions of Filipino students reach Grade 6 without even learning how to read? AHON Foundation helps solve that problem by building functional and well-equipped libraries for our public elementary schools. To date, AHON has already helped build 20 public elementary schools in Quezon City, Marikina, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Bulacan. Each Christmas Card costs P100, P300 and P500 each. For every Christmas card that you buy, a donation will be made under the name of the person you give the card to! If you would like to see the Cards, you can visit this link: http://ahonfoundation.multiply.com/journal/item/26 or you can contact Anna Rojas at rojas_anna225@yahoo.com .

b.) Ashoka-Youth Venture Philippines Memo Holders and T-Shirts - Ashoka-Youth Venture helps train and develop Young people to become positive changemakers in society by helping them develop projects that will solve problems in their community. Some of these projects include tutorial programs for non-readers in their community or organizing preventive health seminars for depressed communities. By helping young people become positive changemakers, Ashoka hopes to be able to create a new generation of Filipinos that will serve as catalysts for change in our society. Each Ashoka-Youth Venture Memo Pad costs only between P100 to P 150 per piece while an Ashoka T-shirt costs only P 170.00 each. If you would like to see the memo holders and the T-Shirt, you can visit: http://filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com/ or you can contact Katrina Wy at kwy@ashoka.org .

c.) Pathways to Higher Education Organic Products - 6 years ago, Archie Dolit was graduating top of his class from Marikina High School unsure of what the future will hold for him since his parents was only earning less than P 250.00 per day. Through the help of Pathways, Archie was able to not only enter college but also receive a full scholarship from Ateneo de Manila University. Last march, archie graduated with a BS degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE) and is now working at a multi-national company that enables him to help send his other siblings to school. Pathways has helped hundreds of other academically-gifted but financially-disadvantaged students like Archie access quality higher education. Pathways wants to help more young Filipinos reach their dreams and you can make that happen by giving Pathways Organic Products this Christmas. These products range from P 150 to P 250 only! You can check them out at http://www.pathwaysphilippines.org/ or you can contact Pathways at (02) 426-6001 local 4048.

d.) Kaya Natin! Baller Bands - One of the major problems that our country faces today is the lack of transparency and accountability in our government and this is primarily because Good Governance and Ethical Leadership remains only a far off dream for us. Yet, we have seen that in many local government units, good governance is possible and that is what Kaya Natin! espouses. Kaya Natin! is a national movement for good governance and ethical leadership that aims to help support and elect effective and ethical government leaders in our country. Among those who initially convened Kaya Natin! are Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga, Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. of Ifugao. Each baller band costs only P 50 and you can help promote the fight for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership in our country. If you want to see the baller bands, you can visit http://filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com/ or you can contact Kai Pastores at kayanatin@yahoo.com .

Please feel free to share this email with your family and friends.

Thank you very much for your time and I hope that you will consider giving these meaningful gifts this Christmas!

Let us continue to hope, pray and work together for a better Philippines!


Sincerely, Harvey S. Keh

Support Social Entrepreneurship in the Philippines!

Support the promotion of Social Entrepreneurs and Changemakers in the Philippines!

Support Ashoka-Youth Venture!

Give Ashoka-Philippines Merchandise as Gifts this Christmas!

Ashoka Memo Holder (Blue or Red) with paper - P 100.00 per piece

Ashoka 3 in 1 Memo Holder with Sticky Notes and Ballpen - P 150.00 per piece

Ashoka Notebook-type Memo Holder with Sticky Notes and Ballpen - P 100.00 per piece

Ashoka is the world's leading organization that promotes Social Entrepreneurship. Youth Venture is Ashoka's main program towards enabling young people to become positive changemakers in their society. By purchasing any of these products, you are helping form more changemakers for our society.

To inquire about these products, you can contact Cristyl Senajon at (02) 426-5657.

Kaya Natin! leaders back Bolante probe

'Kaya Natin!' leaders back Bolante probe
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Page A8
November 18,2008
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=172826

LIPA CITY, BATANGAS—Leaders of Kaya Natin! (Yes we can!), a movement for good governance, have expressed hopes that the Senate inquiry into the P728-million fertilizer scam will lead to the criminal prosecution of its perpetrators.

"I'm happy that the Senate investigation on the fertilizer scam has pushed through after several years of waiting but I believe that the probe shouldn't end with the hearings but with the proper filing of charges against those that will be found guilty," said Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City.Robredo was responding to a question asked by a student leader in one of Friday's open forums of Kaya Natin's Caravan of Good Governance held on De La Salle University campuses in Dasmariñas, Cavite, and Batangas.Kaya Natin! was initially convened by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government.

It is headed by such multiawarded local executives as Robredo, Governors Grace Padaca of Isabela, Ed Panlilio of Pampanga and Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao and Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija.Robredo said he feared that the ongoing Senate hearings would end up like the previous inquiries, such as the NBN-ZTE deal where no one had so far been held accountable.

Lorenzo, whose province is a major rice producer, lamented that the fertilizer scam had shown how insensitive many government officials were to the plight of our farmers."This controversy is very close to my heart since while I regularly see that our farmers continue to subsist on very meager resources, one of the most important resource in their livelihood which is fertilizers is being used as a money-making venture by a few," she said.Lorenzo echoed Robredo's sentiment that the fertilizer scam investigation shouldn't simply be for show but it should be able to hold the guilty parties accountable.

Padaca reiterated the need for Filipinos to elect effective and ethical leaders in the 2010 elections and for young people to be involved actively in safeguarding the sanctity vote by volunteering to serve in poll watchdog groups."We cannot afford to elect government leaders that will just serve the selfish interests of a few and turn a blind eye to the plight of the millions of Filipinos who continue to live in poverty," Padaca said.

For more information about Kaya Natin, you can send an email to kayanatin@yahoo.com or contact us at (02) 426-5657.

Kaya Natin! Lauds COMELEC decision to Suspend Recall

Kaya Natin! Lauds COMELEC decision to Suspend Recall

We, the founding members and leaders of Kaya Natin! A national movement that promotes Good Governance and Ethical Leadership would like to commend the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for its decision to suspend the recall petition filed against one of our leaders, Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga. According to the COMELEC which issued en banc resolution No. 8547, the reason for the suspension is the lack of sufficient funds to conduct recall elections not only in Pampanga but for other areas as well in the Philippines.

We believe that this decision is a victory not only for Gov. Panlilio and Kaya Natin but more importantly for the fight for Good Governance in our country. Thus, we hope that this decision will allow Gov. Panlilio to focus his efforts towards continuing to uplift the quality of life of his constituents through the efficient and effective delivery of basic services. We also appeal to his political opponents to respect the decision of the COMELEC and to set aside partisan politics for the good of the people of Pampanga. Let us allow Gov. Panlilio to finish the remainder of his mandated 3-year term as duly-elected governor of the province and let the 2010 National Elections be the main gauge on whether or not he has been successful in fulfilling the mandate given to him by the Kapampangans. Given the economic and financial crisis that our country is currently facing, we believe that it is only through unity and our collective efforts that the growing problem of poverty can be resolved.

Finally, we appeal to the people of Pampanga to continue to support Gov. Panlilio's crusade for Good Governance through his promotion transparency, accountability and the institutionalization of reforms in the provincial capitol. In the end, we believe that it is only through good governance and ethical leadership that basic services such as provision of livelihood opportunities and access to quality education and healthcare can be delivered to those who need it the most.

