tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87800774017000313882024-03-06T22:14:39.322-08:00Filipino ChangemakerPilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-11866239623170232232009-11-11T17:41:00.000-08:002009-11-11T22:41:24.369-08:00Join the PiNoyMarathon Fun Run on November 21!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;border-collapse: collapse;"><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80);"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://harveykeh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/84"><img border="0" class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.harveykeh.multiply.com/image/-JL3zz2F16DLpIMjCptk3g/photos/1M/300x300/84/PiNOYMARathonLR.jpg?et=XlOIvlPMRNccvNPoLZSIlQ&nmid=0"></a></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Everyone is invited to join the PiNoyMarathon Fun Run, </span></span></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">a 3- and 6-kilometer Run for Reform which will be held </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">on Saturday, November 21,2009 at the </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Seaside Boulevard, SM Mall of Asia.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div>The fee is only P150.00 per person for those who register before the event date. <br>P200.00 is the fee for walk-ins.<br><br>So sign up already! :)<br><br>Registration begins at 5:00 in the morning and the<br>Fun Run begins at 6:30!<br><br>Finishers will receive a </b><span class="il" style="background-image: initial;background-repeat: initial;background-attachment: initial;-webkit-background-clip: initial;-webkit-background-origin: initial;background-color: rgb(187, 218, 253);background-position: initial initial;"><b>Pinoy</b></span><b> Power baller band. <br></b></div></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050"><b><br></b></font><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80);"><div class="gmail_quote"><b>To pre-register, please contact Dustin at 09052187305 or </b><b><a href="mailto:pinoyfunrun@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(7, 77, 143);">pinoyfunrun@gmail.com</a> </b><b>! <br><br>To volunteer as marshal, please contact Aldo at 09178041498 or<br></b><b><a href="mailto:aldotong@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(7, 77, 143);">aldotong@gmail.com</a> </b><b>, SALAMAT!</b><br></div></div></div></span> <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-13926677079026450742009-04-07T15:42:00.000-07:002009-04-07T19:42:20.790-07:00Who is the Reform Candidate in 2010?<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Who is the Reform Candidate in 2010?</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">by: Harvey S. Keh</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Inquirer.net</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"></font> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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?</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Will 2010 be the year that we will finally be able to elect an inspiring, morally-upright, effective and ethical reform President? </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"></font></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p> </p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-46635657331429145132009-03-18T21:10:00.000-07:002009-03-19T01:10:10.852-07:00Can Alternative Reform Candidates for President win in 2010?<p>Can Alternative Reform Candidates for President win in 2010?<br>By: Harvey S. Keh</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/03/17/can-alternative-reform-candidates-for-president-win/">http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/03/17/can-alternative-reform-candidates-for-president-win/</a></p> <p>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.<br> <br>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. <br> <br>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.<br> <br>Comments are welcome at <a href="mailto:harveykeh@gmail.com">harveykeh@gmail.com</a> <br> <br>Harvey S. Keh is the Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. </p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-45260897392793870052009-03-09T11:35:00.000-07:002009-03-09T15:35:45.763-07:00Wil there really be an Election in 2010?<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Will there really be an Election in 2010?</font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">by: Harvey S. Keh</font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Inquirer.net</font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/03/09/will-there-really-be-an-election-in-2010/">http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/03/09/will-there-really-be-an-election-in-2010/</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"></font></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p><font size="3"></font></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">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. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">To make your voice heard and support<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the drive against Charter Change before 2010, please visit: http://www.petitiononline.com/nochacha/petition.html<o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><span style="COLOR: black;FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">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.</font></span></p> <p> </p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-34718982878420150242009-02-26T11:50:00.000-08:002009-02-26T16:50:07.884-08:00Relive the Spirit of EDSA in 2010<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="100%" height="27"> <p class="bodytext"><b><font color="#333366" size="4">Relive the Spirit of EDSA in 2010</font></b><b><font color="#333366" size="4"><o:p> </o:p></font></b></p></td></tr> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p class="bodytext"><br>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. <o:p></o:p> <p class="bodytext">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. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="bodytext">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? <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="bodytext">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. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="bodytext">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.<o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="bodytext">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. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="bodytext">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. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="bodytext">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. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="bodytext">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.<o:p><img height="7" src="http://www.manilatimes.net/images2/etc/dot.gif" width="8" border="0"> </o:p></p> <p class="bodytext"><i>(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)! <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="bodytext"><i>Comments are welcome at <a href="mailto:harveykeh@gmail.com"><u><font color="#0066cc">harveykeh@gmail.com</font></u></a><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p></p></td></tr></tbody></table><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-84975405780115401952009-02-21T11:21:00.000-08:002009-02-21T16:21:43.045-08:00The Different Faces of Change... Filipino-Style!<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">The Different Faces of Change... Filipino-Style!</font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://www.mb.com.ph/YTCP20090222148687.html">http://www.mb.com.ph/YTCP20090222148687.html</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Finally, many of the students asked how they can get involved in promoting good governance and electing better leaders for our country. