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!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Team RP: Do You Want to Know Where Your Money Goes?
Dear Friends and Fellow Filipinos,
Good day to you! :)
In light of the recent spate of scandals and allegations of corruption in our government, we at Team RP believe that the call for Truth and Accountability in our government should not stop in the investigations that are being conducted by our Senate, Ombudsman and our Judicial System but this should also be complemented with a push for a Philippine Access to Information Law that would help prevent future graft and corruption practices by many of our government officials from happening again. By enacting this law, ordinary Filipinos will now be able to access public documents which would narrate what kind of agreements our government enters into on behalf of the Filipino people and at the same time show us how our public funds are spent. This will increase transparency in our government and will further hold our government leaders and officials accountable for their actions.
In line with this, we are launching a Signature Campaign to help convince our lawmakers towards prioritizing the immediate passing and implementation of this law. Here is Team RP's petition on pushing for a Philippine Access to Information Law:
"Secrecy breeds irregularity, fraud and crime. It allows chicanery, graft and corruption… A democracy based on ignorance, on misinformation, on conjectures, on suspicion is doomed to fail. The more enlightened the people have, the more guarantee there is for their success in their collective enterprises, and in the fulfillment of their social aspirations and purposes."
From the de Venecia-Lozada expose, the Hello Garci scandal and the Spratlys mind-boggler to the North and South Rail questions, events of the recent past clearly highlight how very little we know about the workings of our government, how much difficulty is involved in getting truth to come out and how, albeit fundamental in any republican and democratic state that the government is accountable to the public, we Filipinos are in reality denied direct access to our government institutions and our public servants. As a country that prides itself with democracy, it strikes us with a disquieting reality that we Filipinos have no real access to information to empower us to properly and actively participate in governance.
We in TEAM RP believe that in order for there to be a responsible citizenry that can actively and meaningfully craft the future of the country, there is a need to give teeth to the policy of full public disclosure and the right of the people to be informed as contained in the fundamental law of the land. Moreover, we are aware that if people, especially those who have been bypassed by development, are unaware of laws and procedures for availing themselves of their entitlements or of mechanisms they can use to remedy their plight, then they will always remain poor.
Let us call on our lawmakers to make top priority the passage of a Philippine Access to Information Law which, subject to reasonable and clearly outlined conditions, ensures unfettered access of the people to information of public concern, including government transactions involving public interest.
We urge our lawmakers, let us not delay this any further.
If you support our petition and call for the passage of a Philippine Access to Information Law, you can join and help us in any of the following ways:
a.) Sign our petition online by emailing "I Support the Campaign for a Philippine Access to Information Law" together with your complete name and contact information to team.rp.pail@gmail.com
b.) Forward this email to your friends and post this email in your website, blog, friendster, multiply or facebook account for all your friends to read.
c.) Volunteer for our campaign and help us get more Filipinos to sign our petition. If you want to volunteer and help, you can email Karen Naranjo at k_ren_naranjo@yahoo.com or you can send her a text message at 0918-9183685. We will send you copies of our petition so you can also help gather signatures in your school, office or organization.
Thank you for your time in reading this email. We hope that you will consider joining Team RP's movement for Truth, Accountability and Reform in our country.
May you have a pleasant day ahead! :)
Sincerely,
Harvey S. Keh
Chairperson
Team RP
Team RP is an organization of youth leaders and young professionals who working together for Truth, Accountability and Reform in our country. We are part of the Buong Bayan Isinisigaw Tama Na, Itama Na (BUSINA) Movement. We believe that complaining and lambasting our leaders is not enough but we should proactively work towards finding concrete ways to help solve our present problems. As such, Team RP believes that issues should always take precedence over personalities thus, our programs and activities are always geared towards helping build our democratic institutions and furthering the development of every Filipino. If you want to know more about Team RP or join Team RP, please email us at team.rp.official@gmail.com
Monday, February 25, 2008
Team RP: People Power Spirit is Alive in the Filipino Youth!
Many doubted but much more believed that the spirit of the 1st EDSA People Power Revolution is still very much alive in the Filipino Youth today.