Signed:

Hon. Grace Padaca - Governor, Isabela
Hon. Jesse Robredo - Mayor, Naga City
Hon. Sonia Lorenzo - Mayor, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija
Hon. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. - Governor, Ifugao

Recall against Among Ed halted by the COMELEC

Comelec halts all recall cases
Tonette Orejas Central Luzon Desk
November 14, 2008
The Philippine Daily Inquirer

BALANGA CITY, Philippines—The Commission on Elections has stopped acting on all recall cases in the country due to lack of funds, effectively freezing moves to unseat local officials including Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio, according to the governor’s lawyer.

Recall petitions had been virtually put in the back burner after the Comelec en banc issued Resolution No. 8547, lawyer Romulo Macalintal disclosed Friday.

Comelec legal officer Ferdinand Rafanan confirmed in a telephone interview the issuance of the resolution on Thursday.

Rafanan said the poll body would “suspend actions on all recall petition filed and pending before this commission until funds are made available.”

Rafanan said the move followed the failure of Congress to consider the request of the Comelec for additional funds to hold recall elections.

Comelec Chair Jose Melo had said the agency had only a budget of P5 million for all recall cases.
Rafanan could not say how many cases were filed and pending before the commission, saying only that these were numerous.

Melo had estimated that a recall election in Pampanga alone needed P40 million.

“I believe the recall petition against Panlilio, aside from being fatally defective, could no longer move,” Macalintal said.

The Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga Inc. (Kambilan) sought to remove Panlilio claiming loss of confidence after the governor refused to implement a new quarry law proposed by mayors. It also called attention to a perjury case dogging Panlilio over his alleged misdeclaration of election campaign contributions and his alleged illegal reassignments of doctors in public hospitals.

The recall petition was filed on October 15.

“It will die a natural death. As a matter of fact, it’s dead,” Macalintal said.
He said time constraints would prevent the holding of recall elections before the one-year ban on such exercises was put in effect in May 2009.

Rosve Henson, Kambilan president, called the suspension a “very sad development for all pending petitions around the country.”

“Citizens will be deprived of their constitutional guarantee to file recall petitions,” Henson said.
He said the recall petition was a “safeguard available to the electorate, and there should be no hindrance or delay for the petition to take its due course, not even funding constraints.”
He said that the lack of funds was not a concern of petitioners, “because as far as we are concerned, the funding requirements of recall are beyond our control.”
Henson added, “What we are after here is the Comelec’s decision on whether or not the recall petition in Pampanga is sufficient in form and substance.”

Vice Governor Joseller Guiao, who supports the recall move against Panlilio, said the recall petition should move forward.

“[The Comelec resolution] does not cover Pampanga. The [signature-gathering] process is finished on the ground. That will apply to prospective petitions,” Guiao said.

Two weeks ago, the Comelec and the Department of Budget and Management shot down proposed Ordinance 294 through which the provincial board planned to allot P25 million for the recall elections against Panlilio.

Citing the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160), the agencies said recall elections should only be funded by the Comelec.

The Comelec said it did not want to seek funds from the DBM because a “recourse [to that agency] might give the impression that since it is under the Office of the President, government funds are being used for the recall of those not politically aligned.”

Local Execs: Senate Probe should lead to Proper Accountability

Local Execs: Senate Probe should lead to Proper Accountability

Lipa City, Batangas - "I'm happy that the Senate investigation on the fertilizer scam has pushed thru after several years of waiting but I believe that the probe shouldn't end with the hearings but with the proper filing of charges to those that will be found guilty during the course of the investigation." This was the answer of multi-awarded Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City to a question asked by a university student leader about the on-going fertilizer scam hearings in one of the open forums at Kaya Natin's Caravan of Good Governance held last Friday at the De La Salle University campuses in Dasmarinas, Cavite and Batangas. Kaya Natin! is a national movement for good governance initially convened by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government and is led by local government leaders such as Robredo, Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. of Ifugao and Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Robredo further added that he fears that the on-going Senate hearings may just go the route of the previous Senate hearings such as the NBN-ZTE deal wherein there has been no government official who has been held accountable for these anomalous dealings. For her part, Gov. Padaca reiterated the need for Filipinos to be able to elect effective and ethical servant leaders in the upcoming 2010 National Elections and at the same time, for young people to actively be involved in safeguarding the sanctity of the election process by volunteering for election watch groups such as NAMFREL and PPCRV. "We cannot afford to elect government leaders that will just serve the selfish interests of a few and turn a blind eye to the plight of the millions of Filipinos who continue to live in poverty" added Gov. Padaca. Mayor Lorenzo, who comes from Nueva Ecija, considered to be the rice capital of the country, lamented that the fertilizer scam has shown how insensitive many government officials are to the plight of our farmers. According to Mayor Lorenzo, "This controversy is very close to my heart since while I regularly see that our farmers continue to subsist on very meager resources, one of the most important resource in their livelihood which is fertilizers is being used as a money-making venture by a few." Mayor Lorenzo echoed Mayor Robredo's sentiment that the fertilizer scam investigations shouldn't simply be for show but it should be able to hold the guilty parties accountable for their actions.

Wanted: Good People with Courage to Run in 2010

I was quite frustrated as I spent my whole day at home recuperating from a dental surgery and listening to the testimony of former Undersecretary Jocjoc Bolante who is tagged as the main person behind the 1-Billion Peso Fertilizer Scam that happened in at the height of the 2004 National Elections. Looking at Bolante and how he continue to lie to his teeth about his innocence and the President’s innocence in this scam makes me all the more determined that we should really make sure that we choose the right person to become our President in 2010. In the past years, we have seen how powerful a President is as s/he has the power to appoint people to positions that can easily disburse millions and even billions of pesos in a wink of an eye. Imagine if the money went to the right people and was put into good use then I’m sure we wouldn’t anymore find ourselves at the brink of a food security crisis. Thus, as much as I believe that election watch groups such as the PPCRV and NAMFREL are very important in our elections, it is also important that we find good, effective and ethical leaders who will consider to run for public office. It is sad that we are often left to choose between the lesser evil in our country given the fact that good people opt not to run because they do not have enough financial resources mainly because they are not corrupt. I think its time now that we find people who will have the courage to run in 2010 because even if we continue to educate our voters especially our underprivileged brothers and sisters if we do not give them good people to choose from then our efforts will just amount to nothing.

We do not have to look far to see that people want to see change in our country, Pampanga, Isabela and Naga City are good examples of how people have matured to choose the right leaders to lead them to a better quality of life.

Kaya Natin! Baller Bands!

Kaya Natin! Baller Bands for Sale!!!

Support Good Governance in the Philippines! Support Kaya Natin!

Kaya Natin! is a national movement that aims to support and help elect effective and ethical government leaders for our country. It was initially convened by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government and it's founding leaders include Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. of Ifugao. For more information about Kaya Natin! you can visit our website at http://www.kayanatin.com or you can send an email to kayanatin@yahoo.com

Kaya Natin! Baller Bands are being sold for P 25.00 each for students and P 50.00 each for Professionals. Proceeds will help support programs and projects that promote good governance and ethical leadership in the Philippines. To order the Baller Bands, you can send an email to kayanatin@yahoo.com

We have our own little Obamas

We have our own ‘little Obamas’
COMMONSENSE
By Marichu A. Villanueva Friday, November 7, 2008
The Philippine Star

The historic election into the White House of the first African-American, Sen. Barack Obama have served to inspire many leading Filipino politicians who dream of being elected also to the highest office of our land. But not all well-meaning public officials need to aspire for the presidency if really they want to serve our people in general.

