Join the PiNoyMarathon Fun Run on November 21!

Everyone is invited to join the PiNoyMarathon Fun Run,

a 3- and 6-kilometer Run for Reform which will be held

on Saturday, November 21,2009 at the

Seaside Boulevard, SM Mall of Asia.

The fee is only P150.00 per person for those who register before the event date.
P200.00 is the fee for walk-ins.

So sign up already! :)

Registration begins at 5:00 in the morning and the
Fun Run begins at 6:30!

Finishers will receive a Pinoy Power baller band.

To pre-register, please contact Dustin at 09052187305 or pinoyfunrun@gmail.com !

To volunteer as marshal, please contact Aldo at 09178041498 or
aldotong@gmail.com , SALAMAT!

Who is the Reform Candidate in 2010?

Who is the Reform Candidate in 2010?

by: Harvey S. Keh

Inquirer.net

When the Philippine Daily Inquirer published a story about the leaders of Kaya Natin! discussing with Senator Mar Roxas the possibility of him taking part in a nomination and primary process (to be conducted by a separate group) to help select a common reform candidate for the 2010 national elections, we received various responses from the public. Some reactions were positive saying that they completely support the move to find a common alternative candidate that would champion good governance and ethical leadership in our country. Others were pessimistic saying that it might be too late in the game to actually conduct this process. While others expressed their disappointment saying that Kaya Natin might be mislead to thinking that Senator Roxas is a reform candidate when in actuality he is not.

How then can we determine whether or not a Presidential candidate is actually a real reform and alternative leader that we can entrust our support to?

I have always believed in the saying that great leaders are products of the need of their time. I believe that aside from poverty and the great amount of cynicism that Filipinos feel, the biggest problem is the lack of moral values, ethical fiber and principles of our government leaders. It seems that graft and corruption in our government has become so prevalent that many Filipinos now feel that it is an epidemic that can no longer be eradicated in our society. Sadly, many of us have accepted it as part of our way of life. I don’t think so. Imagine if the billions of pesos that is stolen by our leaders are used to create decent jobs, then I don’t think Filipinos will still be forced to leave their families behind just to earn a decent wage abroad. A reform leader should have a proven track record of moral integrity, upholding the rule of law and fighting against graft and corruption in our country.

A reform leader should also have a proven track record in public service. I agree with my friends and colleagues at the Ateneo de Manila School of Government that good intentions are not enough. A reform leader should be able to also govern effectively thus, s/he is able to deliver basic services to his constituents. It is sad that we have current Presidentiables who continue to look good when speaking in front of the camera but when you look at their track record you would realize that they have actually done nothing to help uplift the plight of the Filipino people. Leaders go beyond lip service to produce concrete outcomes and results.

Thirdly, a reform leader realizes that he is in government to serve and not to be served. Many of our government leaders use their power to gain certain privileges and perks that ordinary Filipinos like us don’t experience. Many of us have seen this while waiting in line at the airport while a so-called “VIP” is whisked away without going through the proper processes. For those of us who drive and are usually stuck in the middle of a traffic jam, we suddenly hear a loud siren coupled with a convoy of vehicles who don’t even respect traffic rules just because their passenger is a government official. We have even heard stories of government leaders using government funds and road projects to benefit their own companies. Now, these same government leaders are spending millions every month posing in TV and Radio commercials trying to get the support of people by showing us that they actually understand our plight. I hope we will be more discerning and no longer be fooled by them.

Fourthly, a reform leader is not beholden to the ruling elite and oligarchs in our country. Sadly, many of our current leaders continue to place the interests of a few rich businessmen above the interests of millions of suffering Filipinos who continue to live with less than P 100.00 a day. This happens since in every election, a candidate would need to spend millions or even billions to have a fighting chance and this becomes an opportunity for the ruling elite to “buy” the support of the candidate in the form of huge campaign contributions. Thus, I have always said that the challenge is for all ordinary Filipinos to chip in their own share of resources no matter how small to help support a real reform and alternative candidate. We already saw it happen in Isabela and Pampanga wherein ordinary people chipped in to help elect Gov. Grace Padaca and Gov. Eddie Panlilio.

Fifth, a reform leader should have a solid track record in helping the poor and powerless in our society. A more recent test of this was the push for the extension and reform of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARPER). Land reform is very critical in solving our current state of poverty given the fact that the agricultural sector is one of the leading industries in our country today. Sadly, despite the fact that our farmers ensure food security for each one of us, they themselves continue to live in poverty due to their lack of ownership of land and adequate support from government. Many of our current Congressmen and Senators are against this since this will go against their own personal interests given that many of them come from landed families.

Finally, a reform leader should be someone that can make every Filipino believe and hope again for a better future. S/he must be someone who can unite and inspire all of us to believe that anything is possible if we all work together to promote good governance in our country. A reform leader is humble enough to admit that s/he is not the savior of the country but rather his or her role is to serve as the captain of the ship that will help move our country to a common vision of prosperity and a better quality of life for every Filipino.