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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 <a href="http://www.kayanatin.com">http://www.kayanatin.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">YVOTE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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 <a href="http://register2vote.wordpress.com/">http://register2vote.wordpress.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">GOAL: 10 MILLION VOTERS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Among those who are spearheading MGG are Dr. Milwida Guevara of Synergeia Foundation and Bill Luz of Ayala Foundation. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Jh8Nzu7Zs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Jh8Nzu7Zs</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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 . <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><i><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #121d4a;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></i></b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><i><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #121d4a;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">C</span></i></b><b><i><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #121d4a;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">omments 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.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-57169639860867699492009-02-14T16:33:00.000-08:002009-02-14T21:33:17.605-08:00Closer to Home: AHON launches Library in Bacnotan<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://harveykeh.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SZeosgoKCpIAAFm@tTM1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.harveykeh.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SZeosgoKCpIAAFm@tTM1/bacnotan-library4.JPG?et=7yiTuGMZMjmgM1GvPjQg%2Bw&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span>Closer to Home: AHON launches Library in Bacnotan</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">by: Maetrix Ocon</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">The Manila Bulletin (Page N4)</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">February 15,2009</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"></font> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">"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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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!"</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Why all this fuss about Bacnotan? And more importantly, where is it? </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Bacnotan is a small and quiet town, more rural than industrialized, so the only forms of recreation there are reading and watching television.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More often, the child who doesn't get exposed to books misses out on so many things because reading opens up different worlds.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. </font></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"></font> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Thank you, AHON Foundation.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">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.</font></p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-87680784910890704102009-02-08T00:09:00.000-08:002009-02-08T05:09:05.181-08:00New Faces... Hopefully New Politics<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">New Faces... Hopefully New Politics</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">ENERGIZING YOUNG PEOPLE </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">NOT THE SAME OLD FACES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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". </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #373737;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;LINE-HEIGHT: normal;TEXT-ALIGN: left;mso-margin-top-alt: auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;" align="left"><b><i><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt;COLOR: #121d4a;FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif';mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">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<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p> </p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-68583410310704551272009-01-31T13:48:00.000-08:002009-01-31T18:48:36.869-08:00FLAF 2009: Developing a Nation of Young Social Entrepreneurs<p><strong>FLAF 2009: Developing a Nation of Young Social Entrepreneurs</strong><br>By: Harvey S. Keh</p> <p>The Manila Bulletin-February 1,2009</p> <p> 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. <br> <br>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. <br> <br>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 <a href="http://www.ateneoflaf.com">http://www.ateneoflaf.com</a> 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.<br> <br>Comments are welcome at <a href="mailto:harveykeh@gmail.com">harveykeh@gmail.com</a> .<br> <br>Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government (ASOG). </p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-50463840703721838372009-01-23T11:36:00.000-08:002009-01-23T16:36:19.585-08:00Inquirer.net: Looking for President Change <font size="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Looking for President Change<br><font size="3">by: Harvey S. Keh</font><br></span></font><br>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 <a href="http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/01/23/looking-for-president-change/" target="_blank" itxtdid="6363405" classname="iAs">Presidential <nobr style="font-size: 100%;font-weight: normal;" id="itxt_nobr_0_0">Candidate<span style="text-decoration: none;"><!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" href="http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/01/23/looking-for-president-change/" target=""_blank"" style='width:7.5pt;height:7.5pt' o:button="t"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Wendy\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif] --><!-- [if !vml] --><span style=""><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Wendy/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif" style="border-style: none;border-width: 0pt;margin: 0pt;padding: 0pt;float: none;height: 10px;left: 1px;position: relative;top: 1px;width: 10px;" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025" border="0" height="10" width="10"></span><!-- [endif] --></span></nobr></a><span style=""> </span>in 2010. Among those that have issued statements of support include Senator Panfilo Lacson and the Ang Kapatiran Party. <p>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 <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place> 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).<o:p></o:p></p> <p><span id="more-279"></span>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.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>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 <a href="http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/01/23/looking-for-president-change/" target="_blank" itxtdid="6363409" classname="iAs">Presidential <nobr style="font-size: 100%;font-weight: normal;" id="itxt_nobr_3_0">race<span style="text-decoration: none;"><!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" href="http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/01/23/looking-for-president-change/" target=""_blank"" style='width:7.5pt;height:7.5pt' o:button="t"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Wendy\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif] --><!-- [if !vml] --><span style=""><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Wendy/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif" style="border-style: none;border-width: 0pt;margin: 0pt;padding: 0pt;float: none;height: 10px;left: 1px;position: relative;top: 1px;width: 10px;" v:shapes="_x0000_i1026" border="0" height="10" width="10"></span><!