Filipino Changemaker

Join the PiNoyMarathon Fun Run on November 21!

2009-11-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Everyone is invited to join the PiNoyMarathon Fun Run,

a 3- and 6-kilometer Run for Reform which will be held
on Saturday, November 21,2009 at the
Seaside Boulevard, SM Mall of Asia.

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

So sign up already! :)

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

Finishers will receive a Pinoy Power baller band.

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

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

Who is the Reform Candidate in 2010?

2009-04-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Who is the Reform Candidate in 2010?

by: Harvey S. Keh

Inquirer.net

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can Alternative Reform Candidates for President win in 2010?

2009-03-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

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

Wil there really be an Election in 2010?

2009-03-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Will there really be an Election in 2010?

by: Harvey S. Keh

Inquirer.net

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

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

Relive the Spirit of EDSA in 2010

2009-02-26T11:50:00.000-08:00

Relive the Spirit of EDSA in 2010

This week we commemorated the EDSA People Power Revolution, which happened 23 years ago. I was only six years old at this very momentous event in our country’s history. Thus, my only knowledge about EDSA was from the history books that I read and studied in school. As I read about millions of Filipinos gathering to in EDSA to peacefully topple a dictator, I felt proud to call myself a Filipino. Many other countries looked at the Philippines back then as an exemplar of how the power of the people can prevail upon the vested interests of a few.

At the same time, let us remember that the people power revolution didn’t happen overnight. It was a product of years of struggle against the Marcos regime. The struggle eventually reached its peak when Ninoy Aquino was assassinated on his way back to the country. It is very sad that our current administration does not anymore give much importance to the spirit of EDSA. Even the President chose not to attend commemoration rites last February 25, choosing instead to attend to more “important” matters.

What could be more important than to celebrate one of the proudest moments of our people’s history? Could it be that President Gloria Arroyo knows that she has not lived up to the spirit of both EDSA I and EDSA II?

The sad reality is, 23 years after EDSA, millions of Filipinos continue to suffer in poverty and many Filipinos even the young are slowly but surely becoming more cynical about our country’s future. I recall one of my students at the Ateneo de Manila University telling me that she loves this country so much but she is losing hope in our country because of what she is seeing in our government leaders. On the bright side, the spirit of people power has remained alive in small pockets all over the country as evidenced by the victories of Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela.

In Naga City, Mayor Jesse Robredo continues to ensure transparency and accountability in his government by getting people’s organizations and non-profit organizations to be involved in decisions that are made by city hall. These small islands of good governance and ethical leadership continue to make us believe that there is still much to hope for in our country if only we have national leaders of the quality of Panlilio, Padaca and Robredo.

In 2010, we are all called to relive the spirit of EDSA but this time people power will no longer happen on the streets but rather, we are challenged to bring this same spirit when we go to the polls and elect our next leaders. Right now, many Filipinos say that we are worse off than we were during the Marcos years but the reality is, unless we all do our own share in making this country better, we will forever be condemned to a Philippines that is run by tyrants, thieves and corrupt leaders.

When we once again practice our right to suffrage this coming 2010, let us make sure that we choose the right leaders for our country. Let us choose leaders who are God-fearing, honest and ethical, pro-poor, well-educated and have a proven track record of delivering basic services to their constituents.

Besides this, now is the time to push for new faces and better alternatives to our national leaders. Many of my friends are considering not to vote in 2010 since, they told me, regardless of who they will vote for, the candidates are all of the same kind. But if we all have that attitude then we will never have be able to elect reform candidates to our government.

Our right to vote for whom we want to lead us was one of the most important gains in the EDSA People Power Revolution. Let us make sure that we practice this right in the best possible way so that 27 years from now when we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our nation’s first people power revolution our countrymen will no longer have to entertain thoughts again of leaving and giving up on our country.

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

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

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

2009-02-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

YVOTE

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

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

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

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

GOAL: 10 MILLION VOTERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Closer to Home: AHON launches Library in Bacnotan

2009-02-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

Closer to Home: AHON launches Library in Bacnotan

by: Maetrix Ocon

The Manila Bulletin (Page N4)

February 15,2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, AHON Foundation.