The Democrat Senator from Illinois routed Republican candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona in one of the quickest contests in the US presidential race. Some of our homegrown political leaders, too, especially those who have moist eyes towards the May 2010 presidential elections, identify themselves with Obama who defied the great odds against him.

In his victory speech immediately after McCain graciously conceded to him, Obama made stirring statements on how his being voted to become the new President meant to the American people, of whatever creed or color, to pursue the “American Dream” in the US.

With his wife Michelle and two daughters behind him, Obama rallied his audience: “…To reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth — that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, We Can!”

It reminded me of the “Yes, We Can!” battle cry of business leader Jose “Joecon” Concepcion during his stint as secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry under the Aquino administration. Joecon unceasingly pushed this “Yes, We Can!” campaign to prod Filipino industry and business leaders they can break into the world market and break they did!
But long before Obama made this “Yes, We Can!” declaration, an academe-based group from the Ateneo de Manila have started a new movement they called “Yes, We Can! Kaya Natin!” One of its key organizers is Harvey S. Keh, director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government.

With the results of the US presidential elections last Wednesday already sealed for Obama, two of the “Yes, We Can! Kaya Natin!” leaders visited us at The STAR office — Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. The two local government officials are among their group’s “models” for good governance whom Harvey Keh fondly describes as “our own little Obamas.”

Gov. Padaca and Mayor Lorenzo swore they are no presidential wannabes even as they, too, admit being inspired by Obama’s feat. Both of them are very humble about their track record as local public officials who lead by example on good governance. In fact, they have been going around the country to promote the good governance principles in practice before students of public administration in colleges and universities.

Harvey sent me a copy of a blog where he shared his views on Obama’s victory in relation to their group’s advocacy. With his group’s permission, I am reprinting it here:

“As the United States of America’s President-elect Barack Obama was delivering his victory speech in Chicago, a sense of inspiration and hope began to fill me up. Here was a young African-American, first-term Senator who has defied all odds to become the first Black President of the most powerful country in the world. Obama campaigned on the message of Change, a Change that every American could believe in, a Change that resonated with so many American voters most especially those aged between 18-29 years old. In CNN’s analysis, one of the major factors for Obama’s victory was his charismatic appeal to young voters. This appeal, along with his very inspiring words would rally millions of young and previously apathetic American voters to register and take part in the elections. Obama also showed the world a new way of campaigning, earning hundreds of millions of dollars not by getting big donations from businessmen but by appealing to ordinary people to donate small amounts of $5 to $10 to his campaign. More importantly, Obama’s campaign team was a master of using the power of the internet and social networking sites such as Twitter, My Space and Facebook, thereby being able to relate to the younger, tech-savvy generation. He ended his speech with the words “Yes, We Can” and he showed the world that despite having not enough financial resources or political clout compared to Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain when he launched his bid for the Presidency more than two years ago, he was able to win decisively because he was able to rally ordinary people to his cause. Indeed, change has come to America and Filipinos can learn much from the experience of Barack Obama. As we draw near to our Presidential elections in 2010, will we have to content ourselves again with choosing from the same faces, or worse, choosing between the lesser evil among the candidates? I hope not. I look forward to the day that we can also find a true Filipino leader who will also inspire millions of Filipinos to rally for change, a change that millions of Filipinos have been longing for and a change that will hopefully, put an end to the growing poverty cycle that majority of Filipinos have to face each day. Many Filipinos have begun to lose hope in finding that leader but I think that we have our own little Obamas in our country today such as the likes of Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and Gov. Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao. These local government leaders have defied the odds in their respective areas to win against well-entrenched political dynasties and at the same time, deliver proper basic services to their constituents. Being with them in our group which is aptly named Kaya Natin, we go around to different colleges and universities to share their stories of hope and change towards inspiring more Filipinos to work for good governance. Obama was not entirely correct when he said it is only in the United States of America where someone can defy the odds and win, our own Kaya Natin! leaders have shown that Filipinos can also say, “Yes, We Can! Kaya Natin!”
For more information about Kaya Natin! – kayanatin@yahoo.com or at (02) 4265657.

The Obama effect and the Filipino youth

The Obama effect and the Filipino youth
by: Harvey S. Keh
The Manila Times - November 7,2008
http://manilatimes.net/national/2008/nov/07/yehey/opinion/20081107opi6.html

So it’s President-elect Barack Obama.

Before the elections, I watched a CNN feature story on the impact of the youth vote. According to the report millions of young Americans decided to register and practice their right to choose between Democratic Party Candidate Ba-rack Obama or Republican Party Candidate John McCain. Analysts said that the opinion polls showed that these young people, many of them first-time voters, would most likely vote for Obama.

A major reason for Obama’s strong support from the youth is his charisma and his clear message of change in American politics. Another reason is that Obama is able to speak the language of the youth by making use of the Internet particularly social networking sites such as Twitter and My Space in getting his message across to people. When Obama first declared that he would run for President, many people didn’t even give him a chance to win against more experienced and well-funded former first lady, Senator Hillary Clinton. I have always told people that Obama’s strength as a candidate is a product of a confluence of events wherein many Americans were very dissatisfied with the performance of current President George W. Bush and thus, they were looking for a new symbol of hope and change in their government.

If Bush had done a decent job as president, I don’t think a first-time senator such as Obama would not have had a decent shot at the presidency.

It is largely because the youth came out strong for Senator Obama that America now has its first African-American president-elect.

In some regard, we are in a similar situation here in the Philippines where surveys by the SWS and Pulse Asia have consistently shown that majority of Filipinos are unhappy with the performance of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. As we all know, her administration has been accused of being one of the most corrupt in recent history. Thus, it is no wonder her trust ratings continue to be at an all-time low. This has led many groups such as the Movement for Good Governance and Convergence to think already about the 2010 national elections wherein we will be electing our next president. As in the just finished elections in America, the Filipino youth will play a major role if it chooses to. The 2010 elections will be the first time that majority of the Filipino voters will come from those who are aged between 18 and 40 years old. The candidate who can muster this sector will stand a good chance of claiming victory. So far, there seems to be no presidentiable who has the Obama effect on our youth, an effect that will generate excitement, a sense of hope and proactive involvement from young Filipino voters.

In my conversations with my students and volunteers, they tell me that they can’t see anyone among the present crop of candidates who reflect the values of good governance, ethical leadership and genuine change in our country. Many of them even told me that they are not inclined to vote since they feel that whoever will win among the present crop will just be the same. With this situation, there is a growing need now for alternative candidates who can symbolize a clear message of hope and change for our country.
Many people have told me that an upright and principled leader can never become president because by being upright he is not corrupt and thus, does not have enough funds to wage a presidential campaign which political experts estimate to be at least 1 billion pesos.
The Obama effect has shown us that by harnessing the power of young people, an alternative candidate may actually be able to have a fighting chance against well-entrenched politicians.
As the Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and good Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo has always said in his speeches at our Kaya Natin! Campus tours, “Ang prob-lema ng Pilipino ay parati tayong bumuboto dun sa alam nating mananalo, dapat siguro bumoto na tayo hindi dun sa mananalo kundi dun sa tama.” In addition to this, Mayor Robredo tells us that by choosing the right leader for our country, we can expect the right basic services to be delivered to every Filipino.

I think that the time is ripe now for Filipinos especially the youth to take control of our country’s future and finally find that right leader who will put the interests of majority of Filipinos above his or her own self-interest. If there is one good thing the Arroyo administration has taught us, it is that we should think critically and decide carefully before we vote for our next president.

[Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship for the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government (ASOG).]

Yes We Can! Kaya Natin!

