Monday, February 23, 2009

My first post at RP 2010

I recently joined in RP2010: The Election Watchblog. It is the brainchild of Oliver "Blogie" Robillo, convenor of Mindanao Bloggers community. RP2010 is a collective work of bloggers that:
endeavors to be the poll watchdog for the Philippine Presidential Elections in the year 2010...

My first post there was about Davao City politics of course, arguing that, however faulty the logic seems to be for choosing Inday Sara, DavaoeƱos can still opt for her. That is, if one condition is met---the condition being if the mayoralty race would be a tossup between Inday Sara and Speaker Nograles.

Lust for public office

Published in Mindanao Times 7/29/08

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) has barely two years left before she will step down from her office. By that time, we will once again have an election, which has become “the arbiter of political succession.”

To the people, it is still early for aspirants to make frantic noise. Yet the sight of politicos—presidentiables, those seeking reelection, and those eyeing for a seat in Congress—endorsing commercial products, is a subtle indication that the race for 2010 election is on. Indeed, election campaign has began, albeit not officially.

Philippines, trapped in 'political gray zone'

Published in Mindanao Times 8/12/08

The Philippines is the first republic in Asia. It has also repeatedly claimed to have taught the world a great lesson in democracy when it toppled the dictatorial government of Ferdinand Marcos through “People Power.” The term was a neologism then, precisely coined to embody that peaceful uprising in February 1986 along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) that eventually led to the ouster of Marcos.

That pivotal moment would serve as a springboard for the Philippines’ re-democratization. Yet 22 years had elapsed, the Philippines is still hard put to correct the maladies that Marcos’ rule had wreaked on this country. Complete with essential elements of democracy—popular accountability of the government, alternation of power, political equality, popular representation, right of dissent and disobedience, free press—the Philippines can always claim it’s democratic. But this claim becomes untenable in the light of the events after 2004, the year Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA), in Susan Roces’s words, stole the presidency.

If the Philippines is not yet on its way towards genuine democracy notwithstanding its repudiation of the dictatorial government of Marcos, where does it stand today?

Sunday, February 22, 2009

State of (Another) Nation Address

Published in Mindanao Times 8/23/08

Robert Bly, an American poet, made a disturbing remark that holds true today: "The health of any nation's soul depends on the capacity of adults to face the harsh facts of the time. But the covering up of painful emotions inside us and the blocking out of fearful images coming from outside have become in our country the national and private style. We have established, with awesome verve, the animal of denial as the guiding beast of the nation's life.”

No (in)famous event has forcefully demonstrated the truth of Robert Bly’s remark than Gloria-Macapagal-Arroyo’s recently delivered State of the Nation Address (Sona).

The pursuit of nostalgic goals

Published in Mindanao Times 8/31/08

“The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idealized past.” —Robertson Davies, A Voice from the Attic

Casual or not, talks in our family seldom happened. Not that we are all reticent or mute, it maybe just one of the few consequences when most members in the family work or study. You come home, they’re already asleep; they wake up, you’re still asleep.

But when talks do happen, they often drifted to my parents’ good old days. They would recount, enthusiastically, those times when their few centavos could already buy Nutri Bun (a bread triple the size of our pan de sal today), when prices of rice and other basic commodities were way below than today, etc.

Then these recollections would end up in a rather strange desire to revive those times. “Unta ibalik katong mga panahon nga barato pa ang mga palaliton, dili unta magkalisod ang mga tao karon,” my mother would sometimes yearn.

Politicians also have the same nostalgia for the things of the past. They are profoundly conditioned by social nostalgia in solving present problems. To solve the present problems, they’ll say, past programs/solutions, which were proved to be successful, should be revived.

Hon. Rodrigo R. Duterte


Published in Mindanao Times 9/23/08


Watching last September 21, 2008 episode of Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa—a program aired at ABS-CBN “by, for, and of,” the government of Davao City—led me to a conclusion that, in contrast to most local and national politicians, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is one conscientious public official.



What did exactly the mayor do?

Friday, February 13, 2009

If Rico J. Puno is the answer...


Then what is the question. The question is, "Who is the present Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines?"


Yesterday, I had my demonstration teaching at a public high school. Towards the end of my demo teaching, I had a 10-item quiz. On the ninth question, I asked: "Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines?"