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

New Faces... Hopefully New Politics

2009-02-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

New Faces... Hopefully New Politics

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

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

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

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

ENERGIZING YOUNG PEOPLE

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

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

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

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

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

NOT THE SAME OLD FACES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FLAF 2009: Developing a Nation of Young Social Entrepreneurs

2009-01-31T13:48:00.000-08:00

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

The Manila Bulletin-February 1,2009

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

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

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

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com .

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

Inquirer.net: Looking for President Change

2009-01-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

Looking for President Change
by: Harvey S. Keh

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2009-01-17T23:00:00.000-08:00

The Kind of Leaders Young Filipinos need in 2010

by: Harvey S. Keh

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

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

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

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

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

Making the country oh Keh!

2009-01-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

Making the country oh Keh!
By: J. Vincent Sarabia Ong
The Philippine Star (Page F-3)
January 17,2009
http://philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=432355&publicationSubCategoryId=448

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.

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.

The Great Equalizer

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.

Hunger For Hope

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.
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.

Spread The Good News

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.

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.

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.

Thank you, Harvey, for making us think of the possibilities of 2010 in 2009. Tomorrow is, indeed, ours.

* * *
Links to Harvey Keh's foundations:http://ahonfoundation.multiply.com/ http://www.pathwaysphilippines.org/ http://kayanatin.com.

How Young Filipinos Can Change the Philippines

2009-01-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

How Young Filipinos Can Change the Philippines

By: Harvey S. Keh

January 11,2008 (Sunday)

The Manila Bulletin

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^th 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.

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^nd 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.

If you would like to also become a positive Youth Changemaker, join Youth Venture Philippines, send an email to kwy@ashoka.org .

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.

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

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

New Year, New Hopes, New Philippines?

2009-01-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 kayanatin@yahoo.com or by calling us at (02) 426-5657.

Things I Learned from Mayor Jesse Robredo

2009-01-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

For 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.

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 kayanatin@yahoo.com .

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 harveykeh@gmail.com .

The Pride of Nueva Ecija

2009-01-03T04:52:00.000-08:00

Last 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.

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.

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 kayanatin@yahoo.com or call (02) 426-5657.

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

Kaya Natin! leaders back CARP extension

2008-12-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

Kaya Natin! leaders back CARP extension

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Gamechangers in the 2010 National Elections (Part 1)

2008-12-11T02:50:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kaya Natin! launches drive against Charter Change

2008-11-30T05:04:00.001-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Give Meaningful Gifts this Christmas!

2008-11-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Good day to all of you! :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely, Harvey S. Keh

Support Social Entrepreneurship in the Philippines!

2008-11-19T01:14:00.000-08:00

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

Support Ashoka-Youth Venture!

Give Ashoka-Philippines Merchandise as Gifts this Christmas!

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

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

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

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

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

Kaya Natin! leaders back Bolante probe

2008-11-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kaya Natin! Lauds COMELEC decision to Suspend Recall

2008-11-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

Kaya Natin! Lauds COMELEC decision to Suspend Recall

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

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

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

Signed:

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

Recall against Among Ed halted by the COMELEC

2008-11-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The recall petition was filed on October 15.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Local Execs: Senate Probe should lead to Proper Accountability

2008-11-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

Local Execs: Senate Probe should lead to Proper Accountability

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

Wanted: Good People with Courage to Run in 2010

2008-11-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

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

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

Kaya Natin! Baller Bands!

2008-11-12T00:20:00.001-08:00

Kaya Natin! Baller Bands for Sale!!!

Support Good Governance in the Philippines! Support Kaya Natin!

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

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

We have our own little Obamas

2008-11-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Obama effect and the Filipino youth

2008-11-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

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

So it’s President-elect Barack Obama.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yes We Can! Kaya Natin!

2008-11-05T18:55:00.001-08:00

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

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

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

I am Change, Are You?

2008-04-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

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

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

All of them raised their hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Gawad Kalinga May Not Be Enough

2008-04-08T01:45:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commencement Speech at Western Mindanao State University

2008-03-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

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

Buenas Dias! Alegre Yo Kay Takyo Aura!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, Muchas Gracias and good morning to all!