-- [endif] --></span></nobr></a><span style=""> </span>in the hope of being able to lead a moral revolution for our country.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>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.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>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.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>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.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>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 <a href="http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/01/23/looking-for-president-change/" target="_blank" itxtdid="6310211" classname="iAs">United <nobr style="font-size: 100%;font-weight: normal;" id="itxt_nobr_7_0">Nations<span style="text-decoration: none;"><!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" href="http://blogs.inquirer.net/philippineelections/2009/01/23/looking-for-president-change/" target=""_blank"" style='width:7.5pt;height:7.5pt' o:button="t"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Wendy\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif] --><!-- [if !vml] --><span style=""><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Wendy/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif" style="border-style: none;border-width: 0pt;margin: 0pt;padding: 0pt;float: none;height: 10px;left: 1px;position: relative;top: 1px;width: 10px;" v:shapes="_x0000_i1027" border="0" height="10" width="10"></span><!-- [endif] --></span></nobr></a><span style=""> </span>way ahead of the 2015 deadline. One can see in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Naga</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> that by electing the right leaders, the people’s quality of life can eventually be improved.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>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.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>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).<o:p></o:p></p> <p>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.<o:p></o:p></p> <p><strong>Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Government</st1:placename></st1:place>. Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com</strong><o:p></o:p></p> <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-57066678241748207902009-01-17T23:00:00.000-08:002009-01-18T04:00:45.461-08:00Manila Bulletin Article: The Kind of Leaders Young Filipinos need in 2010<p>The Kind of Leaders Young Filipinos need in 2010</p> <p>by: Harvey S. Keh</p> <p>In less than 18 months, Filipinos will once again go to the polls and<br>select our next President. According to recent statistics and studies,<br>majority of the voters in our country will be young Filipinos aged<br>between 18-40 years old thus, as early as now many national candidates<br>are studying ways by which they will be able to reach this so-called<br>Youth Vote which can actually make or break a Presidential candidate.<br>There are also many organizations and groups that have started<br>encouraging young Filipinos to go out and register for the upcoming<br>elections. Among these organizations are Team RP, Youth Vote<br>Philippines, Movement for Good Governance and Kaya Natin! Registration<br>is fairly simple, one would just need to fill-up a COMELEC<br>Registration Form that can be downloaded at the COMELEC website and<br>s/he would bring this together with a copy of his or her birth<br>certificate and a valid ID (School ID, SSS ID or Driver's License).<br>Needless to say, one would also have to be a Filipino citizen and 18<br>years old or older by the time the May 2010 elections take place. It's<br>sad to note that when I asked my students who are now in their senior<br>year in college how many have registered, less than 20% raised their<br>hands. I asked some of them why they were not inclined to take the<br>time to register and many of them cited that they can't seem to find<br>the right candidate that they would like to support. Thus, I'd like to<br>share my two cents worth about the kind of President that our Young<br>Filipinos would need in 2010.</p> <p>Let's start by looking at two of the main concerns of Young Filipinos,<br>Education and Employment. If we look at current studies done in the<br>field of education, less than 2 out of 10 Filipinos are able to go to<br>college and finish. Our Presidential aspirants should be able to come<br>up with a comprehensive and realistic program that would enable more<br>young Filipinos to be able to access quality education at all levels.<br>As we can see in the experience of our Asian neighbors such as Japan,<br>Singapore and South Korea, investing in education has an effect in<br>terms of boosting economic development. These countries have invested<br>at least thrice the amount that we invest in our students thus, it is<br>no wonder why we have been left behind by them in terms of<br>development. Finding good job opportunities here in the Philippines is<br>also a major issue which any Presidential aspirant has to address. The<br>sad reality is that many young Filipinos have to go abroad and live<br>away from their families because our government's economic programs<br>cannot generate enough job opportunities for them. Many people can<br>argue that there is actually a surplus of employment opportunities<br>available in the Call Center Industry given that there is a need of<br>more than 50,000 call center agents in our country but unless our<br>education system is fixed up not many Filipinos will be able to<br>qualify for these positions.</p> <p>Aside from these two major issues, Young Filipinos are also looking<br>for a President that has a proven track record for delivery of basic<br>services especially to the poor. Many of our current Presidential<br>aspirants look good on paper or can speak very eloquently in front of<br>the camera but have they actually done anything concrete that has<br>helped improve the quality of life of their constituents? While many<br>of us have heard them speak about their views on certain issues, we do<br>not know much about actual programs that they have implemented which<br>has resulted into actual outcomes in critical social issues such as<br>improved access to quality basic education and access to basic<br>healthcare for every Filipino. At the end of the day, our Presidential<br>aspirants should be able to show that s/he will be able to deliver<br>programs that will help put food on every table towards ensuring that<br>every Filipino family will no longer have to live in poverty.</p> <p>Finally, I believe that aside from the rampant poverty in our country,<br>another major problem is also the growing cynicism among young people<br>with regard to our government leaders. Many young Filipinos are<br>looking for an inspirational leader who continues to live out an<br>ethical and moral way of life amidst the graft and corruption<br>practices that are prevalent in our government systems. We have seen<br>the effect of an inspiring leader such as Barack Obama has had on the<br>young people in the United States of America wherein record number of<br>these young Americans went out to register and vote for him. I believe<br>that if only our young people see that there is a person worth<br>supporting, I'm sure that we need not take the extra effort to<br>convince them to vote but they will do so on their own volition.</p> <p>Is it impossible to find a candidate who is both effective and ethical<br>in our country? I don't think so. We have already seen in local<br>government units through the examples of Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga<br>City, Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr of Ifugao,<br>Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga and Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro,<br>Nueva Ecija that it can be done. I think it's about time that young<br>Filipinos take a hold of our country's future by converging and<br>working together to elect a reform President that will work for<br>genuine and lasting change in our country. Change starts with each one<br>of us, Change has to start now.