As the United States of America’s President-elect Barack Obama was delivering his victory speech in Chicago, a sense of inspiration and hope began to fill me up. Here was a young African-American, first-term Senator who has defied all odds to become the first Black President of the most powerful country in the world. Obama campaigned on the message of Change, a Change that every American could believe in, a Change that resonated with so many American voters most especially those aged between 18-29 years old. In CNN’s analysis, one of the major factors for Obama’s victory was his charismatic appeal to young voters. This appeal along with his very inspiring words would rally millions of young and previously apathetic American voters to register and take part in the elections. Obama also showed the world a new way of campaigning, earning hundreds of millions of dollars not by getting big donations from businessmen but by appealing to ordinary people to donate small amounts of $5 to $10 to his campaign. More importantly, Obama’s campaign team was a master of using the power of the internet and social networking sites such as Twitter, My Space and Facebook thereby being able to relate to the more the younger, tech-savvy generation. He ended his speech with the words Yes We Can and he showed the world that despite having not enough financial resources or political clout compared to Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain when he launched his bid for the Presidency more than 2 years ago, he was able to win decisively because he was able to rally ordinary people to his cause. Indeed, change has come to America and Filipinos can learn much from the experience of Barack Obama since as we draw near to our own Presidential elections in 2010, will we have to content ourselves again with choosing from the same faces or worse, choosing between the lesser evil among the candidates? I hope not. I look forward to the day that we can also find a true Filipino leader that will also inspire millions of Filipinos to rally for change, a change that millions of Filipinos have been longing for and a change that will hopefully, put an end to the growing poverty cycle that majority of Filipinos have to face each day. Many Filipinos have begun to lose hope in finding that leader but I think that we have our own little Obamas in our country today such as the likes of Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. of Ifugao. These local government leaders have defied the odds in their respective areas to win against well-entrenched political dynasties and at the same time, deliver proper basic services to their constituents. Being with them in our group which is aptly named Kaya Natin, we go around to different colleges and universities to share their stories of hope and change towards inspiring more Filipinos to work for good governance. Obama was not entirely correct when he said it is only in the United States of America where someone can defy the odds and win, our own Kaya Natin! leaders have shown that Filipinos can also say, “Yes We Can! Kaya Natin!”.

For more information about Kaya Natin!, you can contact Kai Pastores at kayanatin@yahoo.com or at (02) 426-5657.

*Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. He is also part of Kaya Natin!

I am Change, Are You?

I am Change, Are You?
By: Harvey S. Keh

Last March, I was very fortunate enough to be invited to be the Commencement Speaker of Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) in Zamboanga City, one of the biggest state universities in the Philippines. During my brief stay at WMSU, I was able to have a session with 30 of their student leaders who are leading their student council and other student organizations in their school. During this session, I started with a question, I asked them, Who among you here still believes and supports President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo? Around 10 of them raised their hands. Then, I asked again, Who among you here wants the President to resign and step down? Around 14 of them raised their hands. I pressed on and asked again, Who among you here is still undecided? 6 of them raised their hands. Finally, I asked again, Who among you here wants Change and Reforms in our Country and Government?

All of them raised their hands.

When I got back to Manila, I did the same activity with about 25 student leaders from Miriam College in Quezon City, one of the top schools here in Metro Manila. I got the same response from them, 7 were supporting President Arroyo, 12 wanted her to resign/step-down while 6 were undecided. When I asked them who wants change and reform in our Country and Government, all of them raised their hands as well.

What am I trying to say through these two stories and experiences with these Filipino Youth Leaders in our country?

a.) Yes, our country is divided right now in how we view President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. You have on one side, a group supporting President Arroyo despite all the anomalies, allegations of corruption and scandals that has rocked her administration. On the other side, you have groups and highly-influential leaders which have called for her immediate resignation and ouster from power. This then leaves us with a political stalemate since President Arroyo is not weak enough to fall while the Groups calling for her ouster and resignation are not strong enough to push her out.


b.) However, it seems that judging from my experiences in dealing with these student leaders, the people I talk to and the emails I get from Filipinos from here and abroad everyone wants to see Change and Reform in our Government. We are all united in wanting to see positive and lasting change and reforms in our Government.

That is why I think that if we want to be able to help in bringing our nation together towards a common vision which helps move our country forward then this unity should not be based on certain personalities like President Arroyo or our other Government Leaders. Rather, we need to join and work together towards working for concrete and lasting reforms in our Government Institutions that would eventually make it more responsive to the needs of the poor and powerless in our communities.We need to work together towards building, strengthening and transforming our democratic institutions. For example, Isn't it sad that we now have to face a growing Food Crisis when we were once one of the world's top Agricultural countries? This is an indirect effect of the 1 Billion Fertilizer Scam that was allegedly used to fund the election expenses of President Arroyo and her allies. If this 1 Billion Peso Fertilizer Fund together with other government funds was used properly and for the right purpose then we might not have to face this crisis now or if we do, the effect wouldn't be as big as we are facing now.

As such, I'd like to invite every Filipino based here and abroad to join us at Team RP as we try to develop a proactive and dynamic movement that is built and organized primarily by ordinary Filipinos like you and me whose only vested interests is to be able to contribute his time, skills, talents and resources towards pushing for Truth, Accountability and Reform in our Government. How? Allow me to share with you some of our concrete action plans:

For Truth: We hope to push for the passing of a Philippine Access to Information Law (PAIL) that would give every Filipino an opportunity to access government documents especially documents that would show how our hard-earned money is being spent by our government officials. Through this law, greater transparency can be achieved thus and more importantly, we are able to make our government leaders live by the saying that Public Office is a Public Trust.


For Accountability: We plan to file proper charges on Government Officials and Private Citizens who have taken part in Graft and Corruption practices and activities that have bankrupted our government coffers. If we do not do anything to hold these people accountable for their actions and curb corruption, then the cycle will just continue with new faces and sadly, with new techniques. Corruption has to stop because the 30 Billion Pesos that is lost to it every year can amount to provision of basic services that will ultimately uplift the lives of more than 20 Million Filipinos who continue to wallow in poverty.

For Reform: We plan to work and lobby for the extension and improvement of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law which expires this year. We believe that every Filipino should be provided with equal opportunities to be able to own his or her own land. In addition to this, we plan to pursue electoral reforms as early as now by developing projects and activities that will encourage and motivate First-time voters to register so they can exercise their right to choose our next President in 2010.

These are just among our concrete plans towards institutionalizing and working for genuine Change and Reform in our country. Since we are not a personality-based movement, Team RP will continue to push for these ideals and programs regardless of who becomes President, Vice-President, Senators, Congressmen, etc. We are doing this because we believe that many of our Government Leaders have Failed us and that its time for all of us to take control of our own future and work together for that genuine and lasting Change that we all want to see in our country. Let us all stop the all our excuses, iinaction, hopelessness, despair, indifference and complaining, these will all amount to nothing if we ourselves don't move ourselves to do anything for our country.

Change is now. Change starts with each one of us. Hope lies not in our country's leaders and those in power but it rests in every Filipino.


I am Change, are you? If Yes, then join us at Team RP by emailing us your complete name and contact information to team.rp.official@gmail.com . Help us as well by forwarding this email to your friends and posting it in your blogs so that many more Filipinos can join in our cause to take control of our own future.

We would also like to invite all of you to our upcoming Team RP General Assembly on April 26,2008 (Saturday), 1pm to 430pm at the Foyer of Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila. Please send us an email with your contact information at team.rp.official@gmail.com if you are joining us for this event.