In a show of force and in response to former Pres. Cory Aquino's call for the youth to get involved, almost a thousand young Filipinos from all walks of life braved the rains to join Team RP's Concert for Truth, Accountability and Reform which was held last night (Feb. 25,2008) at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. In a show of force youth leaders from different schools such as Ateneo, UP, DLSU, UST, Miriam and PUP joined Team RP's call for Truth, Accountability and Reform. Bankers, Doctors, Lawyers, Journalists, Businessmen, Teachers, NGO Workers and other young professionals also took time out to join the concert which started with a Forum on Truth, Accountability and Reform. The forum started with ZTE-NBN Whistleblower Joey De Venecia sharing with the audience his take on how this flawed and corruption-laden deal was entered into by our government. After De Venecia, a representative from the Union of Catholic Student Councils of the Philippines (UCSC) spoke about the need for young Filipinos to get involved and remain vigilant especially in these troubling times. To cap the forum, the Sumilao farmers talked about their long wait for their land despite a promise made by President Arroyo that she will award them their land early this year.
After the forum and at exactly 6pm, Team RP led a noise barrage along Katipunan Avenue which was participated in by thousands of vehicles that passed by during that time. The regular noise barrage is organized by the BUSINA movement, which Team RP is part of. BUSINA stands for Buong Bayan Sinisigaw Tama Na, Itama Na! BUSINA is a growing movement pushing for Truth, Accountability and Reform which counts the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), PAKISAMA and CODE-NGO among its members.
As soon as the noise barrage ended, the concert began with the very energetic hosts Erick Habijan and Jigjig Bautista introducing Team RP to the audience. Performers in the concert included Empty Siren Boulevard, Formula Juan, the CGE Band and Smoke My Cuban. In the middle of the concert, Noel Cabangon led the candle-lighting ceremony while also leading the crowd in singing, Bayan Ko. Testimonials of support were also given to Team RP and the Filipino Youth by noted Akbayan leaders Etta Rosales and Rep. Rissa Hontiveros-Baraquel, and Soc Banzuela of PAKISAMA, an organization that represents the farmers and peasants sector. Other notable personalities who joined the concert included Bishop Deogracias Yniguez and Ang Ladlad Founder Danton Remoto. To cap the night, Noel Cabangon sang songs which made everyone in the audience feel once more the spirit of EDSA People Power I as he encouraged every Filipino to continue to remain vigilant and proactively push for genuine and lasting reforms in our country.
Aside from just enjoying beautiful music, Team RP also used the concert as an opportunity to invite young Filipinos to volunteer for upcoming activities that will continue to work towards achieving its goals of promoting Truth, Accountability and Reform in our government. Among the initial action areas that Team RP is planning to do are as follows:
For TRUTH
- To continue to push for the Senate investigations on the highly-controversial ZTE-NBN Deal to continue and finish.
- To push for the repealing of Executive Order 464 which prevents Cabinet members from testifying at the Senate without the permission of the President.
For ACCOUNTABILITY
-To ensure that proper charges are filed against people whether inside or outside the government who have been part of the rampant graft and corruption which is happening in our government.
-To lobby for the formation of an indepedent council that will investigate scams, scandals and controversies which involve the President and the First Family.
For REFORM
- To push for a more transparent Government Procurement system to ensure that we will no longer have controversial and flawed deals such as the ZTE-NBN Broadband Deal.
- To push for electoral reforms such as the automation of elections, appointment of highly-qualified, ethical and clean COMELEC Commissioners and a stricter implementation on the regulation of election spending.
- To push for the awarding of the land to the Sumilao Farmers and the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)
Team RP is composed of youth leaders and young professionals who believe in reform not rhetoric. It was formed as a response to an email I sent two weeks ago which asked, Where are the FilipinoYouth?, the concert last night showed us that indeed there are still many young Filipinos who want to make a difference in our society and who will no longer stand idly while our government continues to wreck our democratic institutions. Last night, many more young Filipinos joined Team RP and now, we also invite you to join us in making a stand for our country and our Future as we continue to work hard for a better Philippines. If you want to join Team RP, please send your complete name and contact information to Steph Cuevas at 0926-6255620 or email us at team.rp.official@gmail.com . Team RP would also like to give special thanks to Dr. Tony La Viña and the Ateneo School of Government, and the Administration of the Ateneo de Manila University for all the support that it has given us.