It's obvious in their faces. My students hadn't had the slighest idea who. So I gave them a clue. "His first name starts with letter "R"," I said. On the board, I wrote the letter R, and beside it I drew a tree.


I thought they would get it right. But as it turned out, it just adds to their confusion. Instead of answering Reynato Puno, they answered Rico J. Puno. It made sense, huh?


But before the quiz was a Battle of the Brains---an equally funny experience. It was boys vs. girls. When I asked who is the present Secretary of Department of Education, both teams answered what? Yes, they answered John Lapus instead of Jesli Lapus.


It made me cringe. But I took comfort in the fact that they could now enumerate the basic requirements provided by the Constitution in order to vote. And more importantly, they know what does "no substantive requirements" mean.


Moral lesson: Don't give clues anymore. And look at the positive side.

Nograles should heed the 'blinking red lights'



Per Speaker Nograles' logic, the only way to attract foreign investors is to change the restrictive economic provision of the Constitution---a move that obviously calls for Charter Change.

But these are no halcyon days on the economic front. The world is suffering from a global financial meltdown. And experts say, the more exposed a country's economy is to "international capital flows", the more likely it will be affected by crisis that is gripping the world.

"As globalization spread in recent decades, the pace of world economic growth picked up. Open economies, it turns out, can grow faster than closed ones," New York Times noted. "But now, as the financial crisis has turned to an economic one, it appears that those running a closed economy may be in better shape to weather the storm."

The Times added: "Kenneth S. Rogoff, the Harvard economist, noted at the International Monetary Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week that India, which has “comparatively stringent restrictions on international capital flows,” also seemed to have the most optimists and seemed to be in line for economic growth in a year when few countries are.

“Thank heavens for the strong regulatory framework we have in our financial system,” he quoted one Indian corporate executive as saying."


Lest his cure might prove to be worse than the disease, Speaker Nograles should heed the "blinking red lights," as Mr. Rogoff put it.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Nurturing a gadfly

Developing critical minds in an environment that reeks of conservatism is a contradictory desire. In theory, it is desirable. But in practice, no one wants to nurture a gadfly, which most critical people would turn out to be.


"Care is taken not to expose him to ideas that might galvanize him from his cultural lethargy; then he's berated for being timid," declared Nick Joaquin two scores ago. "Care is taken to keep him cloistered amid the cobwebs of the conservative altar; then he's told to sit up and become a New Filipino."


Sounds like Catholic schools noh?


In fact, this has been manifested in the way our Catholic guardians react when a student in a Catholic school expresses his views with regard to the revelation of Mayor Duterte on the marriage of Fr. Lamata. They mistook the conduct of a curious student as a sacrilege, a blasphemy, or what have you. Instead of looking it as a sign that the student is thinking for himself, he is berated for doing so.

Inday Sara: Not the best choice, but the only choice

VersusIf the 2010 mayoralty race will be a tossup between incumbent Vice Mayor Inday Sara and Speaker Prospero Nograles, I will go for Inday Sara.

In election, the rule of thumb is to choose the more experienced over the inexperienced. But it does not apply here. Voting for the inexperienced Inday Sara
over the experienced Speaker Nograles may not be the best choice, but it is the only choice.

I've seen how the experienced Speaker Nograles leads the House. It's far from satisfactory. He flounders as a House Speaker, how else will he fare were he to lead this city?

How to kill 2 birds in 1 stone?

If you want to say something that stings, use irony. Consider this letter to the editor:


WE hail Press Secretary Cerge Remonde for urging the Senate to go easy on investigating the spate of workers’ deaths at Hanjin Heavy Industries because of possible repercussions on foreign investments.


The bottom line is this: This country has too many Filipinos, and too few foreign investments. What’s more, Filipino workers are being laid off, and foreign investments are projected to plummet this year.


What’s a paltry 19 deaths in three years at the Hanjin shipyard in Subic? Remonde’s call is brilliant because attracting more Hanjin-type investors will ease unemployment while addressing the overpopulation problem. He kills two birds, and even more Filipinos, with one stone."


Sunday, February 1, 2009

Introducing Professor Ian Stain


Meet the young and smart Professor Ian Stain. He’s a newly minted Ph.D. in History. Immediately after he completed his doctoral studies, the Dean of College of Arts and Sciences in one of the prestigious universities in the metro invited him to teach History and Government. Prof. Ian Stain obliged.