Harvey S. Keh, 29, is the Chairperson of Team RP, a youth-led organization that is pushing for Truth, Accountability and Reform in our Government. He is also the Project Director of the Asia Society's Philippines 21 Young Leaders Program which annually selects 10 outstanding Filipino Young Leaders which will represent the Philippines to the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit which gathers more than 200 Young Leaders from different countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. Aside from these, Harvey continues to help make our country a better place for every Filipino through his involvements with the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government and AHON Foundation. You can read his writings at his blog: http://www.filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com

Why Gawad Kalinga May Not Be Enough

Why Gawad Kalinga May Not Be Enough
By: Harvey S. Keh

In one of my interviews with ABS-CBN, the news reporter asked me, despite all the scandals and corruption (Hello Garci, 1 Billion Peso Fertilizer Scam, Irrigation Scam and 6 Billion Peso NBN-ZTE Broadband Scam) that have hounded this present administration, why do you think do majority of young Filipinos choose not to do anything about it. She further added that there seems to be no uproar from the Filipino youth and young professionals from all over the country, does that mean that we are okay with all these scandals that are mushrooming almost on a weekly basis? I asked these same questions to my students and friends and here are their answers (summarized already):

Student A: Sir Harvey, Naiinis naman talaga kami sa nangyayari pero wala naman kaming magagawa eh, estudyante lang kami at kahit sino namang ilagay sa gobyerno natin, pareho pa rin silang lahat na magnanakaw. They will only protect their own self-interests.

Student B: Sir, I'm not happy with how our country is being led by our government leaders but I think the best way I can contribute to this country is by becoming a good student, study hard, find a good job and be a good citizen in our country.

Yuppie A: I don't want to get involved in politics masyadong magulo yan kaya I'd rather just stick to doing my job well and helping my own family besides I'm already helping this country by helping send my younger siblings to school.

Yuppie B: I was part of EDSA II and actually took helped organize the concerts at the EDSA Shrine but as much as I'm very frustrated with how this government is being run, I am no longer convinced that political engagement is the way to go for our country. I would rather focus my energies and resources to helping NGOs and Foundations like Gawad Kalinga and Pathways.

Reflecting upon these answers which I also often receive from the emails Filipinos here and abroad send me, I believe that their answers are all valid and I respect them although I don't totally agree with all of them. Allow me to share with you what I think on each of these answers:

Student A's answer is typical of a person who is disgruntled with what is happening to our country but who apparently feels helpless about the situation. When I receive this kind of an answer from people and my students, I tell them about what they can do and organizations they can join like Team RP but when they are invited to take part in activities that aim to promote good governance and greater transparency in our government, they fail to join and act. Sad but true, many Filipinos just love to criticize and point out what is wrong with our leaders but when they are given an opportunity to act about these pressing issues, they refuse to make time and move out of their comfort zone.

Student B's answer is for me a selfish answer, yes, I believe that a student's main and foremost responsibility is to study hard and finish education but what about our own responsibility as citizens of this country? In a utopian society, this answer would have been okay but in our present situation as a country in crisis where the gap between the rich and the poor continue to grow and where more than 20 Million Filipino Families grow hungry each day, this is no longer acceptable especially for students and young professionals who study at the top universities and who come from the middle to upper class of our society. This answer is an easy cop out and it's selfish because at the end of the day, just by confining yourself to you own life won't help our country as much as it will help you.

Yuppie A and B's answer is all well and good since I admire them for continuing to work hard to provide for their families while at the same time continue to get involved with volunteer work for Gawad Kalinga and Pathways to Higher Education. I admit that I was like Yuppie A and B who just confined myself to working towards helping poor but deserving students go to college and finish their education but I realized that this isn't enough. I realized that if we are able to reform our government institutions and leadership then there won't be a need for organizations like Gawad Kalinga and Pathways. We need to realize that in order for us to help uplift the lives of the poor we need to attack the problem at its roots and that is the inability of our government systems to provide these basic services to them. Isn't the National Housing Authority supposed to be the one to help provide adequate shelter to every Filipino family? Isn't it the Department of Education's job to assist every Filipino child gain access to quality education? A recent study by the World Bank has said that more than 30 Billion Pesos goes to Corruption every year. Imagine if we are able to work together and pressure government into being more transparent and accountable towards curbing corruption then we would have more resources to provide housing for every poor family, irrigation and fertilizers to farmers (which would help alleviate our growing food crisis), higher salaries for our public school teachers, enough textbooks for our students and access to quality healthcare for every Filipino. Working for and helping Gawad Kalinga, Pathways and other non-profit organizations are very much needed in our society today but let us also not forget that unless we work hard towards fighting for and institutionalizing credible and lasting reforms in our government and its leaders, then we will always have to do the fire-fighting because we have failed to solve the cause of the fire.

In summary, what I would like to share with all of you are the following:

a.) We deserve the country that we have. If we want a prosperous and just country, then we should all work hard towards it. If you look at the history of South Korea and Singapore, they were able to turn their country around in less than 30 years, I believe we can do it in less time and do it even better if every Filipino will just care enough to go out of his or her way to help push for reforms in our government.

b.) Genuine Hope of this country does not lie on our government and church leaders and especially not in the ruling elite and oligarchs, it rests in each one of us. As I have always said, every Filipino whether you live here or abroad can complain about the rampant corruption and problems that is present in our government but after the complaining have you asked yourself, what will you do about it? Are you willing to sacrifice some of your time and resources to making yourself heard by our government leaders? If we want change in our country, we need to change ourselves, change starts with each one of us. We need to stop making excuses about why we cannot act and why we cannot take part in actions that will reform our present government systems.

c.) If our government and its leaders were doing their job effectively then there wouldn't be a need for a Gawad Kalinga or a Pathways. I support and firmly believe in Gawad Kalinga, Pathways and other non-profit organizations that are working hard to deliver basic services to the poorest of the poor in our country but don't you think it's also time that we start holding government accountable to these basic services that they have failed to provide our people? Of course it will be harder to do this and it may take a longer period of time but if we are able to institutionalize these reforms then we will be able to make our government more efficient and effective and in the end we will be able to help not just seven thousand but seven million Filipino families.

I am not calling for another People Power Revolution nor am I asking for our President's outright resignation. I'm not also saying that people should quit supporting and volunteering for Gawad Kalinga and Pathways, all I'm saying is that these efforts can only yield lasting benefits for the poor and the powerless if all of us would be more involved in activities and movements that would push for greater Truth, Accountability and Reform in our government because in these times of crisis, despair and growing hopelessness in our country, the poor can't wait and Gawad Kalinga may not be enough.

There's still time to act but we need to act now if we want to live to see the day where every Filipino will live a decent and fulfilling life that all of us deserve.

If by some chance you were moved to act by this email and want to join us in pushing for genuine and lasting reforms in our government, please let me know by sending an email to harveykeh@gmail.com

Commencement Speech at Western Mindanao State University

Dr. Grace Rebollos, University President, Dr. Milabel Ho, University Executive Vice-President, Members of the Board of Regents, Administrators, Faculty Members, Graduates, Parents and Guests, a pleasant morning to all of you!

Buenas Dias! Alegre Yo Kay Takyo Aura!

It is truly a great honor to be here and to speak before you today. When I was first invited by Dr. Rebollos and Dr. Ho over the phone to be your graduation speaker, I felt honored but at the same time I felt scared. Scared because I felt that being only 28 years old, I was still too young to have been accorded this honor to speak before some of the best and brightest students not only in Western Mindanao but the Philippines as well.

