Three Thoughts at the End of the Day - Games, No Promise and a Stick

Thought # 1: Did you know that we just started Palarong Pambansa? Apparently, there are thousands of kids in Tarlac Recreational Park vying to be the best in their chosen sport. Now why didn’t I hear about this? Except for the kids and those near Tarlac sure knows this is happening but this is Palarong Pambansa which means the whole nation should know. PIA (Philippine Information Agency) and popular media should have said something about this but it’s just tidbits that you’ll never know anything.

Thought #2: Did you know that many presidential candidates are no longer saying anything about their platform of government? Here are the latest news on the top 4 candidates:

Villar: Say sorry to ‘Erap,’ Aquino, Villar asked
Noynoy: Palace impounding my 'pork'
Gibo: Surveys belong in the trash bin
Erap: Erap unfazed by surveys

No one is saying anything on what they’ll do for the country and this is very sad. It appears that we Filipinos are only voting for someone who can really throw mud with a good shield.

Thought # 3: RIP Palito – you were a guy that really made millions laugh. Now your new stint is in heaven. Thanks for the laughs…say hi to Rene Requiestas from all of us here.

Watdapak Balita #1 – Create a District and Rule!

I was browsing for some Easter news for a little cheer up news for you readers. But this is what I saw online:

“Lawmakers running in new districts that they created"

What?

A few decades ago, there was a story revolving that the small town where I was born was created simply because someone wanted to become mayor badly. But since the politician can't win – a town was created. Thus, my small town was born. It's an unfortunate story but it actually happens.

I like the idea of being aggressive. Some of the successful individuals are not just smart people but aggressive as well. You should push yourself to make the sale, become successful and become the leader of the pack. I also like the idea of additional districts. This means people will have more voices and the locals from those district will be able to get a voice in the congress faster. But there is always boundary.

If you can't win the game – don't just create another game with you as the leader of the stage. Those are for wimps.

The sad part according to the news is that 6 of the new districts are being vied by the same congressmen who created the new district. The rest (other 4) is being vied by the relatives of these congressmen. Really? Debasing yourself doesn't really matter as long as you earn millions every year. Yep. Debase yourself for money and power.

Three OBVIOUS Reasons Why Party List Should be Abolished (Part 1)

When the party list system was introduced back in 1998, it was a revolutionary idea that I believed it would help people. I was in high school then and many people explained to me that it’s a chance for the marginalized people to have a voice.

But after 12 years…none. So consider this as my official statement AGAINST the party list system. I did some research and I even have more to complain! Here is my first of the three part problem with the party list system:

First Reason: The Party List is Veiled in Secrecy

By law, party list groups are not required to reveal the names of their candidates. This statement alone makes me angry and highly doubtful about the party list system.

Why is this you ask? Any aspiring party that wants to be accredited are not required naming their candidates. Only AFTER accreditation they will be compelled to name names. Do you know what this means? This simply means anyone can “shop” for an accredited party list.

COMELEC actually tries to avoid this problem by only allowing candidates that came from the same category. For example, if you’re representing the fishermen – you have to be a fisherman. But here’s the kicker:

Sec. 9, RA 7941 the nominee is not necessary someone poor or the traditional idea of a fisherman. The nominee is not necessarily someone who “wallow in poverty, destitution and infirmity as there is no financial status required in the law. It is enough that the nominee of the sectoral party/organization/coalition belongs to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors, that is, if the nominee represents the fisherfolk, he or she must be a fisherfolk, or if the nominee represents the senior citizens, he or she must be a senior citizen.” This simply means any billionaire could be part of a party list as long as a he has a small business within the same industry.

“Shopping” for a party list is actually possible no one really knows the nominees.

Stay tuned for the second part.

Why this Election is Fatal to Everyone

There I said it: this election can kill everyone. In the coming weeks before the election and the first few months afterward is a very dangerous chapter of our history. If you make it alive next year reading my blog, I just I hope I’m also well enough to write quirky things for the world to read.

So now you ask: how come this election fatal to everyone? I know there’s violence from the goons and lunatics of the political candidates but that can be easily avoided: simply stay away from politics (also, read my blog). But I’m not talking about that danger, we are facing something more sinister and fatal that without swift action, death to those who can’t face the challenges will come.

Unfortunately, election came in one of the most trying times in our country. El Niño couldn’t have arrived in a much worst situation. In just a few weeks, farmers were brought to its knees and everyone felt the searing heat of the sun. Personally, I have never experienced this temperature before. I have two personal experiences why we are experiencing record breaking heat:

• My laptop can’t take it anymore – I need help. I have to purchase a brand new laptop because this one is going into white screen more than six times a day. Before the searing heat, my laptop only goes to unexplained white screen once in two days. (Donations – please follow the link on paypal :) ).