</p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-46731603105434136092009-01-16T10:25:00.000-08:002009-01-16T15:25:28.578-08:00Making the country oh Keh!<p><strong><font size="5">Making the country oh Keh!</font></strong><br>By: J. Vincent Sarabia Ong<br>The Philippine Star (Page F-3)<br>January 17,2009<br><a href="http://philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=432355&publicationSubCategoryId=448">http://philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=432355&publicationSubCategoryId=448</a></p> <p> <br>Many of us plan our lives a day or at most a month at a time. Some even live up to the very next second. While we worry about paying our bills at the end of the month, 29-year-old Atenean theology professor Harvey Keh's concern has been 2010 since July last year. He put up the Kaya Natin! movement for good governance to get the country ready for the upcoming 2010 elections by encouraging the youth to register, being critical of their candidate choices, and developing them as future leaders.<br></p> <p>Before jumping forward in time though, we must go back to Harvey's past to see that behind his mild manners is a man with a fiery passion for his country. He relates that service for others has always been in his blood because of his devout Christian parents. His father spearheads a microfinance foundation and his mother is an advocate of education. He remembers how they took the time to not spoil him and be aware of the poverty in the country. Later on, Harvey used these values when he joined the student councils of Xavier High School and Ateneo College.<br></p> <p><strong>The Great Equalizer<br></strong></p> <p>With his direct experiences with the poor, Harvey realized that the solution to poverty in the country was education, which he believes is the great equalizer. Soon, Harvey founded Pathways to Higher Education that gives scholarships to public school students and trains their parents in entrepreneurial and interpersonal skills. The foundation was set up via a four-year grant from the New York-based Ford Foundation and was started when Harvey was only 22, making him the youngest grantee of the organization. Though Pathways was still operational after the grant ended, Harvey discovered that scholarships were not enough because of the deplorable state of public libraries, where books were either lacking, tattered or already too dated to use. Hence, he partnered with Filway CEO and president Hector O Tagaysay who distributes Time Life books locally to start the AHON (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation. The foundation was designed to set up libraries in public schools through cash or book donations, as recently done in Fully Booked.<br></p> <p><strong>Hunger For Hope</strong><br></p> <p>In 2007, Harvey sent a private e-mail that he would leave the country if certain celebrities became senators. Unknowingly, this e-mail was forwarded and reblogged, and his words were taken out of context. He says that the letter was meant to jolt people out of their complacency, but he honestly will never leave the country because he loves it too much. And true to his word, Harvey didn't just sit there and is now fighting the war against poverty on the other end — at the top through political change. Today, he is thinking about tomorrow through Kaya Natin that is composed of Governor Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Governor Grace Padaca of Isabela, Governor Teddy Baguilat, Jr. of Ifugao, and Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City. If you look at the composition of Kaya Natin, you will notice that the group doesn't judge people by their backgrounds as Grace Padaca is a journalist, Teddy Baguilat grew up as an Igorot, and Sonia Lorenzo is a housewife, but all have the clear commitment to serve people and a clean record to back it up. <br>Not a political party, Kaya Natin is composed of public officials and people from the private sector such as Ramon Magsaysay government service awardees or emerging leaders who can share their practices. At the same time, these members aim to inspire students through school tours. These tours have been proven effective as Harvey can see that students treat them like rockstars, asking for their autographs and photos. Through this, Harvey says that he is inspired to continue working because he sees that the youth have a hunger for hope.<br></p> <p><strong>Spread The Good News</strong><br></p> <p>Harvey says that everyday people like you can be part of Kaya Natin and turn the tide of 2010 through blogging. He adds that the youth can help the country by writing good news so the world can see the positive changes in the Philippines. He notes that there is a drought of good news on the web and young people can fill that void. <br></p> <p>Regarding the coming elections, he says the youth should start blogging or e-mailing about the officials that they believe in. By doing so, their chosen candidates will have a better chance of winning because more people will know more about them. However, he urges that the youth register first so they can vote for their candidates in 2010. All this said, it is evident the power of the political will, thanks to technology, is not in the hands of mayors or senators. </p> <p>The future is literally in our hands. It is just a matter of raising the hype and typing it out in our blogs, facebook shoutouts, and multiply pages. <br></p> <p>Thank you, Harvey, for making us think of the possibilities of 2010 in 2009. Tomorrow is, indeed, ours.<br></p> <p>* * *<br>Links to Harvey Keh's foundations:http://ahonfoundation.multiply.com/ <a href="http://www.pathwaysphilippines.org/">http://www.pathwaysphilippines.org/</a> <a href="http://kayanatin.com">http://kayanatin.com</a>.</p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-71483531493217326252009-01-10T22:31:00.000-08:002009-01-11T03:31:21.896-08:00How Young Filipinos Can Change the Philippines<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">How Young Filipinos Can Change the Philippines</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">By: Harvey S. Keh</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">January 11,2008 (Sunday)</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">The Manila Bulletin</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"></font> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">In one of my classes, one of my students asked me what I think needs to be done in order for our country to move forward and finally move out of poverty. Without batting an eyelash, I told her that the two things that are necessary for our country to grow are access to quality education for every Filipino and the practice of good governance and ethical leadership by our government leaders. I said this since in studies on countries that have moved out of poverty made by the Nobel Prize Laureate Economist Amartya Sen, the common factors among these countries was they all invested to ensure that all their citizens had access to quality basic education and healthcare. In another study presented by our own economist, Dr. Solita Monsod of the University of the Philippines-School of Economics, she stated that as a person moves up the education ladder, his or her average income also increases. Given the problems that our public education system is facing, it is therefore not surprising why we continue to have more than 50% of our countrymen who continue to struggle to make ends meet. According to recent statistics such as the International Mathematics and Science Survey conducted among more than 40 countries worldwide, the Philippines ranked 4<sup>th</sup> to the last together with African countries such as Botswana, Ghana and South Africa. This ranking is more appalling given the fact that most of the countries