Allow me to start by congratulating all of you for making it this far and going the distance, nagbunga na rin ang inyong mga pagpupuyat, pagpapagod at mga sakripisyo ng ilang taon. But more importantly, I congratulate each one of you because you are now part of the less than 20% of our Philippine society who is able to finish with a college degree. Yes, according to studies in Philippine education, less than 2 out of 10 students who enter Grade 1 manage to finish college. Thus, as my favorite saying goes, To Whom Much Is Given, Much is Expected. Coming from one of the best State Universities in the Philippines, it was the Filipino people that helped each one of you finish college, I hope that you will always remember this and learn to give back to our country.

My dear graduates, you are moving into the real world at such interesting times, we all know for a fact that our country faces so many problems such as in the realm of politics there is the growing controversy of the corruption-laden NBN-ZTE Deal and our claim to the Spratley Islands that is being contested by other countries like China. As I speak to you now, many of your parents here are feeling the pinch of the rising prices in basic commodities particularly rice and sugar. Recently, the National Statistical Coordination Board released a statement saying that more than 4.7 million Filipino Families live in poverty, many of these families live just beside us in ARMM. Add to this the growing number of Filipinos who have totally lost all hope for our country and have begun to leave and seek greener pastures abroad. So, is there still Hope for our country despite all the things that I have just mentioned? Yes, I believe so, because today we celebrate this Hope in each one of you, today, we celebrate not only the hard work that all of you has done but we also celebrate the fact that you are all a testament that against all odds the Filipino can achieve anything if he or she just works hard and never gives up. Moreover, as the case with any major problems that we face therein lie great opportunities. This is the time where our country is asking much more from each one of us here today as it longs for great leaders and heroes that would once again fight for our country’s freedom but unlike the times of Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and Gregorio Del Pilar, the freedoms that we now fight for is a freedom from the rampant poverty, dishonesty, injustice and corruption that is seen in our present-day society.

So my dear graduates, are we up to this challenge of leadership and heroism for our country? Is the Filipino ready to sacrifice his or her own personal interests for the good of the many? Handa na ba ang kabataang Pilipino na manindigan para sa katotohanan? Handa na ba tayong kumilos para sa ikauunlad ng ating bayan? To answer this, allow me to share with you a few stories that I have read recently from a book that a friend gave me. Our University President, Fr. Ben Nebres always tells us that in a study made among successful countries all over the world, a common trend among them was the fact that all their children grew up reading and listening to stories of modern-day heroes in their respective countries. Looking at our own country, we grew up knowing only the stories of our past heroes who have died for our country but what about those who continue to live for our country and continue to work towards giving each one of us here a better future. Who knows about the story of Synergeia President and CEO, Dr. Milwida “Nene” Guevara, who gave up a lucrative career in International Public Finance and now works more than 14 hours a day just to be able to ensure that every Filipino child will be able to read by the time he or she reaches grade 3. To date, Dr. Guevara and Synergeia has helped more than 2 million Filipino public elementary school students from all over the country. How about the inspiring story of John Ong, who like me is a Filipino-Chinese and comes from a relatively well off family but chose to live in poverty for many years with the Mangyans in Mindoro just to be able to teach them how to live a better quality of life. We are also inspired by the story of Bro.Javy Alpasa, a former executive at San Miguel Corporation who chose to be a Jesuit and help start up Rags2Riches,a social enterprise that has helped increase the income of Ragmakers in Payatas by more than 200%. Now, these Payatas mothers are able to provide their children with 3 meals a day and at the same time send them to school. Through Bro. Javy Alpasa, many families in Payatas can now look forward to a brighter future. Finally, I assume that not many of you here have even heard about the story of ANI and HOPE, these are two groups of Ateneo de Manila college students who volunteer their whole summer vacation just to be able to tutor very poor students who study at public schools in Marikina and Quezon City. Many of those students that they have helped and taught have gone on to study and finish at top-notch colleges and universities such as Ateneo, UP, De La Salle, UST, PUP and PNU. Dr. Guevera, John, Bro. Javy and the volunteers from ANI and HOPE are all ordinary Filipinos like you and me who have done extraordinary things. Through their stories, we realize that one need not become another Rizal or Bonifacio to become a modern-day Filipino Hero. What is asked from each one of us is to contribute in our own small way towards building a more prosperous, just and better Filipino society. How? Please allow me to give all of you some unsolicited advice:

1.) By keeping ourselves informed of what is happening to our country. Let us stop being indifferent at walang pakialam sa mga nangyayari sa ating bayan. It's easy to shout Resign GMA or Support GMA but do you actually know the issues why we should or shouldn't support GMA? Let us not allow our emotions to dictate our decisions, let us take time to learn about the issues by reading the newspaper, surfing the internet or watching the news on TV.

2.) Using technology and the internet to share with others how we feel about certain issues in our country. Many of us here maintain a Friendster, Multiply or Livejournal accounts, why don't we use this to share with our friends what we think about how our country is being run or what each of us can do to contribute to nation building.

3.) Stop Complaining and Start Doing. Sakit nating mga Pilipino na mahilig tayong umangal at mamintas sa mga ginagawa ng kapwa natin. I believe if we all want to move our country forward we must stop complaining and start acting on the problem. Always remember that change starts within oneself, thus,wala tayong karapatang umangal kung tayo mismo ay wala namang ginagawa.

4.) Volunteer for a Cause bigger than yourself. Our country is faced with so many problems as I mentioned earlier thus, we all have an opportunity to help in solving these problems by volunteering our time and talents to different organizations that address these problems. You can help by tutoring a poor child, helping make people become more aware of global warming or taking part in a house build for the homeless. Whatever cause you are most passionate about, take time to volunteer and make a difference.

5.) In 2010,the Filipino youth will be able to elect the next Philippine President, we will comprise 60% of our country's voting population. Thus, I hope all of you here will take time to register and vote. Iboto natin ang mga lider na may magandang track record at klarong plataporma para sa mga kabataan, huwag na tayong magpadala sa kanta at sayaw ng mga trapo.

6.) If you can, please don't leave the country. But if you really have no choice but to leave then, don't forget to give back by sponsoring a poor student to study at WMSU.

Allow me to end with a challenge for each one of you, today, you will all leave this distinguished institution that has served as your second home for the past few years and will start living and writing your own stories. My challenge to you is that I hope that one day as I speak before another group of students, it will no longer be the stories of Dr. Guevara, John and Bro. Javy that I will share but it will be your stories of hope and heroism.

Again, Congratulations to all of you! Let us all work together in making the Philippines great again!

Thank you, Muchas Gracias and good morning to all!

Team RP: Do You Want to Know Where Your Money Goes?

Dear Friends and Fellow Filipinos,

Good day to you! :)

In light of the recent spate of scandals and allegations of corruption in our government, we at Team RP believe that the call for Truth and Accountability in our government should not stop in the investigations that are being conducted by our Senate, Ombudsman and our Judicial System but this should also be complemented with a push for a Philippine Access to Information Law that would help prevent future graft and corruption practices by many of our government officials from happening again. By enacting this law, ordinary Filipinos will now be able to access public documents which would narrate what kind of agreements our government enters into on behalf of the Filipino people and at the same time show us how our public funds are spent. This will increase transparency in our government and will further hold our government leaders and officials accountable for their actions.

In line with this, we are launching a Signature Campaign to help convince our lawmakers towards prioritizing the immediate passing and implementation of this law. Here is Team RP's petition on pushing for a Philippine Access to Information Law:

"Secrecy breeds irregularity, fraud and crime. It allows chicanery, graft and corruption… A democracy based on ignorance, on misinformation, on conjectures, on suspicion is doomed to fail. The more enlightened the people have, the more guarantee there is for their success in their collective enterprises, and in the fulfillment of their social aspirations and purposes."