Will 2010 be the year that we will finally be able to elect an inspiring, morally-upright, effective and ethical reform President?

Many people don’t think so but I continue to believe in the greatness and the goodness of the Filipino people whom I know if given the chance will always choose to vote not for the most popular but for the right leader for our country.

Can Alternative Reform Candidates for President win in 2010?

Can Alternative Reform Candidates for President win in 2010?
By: Harvey S. Keh

http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/03/17/can-alternative-reform-candidates-for-president-win/

For the past months since Kaya Natin! was launched, I have met and talked with several groups and organizations all asking if Kaya Natin! will be fielding its own Presidential candidate for the upcoming 2010 National Elections. These groups include organizations of farmers and peasants, civil society groups, socio-civic organizations, business groups, religious leaders and student leaders. Rumors have been circulating that Kaya Natin! leaders such as Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio, Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo are considering to make a run for the highest position in our land. When I asked them about this, they simply laugh because they feel that it’s such a farfetched idea given their lack of national awareness and say that their personal preference is to go back to their private lives after they have served out the remainder of their present terms, Panlilio as a priest while Padaca as a practicing certified public accountant. Yet, in almost all of the more than 60 colleges and universities that we have visited in our Caravan of Good Governance, the students who attend never fail to ask the Kaya Natin! leaders to strongly consider to run as alternative and reform Presidential candidates for the 2010 polls. In a recent discernment session we organized in Nueva Ecija, majority of those who attended said that they can’t seem to choose who to vote for among all the current Presidentiables since all of them seem to represent the same values and ideals that have brought our country to where it is today.

This then begs the question, is the country actually ready to elect an alternative and reform candidate in 2010? Many of those whom I have talked to also mention the names of Chief Justice Reynato Puno and JIL Leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva as other alternative candidates that will reflect the right values that we need in our next President. Some political analysts and public relations practitioners have also warned me that fielding a reform slate in 2010 will be useless given that the reality of Philippine politics is that one would need money and political machinery just to be able to put up a decent campaign. One of them even told me that a viable Presidential campaign would need at least P 2 Billion Pesos! She told me that if you can’t raise that money, don’t even bother to make a run at the Presidency since it will just be a lost cause. Not to dampen the hopes of many idealistic Filipinos here and abroad but I tend to agree with these political analysts that good intentions are not enough and the issue of having enough resources is very crucial if we want to finally elect a God-fearing, morally-upright, effective and ethical leader for our country in 2010.

However, I’d like to also believe that there is still enough time for us to work together and support an alternative and reform candidate whether it will be Panlilio, Padaca, Robredo, Puno, Villanueva or any other reform leader but we have to be united and we have to act now. I still believe that the spirit of people power is still alive in Filipinos everywhere in the world. There is a silent majority of Filipinos especially those who are living abroad that are now longing to see change in our country especially in the 2010 elections. Imagine if all the overseas Filipinos would just decide to chip in at least US$ 5.00 each to support a reform candidate then that would give the candidate at least US$ 30 Million or P 1.5 billion pesos to help him or her in putting up a good and decent fight against the ruling oligarchs and traditional politicians in our country. Another thing going for us is that majority of the voting population of our country are young people aged between 18-40 years old thus, it is imperative for all of us to support initiatives such as the Movement for Good Governance, YouthVote Philippines and IamChange2010 that are encouraging the Filipino youth to register for the upcoming polls. The energy and idealism of these young Filipinos can also be tapped as we have seen in the Presidential campaigns of Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Raul Roco, both of whom almost made it despite meager resources due to the support of the Filipino youth. Padaca and Panlilio showed that people power in the polls can happen in the provincial level but whether or not it can happen in the national level is now up to all of us. Will we allow ourselves to have another President that is beholden to the interests of a few elite families and oligarchs? The answer lies in your hands.

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

Harvey S. Keh is the Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government.

Wil there really be an Election in 2010?

Will there really be an Election in 2010?

by: Harvey S. Keh

Inquirer.net

http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/03/09/will-there-really-be-an-election-in-2010/

The recent news approving the 11 billion supplemental budget for the full automation of the upcoming 2010 National Elections was welcomed by many sectors in society as a big step forward towards having a more transparent and honest election. One of the challenges now is to make sure that the bidding and procurement process for the equipment and materials that will be used for poll automation will be monitored properly so as to ensure transparency. In addition to this, it is imperative that proper training be given to those who will run the election counting machines especially since this is the first time that we will be doing this on a national scale. Let us remember that it may actually be easier for our current political leaders to conduct wholesale cheating in the elections given that they will only need to manipulate the election machines thus, we need to continue to remain vigilant in ensuring that we have a clean and honest election whose results will reflect the true mandate of the Filipino people.