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

2008-03-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Fellow Filipinos,

Good day to you! :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May you have a pleasant day ahead! :)

Sincerely,

Harvey S. Keh

Chairperson

Team RP

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

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

2008-02-25T20:06:00.001-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Postscript to Team RP Concert

2008-02-25T15:35:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

Why do it?Why? Simple. Why not?

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

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

Where are the Filipino Youth?

2008-02-15T01:33:00.001-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Help Change the World -- Without Quitting Your Day Job

2007-06-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

Do you want to help create positive change in our society?
Do you have a great idea/s on how to make life better for many Filipinos?
Do you want to do something that will benefit future generations of Filipinos?

If your answer is Yes to all of these questions then this seminar is for you!

The Ateneo de Manila-School of Government in cooperation with Avant Change (a non-profit organization based at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government) will be conducting a 1-day seminar-workshop for Professionals and Graduate students entitled, "Help Change the World: A Seminar on Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovations". The main objectives of the seminar are as follows:

- Introduce participants to the concept of Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovations in Development.

- Discuss Real Life examples of Social Entrepreneurs both in the Philippines and Abroad.

- Help participants in designing viable and effective social enterprises that will address key social problems in their community.

The seminar-workshop will be held on July 28,2007 (Saturday) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Ateneo de Manila University-Professional Schools, Rockwell Center, Makati City. A seminar fee of P 2,000 pesos will be charged per participant. Seminar Fee will cover snacks, lunch, materials and certificate for the seminar. This seminar-workshop will be limited to only 30 participants. Registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Interested participants can email Reese Fernandez at reesefernandez@yahoo.com. For more inquiries, you can contact Reese at (02) 426-4279. Deadline of registration will be on July 21,2007 (Saturday).

Harvey S. Keh, Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship of the Ateneo de Manila School of Government will be the lead facilitator for this seminar. Harvey helped establish two education reform organizations namely, Pathways to Higher Education-Philippines and the Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation. Harvey is also a fellow at the Asian Institute of Management's Mirant Center for Bridging Societal Divides and at the Asia Society. Aside from these involvements, Harvey also teaches Development Studies and Theology at the Ateneo de Manila University-Loyola Schools. For more information about Pathways to Higher Education and AHON Foundation, you can visit their websites at www.pathwaysphilippines.org and ahonfoundation.blogspot.com .

Libraries of HOPE

2007-06-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

Libraries of Hope
by: Lala Ordenes-Cascolan
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)
Link to article: http://www.pcij.org/i-report/2007/literacy4.html

THE SHELVES are filled with new books, and there are colorful tables and chairs ready for readers. There is even a storytelling nook strewn with mats and pillows for those who would rather stretch out as they flip through the pages of their favorite books or while listening to tales being read aloud to them. On one wall is a mural that livens up the room all the more, while children’s artworks are proudly displayed on another.

It’s hard to believe this is a public school library, but if Harvey Keh and Hector Tagaysay had their way, the reading room that is now one of the favorite haunts of the students of the Industrial Valley Elementary School (IVES) in Marikina would be replicated in all of the country’s 37, 161 public elementary schools. After all, Keh and Tagaysay aim to ultimately “uplift the lives of Filipino youths by providing relevant learning opportunities.” That’s why in May 2006, they set up AHON Foundation, which seeks to develop public elementary libraries by donating books and reference materials, as well as mobilizing community participation in putting up functional, well-maintained, and child-friendly libraries nationwide.

"Reading," Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has said, "is a foundational skill that enables a child access to the world of information. More than just teaching children to read, it is absolutely crucial to impress on them the habit of reading."In order to inculcate the habit, access to reading materials is crucial. Public schools are thus mandated by the Department of Education to have a library or reading corner. But DepEd library hub project officer Beverly Gonda admits that what passes for libraries in most public schools usually have donated books that contain obsolete data.
Addressing the country’s educational woes is primarily a governmental function. But sometimes, when the government falters, civic-minded organizations like AHON step up to the plate and fill in the gaps to provide much needed educational services.