which belonged to the top 10 were our Asian neighbors such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Another grim reality that we have to face is for every 10 students who enter Grade 1, only 4 will be able to finish high school and less than 2 will be able to finish college. In many areas in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), many children fail to even reach Grade 4 with only 3 managing to finish Grade 6. One should no longer be surprised at these statistics given the fact that many of our schools continue to lack adequate learning facilities such as classrooms and libraries while at the same time many students do not even have their own set of textbooks. Thus, I believe that good governance is critical if we want to reverse this trend in the hope of becoming more competitive with our Asian neighbors. According to the Transparency International, the Philippines is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, losing billions of pesos each year to anomalous dealings and other practices of graft and corruption. Imagine if these billions of pesos were instead put into good use to build new classrooms and purchase enough textbooks for every Filipino student then I think we would be able to slowly but surely inch our way closer to our vision of providing the best possible education for every Filipino child.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Yet, while the problems seem to be enormous in nature, there are also groups that are trying their best to help change our country one public school student at a time. At the Ateneo de Manila University, we have two student-led groups that are reaching out to the public schools in the hope to helping their students attain a much better future. One of them is Alay Ni Ignacio (ANI), the student volunteer group of Pathways to Higher Education-Philippines. ANI started in the summer of 2001 when a groups of 2<sup>nd</sup> year college students decided that they were willing to sacrifice their summer vacation to help students in the public high schools in their own small way. ANI is a summer instructional program which provides academic and non-academic formation to the academically-gifted but financially-disadvantaged students from the public high schools in Marikina City and Quezon City. The main aim of the program is to be able to help prepare these students for the college entrance examinations and hope that they will do well enough so that they will also be able to get scholarships for their college education. The college student volunteers of ANI provide these students with tutorial classes in English, Mathematics, Science and Christian Living while at the same time providing them with extra-curricular activities such as field trips, sportsfests and quiz bees. Since its inception, ANI has already helped more than 1,000 public high school students enter top-notch colleges and universities such as Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines, Miriam College, Assumption College, De La Salle University and Far Eastern University. While ANI helps build the future of public high school students, Handog na Oras Para sa Edukasyon or HOPE helps public elementary school students by providing them with tutorial classes in English, Mathematics and Science. Like ANI, HOPE is also a summer program run by college student volunteers who study at Ateneo de Manila. HOPE started in the summer of 2006 and has since trained more than 300 public elementary school students. One direct result of the program is that students who participated in HOPE scored higher in the National Achievement Tests given annually to all public school students. These two youth-led organizations have shown us that it is not enough for us to just complaint, criticize and do nothing. Our young Filipinos are showing us that in our own small way we can make a difference towards nation-building. Let ANI and HOPE provide us with inspiration that if this is the kind of leaders our country will have in the future then we can rest assured that it won’t be long before the Philippines becomes a great nation once again. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"></font> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">If you would like to also become a positive Youth Changemaker, join Youth Venture Philippines, send an email to <a href="mailto:kwy@ashoka.org">kwy@ashoka.org</a> .</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">If you would like to support ANI and HOPE, you can call the Pathways to Higher Education-Philippines’ office at (02) 426-6001 local 4046 or 4048. </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Comments are welcome at </font><a href="mailto:harveykeh@gmail.com"><u><font face="Calibri" color="#0000ff" size="3">harveykeh@gmail.com</font></u></a><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><o:p><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;TEXT-ALIGN: justify;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-29526499236397917582009-01-03T21:54:00.000-08:002009-01-03T21:57:45.808-08:00New Year, New Hopes, New Philippines?As we bid farewell to a very eventful 2008 in our country's history, let us recall some of the major events that rocked our country for the good and bad last year. In the first quarter, we were all witness to the saga of the corruption-plagued NBN-ZTE Deal wherein according to star witness Jun Lozada more than US$ 200 Million (approximately 6 Billion pesos) was to be pocketed by former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Benjamin Abalos and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. In a country wherein more than 50 million people have to live with less than P 200 pesos a day, you have two families sharing 6 billion pesos at the expense of our hard earned taxpayer's money. Since then our government has been plagued by one scandal after another such as the return of the 1 Billion Peso Fertilizer Scam, the glaring irregularities in the much delayed Northrail project and the international humiliation that we got for the Euro Generals controversy in Russia.<br /><br />Yet, there are also some good news, it was in 2008 wherein we had Filipinos who made us proud abroad such as teenage singing sensation Charice Pempengco who was discovered through You Tube and has since guested in shows by Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres. Of course, we continue to be awes by the continuing exploits of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao who demolished David Diaz and Oscar Dela Hoya this year to prove to the rest of the world that he is indeed the best pound for pound boxer today.<br /><br />Amidst these good and bad stories the past year, a question that begs to be answered is, has the life of the ordinary Filipino become better or worse the past year? A few weeks ago, the Social Weather Station (SWS) released the results of a survey wherein almost 25% of Filipinos have experienced involuntary hunger in the latter part of 2008 which goes to show that life hasn't gotten better for many Filipino families. With the recession happening in the United States of America, Japan and other 1st world countries, we can expect that our economy will also take a hit.<br /><br />In a newspaper article I recently read, Taiwan has already begun cutting its labor force thus, many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have been sent back to the Philippines and are now unemployed. Economists have predicted that the recession will last up to at least another year and thus, we can expect that with the global slowdown many more OFWs will be retrenched and sent back to our country.