Aside from this, one famous radio commentator also remarked that the passing of this huge budget only goes to show that there will indeed be an election this coming 2010. Yet, just the other day I got a chance to talk to a former high-level member of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s cabinet who told me that the passage of the poll automation budget may actually be a diversionary tactic by our present administration. The present administration would want people to actually believe that any moves to push for Charter Change before 2010 are now dead given that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) are now preparing for full poll automation. This former cabinet member also told me that the President’s cohorts at the House of Representatives are looking to spring a surprise when they go back to session in April. The strategy will be to push for the convening of a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) by getting 197 combined signatures from Congressmen and Senators. This is unconstitutional given that the constitution clearly states that for Con-Ass to happen, the House of Representatives and the Senate have to vote separately and each of them will have to get at least 2/3 of their members voting for Con-Ass. If this will continue and Arroyo’s minions will get their 197 signatures, the Senate will definitely contest and bring this to the Supreme Court who will decide with finality on the proper interpretation of the constitution. Given that almost all members of the Supreme Court are already appointees of Arroyo, it will not be surprising if they rule in her favor.

This is where public opinion and public clamor should come in, we need to remain vigilant because as we have seen the past 8 years this administration is capable of doing anything just to remain in power. We need to show this administration and her allies that we want to have elections in 2010 because we want a new set of leaders who are God-fearing, morally-upright, honest, effective and ethical to lead us towards a better society. We need to show them that we want to practice our right to elect the right leaders for our country. If we do not act now, we may just wake up ten years from now and still have the same set of corrupt leaders continuing to lead this country down the drain. Many of the people I have talked to said that the main problem of our current administration is the fact that our leaders do not have a clear vision for the country. I totally disagree with them, this administration has a clear vision and that is to continue to stay in power even beyond 2010 by continuing to manipulate each one of us while continuing to destroy every single democratic institution in our country.

As a Filipino, I think we deserve much better than this but unless we act together, make our voices heard and demand a better government they will just continue with their shenanigans. It is now time to show our leaders that we have had enough, we want an elections in 2010 because we are sick and tired of the same traditional politicians that have continued to enrich themselves while millions of Filipinos continue to go hungry each day.

To make your voice heard and support the drive against Charter Change before 2010, please visit: http://www.petitiononline.com/nochacha/petition.html

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. He is also the lead convenor of Kaya Natin! A National Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership.

Relive the Spirit of EDSA in 2010

Relive the Spirit of EDSA in 2010

This week we commemorated the EDSA People Power Revolution, which happened 23 years ago. I was only six years old at this very momentous event in our country’s history. Thus, my only knowledge about EDSA was from the history books that I read and studied in school. As I read about millions of Filipinos gathering to in EDSA to peacefully topple a dictator, I felt proud to call myself a Filipino. Many other countries looked at the Philippines back then as an exemplar of how the power of the people can prevail upon the vested interests of a few. At the same time, let us remember that the people power revolution didn’t happen overnight. It was a product of years of struggle against the Marcos regime. The struggle eventually reached its peak when Ninoy Aquino was assassinated on his way back to the country. It is very sad that our current administration does not anymore give much importance to the spirit of EDSA. Even the President chose not to attend commemoration rites last February 25, choosing instead to attend to more “important” matters. What could be more important than to celebrate one of the proudest moments of our people’s history? Could it be that President Gloria Arroyo knows that she has not lived up to the spirit of both EDSA I and EDSA II? The sad reality is, 23 years after EDSA, millions of Filipinos continue to suffer in poverty and many Filipinos even the young are slowly but surely becoming more cynical about our country’s future. I recall one of my students at the Ateneo de Manila University telling me that she loves this country so much but she is losing hope in our country because of what she is seeing in our government leaders. On the bright side, the spirit of people power has remained alive in small pockets all over the country as evidenced by the victories of Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela. In Naga City, Mayor Jesse Robredo continues to ensure transparency and accountability in his government by getting people’s organizations and non-profit organizations to be involved in decisions that are made by city hall. These small islands of good governance and ethical leadership continue to make us believe that there is still much to hope for in our country if only we have national leaders of the quality of Panlilio, Padaca and Robredo. In 2010, we are all called to relive the spirit of EDSA but this time people power will no longer happen on the streets but rather, we are challenged to bring this same spirit when we go to the polls and elect our next leaders. Right now, many Filipinos say that we are worse off than we were during the Marcos years but the reality is, unless we all do our own share in making this country better, we will forever be condemned to a Philippines that is run by tyrants, thieves and corrupt leaders. When we once again practice our right to suffrage this coming 2010, let us make sure that we choose the right leaders for our country. Let us choose leaders who are God-fearing, honest and ethical, pro-poor, well-educated and have a proven track record of delivering basic services to their constituents. Besides this, now is the time to push for new faces and better alternatives to our national leaders. Many of my friends are considering not to vote in 2010 since, they told me, regardless of who they will vote for, the candidates are all of the same kind. But if we all have that attitude then we will never have be able to elect reform candidates to our government. Our right to vote for whom we want to lead us was one of the most important gains in the EDSA People Power Revolution. Let us make sure that we practice this right in the best possible way so that 27 years from now when we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our nation’s first people power revolution our countrymen will no longer have to entertain thoughts again of leaving and giving up on our country. (Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. He is also the lead convenor of Kaya Natin)! Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

The Different Faces of Change... Filipino-Style!