AHON’s first beneficiary was IVES. The foundation has since had three more, all of them also Marikina public schools. AHON — which stands for Acts of Hope for the Nation — works with DepEd in choosing the school-beneficiaries. “We believe that if you really want to change the educational system in the country, you have to work with DepEd,” explains Keh. Once a school is picked, AHON asks the principal to pledge support, in terms of community mobilization, in exchange for the books.

If Keh’s name sounds familiar, that’s because earlier this year, he made a list of reasons why someone like him would leave the country. He emailed the list to several friends, but it somehow circulated even outside his network, and eventually attracted media interest.

For years, though, he was the executive director of Pathways to Higher Education at the Ateneo de Manila University, his alma mater. He was in fact a co-founder of Pathways, an educational program that sends impoverished high school students to college.

Tagaysay, meanwhile, is the president and chief executive officer of Filway Marketing, Inc., which has been in the book business since 1975 and is the exclusive Philippine distributor of the Time Life home-learning programs. Also an Atenean, Tagaysay had been an ardent Pathways supporter. When Keh left the program, it seemed natural for him to team up with philanthropist Tagaysay for yet another youth-oriented project. Since Keh’s advocacy is education and Tagaysay’s line of business is books, refurbishing libraries was the most logical undertaking.
“I don’t believe that computers can teach a child how to read,” says Keh. “The basic skills of reading always begin with books. Even (Microsoft founder) Bill Gates has said that.”

AHON does not merely donate books. The foundation has laid out a solid program of building libraries that is not based on doleouts. “You can give books, but if the library is not conducive to learning and to reading, sayang ang books mo (your books will go to waste),” says Keh.
Three main characteristics set AHON apart from other reading programs in the country: one, the foundation works with, not independent of, DepEd; two, it enlists the help of the local government as a partner; and three, it encourages participation from stakeholders by mobilizing the community to contribute.

Community participation is integral in the foundation’s program. AHON does not deliver the books until the structure that will house them are set in place. This means, for example, that the local government has provided tables and chairs, the parent-teacher’s association has painted the walls, and the barangay has installed the lighting fixtures. Then, and only then, will the new books — worth at least P500,000 — be delivered.

The community, having thus invested time and energy in putting up the library, has a stake in its maintenance. “The community has worked hard for it, so they would value the library more,” adds Keh.

In fact, AHON’s second beneficiary, Concepcion Elementary School, was chosen because the president of the parent-teacher’s association learned about the program and wrote the Foundation. When AHON representatives visited the community, the residents welcomed them with open arms. Now the school has a new library, through the help of Filway Marketing, Adarna House, Tahanan Pacific Inc., and ABS-CBN Foundation.

Two more libraries, one in Malanday Elementary School and another in San Roque Elementary School, became the proud recipients of brand new books this year.

Keh says the children’s excitement over the books is always something to behold. “You can see the look on their faces,” he says, “some of them would smell the books, taking everything in.”

If you would like to help or know more about AHON Foundation, please visit our website at ahonfoundation.blogspot.com or email Cecille Bautista at ahonfoundation@gmail.com

Will I Leave the Philippines? A Follow Up Open Letter to All Filipinos

2007-03-08T06:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Filipinos,

Magandang araw sa inyong lahat!

More than three weeks ago, I wrote an Open Letter entitled, What would make me leave the Philippines (if you have not read it, you may visit my site at filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com ). This open letter has elicited much attention from Filipinos here and abroad and up until today, I still receive an average of 80-100 emails from Filipinos worldwide. I wish to thank all those who wrote to me and whether you agreed with me or not, I think the important thing is that the letter was able to spark discussion among Filipinos on the upcoming elections and hopefully, awaken in most of us an earnest desire to act in our own small way towards making our nation Great once more :) I thank as well all those who posted my open letter in their different blogs and websites, again, whether the comments that you gave me were good or bad, I'm happy that you took the time to read my letter and to share it with your friends. In all honesty, I did not really expect this much attention to be given to this open letter. Like I said in my interviews over Mornings at ANC and TV Patrol last week, I sent this email only to people I personally know and egroups that I belong to, the main intention was just to share my personal insights and opinions about where our nation is headed. For those who read my email and were offended by it, I would like to extend my heartfelt apologies.