<br /><br />Yet, at the backdrop of all of these problems facing ordinary Filipinos like you and me, we continue to be led by leaders who not only turn a blind eye to the needs of our people but continue to suck our government resources dry for their own selfish interests. Despite this apparently bleak outlook of our country's future, there are still glimmers of hope especially since the Filipino people has always been known to be resilient in times of tragedy. We have seen the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan whenever there are natural calamities that affect the lives of our fellow Filipino brothers and sisters. This same spirit needs to be cultivated in all of us now if we want to aspire for a New Philippines and a new set of better leaders for our country. We have seen it happen in Pampanga in the 2007 elections when despite having very little resources and no political experience, Among Ed Panlilio won against the incumbent Governor Mark Lapid and the wife of the alleged jueteng lord, Lilia Pineda. According to Gov. Panlilio, he won because of the support of ordinary Kapampangans who wanted to see good governance work in their province. In Isabela, the polio-stricken Gov. Grace Padaca won not only once but twice despite having meager resources compared to the well-financed political machinery of her opponents.<br /><br />Like Panlilio, Padaca attributes this to the support of the youth and ordinary people who wanted to see positive change in her province. In 2009, we will all be preparing for the 2010 National Elections wherein we will hopefully be able to elect a new set of leaders who will not only be effective but more importantly, morally-upright and ethical. For the Filipino youth, what is at stake are not just positions in government but our future. Let us remember that whoever we choose in 2010 as President will be our leader until 2016 or even beyond thus it is imperative that we take a hold of our future by being active participants in selecting the right leaders for our country. In these times of crisis, the challenge for us is to leave behind our old ways of being apathetic and indifferent to politics in our country. If we want a new Philippines and if we want a better future for all of us then we have to become New Filipinos as well. As a New Generation of Filipinos let us not leave the politics to the traditional politicians that have laid waste to our country but let us begin by ensuring that we are able to elect leaders who will put our nation's interests above their own. <br /><br />For the first time in so many Philippine elections, the youth will comprise majority of the voters thus, young Filipinos like you and me can actually make a major difference in choosing who will become our next President in 2010. Change in our country will only happen if the Change begins with you and me. Do you want to be part of that Change in 2009 or will you just sit down and watch as millions of Filipinos continue to suffer at the hands our inept and corrupt leaders? The choice is yours in 2009, the dream of a New Philippines is in our hands.<br /><br />If you want to help make change happen in 2009, join Kaya Natin! A National Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership by sending an email to <a href="mailto:kayanatin@yahoo.com">kayanatin@yahoo.com</a> or by calling us at (02) 426-5657.Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-56256140579341565712009-01-03T04:54:00.000-08:002009-01-03T04:55:27.053-08:00Things I Learned from Mayor Jesse RobredoFor many of you who don’t probably know him, Mayor Jesse Robredo is the multi-awarded incumbent city mayor of Naga City, which is currently the main commercial area of the Bicol Region. Aside from this, Mayor Robredo was also one of the first Filipino winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service which is equivalent to Asia’s Nobel Prize. He won the award because he was able to transform Naga City from a third class municipality to a first class city and uplift the quality of life of his constituents. Moreover, he was able to develop systems that would enable government processes to be more transparent and accountable to his constituents. As a prime example of this, when one visits the website of Naga City, you would be able to see all the expenses and purchases of the city government. In the more than 16 years of being the mayor of Naga, the city has received accolades from national and international organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations. I met Mayor Robredo in 2001 at an event organized by Synergeia Foundation, one of the country’s more effective institutions in improving our public education system. Since then, Mayor Robredo has been one of the people I have looked up to for advice and his effective brand of leadership has been a constant source of inspiration for me. As such, I wanted to share the things that I have learned through these years that I have worked with him. Firstly, I have learned that there are still people like him who continue to remain ethical despite being in government service for the past 16 years. Many people have dissuaded me from entering government service since they say that no one actually survives the current system of pervasive graft and corruption. Mayor Robredo has shown that one need not compromise his or her values and principles to be able to govern and deliver basic services to the people in an effective manner. When I asked him what was his secret for being steadfast in his values, he told me that his faith in God and his family are his main foundations, and this is the second lesson that I learned from him. In a society where we hear of politicians having several wives and families, we have someone like Mayor Robredo who continues to put premium on his being a loyal husband and a loving father who devotes time to his three daughters. I remember a time wherein he failed to attend one of our Kaya Natin! Caravan of Good Governance events in the province since his daughter sought his help with regard to her school project. Many politicians would often jump at the chance just to be able to speak before thousands of students but Mayor Robredo chose to be with his daughter who needed him during that time. Aside from this, Mayor Robredo has also shown that he is a man that can stand up for what he believes in even if he already knows that majority are no longer with him. This can be seen when in the last 2 Presidential elections, wherein he chose to support the late Senator Raul Roco because he believed that he would make a good President for our country even if he already knew that surveys have shown that Senator Roco would have a slim chance of winning and even if he already knew that if Senator Roco loses he may not be able to get the support of the winning candidate. Standing up and holding on to your own principles is something that is clearly lacking in many of our leaders today. Our present day leaders will often support issues or people that will help propagate their own self-interests without necessarily thinking if what they are supporting will be for the common good. Finally, one of the most important lessons I learned from Mayor Robredo is the simplicity of his way of life. When one thinks of Filipino politicians, large houses and expensive cars always comes to mind but when one visits Naga, you will see that despite being on his 6th term as mayor of a 1st class city, he continues to live in a very simple home. I remember one time wherein we met in my office in Quezon City and I saw him just taking a cab without any bodyguards to reach our office. Back then, I was quite surprised since I was used to seeing politicians with their big cars, blaring sirens and their throngs of bodyguards. Among all of these lessons, I think what Mayor Robredo has shown me is that there is still much to Hope for in our country if we have more principled leaders like him who will continue to deliver proper services to the people and will always put the interests of our country above his or her own interests.<br /><br />For those who want to hear Mayor Jesse Robredo, you can attend the Kaya Natin! Caravan of Good Governance on January 10,2009 (Saturday) at Araullo University in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija and at the University of the Assumption in San Fernando City, Pampanga. You can reach Kaya Natin! by sending an email to <a href="mailto:kayanatin@yahoo.com">kayanatin@yahoo.com</a> .