The Different Faces of Change... Filipino-Style!

http://www.mb.com.ph/YTCP20090222148687.html

Last week, the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, originally convened by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government, brought its Caravan of Good Governance to Malayan Colleges Laguna in Cabuyao, Laguna and to First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) in Tanauan City, Batangas.

More than a thousand students and teachers listened to the talks of Kaya Natin! leaders Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio and San Isidro, Nueva Ecija Mayor Sonia Lorenzo.

After listening to their talks, the students were given the chance to interact with Gov. Panlilio and Mayor Lorenzo and one of them said that after hearing their inspiring stories, her sense of being a Filipino was renewed.

Another student leader also shared that she thought that all of our government leaders were corrupt but after listening to them she felt more hopeful for our country’s future knowing that there are effective and ethical government officials like them.

Finally, many of the students asked how they can get involved in promoting good governance and electing better leaders for our country.

This just goes to show that many young Filipinos may feel cynical about our nation’s future given our situation now but if only we give them an opportunity to meet God-fearing and morally-upright leaders then that same cynicism can be transformed into a more positive spirit that will drive them to proactive action to help change the Philippines. Other founding leaders of Kaya Natin! include Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela as well as Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. of Ifugao. For more information about Kaya Natin! visit http://www.kayanatin.com

YVOTE

Aside from Kaya Natin! another group that is very active in promoting youth involvement towards electing effective and ethical government leaders is YouthVote Philippines (YVote).

YVote is a coalition of different youth-led organizations such as the Young Public Servants, Ayala Young Leaders and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines to name a few. They are currently going around different colleges and universities to encourage the Filipino youth to register for the upcoming elections.

Just recently, they were able to convince the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to open their offices to accept registrations from students. This is very important since during weekdays many of the students are not able to find the time to register since they are very busy with their respective school work.

YVote has gone nationwide and has established chapters in Davao, Cebu and Nueva Ecija. These chapters will be organizing events and activities that will inform the youth on the importance of taking part in the upcoming election as well as the necessary requirements that they will need to bring to their respective COMELEC offices. For more information about how you can support or join YVote Philippines, you can check out their website at http://register2vote.wordpress.com/

GOAL: 10 MILLION VOTERS

Finally, a bigger coalition of civil society groups, church groups and business groups that aims to gather 10 million voters who will vote for the right leaders for our country is the Movement for Good Governance (MGG).

Among those who are spearheading MGG are Dr. Milwida Guevara of Synergeia Foundation and Bill Luz of Ayala Foundation.

MGG believes that there is a reform constituency in our country now that if united can easily elect our next President. This reform constituency will primarily come from the youth sector which is expected to compose at least 50 percent of our country’s total voting population by 2010 and the Filipinos who are working or living overseas who number around 8 million.

Recently, the MGG helped organize the world premiere of a set of political satire videos that are portrayed by YouTube star, Juana Change. These videos are fun to watch but at the same time depict the kind of situation that our country is in right now. You can watch one of the videos by going to this website, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Jh8Nzu7Zs

Another major plan of the MGG is to organize a series of Presidential debates that will be aired over a major television network partner. This will allow us to be more discerning about the track record and platforms which our candidates will be standing up for when they run for office in 2010. If you would like to join or support MGG, you can send an email to wedeservebetter.ph@gmail.com .

With so many groups now working for change in our country especially as we near the 2010 National Elections, there is no reason for us not to get involved and be active in helping shape a better future for our nation. Let us always remember that if we don’t do anything to help change our country then we we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com. Harvey S. Keh is director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government.

Closer to Home: AHON launches Library in Bacnotan

Closer to Home: AHON launches Library in Bacnotan

by: Maetrix Ocon

The Manila Bulletin (Page N4)

February 15,2009

"We're having our next library launch in Bacnotan." When I learned that the A.H.O.N. (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation would be developing a library in Bacnotan, La Union, I was very surprised.

Normally, I don't get excited over library launches because I had worked as the Marketing and Promotions intern of AHON Foundation in the summer of 2008. Library launches were not new to me, because AHON Foundation builds and develops public elementary school libraries in the Philippines as the corporate social responsibility initiative of Filway Marketing, the sole distributor of Time Life books in the country.

But as soon as the words "library launch" and "Bacnotan" reached my ears, I felt a jolt of energy and enthusiasm. I felt I was close to jumping and I had to restrain myself. Instead I asked Harvey Keh, the President of AHON Foundation and one of my former bosses, "Really? A library launch in Bacnotan?" When he nodded his confirmation, I said, "Oh, I want to go! I definitely want to go!"

And so I found myself committing to volunteer for the launch in Bacnotan. I knew that this was an opportunity I just couldn't miss.

Why all this fuss about Bacnotan? And more importantly, where is it?