To all those who went and took part in Team RP's Concert for Truth, Accountability and Reform, thank you very much and we look forward to having you again in our future activities! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay and Kabataang Pilipino!
In a show of force and in response to former Pres. Cory Aquino's call for the youth to get involved, almost a thousand young Filipinos from all walks of life braved the rains to join Team RP's Concert for Truth, Accountability and Reform which was held last night (Feb. 25,2008) at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. In a show of force youth leaders from different schools such as Ateneo, UP, DLSU, UST, Miriam and PUP joined Team RP's call for Truth, Accountability and Reform. Bankers, Doctors, Lawyers, Journalists, Businessmen, Teachers, NGO Workers and other young professionals also took time out to join the concert which started with a Forum on Truth, Accountability and Reform. The forum started with ZTE-NBN Whistleblower Joey De Venecia sharing with the audience his take on how this flawed and corruption-laden deal was entered into by our government. After De Venecia, a representative from the Union of Catholic Student Councils of the Philippines (UCSC) spoke about the need for young Filipinos to get involved and remain vigilant especially in these troubling times. To cap the forum, the Sumilao farmers talked about their long wait for their land despite a promise made by President Arroyo that she will award them their land early this year.
After the forum and at exactly 6pm, Team RP led a noise barrage along Katipunan Avenue which was participated in by thousands of vehicles that passed by during that time. The regular noise barrage is organized by the BUSINA movement, which Team RP is part of. BUSINA stands for Buong Bayan Sinisigaw Tama Na, Itama Na! BUSINA is a growing movement pushing for Truth, Accountability and Reform which counts the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), PAKISAMA and CODE-NGO among its members.
As soon as the noise barrage ended, the concert began with the very energetic hosts Erick Habijan and Jigjig Bautista introducing Team RP to the audience. Performers in the concert included Empty Siren Boulevard, Formula Juan, the CGE Band and Smoke My Cuban. In the middle of the concert, Noel Cabangon led the candle-lighting ceremony while also leading the crowd in singing, Bayan Ko. Testimonials of support were also given to Team RP and the Filipino Youth by noted Akbayan leaders Etta Rosales and Rep. Rissa Hontiveros-Baraquel, and Soc Banzuela of PAKISAMA, an organization that represents the farmers and peasants sector. Other notable personalities who joined the concert included Bishop Deogracias Yniguez and Ang Ladlad Founder Danton Remoto. To cap the night, Noel Cabangon sang songs which made everyone in the audience feel once more the spirit of EDSA People Power I as he encouraged every Filipino to continue to remain vigilant and proactively push for genuine and lasting reforms in our country.
Aside from just enjoying beautiful music, Team RP also used the concert as an opportunity to invite young Filipinos to volunteer for upcoming activities that will continue to work towards achieving its goals of promoting Truth, Accountability and Reform in our government. Among the initial action areas that Team RP is planning to do are as follows:
For TRUTH
- To continue to push for the Senate investigations on the highly-controversial ZTE-NBN Deal to continue and finish.
- To push for the repealing of Executive Order 464 which prevents Cabinet members from testifying at the Senate without the permission of the President.
For ACCOUNTABILITY
-To ensure that proper charges are filed against people whether inside or outside the government who have been part of the rampant graft and corruption which is happening in our government.
-To lobby for the formation of an indepedent council that will investigate scams, scandals and controversies which involve the President and the First Family.
For REFORM
- To push for a more transparent Government Procurement system to ensure that we will no longer have controversial and flawed deals such as the ZTE-NBN Broadband Deal.
- To push for electoral reforms such as the automation of elections, appointment of highly-qualified, ethical and clean COMELEC Commissioners and a stricter implementation on the regulation of election spending.
- To push for the awarding of the land to the Sumilao Farmers and the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)
Team RP is composed of youth leaders and young professionals who believe in reform not rhetoric. It was formed as a response to an email I sent two weeks ago which asked, Where are the FilipinoYouth?, the concert last night showed us that indeed there are still many young Filipinos who want to make a difference in our society and who will no longer stand idly while our government continues to wreck our democratic institutions. Last night, many more young Filipinos joined Team RP and now, we also invite you to join us in making a stand for our country and our Future as we continue to work hard for a better Philippines. If you want to join Team RP, please send your complete name and contact information to Steph Cuevas at 0926-6255620 or email us at team.rp.official@gmail.com . Team RP would also like to give special thanks to Dr. Tony La Viña and the Ateneo School of Government, and the Administration of the Ateneo de Manila University for all the support that it has given us.