From the de Venecia-Lozada expose, the Hello Garci scandal and the Spratlys mind-boggler to the North and South Rail questions, events of the recent past clearly highlight how very little we know about the workings of our government, how much difficulty is involved in getting truth to come out and how, albeit fundamental in any republican and democratic state that the government is accountable to the public, we Filipinos are in reality denied direct access to our government institutions and our public servants. As a country that prides itself with democracy, it strikes us with a disquieting reality that we Filipinos have no real access to information to empower us to properly and actively participate in governance.

We in TEAM RP believe that in order for there to be a responsible citizenry that can actively and meaningfully craft the future of the country, there is a need to give teeth to the policy of full public disclosure and the right of the people to be informed as contained in the fundamental law of the land. Moreover, we are aware that if people, especially those who have been bypassed by development, are unaware of laws and procedures for availing themselves of their entitlements or of mechanisms they can use to remedy their plight, then they will always remain poor.

Let us call on our lawmakers to make top priority the passage of a Philippine Access to Information Law which, subject to reasonable and clearly outlined conditions, ensures unfettered access of the people to information of public concern, including government transactions involving public interest.

We urge our lawmakers, let us not delay this any further.

If you support our petition and call for the passage of a Philippine Access to Information Law, you can join and help us in any of the following ways:

a.) Sign our petition online by emailing "I Support the Campaign for a Philippine Access to Information Law" together with your complete name and contact information to team.rp.pail@gmail.com

b.) Forward this email to your friends and post this email in your website, blog, friendster, multiply or facebook account for all your friends to read.

c.) Volunteer for our campaign and help us get more Filipinos to sign our petition. If you want to volunteer and help, you can email Karen Naranjo at k_ren_naranjo@yahoo.com or you can send her a text message at 0918-9183685. We will send you copies of our petition so you can also help gather signatures in your school, office or organization.

Thank you for your time in reading this email. We hope that you will consider joining Team RP's movement for Truth, Accountability and Reform in our country.

May you have a pleasant day ahead! :)

Sincerely,

Harvey S. Keh

Chairperson

Team RP

Team RP is an organization of youth leaders and young professionals who working together for Truth, Accountability and Reform in our country. We are part of the Buong Bayan Isinisigaw Tama Na, Itama Na (BUSINA) Movement. We believe that complaining and lambasting our leaders is not enough but we should proactively work towards finding concrete ways to help solve our present problems. As such, Team RP believes that issues should always take precedence over personalities thus, our programs and activities are always geared towards helping build our democratic institutions and furthering the development of every Filipino. If you want to know more about Team RP or join Team RP, please email us at team.rp.official@gmail.com

Team RP: People Power Spirit is Alive in the Filipino Youth!

Many doubted but much more believed that the spirit of the 1st EDSA People Power Revolution is still very much alive in the Filipino Youth today.

In a show of force and in response to former Pres. Cory Aquino's call for the youth to get involved, almost a thousand young Filipinos from all walks of life braved the rains to join Team RP's Concert for Truth, Accountability and Reform which was held last night (Feb. 25,2008) at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. In a show of force youth leaders from different schools such as Ateneo, UP, DLSU, UST, Miriam and PUP joined Team RP's call for Truth, Accountability and Reform. Bankers, Doctors, Lawyers, Journalists, Businessmen, Teachers, NGO Workers and other young professionals also took time out to join the concert which started with a Forum on Truth, Accountability and Reform. The forum started with ZTE-NBN Whistleblower Joey De Venecia sharing with the audience his take on how this flawed and corruption-laden deal was entered into by our government. After De Venecia, a representative from the Union of Catholic Student Councils of the Philippines (UCSC) spoke about the need for young Filipinos to get involved and remain vigilant especially in these troubling times. To cap the forum, the Sumilao farmers talked about their long wait for their land despite a promise made by President Arroyo that she will award them their land early this year.

After the forum and at exactly 6pm, Team RP led a noise barrage along Katipunan Avenue which was participated in by thousands of vehicles that passed by during that time. The regular noise barrage is organized by the BUSINA movement, which Team RP is part of. BUSINA stands for Buong Bayan Sinisigaw Tama Na, Itama Na! BUSINA is a growing movement pushing for Truth, Accountability and Reform which counts the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), PAKISAMA and CODE-NGO among its members.

As soon as the noise barrage ended, the concert began with the very energetic hosts Erick Habijan and Jigjig Bautista introducing Team RP to the audience. Performers in the concert included Empty Siren Boulevard, Formula Juan, the CGE Band and Smoke My Cuban. In the middle of the concert, Noel Cabangon led the candle-lighting ceremony while also leading the crowd in singing, Bayan Ko. Testimonials of support were also given to Team RP and the Filipino Youth by noted Akbayan leaders Etta Rosales and Rep. Rissa Hontiveros-Baraquel, and Soc Banzuela of PAKISAMA, an organization that represents the farmers and peasants sector. Other notable personalities who joined the concert included Bishop Deogracias Yniguez and Ang Ladlad Founder Danton Remoto. To cap the night, Noel Cabangon sang songs which made everyone in the audience feel once more the spirit of EDSA People Power I as he encouraged every Filipino to continue to remain vigilant and proactively push for genuine and lasting reforms in our country.

Aside from just enjoying beautiful music, Team RP also used the concert as an opportunity to invite young Filipinos to volunteer for upcoming activities that will continue to work towards achieving its goals of promoting Truth, Accountability and Reform in our government. Among the initial action areas that Team RP is planning to do are as follows:

For TRUTH
- To continue to push for the Senate investigations on the highly-controversial ZTE-NBN Deal to continue and finish.
- To push for the repealing of Executive Order 464 which prevents Cabinet members from testifying at the Senate without the permission of the President.

For ACCOUNTABILITY
-To ensure that proper charges are filed against people whether inside or outside the government who have been part of the rampant graft and corruption which is happening in our government.
-To lobby for the formation of an indepedent council that will investigate scams, scandals and controversies which involve the President and the First Family.

For REFORM
- To push for a more transparent Government Procurement system to ensure that we will no longer have controversial and flawed deals such as the ZTE-NBN Broadband Deal.
- To push for electoral reforms such as the automation of elections, appointment of highly-qualified, ethical and clean COMELEC Commissioners and a stricter implementation on the regulation of election spending.
- To push for the awarding of the land to the Sumilao Farmers and the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)

Team RP is composed of youth leaders and young professionals who believe in reform not rhetoric. It was formed as a response to an email I sent two weeks ago which asked, Where are the FilipinoYouth?, the concert last night showed us that indeed there are still many young Filipinos who want to make a difference in our society and who will no longer stand idly while our government continues to wreck our democratic institutions. Last night, many more young Filipinos joined Team RP and now, we also invite you to join us in making a stand for our country and our Future as we continue to work hard for a better Philippines. If you want to join Team RP, please send your complete name and contact information to Steph Cuevas at 0926-6255620 or email us at team.rp.official@gmail.com . Team RP would also like to give special thanks to Dr. Tony La Viña and the Ateneo School of Government, and the Administration of the Ateneo de Manila University for all the support that it has given us.

To all those who went and took part in Team RP's Concert for Truth, Accountability and Reform, thank you very much and we look forward to having you again in our future activities! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay and Kabataang Pilipino!