<br /><br />Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government and Executive Director of AHON Foundation. Comments are welcome at <a href="mailto:harveykeh@gmail.com">harveykeh@gmail.com</a> .Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-90762196397784549682009-01-03T04:52:00.000-08:002009-01-03T04:54:18.946-08:00The Pride of Nueva EcijaLast week, one of the major news stories that erupted prior to the end of 2008 was an incident involving the abuse of power by a city mayor whose father is also the incumbent Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary. According to an email which has been circulating for days now, Masiu City Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr. together with his friends and bodyguards ganged up and beat up a 56-year old man and his 14-year old son over an altercation at the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City. As if this wasn’t enough, Mayor Pangandaman, Jr. and his cohorts continued to beat the two of them up while the 14-year son pleaded with them to stop. This happened as DAR Secretary Nasser Pangandaman just watched and didn’t even bother to lift a finger to stop the incident. Since then many people have condemned this act and have voiced out their utmost disappointment with the kind of government officials that we have in this country. If Sec. Pangandaman and Mayor Pangandaman, Jr. has some decency and delicadeza left in them, I believe they should not only offer a sincere apology to the Dela Paz family but also resign from their posts immediately. Government officials like Mayor Pangandaman, Jr. is the reason why many Filipinos have begun to lose hope with our present administration and our current crop of government leaders.<br /><br />Yet on the bright side of things, it’s a new year and it’s always good to start the year right with a story of hope especially in the field of politics and governance in our country. While there are abusive government leaders such as Mayor Pangandaman, Jr., we also have local government leaders who have quietly worked towards promoting genuine service and good governance for their constituents. Last year, the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government (ASOG) convened the Kaya Natin! Movement wherein the initial leaders who met were Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga together with Ramon Magsaysay Awardees (Asia’s Nobel Prize) Mayor Jesse Robredo and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela. Many people already know the stories of Panlilio, Padaca and Robredo given that these three local government leaders have shown that against all odds they can continue to deliver effective basic services in a moral and ethical manner. Another Kaya Natin! leader is Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija whose leadership in her municipality has transformed San Isidro from a sleepy 4th class municipality to developing 2nd class municipality in less than 10 years! Since Lorenzo was elected in 1998, she has provided health insurance to almost every family in San Isidro despite having a very limited budget. In the field of education, San Isidro has consistently been one of the top performers in the province in terms of the yearly achievement and aptitude tests given by the Department of Education (DepEd). More importantly, under her leadership, she was able to convince many top-level academic institutions and foundations to work with her in improving the lives of her constituents. These include the Ateneo de Manila University and Synergeia Foundation which works with her in the field of improving public education, the College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC) which works with her in promoting good governance and Gawad Kalinga (GK) wherein she serves as one of its main champions in the province. By working with these private organizations, Lorenzo has been able to maximize the use of her resources while being able to uplift the quality of life of the people of San Isidro. As a proof that good governance can mean good politics, Lorenzo ran for re-election last 2007 without buying votes and didn’t even bother to put up any posters, streamers or banners. When her allies told her that she might lose the elections, she told them that they will go house to house and campaign based on what they have achieved thus, the elections will serve as a gauge on whether or not the people have felt the benefits of the programs that they have delivered. When the last ballot was counted, Lorenzo won with the largest winning margin in the history of San Isidro showing everyone that one need not spend millions if s/he would only do his or her job well. Finally, Lorenzo’s efforts have not gone unnoticed as she was also awarded as one of the six inaugural fellows at the Asian Institute of Management’s (AIM) Team Energy (formerly Mirant) Center for Bridging Societal Divides. Her dedication to public service and her being an ethical leader is a testament that not all government leaders are like Mayor Pangandaman, Jr., the province of Nueva Ecija should be proud that it has someone like Mayor Sonia Lorenzo who embodies what it truly means to be a true public servant.<br /><br />Listen to Mayor Sonia Lorenzo and the other Kaya Natin! leaders speak at the Kaya Natin! Caravan of Good Governance on January 10,2009 (Saturday) at Araullo University in Cabanatuan City and at the University of the Assumption in San Fernando, Pampanga. For more information, you can send an email to <a href="mailto:kayanatin@yahoo.com">kayanatin@yahoo.com</a> or call (02) 426-5657.<br /><br />Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government (ASOG).Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-53560378407743890782008-12-21T18:14:00.000-08:002008-12-21T18:16:39.962-08:00Kaya Natin! leaders back CARP extension<h2>Kaya Natin! leaders back CARP extension</h2>By: Tonette Orejas<br />Philippine Daily Inquirer<br />December 22,2008<br />http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/agrarianreform/view.php?db=1&article=20081222-179344<br /><p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.”</p> <p>Signed into law by then President Corazon Aquino in June 1988, the CARP was extended for another 10 years until June this year.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>“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.</p> <p>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.”</p> <p>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.”</p> <p>The reforms, they added, should center on promoting social justice and equitable distribution of wealth and resources.</p> <p>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.</p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-62914259306995820452008-12-11T02:50:00.000-08:002008-12-11T02:51:09.407-08:00The 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)." <p>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)." </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p><span></span>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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.</p>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-17707067345168420272008-11-30T05:04:00.001-08:002008-11-30T05:06:32.656-08:00Kaya Natin! launches drive against Charter ChangeThe 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/nochacha/petition.html">http://www.petitionon­line.com/nochacha/petition.html</a> or you can text No to Cha Cha and your complete name together with your city, municipality or province to 0922-8570496. Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-41957027163075090122008-11-23T18:58:00.000-08:002008-11-23T19:01:12.206-08:00Give Meaningful Gifts this Christmas!Dear Friends,<br /><br />Good day to all of you! :)<br /><br />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:<br /><br />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: <a href="http://ahonfoundation.multiply.com/journal/item/26">http://ahonfoundation.multiply.com/journal/item/26</a> or you can contact Anna Rojas at <a href="mailto:rojas_anna225@yahoo.com">rojas_anna225@yahoo.com</a> .