To all those who went and took part in Team RP's Concert for Truth, Accountability and Reform, thank you very much and we look forward to having you again in our future activities! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay and Kabataang Pilipino!
Postscript to Team RP Concert
Born on the 26th of February
Team RP Concert Postscript
By: Ryan Chung
22 years ago, Filipinos became the focus of the world's attention. A few hours after Marcos left the country, my dad was rushing my heavilypregnant mom from Forbes in Makati to Chinese General Hospital. Surprisingly, he recounted that there were very few people on the roads he drove through EDSA. People were dispersing and the trash was being cleaned up mere hours after Marcos had departed from Malacañang.They say that being born on a holiday carries some special meaning to it.
Before people started calling me Ryan, I was better known as"Pippo" (derived from People Power) thanks to my grandmother. My relatives also keep track of my age with the number of years sinceEDSA I and vice-versa.Fast forward to 2008, who would know that the same problems plaguingour country before are still the same today? The difference now beingis that much of the burden now falls upon us. Of course, many of uswere born or grew up during the post-Marcos era, a time when there wasless chaos, hardships and uncertainties. We grew up surrounded in anage of MTV, 3G cellphones, iPods and Playstations while the only tyranny or oppression that we know of are the ones in history books orin action movies. Perhaps that is the reason why the youth nowadays don't really care much about the ZTE-Lozada issue. As I was inviting my org mates to the concert over YM a few days back, one of themmessaged me sighing in disappointment while another accused of me not believing in the cause. Of course, a lot of people would be asking meif they had the chance, "Why, Ryan?" Why volunteer for this? You have 22 units worth of subjects thissemester. You still have two term papers, three oral exams and fourwritten finals left. Your thesis defense is scheduled on Thursday andyou have a job interview on Wednesday morning. So why put yourself through more hell, Ryan? You could just finish everything and be scotfree in a month's time.
Why do it?Why? Simple. Why not?
There are many events in our lives that happen not on our choosing. Weare either the victims or the makers of history. In the case of theZTE-Lozada Scandal, it is pretty clear of how government notperforming their duties properly. We only have to trace back the oldissues in order to see the ineptitude of GMA as a leader and as thePresident of the Republic. It is also clear that the Filipino peoplewant real change in society and so do we. However, if we do wantchange, then we have to be willing to take action and not just bearmchair critics of this corrupt administration. There is a line froman old Native American song that goes "We do not inherit the earthfrom our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." If we don't fixthe problems of today, it will be the next generation who will have toface them in the coming years.So there we have it. The concert that Team RP put together might have been one of the lesser celebrations in this year's commemorations ofPeople Power. Nevertheless, it was a show of force saying that we, theFilipino youth, will not stand idly by while the Arroyo mafia steals our future away from us. Of course, we know that if a new presidentcomes, that he or she will probably be corrupt. Of course, we knowthat corruption has become so well entrenched in our institutions thatit will take decades for it to be eradicated. The point we are makingis that we want get started now so change can happen sooner and notlater.At the end of the day, the concert was just the beginning. The realwork starts from this point on. There are a lot of events lined up andtons of work to be done. At least, I have an excuse to not libre anyone when I got back to school (not my problem if you didn't show upat the concert I helped setup).Happy 22nd birthday, Ryan. Now get back to work!
P. Ryan Chung
Ateneo de Manila University
BS Biology Batch 2008Team
RPSecretariat and Documentations Head
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
Friday, February 15, 2008
Where are the Filipino Youth?
Where are the Filipino Youth?
by: Harvey S. Keh
The past weeks we have witnessed yet another political scandal that has rocked our country, the ZTE Broadband Scam wherein former COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos with the apparent blessings of the First Gentleman, Mike Arroyo was said to have asked for a commission of US$ 130 Million or a whopping 6 Billion Pesos in exhange for his influencing our government's decision to award the broadband deal to ZTE, a Chinese Telecommunications Company. To make this happen, the ZTE Broadband Contract was greatly overpriced at US$ 329 Million and worse, the government to be able to make this deal push through would have to loan this amount from the Chinese government. In short, the US$ 130 Million kickback of Abalos and his cohorts will have to be paid for by our tax money.