Bacnotan is an agricultural town in Northern Luzon, smack in the province of La Union, around five to six hours from Manila. More than that, though, it is the place I grew up in. My childhood there led me to appreciate books because I had chronic asthma and not being able to play active games lest I have asthma attacks, I turned to reading as a way to entertain myself.

Bacnotan is a small and quiet town, more rural than industrialized, so the only forms of recreation there are reading and watching television. I am quite thankful I spent long hours of my childhood with books because most of my early exposure and my creativity came from the stories I was so engrossed with, stories I just had to keep reading over and over and over again.

Needless to say, I was addicted to books then. To my dismay, though, there were no libraries in Bacnotan. To satisfy my appetite for books, I would go to the library of the private elementary school I attended in San Fernando City, which is two towns away from Bacnotan. But I still couldn't get enough. I would ask my parents to buy me books, but there were no bookstores in La Union. I often had to wait until anyone from the family would go on a trip to Manila and then they could drop by National Bookstore for me. So books were a rare, precious commodity for me back then.

Today, I think books still remain that way for most children in Bacnotan, because the town itself hasn't changed so much. The public schools there may have libraries now, but these often are not well-stocked due to limited resources. So a child who is curious and who hankers for books doesn't get much stimulation from reading materials. More often, the child who doesn't get exposed to books misses out on so many things because reading opens up different worlds.

Unfortunately, this is a trend that happens to most children in public schools, because there are little or no resources available and yet there are more and more children getting enrolled. The reality is that books are not the first priority when it comes to allocating resources in schools. But AHON Foundation is doing something about it. AHON Foundation aims to provide an intervention for this rather dire trend, by making books accessible to public school children. Which is why a library launch in Bacnotan makes me so excited.

I believe I am not the only one excited, though. Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, S.J., President of the Ateneo De Manila University and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Education, must be even more excited than I am, because he is the main reason why this library launch has been made possible.

As a member of the board of AHON Foundation and as an endorser of AHON Foundation's "Turn Bookworms into Beautiful Butterflies" book registry project with Fully Booked, Fr. Nebres paved the way for the donation of over half-a-million pesos worth of Time Life and other books to the library of the Bacnotan Central School--the school he himself attended from Grade 1 to Grade 4 in Bacnotan.

During his speech at the launch of the library on February 2, 2009, he shared that there was no library at the Bacnotan Central School during his grade school years there. To be able to gain access to books, he would ask his aunt to borrow books for him at the library in San Fernando City. Such was his love for reading when he was a child and up until now he is still a voracious reader.

And look where his early exposure to reading has brought him - Fr. Nebres is living proof that reading can take a person to unimaginable heights. Aside from being a noted leader in education in the Philippines, and in the Jesuit Order, he is also a well-known mathematician worldwide. Fr. Nebres is indeed a legend in his own right and the people from his hometown are very proud of him.

But I believe there's a bigger reason why the people of Bacnotan are very proud of Fr. Nebres – even with his numerous achievements and titles, he has never forgotten where he came from. Aside from this recent project with AHON Foundation's, Fr. Nebres has now introduced his hometown's public school community to the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) in the hope that over and beyond the library project, the entire school district of Bacnotan would like to avail of ACED's programs in the development of not just students but also teachers, principals and other school administrators.

I was very lucky to be present at the library launch because the faces of the children who first entered the newly-stocked library were priceless. Their excitement was really contagious. Even the teachers couldn't stop beaming. The sight of the library with more books now was so inviting, so much so that anyone from the community can come visit and enjoy the books.

Aside from the books that were donated to the Bacnotan Central School's library, AHON Foundation also gave books for 100 children to take home,. That afternoon, the children went home with their very own books.

According to Ms. Anna Rojas, Executive Director of AHON Foundation and my supervisor during my internship there, when everyone had left after the library launch, she found a group of about 8 children reading their very own Time Life books at the waiting shed benches just around the corner from the school. Even children who rode off in tricycles kept on looking back at the AHON Foundation team and waving thank you to them, with huge grins plastered on their faces. If that isn't heartwarming, I don't know what else is.

Oh, wait, there is something more heartwarming – it's the fact that I got to do volunteer work for AHON Foundation in my own hometown. It's different when you're doing it right at home because the changes you help put up are actually affecting people you know. This is one of the rare instances that work and personal life connect so beautifully.

But that's not all. The bonus part for me was that I got to know Fr. Nebres beyond the intimidating title of Ateneo De Manila University President (as I am currently finishing my BS Psychology degree in ADMU). I got to dine with him and to talk to him, not as a student interviewing the university president, but as someone trading stories with someone else about the same town they both grew up in, albeit in different times. Everything that happened in connection with the library launch in Bacnotan meant so much to me and I believe that as much as the children and the teachers of the Bacnotan Central School were inspired, I was also very, very inspired.

Thank you, AHON Foundation.

Maetrix Ocon is graduating BS Psychology student at the Ateneo de Manila University and is a volunteer for AHON Foundation. For more information about AHON Foundation, you can call (02) 683-0262 local 109.