Many people have now begun to ask me which candidates will I be supporting and what are things that they can do to help in my cause. I am very sorry to all those who have emailed me these questions and have failed to receive an answer from me, like I said, I wrote this without any agenda or ulterior motive and thus, I was totally caught off guard with the many emails I receive each day. For those who continue to ask whether I will stay or go when the 7 things I wrote down happen, my answer is YES, I will STAY in the Philippines even if the 7 things do happen. But for me, the more fundamental question is not whether or not one should leave the country but rather to ask ourselves what can we do in our own small way to contribute towards Nation Building. I personally don't think that any Filipino has the right to complaint and put down people if s/he has done nothing at all to help our nation grow. Ang problema ng marami sa ating mga Pinoy, we love to criticize, complain and shout to high heavens what is wrong with our government and leaders yet, we don't do anything at all to become even just a small part of the solution to all of our problems.

Now, after reading all the insights, comments and suggestions of those who emailed me, I took some time to reflect and discern upon all these. I realized that most of us are sick and tired about the usual politics and usual traditional politicians that runs our country. Some Filipinos have also given up all Hope of one day seeing a better Philippines that is run by good people committed primarily to genuine public service. Thus, I'd like to invite all of you to be part of Bagong Pag-Asa, a national movement that will aspire for New Politics and a New Brand of Filipino Leadership. I sincerely believe that every Filipino in our own small way can be a changemaker for this country thus, through this movement we will work together towards these changes that we have long aspired for and hopefully help millions of Filipinos make better choices on whom to elect in this coming elections. I'd like to believe that based on the responses that I have received from people, Filipinos are longing for positive change and better leaders, thus, I think the time is now for ordinary Filipinos to work together and make these changes happen. Let us not wait anymore for our leaders to do this for us lest we all wait in vain.

If you are one of the many Filipinos who are sick and tired of Traditional Politics and is seeking better leaders for our country, then I invite you to join me in this movement.

If you would like to help me in educating our fellow Filipinos on the right candidates and leaders to elect this coming elections, then I invite you to join me in this movement.

If you would like to learn more about how you can contribute in your own little way towards building a better Philippines and better Leadership in our country then I invite you to join me in this movement.

If you decide to accept this invitation and join us in moving towards a better Philippines, please email your complete name, email address and contact information to bagongpagasa@gmail.com . It doesn't matter if you are in South Korea , San Francisco, Saudi Arabia, San Juan or Sulu, any Filipino who still believes that we can make this country great again can join this movement. Together let us make this the Beginning of a National Awakening that will hopefully change the landscape of Philippine politics for the better!

To end let me share with you a famous quote by Margaret Mead which goes....

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Again, to all my Kababayans that have read and shared my open letter to others, thank you very much for your time. If you believe in all the things that I wrote down in this letter then feel free to again share it with all your friends and kababayans. Now, it is our time to do our own share and be the change that we want to happen in our country.

Thank you very much and may you have a good day! :)

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas at Mabuhay ang Mamamayang Pilipino!

Sincerely,

Harvey S. Keh
Email: harveykeh@gmail.com
Blog: filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com

Harvey S. Keh, 27, is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University's School of Government and a Fellow at the Asian Institute of Management's Mirant Center for Bridging Societal Divides. He is also the Executive Director of AHON Foundation, an organization that helps promote literacy by building public elementary school libraries. Harvey was chosen as one of the 20 Young Leaders of Asia by the Asia Society, an organization based in New York that aims to strengthen relationships and deepen understanding among the peoples of Asia and the United States of America.

PDI: Youth Leader to leave RP if 7 things happen

2007-03-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

Youth leader to leave RP if 7 things happen
By Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer 02/28/2007

Link to Article: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=52046

MANILA, Philippines -- The state of politics in the Philippines is becoming so bad that even the most patriotic of Filipinos like Harvey Keh is considering migrating.

If that happens, it will certainly be a big loss.

The credentials as patriot of the 27-year-old Keh are impeccable.

In an open letter posted on the Internet, Keh said that in spite of his love for his country, there were seven possible outcomes of the coming elections that would make him consider leaving the country.