Postscript to Team RP Concert

Born on the 26th of February
Team RP Concert Postscript
By: Ryan Chung

22 years ago, Filipinos became the focus of the world's attention. A few hours after Marcos left the country, my dad was rushing my heavilypregnant mom from Forbes in Makati to Chinese General Hospital. Surprisingly, he recounted that there were very few people on the roads he drove through EDSA. People were dispersing and the trash was being cleaned up mere hours after Marcos had departed from Malacañang.They say that being born on a holiday carries some special meaning to it.

Before people started calling me Ryan, I was better known as"Pippo" (derived from People Power) thanks to my grandmother. My relatives also keep track of my age with the number of years sinceEDSA I and vice-versa.Fast forward to 2008, who would know that the same problems plaguingour country before are still the same today? The difference now beingis that much of the burden now falls upon us. Of course, many of uswere born or grew up during the post-Marcos era, a time when there wasless chaos, hardships and uncertainties. We grew up surrounded in anage of MTV, 3G cellphones, iPods and Playstations while the only tyranny or oppression that we know of are the ones in history books orin action movies. Perhaps that is the reason why the youth nowadays don't really care much about the ZTE-Lozada issue. As I was inviting my org mates to the concert over YM a few days back, one of themmessaged me sighing in disappointment while another accused of me not believing in the cause. Of course, a lot of people would be asking meif they had the chance, "Why, Ryan?" Why volunteer for this? You have 22 units worth of subjects thissemester. You still have two term papers, three oral exams and fourwritten finals left. Your thesis defense is scheduled on Thursday andyou have a job interview on Wednesday morning. So why put yourself through more hell, Ryan? You could just finish everything and be scotfree in a month's time.

Why do it?Why? Simple. Why not?

There are many events in our lives that happen not on our choosing. Weare either the victims or the makers of history. In the case of theZTE-Lozada Scandal, it is pretty clear of how government notperforming their duties properly. We only have to trace back the oldissues in order to see the ineptitude of GMA as a leader and as thePresident of the Republic. It is also clear that the Filipino peoplewant real change in society and so do we. However, if we do wantchange, then we have to be willing to take action and not just bearmchair critics of this corrupt administration. There is a line froman old Native American song that goes "We do not inherit the earthfrom our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." If we don't fixthe problems of today, it will be the next generation who will have toface them in the coming years.So there we have it. The concert that Team RP put together might have been one of the lesser celebrations in this year's commemorations ofPeople Power. Nevertheless, it was a show of force saying that we, theFilipino youth, will not stand idly by while the Arroyo mafia steals our future away from us. Of course, we know that if a new presidentcomes, that he or she will probably be corrupt. Of course, we knowthat corruption has become so well entrenched in our institutions thatit will take decades for it to be eradicated. The point we are makingis that we want get started now so change can happen sooner and notlater.At the end of the day, the concert was just the beginning. The realwork starts from this point on. There are a lot of events lined up andtons of work to be done. At least, I have an excuse to not libre anyone when I got back to school (not my problem if you didn't show upat the concert I helped setup).Happy 22nd birthday, Ryan. Now get back to work!


P. Ryan Chung
Ateneo de Manila University
BS Biology Batch 2008Team
RPSecretariat and Documentations Head

Where are the Filipino Youth?

Where are the Filipino Youth?
by: Harvey S. Keh

The past weeks we have witnessed yet another political scandal that has rocked our country, the ZTE Broadband Scam wherein former COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos with the apparent blessings of the First Gentleman, Mike Arroyo was said to have asked for a commission of US$ 130 Million or a whopping 6 Billion Pesos in exhange for his influencing our government's decision to award the broadband deal to ZTE, a Chinese Telecommunications Company. To make this happen, the ZTE Broadband Contract was greatly overpriced at US$ 329 Million and worse, the government to be able to make this deal push through would have to loan this amount from the Chinese government. In short, the US$ 130 Million kickback of Abalos and his cohorts will have to be paid for by our tax money.

To make things even worse, the govenrment tried its darn best to cover this deal by pressuring Joey De Venecia, the first star witness to stop talking abouit this in the Senate and in public, Joey didn't want to cover up the truth thus, Malacañang led by the congressman sons of President GMA led a revolt at Congress which ousted Joey's dad, then Speaker Jose De Venecia. The next star witness whose courage we so admire, Jun Lozada initially didn't want to go to the Senate and take part in their investigation because as he said, if he ends up in the Senate, he will be forced to say the Truth. Again, our government tried every trick to ensure that Lozada wouldn't be able to testify in the Senate, leading to his alleged kidnapping as soon as he arrived from Hong Kong where he hid for a few days. Two men picked up Lozada as soon as he got out of the plane and brought him around Metro Manila and even to Laguna against his will. If that can happen to Jun Lozada, that can happen to every Filipino in this country. In Jun Lozada's words, when he was picked up against his will, he already thought about the late Bobby Dacer who at the height of the Erap impeachment was also picked up by unidentified men and after weeks of looking for him, they finally found his body along with the body of his driver.


I can go on and on about this but the point is, this government has continued to steal our people's money from under our nose and they continue doing this because they know they can get away with it. Just look at the many scandals that have rocked the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which we already have no idea what happened like the 1 Billion Peso Fertilizer Scam and the Hello Garci Scandal. As Jun Lozada further said in his testimony at the Senate, the Standard Operating Procedure in our country now is that every government contract is overpriced by 20%, the 20% goes to the pockets of our government leaders who helped in pushing the deal. This is indeed very disappointing since 6 Billion Pesos can help build so many classrooms for our public school students, it can provide so many college scholarships to deserving students, it can help build public hospitals so people can receive proper health care and it can provide adequate housing to thousands of families. But in this case, 6 Billion Pesos will just end up in the pockets of one or maybe a few families and worse, we will all have to pay for their greed.

Nakakainis at Nakakagalit ang nangyayari sa ZTE Deal na to, harap harapan na tayong ginagago ng gobyerno natin and as one of my students in class said, he wouldn't be surprised if another scandal comes out within the next few months... it seems that Malacañang is already so used to scandals because they know they will eventually get away with it once media and the public grow tired of hearing about these scandals. Pero para sa akin, mas nakakalungkot na parang walang pakialam at walang ginagawa ang karamihan sa kabataang Pilipino sa mga nangyayaring ito, it seems that the Filipino Youth which led the charge in EDSA 2 is nowhere to be found. Could it be that the Filipino Youth has given up all Hope for making this country great again? Could it be the Filipino Youth has given up in its fight for a clean and effective government? Has the youth given up on our future? I hope I am wrong because what is at stake here is not just my future or the future of the poor, it is our shared future that we have to continue to fight for. Ayaw ba natin na dumating ang araw na bawat Pilipino pwede nang magkaroon ng kalidad na edukasyon? Ayaw ba natin na dumating ang araw na hindi na natin kailangang mag abroad at mahiwalay sa pamilya para magakaroon ng magandang trabaho? If we can all work together and join forces, we can show this administration that we will not just sit idly while they continue to corrupt and destroy our future, remember that in 2010 the Filipino Youth will be able to elect the next President of our country.
Let us not wait till then to make a change, let us act now, our country needs US Now!

If you want to help and be part of a youth-led initiative that will push for genuine and lasting reforms in our government, please email me at harveykeh@gmail.com or you can help by forwarding this email to your friends who might be interested to help. Let's meet, Let's Talk and Let's all work together for our country.

*Harvey Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship of the Ateneo de Manila-School of Government and a Lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University-Loyola Schools' Development Studies Program and Department of Theology. Harvey is also Executive Director of AHON Foundation, a corporate foundation of Filway Marketing, Inc. that helps build public elementary school libraries.