New Faces... Hopefully New Politics

New Faces... Hopefully New Politics

As the 2010 national elections become nearer and nearer, many young Filipinos are beginning to start looking at possible candidates whom they can elect to leadership positions in our government.

We have recently seen many presidentiables and their respective parties declare their intentions to run in 2010. Almost every month the two top survey groups, SWS and Pulse Asia release their latest tallies on who Filipinos would prefer to vote for in 2010.

This coming 2010, we will not only be electing our new President and Vice President but we will also be electing senators, congressmen and local government leaders.

More importantly, it will be the first time in many years that the Youth Vote (18 to 40 years old) will comprise more than 60 percent of the voting population thus, if a candidate is able to get even just half of this sector then s/he can be assured of having a strong chance of winning the election.

ENERGIZING YOUNG PEOPLE

However, many of these young Filipinos have not yet registered and some of them have chosen not to do so because they tend to believe that it is the same old faces whom they will be choosing from.

According to one of my students in Ateneo de Manila University, there seems to be no one who represents a new breed of politics in our country, a kind of politics that will always put premium on genuine public service over the interests of a few.

Looking at the last US elections, we saw how Barack Obama’s candidacy was able to energize young people so much so that they not only registered to be able to vote for him but they also went out of their way to campaign for him.

This is the reason why I think there is a need for new faces in our political arena who will bring in idealism and advocate for a more effective and ethical brand of leadership in our government. We have seen in the experiences of Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela that Filipinos are slowly but surely becoming more discerning and mature in choosing their leaders. Both Panlilio and Padaca campaigned without much resources and political clout and yet they were able to win because of the support of ordinary Filipinos in their communities who wanted to see change happen.

Right now, I believe that our country has many good young leaders whom I hope will consider to run for key government positions in 2010 or in the future elections.

NOT THE SAME OLD FACES

One of them is Atty. Alex Lacson, the well-known author of the book, "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country".

For those who haven’t read the book, the Harvard University educated Lacson shows us how simple things such as following the traffic rules and being a good parent to our children can help us build a better Philippine society.

Since his book was launched in 2005, he has been invited by schools, companies and socio-civic organizations to speak and share with them his thoughts and insights.

Another young Filipino that I’d like to see become a Congressman or Senator soon is former National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson and Microventures president Bam Aquino. I have worked with Aquino several times already even during our college days at Ateneo de Manila University and I have always known him to become a leader with a clear vision for our country. During his stint at the NYC, he founded the Ten Accomplished Youth Orgnizations (TAYO) Awards which honors youth-led organizations that are doing projects which help solve social problems in their communities.

Right now, he is helping alleviate poverty in our country through Hapinoy, a social enterprise which helps sari-sari store owners earn more through a more systemic and efficient way of procuring the products that they sell.

Three young women whom I also find very inspiring due to the work that they have done in the fields of education and youth development are Sol Delantar-Gonzalvo of Cebu, Team RP’s Atty. Eirene Aguila who hails from Batangas, and Ching Jorge of Bato Balani Foundation. Delantar-Gonzalvo used to spearhead the Ayala Foundation’s youth leadership program which trains college-level student leaders all over the Philippines to become better servant leaders for our country.

Aguila’s Team RP is currently with several groups in encouraging young Filipinos to register and vote in the coming elections. While Jorge’s work at the Bato Balani Foundation has seen her provide training programs to public school teachers all over the country while at the same time providing educational materials to public school students.

These young leaders have shown that age is not a deterrent for them to bring about genuine and lasting development to our country. Hopefully, we will have more young people like them bring a fresh perspective to how politics is run in our country. The challenge is for these young, effective and ethical leaders to find the courage to throw their hats into our electoral process and to finally give our people a good set of candidates that we can all choose from.

Harvey S. Keh is director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

FLAF 2009: Developing a Nation of Young Social Entrepreneurs

FLAF 2009: Developing a Nation of Young Social Entrepreneurs
By: Harvey S. Keh

The Manila Bulletin-February 1,2009

When Angeli Silang, Julius Falzado and Jessica Robredo conceived and started Handog na Oras Para sa Edukasyon (HOPE) during their sophomore year at the Ateneo de Manila University, one of the things they realized was even at a young age they could already start making a big difference in the lives of other people. HOPE is a summer instructional program which has helped hundreds of public elementary school students from Marikina City prepare for high school. The program which runs for two months, allows Ateneo college student volunteers to teach supplementary lessons in English, Science and Mathematics to the participants. The result has been very positive thus far with most of the participants faring well in national achievement tests given by the Department of Education (DepEd). According to Angeli who lives in Marikina City, she decided to join and commit time to running the program primarily because she wanted to do something concrete towards helping her own community particularly those who are not an fortunate as her to have received a good education. For Jessica whose dad, incumbent Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo is one of the most credible public servants in the country, she believes that her experience in HOPE made her become a better servant leader and although they voluntarily worked on the program for almost 8 months, all the hard work was worth it especially when you see the smiles on the faces of the children who benefit from the program. Finally, Julius who is a scholar and consistent dean's lister at Ateneo said that it was through HOPE that he realized that even at a young age Filipinos can already do their own share in shaping a better future for our country. Julius adds that many Filipinos don't realize that the best time to actually start developing community and outreach projects is when you are still young and idealistic since this is the time where you don't have that much commitments yet aside from your studies.