1. If former Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of "Hello Garci" infamy wins in his announced bid to become congressman of Bukidnon province.
The opposition says a wiretapped conversation purportedly between Garcillano and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is evidence Ms Arroyo stole the 2004 presidential election. Ms Arroyo has denied any wrongdoing.
"We would really be the laughingstock of the whole world if we allowed a man with the reputation of Garci to be one of our so-called 'Honorable Gentlemen,'" Keh said in his open letter titled "What Will Make Me Leave the Philippines."

2. If "Dancing Queen" Tessie Aquino-Oreta reclaims her Senate seat.
"I hope that all of us would still remember that dance that she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after they voted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Hilario Davide. Let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senate again," said Keh.

3. If actor and comedian Richard Gomez is elected senator.
"What does he know about making laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid in the Senate, and their performance, or the lack of it, would be reason enough not to elect another actor who has no prior experience in government to the distinguished halls of the Senate," the letter said. \n\n

4. If former senator Gregorio Honasan wins a Senate seat.
"I cannot believe that just because someone is charismatic, we will just elect him to become one of our senators despite the fact that he has time and again caused so much instability in our country," Keh said. "If we want a military junta similar to that of Thailand, then let's all vote for this guy."

5. If Manny Pacquiao becomes congressman of General Santos City.
"Everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ, but Manny the Lawmaker? Let's be realistic here, Manny is our hero, but I think it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire to serve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help uplift the lives of the many Filipinos who live in poverty," he said. \n\n6. If Sen. Lito Lapid is elected mayor of Makati City.

6.Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country's finance and business center?! Do you really think he is from Makati and has good plans for the city?" he asked.

7. If Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, who has long been linked to illegal gambling, is elected.

Deluge of concern

Keh's short e-mail has reached the farthest corners of the world, triggering a deluge of responses from Filipinos -- most of whom share his fears.

"Since I sent the e-mail on Feb. 14, I have been receiving at least 80 messages a day," Keh told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "I spend about two to three hours in front of my computer just answering my mail.

"It seems that the letter has really circulated and penetrated almost every Filipino e-group all over the world," said Keh.

Keh said he was compelled to write an open letter because of the news that Garcillano was going to run in Bukidnon.

Keh, however, said in another e-mail sent following the huge response generated by his first letter that there were still reasons to stay in the Philippines, and Filipinos overseas could do their share by investing in education.

Invest in education

It is in education that Keh finds a brighter future for the Philippines.\nAnd how much does it cost to invest in the country's future?

Not much, according to Keh.

Just $60, he said, could send a Filipino youth leader to a training seminar to help develop better leaders; $100 can buy a complete set of reference materials for a public elementary school library for 2,000 students, and $200 can help send a student to college for one year, as provided by Pathways to Higher Education, which Keh helped put up.

"As long as there are many more Filipinos who are willing to take a risk and invest in our country's future, then indeed there is still much hope left in the Philippines," he said.

Credentials

Keh is the former executive director of Pathways to Higher Education at the Ateneo de Manila University, an organization that helps less fortunate students gain access to quality higher education in the Philippines.He is one of the 20 Young Leaders of Asia cited on the 50th anniversary of the Asia Society, an organization founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller III to strengthen relationships and deepen understanding among the peoples of Asia and the United States.

He is also one of the inaugural Fellows of the Asian Institute of Management's Mirant Center for Bridging Societal Divides and executive director of Ahon Foundation, which aims to increase Filipino literacy by building libraries across the country.

What's wrong with this picture?

He was also concerned about the unusual makeup of the two major political alliances fighting over the 12 seats in the Senate.

The Team Unity ticket of President Macapagal-Arroyo has former senators Sotto and Aquino-Oreta, who accused Ms Arroyo of cheating their then standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr. during the 2004 elections.

On the other hand, Senate President Manuel Villar, who as House Speaker was instrumental in the impeachment of former President Joseph Estrada, is now part of the United Opposition, which is led by Estrada himself.
"Now, if you don't see anything wrong with this picture then you must be one of the many Filipinos who have accepted this very sad reality that there is indeed no permanent ideals that our government leaders stand up for, but rather, they just go where their self-interest can best be served," Keh said in his e-mail.

