YPS

As published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 26 July 2008, Opinion section

"The Filipino today is facing an everlasting crisis. Never in history has he suffered from greater political and economic wants. It is time for every Filipino to help in the quest for that elusive national unity which is imperative for the nation's survival." - Ninoy Aquino, 23 June 1983

As published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion Section, 5 April 2008

We began as an organization dedicated to promoting Good Governance and Democratic Citizenship among the youth. We not only aim to encourage and promote awareness among the youth but to provide relevant information and a venue for collaboration and change by addressing current issues, socio development and political agendas to further involve the youth in nation building.

I had a conversation at one time with a group of married women and a topic of the conversation was their some new, some old marriages. The newly-wed women had hopeful gleams in their eyes while the old-timers (and some not even married for more than five years) say that things aren't what the fairytale notion of a marriage is. So, what is it all about? The generation of our parents, grandparents truly take the "till death do us part, in sickness and in health" statement to their hearts (although sometimes taking in infidelity and abuse as well).

When I see the headlines or watch the news, sometimes I don't know whether to believe it or not - - well, the answer may seem obvious to some but the play on the thoughts of people as well as the disguises made on the truth gets more and more disturbing as each day passes.

In a radio interview today, a representative of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Lawyer Gerard Lucban, seemed to hedge his bets when asked (by the radio talk show hosts Anthony Taverna and Gerry Baja) why the SEC could not just release a list of the Pre need companies that have shaky finances. He did so by saying that should anyone want to buy a pre need plan, they should first come to the SEC and they would more than willingly SHOW THEM the financial statements of the company/ies in question.

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.

My 2 cents....

Without prejudice to anyone, and from a purely academic point of view, I think this will be a great case study for those who truly believe that a political outsider can come in less than 2 years before a NATIONAL ELECTION FOR PRESIDENT.

Some thoughts;

· winning an election is not the end of the road.

· Running a government unit is about managing people not just winning an election

· The people must physically support their winning candidate they choose BEYOND the winning of the elections

Two things stick out less than a week before Xmas; Cha Cha and Carp.

On the outside, aside from both starting with the letter "C", these two initiatives seem to have nothing in common. And yet they do.

Both CARP and the CONSTITUTION happened in the time of Cory Aquino.

Both were landmark document s that promised a better and brighter future for (the farmer and) the Philippines as a whole.

Both represented a monumental change; from the way the Philippines was to the way we/they thought the Philippines should be.

Normally I hate the telcos..really.

I think telco services are over priced and for the most part I really think we don't get the service we deserve.

I think that telcos are really cartels that come together and fix prices and influence government policy to try to keep legitimate competition out.