These experiences and realizations are most likely the reasons why the three of them decided to set up and organize the Future Leaders of Asia Forum on Social Entrepreneurship (FLAF). FLAF is annual conference of college student leaders organized by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government (ASOG), Ateneo de Manila University-Loyola Schools, Ashoka-Philippines, Jollibee Foundation and Avant Change. The main aim of the conference is to be able to introduce the concept of social entrepreneurship and to encourage the participants to set-up their own social enterprises similar to HOPE. Social Entrepreneurship is defined as finding innovative and sustainable ways of solving social problems. Last year, FLAF was able to gather more than 120 participants coming from over 30 different colleges and universities all over the country. Aside from this, a tie-up with the Asian Youth Forum (AYF) led to 12 international delegates coming from Mongolia, Japan, Pakistan and Indonesia. Speakers included Harvard University Mason Fellows Steve Koon and Atty. Arnel Casanova who both discussed about the importance of social entrepreneurship in helping improve the quality of life of every person and Ashoka Country Representative. Ashoka's Country Representative and ASOG Dean Dr. Antonio La Vina gave examples of notable social entrepreneurs all over the world who are now making positive change in their respective countries. A development marketplace featuring social enterprises of Development Studies' students was also organized to give the participants a glimpse of how their own peers are able to start-up and manage their own ventures. As a highlight of the event, participants were taught how to develop their own social enterprise business plan which they were asked to present to a panel composed of practicing Filipino social entrepreneurs. The panel gave the participants feedback and suggestions on how to further improve their social enterprise plans. At the end of the 4-day event, a social enterprise business plan writing competition was launched in cooperation with the Coca-Cola Foundation. Among the winners were students from Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Naga University, De La Salle University and Xavier University. The winners received seed funding which they will use to start-up and run their social enterprises. One of the more innovative social enterprises was Teatro Berde wherein students of Ateneo de Naga University would create plays that would highlight the importance of taking care of our environment.

This year, FLAF will be held from April 15-18,2009 at the Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. In line with the global thrust of promoting environmental awareness, the theme of the forum is, "Social Entrepreneurship: Employing Innovations in Pursuit of Environmental Sustainability." Interested applicants and schools can now log on to http://www.ateneoflaf.com to apply and to find out more about the forum. You can also contact the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government (ASOG) at (02) 426-5657 for more information.

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com .

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

Inquirer.net: Looking for President Change

Looking for President Change
by: Harvey S. Keh

For the past 2 weeks, one of the major news items that came out was the call of Chief Justice Reynato Puno for a Moral Force to come out and become more active in shaping our country’s future especially in the upcoming 2010 National Elections. This has led to calls for him to spearhead this force and at the same time make himself available as a Presidential Candidate in 2010. Among those that have issued statements of support include Senator Panfilo Lacson and the Ang Kapatiran Party.

This call for Puno to run for President only goes to show that many Filipinos are now looking more and more at leaders with moral ascendancy, credibility and untarnished integrity. This is understandable given the fact that our present government led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been branded as one of the most corrupt governments not only in Asia but in the whole world. We have also seen numerous political scandals which have consistently plagued her government more recently the imposition of a ban by the World Bank on 3 contractors that have implemented infrastructure projects with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

A sad reality is despite these numerous scandals and Senate investigations that have been conducted, there has not been one person who has been held accountable or been convicted for these practices of graft and corruption. Yet, when an ordinary Filipino out of desperation and hunger steals a kilo of rice, s/he is automatically put into jail while a government official who continues to steal millions of pesos from the Filipino people continues to enjoy a lavish lifestyle here and abroad.

Aside from Puno, another reform candidate that has often come up is Pampanga Governor and former Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) Filipino of the Year awardee, Gov. Eddie “Among Ed” Panlilio. Many groups have started to talk and convince Among Ed to consider throwing his hat into the Presidential race in the hope of being able to lead a moral revolution for our country.

Among Ed’s story is remarkable given the fact that despite meager resources and the little amount of time he had to prepare for the elections, he was able to topple two well-entrenched political dynasties in Pampanga.

Just a few weeks ago, news broke out that Pampanga won the prestigious Gawad Galing Pook Award for its effective and efficient collection of Quarry taxes which can be attributed to Among Ed’s continuous efforts to promote good governance and ethical leadership in our country.

Finally, many non-profit organizations and peasant groups have recently said that another reform candidate that will make a good President is former Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo.