<br /><br />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: <a href="http://filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com/">http://filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com/</a> or you can contact Katrina Wy at <a href="mailto:kwy@ashoka.org">kwy@ashoka.org</a> .<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.pathwaysphilippines.org/">http://www.pathwaysphilippines.org/</a> or you can contact Pathways at (02) 426-6001 local 4048.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com/">http://filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com/</a> or you can contact Kai Pastores at <a href="mailto:kayanatin@yahoo.com">kayanatin@yahoo.com</a> .<br /><br />Please feel free to share this email with your family and friends.<br /><br />Thank you very much for your time and I hope that you will consider giving these meaningful gifts this Christmas!<br /><br />Let us continue to hope, pray and work together for a better Philippines!<br /><br /><br />Sincerely, Harvey S. KehPilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-42025163520166782382008-11-19T01:14:00.000-08:002008-11-19T01:29:17.420-08:00Support Social Entrepreneurship in the Philippines!<div align="center"> Support the promotion of Social Entrepreneurs and Changemakers in the Philippines!</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Support Ashoka-Youth Venture!</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">Give Ashoka-Philippines Merchandise as Gifts this Christmas!<br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270295096574809170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJySzHdwA_bEToVvcP0kqHDtYbVs0sqzejF9e0YCTKv-VGsilmFd0MfvbFTLpAiU6gOJ3okoOVCIJNgP3yqdlKX-1k25CLAEhNxA9n0oNUom63cz7Ah2rOVODtfdlaHKuJHqCgWJVnik/s200/DSC00512.JPG" border="0" />Ashoka Memo Holder (Blue or Red) with paper - P 100.00 per piece<br /><br /><br /><p align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270295678762253314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4ESEOGk71Ur7JO5RZ5VKTqdRGQwr-ODqVuY7BOHOOy4KY7S23NhZe8Wx96dVD2OKwYMDij9aGqZZFUNi56_wT-2KtFYW61I_cnZbSZHbMjj-8BrN7RQ3UDaG3-my1BP-56bJz_oJ1aU/s200/DSC00514.JPG" border="0" /></p></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270296192099441346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPVpPlVLR71aHHsjZBauACmCoabXoCdS5JetpWvD64Vd_YvJjN111DYDCR8B9Z_CtfzrwrF0oxVAoGpcV3n6sTaZTdqykuAoXiJP-FJ5_GomzpF5Tzzh7RE5yXuLrqHT20vtX0LdS7cM/s200/DSC00517.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Ashoka 3 in 1 Memo Holder with Sticky Notes and Ballpen - P 150.00 per piece </div><br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270296757979634594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdgEg9YoGDKHPfHzbfa3pCr3wG3HhmDdhBflD3pMxqN3XolbD7YW8GRtAABRclUYrBHvbXBbgam9eT6LmNtp99EQibls7UQ9z-kzz3Xwtq1Sv8gFTqfnPGR0x4IS_-q7_fpBDS1h0Brg/s200/DSC00508.JPG" border="0" /><br /></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270297102334741986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7Xu0Szyi12a0XAydhcS69Jsx8Xw4JNVK9UQ-Z3JjX_apgU_3A-srPjf_hY7hTsRzEKwr_UJO6vrDsl45cJR0n-gBzKxaW4RV_5wNvjlQS4xoOyw8-GX5p1Qn9kIb9mttfYpwraKj02w/s200/DSC00509.JPG" border="0" /><br />Ashoka Notebook-type Memo Holder with Sticky Notes and Ballpen - P 100.00 per piece</p><p align="left">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. </p><p align="left">To inquire about these products, you can contact Cristyl Senajon at (02) 426-5657. </p><div align="center"></div><p> </p><p><br /><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /></div>Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-20629488299669753532008-11-17T21:37:00.000-08:002008-11-17T21:49:01.591-08:00Kaya Natin! leaders back Bolante probe'Kaya Natin!' leaders back Bolante probe<br />Philippine Daily Inquirer<br />Page A8<br />November 18,2008<br /><a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=172826">http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=172826</a><br /><br />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.<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <end><br /><br />For more information about Kaya Natin, you can send an email to <a href="mailto:kayanatin@yahoo.com">kayanatin@yahoo.com</a> or contact us at (02) 426-5657.Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-39003219099221089822008-11-16T21:40:00.000-08:002008-11-16T21:44:30.180-08:00Kaya Natin! Lauds COMELEC decision to Suspend Recall<strong>Kaya Natin! Lauds COMELEC decision to Suspend Recall</strong><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />Signed:<br /><br />Hon. Grace Padaca - Governor, Isabela<br />Hon. Jesse Robredo - Mayor, Naga City<br />Hon. Sonia Lorenzo - Mayor, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija<br />Hon. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. - Governor, IfugaoPilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-49022151779239097922008-11-16T15:19:00.000-08:002008-11-16T15:21:46.805-08:00Recall against Among Ed halted by the COMELECComelec halts all recall cases<br />Tonette Orejas Central Luzon Desk<br />November 14, 2008<br />The Philippine Daily Inquirer<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Recall petitions had been virtually put in the back burner after the Comelec en banc issued Resolution No. 8547, lawyer Romulo Macalintal disclosed Friday.<br /><br />Comelec legal officer Ferdinand Rafanan confirmed in a telephone interview the issuance of the resolution on Thursday.<br /><br />Rafanan said the poll body would “suspend actions on all recall petition filed and pending before this commission until funds are made available.”<br /><br />Rafanan said the move followed the failure of Congress to consider the request of the Comelec for additional funds to hold recall elections.<br /><br />Comelec Chair Jose Melo had said the agency had only a budget of P5 million for all recall cases.<br />Rafanan could not say how many cases were filed and pending before the commission, saying only that these were numerous.<br /><br />Melo had estimated that a recall election in Pampanga alone needed P40 million.<br /><br />“I believe the recall petition against Panlilio, aside from being fatally defective, could no longer move,” Macalintal said.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />The recall petition was filed on October 15.<br /><br />“It will die a natural death. As a matter of fact, it’s dead,” Macalintal said.<br />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.<br /><br />Rosve Henson, Kambilan president, called the suspension a “very sad development for all pending petitions around the country.”<br /><br />“Citizens will be deprived of their constitutional guarantee to file recall petitions,” Henson said.<br />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.”<br />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.”<br />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.”<br /><br />Vice Governor Joseller Guiao, who supports the recall move against Panlilio, said the recall petition should move forward.<br /><br />“[The Comelec resolution] does not cover Pampanga. The [signature-gathering] process is finished on the ground. That will apply to prospective petitions,” Guiao said.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Citing the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160), the agencies said recall elections should only be funded by the Comelec.<br /><br />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.”Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8780077401700031388.post-26950376252107930282008-11-15T04:35:00.000-08:002008-11-15T04:36:57.645-08:00Local Execs: Senate Probe should lead to Proper Accountability<strong>Local Execs: Senate Probe should lead to Proper Accountability</strong><br /><br />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.Pilipinas Edukasyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08741334911460349391noreply@blogger.com0