To make things even worse, the govenrment tried its darn best to cover this deal by pressuring Joey De Venecia, the first star witness to stop talking abouit this in the Senate and in public, Joey didn't want to cover up the truth thus, Malacañang led by the congressman sons of President GMA led a revolt at Congress which ousted Joey's dad, then Speaker Jose De Venecia. The next star witness whose courage we so admire, Jun Lozada initially didn't want to go to the Senate and take part in their investigation because as he said, if he ends up in the Senate, he will be forced to say the Truth. Again, our government tried every trick to ensure that Lozada wouldn't be able to testify in the Senate, leading to his alleged kidnapping as soon as he arrived from Hong Kong where he hid for a few days. Two men picked up Lozada as soon as he got out of the plane and brought him around Metro Manila and even to Laguna against his will. If that can happen to Jun Lozada, that can happen to every Filipino in this country. In Jun Lozada's words, when he was picked up against his will, he already thought about the late Bobby Dacer who at the height of the Erap impeachment was also picked up by unidentified men and after weeks of looking for him, they finally found his body along with the body of his driver.
I can go on and on about this but the point is, this government has continued to steal our people's money from under our nose and they continue doing this because they know they can get away with it. Just look at the many scandals that have rocked the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which we already have no idea what happened like the 1 Billion Peso Fertilizer Scam and the Hello Garci Scandal. As Jun Lozada further said in his testimony at the Senate, the Standard Operating Procedure in our country now is that every government contract is overpriced by 20%, the 20% goes to the pockets of our government leaders who helped in pushing the deal. This is indeed very disappointing since 6 Billion Pesos can help build so many classrooms for our public school students, it can provide so many college scholarships to deserving students, it can help build public hospitals so people can receive proper health care and it can provide adequate housing to thousands of families. But in this case, 6 Billion Pesos will just end up in the pockets of one or maybe a few families and worse, we will all have to pay for their greed.
Nakakainis at Nakakagalit ang nangyayari sa ZTE Deal na to, harap harapan na tayong ginagago ng gobyerno natin and as one of my students in class said, he wouldn't be surprised if another scandal comes out within the next few months... it seems that Malacañang is already so used to scandals because they know they will eventually get away with it once media and the public grow tired of hearing about these scandals. Pero para sa akin, mas nakakalungkot na parang walang pakialam at walang ginagawa ang karamihan sa kabataang Pilipino sa mga nangyayaring ito, it seems that the Filipino Youth which led the charge in EDSA 2 is nowhere to be found. Could it be that the Filipino Youth has given up all Hope for making this country great again? Could it be the Filipino Youth has given up in its fight for a clean and effective government? Has the youth given up on our future? I hope I am wrong because what is at stake here is not just my future or the future of the poor, it is our shared future that we have to continue to fight for. Ayaw ba natin na dumating ang araw na bawat Pilipino pwede nang magkaroon ng kalidad na edukasyon? Ayaw ba natin na dumating ang araw na hindi na natin kailangang mag abroad at mahiwalay sa pamilya para magakaroon ng magandang trabaho? If we can all work together and join forces, we can show this administration that we will not just sit idly while they continue to corrupt and destroy our future, remember that in 2010 the Filipino Youth will be able to elect the next President of our country.
Let us not wait till then to make a change, let us act now, our country needs US Now!
If you want to help and be part of a youth-led initiative that will push for genuine and lasting reforms in our government, please email me at harveykeh@gmail.com or you can help by forwarding this email to your friends who might be interested to help. Let's meet, Let's Talk and Let's all work together for our country.
*Harvey Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship of the Ateneo de Manila-School of Government and a Lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University-Loyola Schools' Development Studies Program and Department of Theology. Harvey is also Executive Director of AHON Foundation, a corporate foundation of Filway Marketing, Inc. that helps build public elementary school libraries.
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.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Help Change the World -- Without Quitting Your Day Job
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.
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 .
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Libraries of HOPE
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
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
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