"It is this kind of politics [that explains] why I no longer wonder why good people like Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City or outstanding Bulacan Gov. Josie de la Cruz will find it hard, or worse, never be elected to national positions," Keh said.

Be more vigilant

Keh appealed to his fellow Filipinos to do their share to shape the outcome of the elections in May.

"I think it is time that Filipinos became more vigilant and critical in selecting our leaders for the sake of our future and the generations that will go beyond us. So I appeal to every Filipino who asks what can I actually do for my country, choose and vote for the right people in the coming elections," he said.

He appealed to Filipinos in his open letter not to be influenced by candidates on the basis of a catchy jingle or a cute poster.

"Let us choose leaders who have a good track record for service and who are genuinely committed toward serving our country," he said.

Making Social Investments: An Open Letter to All Overseas Filipinos :)

2007-02-18T05:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Filipinos,

Greetings of peace!

Last week I wrote an open letter to all Filipinos expressing my views about the upcoming May 2007 elections (for those who failed to read it, its posted at http://filipinochangemaker.blogspot.com/ ) and the response has been very overwhelming to say the least. Maraming maraming Salamat to all those who emailed me personally and forwarded my email to many more Filipinos all over the world. I am very sorry that I cannot email each one of you personally thus, I have devided to write an open letter to all of you especially to all overseas Filipinos.

Many of those who emailed me were overseas Filipinos some of whom have migrated and decided to live abroad while many more are those currently working on foreign soil. An observation that they gave was the reason why the Philippines has never progressed through the years is because of two main reasons: Poor Quality of Education and Lack of Good Filipino Leaders. I couldn't agree more with these observations but then again the question persists on what shall we do about it or rather what can we do about this growing problems in our society? For those who continually ask these questions especially to Filipinos who now live and/or work overseas, allow me to share with you a possible answer that I have thought of...

Last 2006, the remittances of Filipinos living and working abroad reached more than US$ 10 Billion, this stagerring amount was the main reason why despite the fact that our government has time and again been tagged as one of the more corrupt and least transparent ones in the world, our economy has remained afloat and thankfully, peace and order has been maintained. Now, what if just 1% of this amount (US $ 100 Million = 5 Billion Pesos) was invested by Overseas Filipinos on helping poor college students go to college or building public school libraries so that our Filipino children can learn how to read... here is what would happen:

a.) 100,000 Poor but Deserving Filipino Students would be able to Finish College and hopefully have a better future for them and their families.

b.) 50,000 Public School Libraries would be built. Virtually every Public elementary Schools would have adequate Public School Libraries, helping more than 9 million Filipino students from every nook and corner of the Philippines learn how to read.

Wow! This is how powerful the Overseas Filipinos are, if every Filipino living or working abroad would just commit to making a Social Investment in our country, the results will not be additional money in the bank for you but an even greater return... A Much Better Philippines for you and your children! So that one day the next generation of Filipinos will no longer need to leave our country and their families to seek greener pastures and a better life. More importantly, we can show the world that genuine People Power still exists in our country not in the form of toppling our government but rather in building a nation ravaged by weak leadership and self-serving interests.

And How much does it cost to invest in our country's future? Not much in fact....

a.) US $ 60 can help send a Filipino Youth Leader to a Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Training Seminar to help develop better leaders for country. Who knows the youth leader you invest in may be the next Mayor, Governor, Senator or even President of our country....(Visit www.ashoka.org or www.changemakers.org to learn more about Social Entrepreneurship)

b.) US$ 100 can help buy a complete set of reference materials for a Public Elementary School Library for more than 2,000 students to read. (Visit ahonfoundation.blogspot.com to learn more about building public school libraries)

c.) US $ 200 can help send a student to college for one year (Visit www.pathwaysphilippines.org or www.iskolar.org to learn more about sending Poor but Deserving Filipino Students to College and giving them a brighter future)

Thus, this is my response to those who ask me what we can do to help our country and to those who ask me to stay so that I may continue to give Hope to our nation. I ask you now to give me and many more Filipinos a reason to stay by investing in our nation. The problems of our country will not go away overnight but we need to start somewhere and it is only in working together that we can help make this country great again. And I know that all of you still believe that we can make this happen! For as long as there are many more Filipinos who are willing to take a risk and invest in our country's future then indeed there is still much HOPE left in the Philippines! :)

Again, thank you very much for your time in reading this email.