In his 16 years of being city mayor of Naga, Robredo was able to transform Naga from a 3rd class municipality to a 1st class city that is now the center of commerce and business in the Bicol Region. Aside from this, Naga has already achieved almost all the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations way ahead of the 2015 deadline. One can see in Naga City that by electing the right leaders, the people’s quality of life can eventually be improved.

Just by looking at these 3 individuals, we can see that we are not lacking in possible reform candidates for our country but I think we should also consider not only their ethical fiber but also whether or not they have shown their ability to lead and govern.

One should also look at their track record when it comes to public service and the delivery of basic services especially to the poor and powerless of our society. We should also look at whether or not they make stands or statements in support of key pro-poor issues such as the extension and reform of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

In a country that is so hungry for change and hope, the worst thing that could happen is we all join the bandwagon and elect a so-called reform candidate only to be disappointed because it may be too late for us to realize that being a man with a good heart and good intentions isn’t enough to help millions of Filipinos move out of poverty. The challenge for all of us is to be patient and more discerning about the candidates that we would like to support because genuine and lasting change doesn’t usually happen overnight.

Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

Manila Bulletin Article: The Kind of Leaders Young Filipinos need in 2010

The Kind of Leaders Young Filipinos need in 2010

by: Harvey S. Keh

In less than 18 months, Filipinos will once again go to the polls and
select our next President. According to recent statistics and studies,
majority of the voters in our country will be young Filipinos aged
between 18-40 years old thus, as early as now many national candidates
are studying ways by which they will be able to reach this so-called
Youth Vote which can actually make or break a Presidential candidate.
There are also many organizations and groups that have started
encouraging young Filipinos to go out and register for the upcoming
elections. Among these organizations are Team RP, Youth Vote
Philippines, Movement for Good Governance and Kaya Natin! Registration
is fairly simple, one would just need to fill-up a COMELEC
Registration Form that can be downloaded at the COMELEC website and
s/he would bring this together with a copy of his or her birth
certificate and a valid ID (School ID, SSS ID or Driver's License).
Needless to say, one would also have to be a Filipino citizen and 18
years old or older by the time the May 2010 elections take place. It's
sad to note that when I asked my students who are now in their senior
year in college how many have registered, less than 20% raised their
hands. I asked some of them why they were not inclined to take the
time to register and many of them cited that they can't seem to find
the right candidate that they would like to support. Thus, I'd like to
share my two cents worth about the kind of President that our Young
Filipinos would need in 2010.

Let's start by looking at two of the main concerns of Young Filipinos,
Education and Employment. If we look at current studies done in the
field of education, less than 2 out of 10 Filipinos are able to go to
college and finish. Our Presidential aspirants should be able to come
up with a comprehensive and realistic program that would enable more
young Filipinos to be able to access quality education at all levels.
As we can see in the experience of our Asian neighbors such as Japan,
Singapore and South Korea, investing in education has an effect in
terms of boosting economic development. These countries have invested
at least thrice the amount that we invest in our students thus, it is
no wonder why we have been left behind by them in terms of
development. Finding good job opportunities here in the Philippines is
also a major issue which any Presidential aspirant has to address. The
sad reality is that many young Filipinos have to go abroad and live
away from their families because our government's economic programs
cannot generate enough job opportunities for them. Many people can
argue that there is actually a surplus of employment opportunities
available in the Call Center Industry given that there is a need of
more than 50,000 call center agents in our country but unless our
education system is fixed up not many Filipinos will be able to
qualify for these positions.

Aside from these two major issues, Young Filipinos are also looking
for a President that has a proven track record for delivery of basic
services especially to the poor. Many of our current Presidential
aspirants look good on paper or can speak very eloquently in front of
the camera but have they actually done anything concrete that has
helped improve the quality of life of their constituents? While many
of us have heard them speak about their views on certain issues, we do
not know much about actual programs that they have implemented which
has resulted into actual outcomes in critical social issues such as
improved access to quality basic education and access to basic
healthcare for every Filipino. At the end of the day, our Presidential
aspirants should be able to show that s/he will be able to deliver
programs that will help put food on every table towards ensuring that
every Filipino family will no longer have to live in poverty.

Finally, I believe that aside from the rampant poverty in our country,
another major problem is also the growing cynicism among young people
with regard to our government leaders. Many young Filipinos are
looking for an inspirational leader who continues to live out an
ethical and moral way of life amidst the graft and corruption
practices that are prevalent in our government systems. We have seen
the effect of an inspiring leader such as Barack Obama has had on the
young people in the United States of America wherein record number of
these young Americans went out to register and vote for him. I believe
that if only our young people see that there is a person worth
supporting, I'm sure that we need not take the extra effort to
convince them to vote but they will do so on their own volition.

Is it impossible to find a candidate who is both effective and ethical
in our country? I don't think so. We have already seen in local
government units through the examples of Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga
City, Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr of Ifugao,
Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga and Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro,
Nueva Ecija that it can be done. I think it's about time that young
Filipinos take a hold of our country's future by converging and
working together to elect a reform President that will work for
genuine and lasting change in our country. Change starts with each one
of us, Change has to start now.