Today is his first day of teaching. A believer of the dictum that “first impression is lasting,” Prof. Ian Stain wants to impress his students. Wearing his everyday suave look—brush-up hairdo, neatly ironed long sleeves, sleek black slacks and shiny black leather shoes—Prof. Ian Stain entered the room, which is already full of freshmen students.



After putting his things on the table, Prof. Ian Stain looks at his wristwatch. It’s 7:20 am, ten minutes before his class starts. He’s proud of it, for he wants to have an unbroken record of not being late in coming to class.



“Good morning class,” Prof. Ian Stain greets his students.



“Good morning Sir,” the students greet him back in chorus.



The Dean told him that he would be handling an honors class. Prof. Ian Stain can’t help but be glad to see a group of intelligent students; all are seemed eager to learn from him the proud history of the Philippines. On this day, Prof. Ian Stain intends to quiz his students, trying to confirm if he is indeed handling the university’s cream of the crop.



“Who is the first female to be elected as President of the Philippines?” Prof. Ian Stain unleashes his opening salvo.



Everybody is silent. A few seconds passed, only a faint chitchat pervades the room. Obviously, the students are taken aback. They don’t expect the professor to ask something like that. It is the first day of class after all. And it’s usually devoted to orientation—how their grades are computed, how many absences they are allowed to have and a host of other mundane things. Elementary as the question may be, the abruptness of Prof. Ian Stain’s inquiry seems to erase everything the students had in their mind.



“Who is the first female to be elected as President of the Philippines?” Prof. Ian Stain repeats his question. A sign of impatience is becoming obvious in his voice.



Finally, a bespectacled student named Aries raises his hand. “Yes, you’re raising your hand,” Prof. Ian Stain says, pointing to the sixteen-year old boy.



“Sir, Corazon Aquino is the first female to be elected as President of the Philippines,” Aries says confidently.



Behind Prof. Ian Stain’s charming looks is an intolerant monster. He has little patience for those who cannot answer his questions right.



“What, have you no brain son?” the Professor bursts into anger. “You sit down. Let me refresh your memory. Cory Aquino, although she’s the first female President of this country, was not elected. She became President because of People Power Revolution or Edsa I,” says Prof. Ian Stain, apparently disgusted over his student’s ignorance.



“I hope you will get it right this time. Again, who is the first female to be elected as President of the Philippines?” Prof. Ian Stain asks for the third time.



After a minute or so, another student named Ismael raises his hand. “Yes please,” Prof. Ian Stain acknowledges Ismael.



“Sir, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the first female to be elected as President of the Philippines. She assumed her post in 2001,” says Ismael, hoping he had it right.



With Ismael’s answer, Prof. Ian Stain’s mood is ruined. “Can you not get your facts straight?” Professor Ian Stain asks his students sarcastically.



Fuming, Prof. Ian Stain releases a torrent of condescending remarks. “What kind of brain do you have?” he asks rhetorically. “The size of Pandaca Pygmea? And in case you don’t know what it is, it’s the smallest fish in the world.”



By now Prof. Ian Stain is disappointed. He thought he’s handling a group of first-rate students. Then out of despair he goes on to lecturing his students who are now shivering in fear.



“Yeah, you’re right to say that GMA is the first female to be elected as President of this country, but for Christ’s sake, she’s not elected in 2001. FYI, in 2001 GMA just fill in the vacuum left by Erap after he was booted out of office via Edsa II. The correct answer, poor young man, is that GMA is the first female to be elected as President of the Philippines, and that she was elected in 2004, not 2001.”



“Now, am I understood?” asks Prof. Ian Stain. Everybody says yes, except for Dick whose “no” answer Prof. Ian Stain hears loud and clear. “Excuse me, did you just say no?” asks Prof. Ian Stain, surprised by the boldness of Dick. “Yes, Sir,” says Dick.



“Oh, can you defend your answer, brave young man?” Prof. Ian Stain challenges Dick. “Of course, I can,” Dick says.



“Have you no brain, Professor?” Dick begins. “Where have you been all these days? Lest you be consigned to eternal damnation, let me rescue you from stupidity. GMA is not the first female President of the Philippines. Nor was she elected in 2004. If she’s acting like one, it’s because of Garci.”



At that moment, Prof. Ian Stain knew he’s indeed handling the university’s cream of the crop. But wasn’t he warned before, “Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it”?