May you have a pleasant day and God Bless the Philippines! :)

Sincerely,

Harvey Keh
Email: harveykeh@gmail.com

What will make me leave the Philippines... An Open Letter to Every Filipino :)

2007-02-18T03:38:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Filipino,

Good day to all of you! Before I begin my letter... just a disclaimer, for people who know me they know that I love the Philippines very much and I am not really one who rants and complaints to high heavens about what is happening to our country and does nothing about it, in fact, I feel that at my relatively young age of 27, I have done much service to the Philippines by setting up Pathways to Higher Education which has sent more than 500 poor but deserving students to college and AHON Foundation which has already built two public elementary school libraries that have benefitted more than 3,500 students. Yet, after seeing how events in our nation have transpired the past few weeks and talking with some friends, I feel the urge to share with you my own thoughts and feelings.

Over the weekend, we saw the completion of two major political alliances for this coming Senate Elections that has just began here in the Philippines. Now we have two political forces with familiar faces nonetheless on opposite sides of the fences. On one end, you have Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta who were two major stalwarts of the opposition and the FPJ Campaign in 2004 hobnobbing with the woman (Pres. GMA) whom they claimed to have cheated FPJ in the last Presidential Elections.On the other side of the fence, you see Manny Villar, the former house speaker who was actually responsible for impeaching Erap now part of the United Opposition who is led by no less than... Erap himself. Now if you don't see anything wrong with this picture then you must be one of the many Filipinos who have accepted this very sad reality that there is indeed no permanent ideals that our government leaders stand up for but rather they just go where there self-interests can best be served. It is this kind of politics why I no longer wonder why good people like Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City or outstanding Bulacan Governor Josie Dela Cruz will find it hard or worse, never be elected to national positions.

1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of Hello Garci fame wins in his bid to become Congressman of Bukidnon...seeking to replace a good man no less in incumbent Cong. Neric Acosta... We would really be the laughing stock of the whole world if we allow a man with the reputation of Garci to be one of our so called "Honorable Gentlemen".

2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino Oreta reclaims her seat at the Senate... I hope that all of us would still remember that dance that she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after they voted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Davide... let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senate again.

3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a senator... what does he know about making laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid in the Senate and their performance or lack of it would be reason enough not to elect another actor who has no prior experience in government to the distinguished halls of the Senate.

4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again.... have we not learned our lesson? I cannot believe that just because someone is charismatic then we will just elect him to become one of our senators despite the fact that he has time and again caused so much instability in our country... if we want a military junta similar to that of Thailand... then lets all vote for this guy....

5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes Congressman of General Santos City... everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ but Manny the Lawmaker? Lets be realistic here, Manny is our Hero alright but I think it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire to serve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help uplift the lives of the many Filipinos who live in Poverty.

6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of Makati City... I don't like Jojo Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country's finance and business center?!?! And do you really think he is from Makati and has good plans for the city? The Arroyos asking someone like him to run just goes to show you how much love and concern this government has for our country.

7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a Senator, Illegal Gambling =Chavit... enough said.

Now if all of these 7 things happen during this coming elections then don't be surprised if I decide to leave this country that I love dearly. Like I said during the first part of my letter, I feel that I have done much for this country but I think its time that Filipinos become more vigilant and critical in selecting our leaders for the sake of our future and the generations that will go beyond us. So I appeal to every Filipino who asks what can I actually do for my country... Choose and vote for the right people this coming elections, huwag na tayong magpaloko sa mga kandidatong maganda lang ang jingle o gwapo lang sa mga poster. Let us choose leaders who have a good track record for service and who are genuinely committed towards serving our country.

Manindigan naman tayong lahat para sa ating Kinabukasan at para sa Kapakanan ng ating Bayan!

Thank you very much for your time in reading this letter.

Sincerely,

Harvey S. Keh
Email: harveykeh@gmail.com