• It’s too hot outside – Every time I go home, I have this terrible headache that only wanes after four hours. The sun’s heat (even at 5pm) is still unbearable.

So how come nature is mentioned in politics which can kill us? Because this disaster will be exploited at our disadvantage:

• There is still bickering about the “emergency state” since some will see this as a chance to exploit the poor. This is true and they will delay their funding. Worst, the funding will only be given to those who kiss the politician’s *ss in the coming election. So with the searing heat – farmers and people who stand by their principles are left to rot or wither under the sun.

• The blackout in Mindanao is getting a lot worst. Eight hours of rotating blackouts will put me out of business. Imagine small hospitals and even government hospitals that can’t support this type of power challenges. People will die everyday because there is no solution or no solution was made to prevent this problem.

I don’t know what we can do about this. I tried staying in the mall for more than eight hours but I can’t do anything in that place – besides, it’s too expensive there.

How about you? Any thoughts on how we can survive? Please…

News with Good Idea but Worst Implications this Week

This week, we take a look at three recent news that seemed good but has a bigger chance that it's just be another bust.

Bacolod asking for Exemption from Donation
News Link: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/247308/bacolod-seeks-exemption-elections-ban

The logic is simple: COMELEC has to exclude Bacolod City with the ruling of donations during election period because it could disrupt certain spending as they are regarded as donation. The recipients of the donation and assistance are the teachers, the police and the poor people who need help.

While the reason for exemption is noble, it is quite impossible that it'll never be part of politics. This is especially true in Bacolod City since politics is way muddier than an unkempt road in the sugarcane fields during the rainy season.

Gibo's Plan for Pork Barrel for Local Government Unit
Link: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/247186/gibo-push-pork-barrel-lgus

While reading the article, I was thinking: this is actually a great plan because it will cut down middle-men (AKA Congressmen) in distributing funds. But then I remembered the danger of money when given to politician located in a very far and unknown area. I mean, just look at the Ampatuans. I'm sure they have billions everywhere because of the power they wield. Since they are in Mindanao, no one can easily check what they do. This is also true in other towns in Visayas and Northern Luzon. No one is there to audit what they do with the money.

Speaking of Mindanao:

Mindanao Now in the State of Calamity
Link: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/247343/mindanao-under-state-calamity

If there's a specific part of the country that needs more help than anyone - it's the folks in Mindanao. Nature is under heat, literally, and its destroying crops. To deal with the problem, they declared a state of calamity.

Now, I fully support this decision because this will allow farmers or just about anyone in Mindanao access to the needed funds. But, how are they going to get these funds? Of course, they will have to approach a politician and these funds will be used to gain advantage in the election.

Any stories like these? Add the news in comments :)

(Image: trap door spider from Wikicommons)

Vetellano Acosta - Douche of the Year? Probably

A few months ago, the Filipinos and other those from countries who cared scratched their heads when COMELEC approved Vetellano Acosta out of nowhere. According to Mr. Acosta, he's the official standard bearer of KBL which used to be the party of the Marcoses. Yes, the public got accustomed to his name and gradually accepted his claim. But the clamor for information about this guy is never lacking. In fact, one of the top articles in my site is my little research about this guy which yielded nearly nothing.

But after a few months, COMELEC (like the supreme court) changed their mind regarding this guy. Apparently Acosta is no longer interested in spending for the campaign. He will just let God push him to presidency. Smart move Mr. Acosta but that's not enough. You see, no one knows you. Jay Sonza, which supposed to be your VP do not have an idea about you. Bong Bong Marcos will never recognize you even if he hits you in the face. In gist - no one knows you, except the COMELEC.

If the smart guys at the COMELEC disqualifies you last week of December, then I could have forgiven and even praised them. But they disqualified him just a few days ago - after 9 million ballots have been printed!!! That's a waste of money - a lot of money. I don't think LP are not the only guys who should be *issed on this situation. Everyone should be. What do we do with the ballot? The system? Even if we erase his name manually we will still end up spending more just to remedy the situation.

Unfortunately, the damage is already done. We're left with 9 million ballots worthless than toilet paper. But instead of cursing the wind, here's what we do:

* Let the LP Fund the Reprints - If the LP is so angry about the late disqualification and possible ramifications, let them churn out some funds. Or at least help the government reprint the ballots.

* Sue Mr. Vetellano Acosta - Please, saying he "may" face criminal charges means you're not sure. He SHOULD answer to the law because he just wasted tax payers money, COMELEC's time and even the name of KBL.

Should Elections Be Held in November?

by Nick

At present, elections are held in May. The schedule for the Barangay
election is October. Formerly, elections were held in November.

I am 58 years old and have gone through many elections. I would like to air
this personal observation. May is the month when Filipinos spend a lot.
There are so many fiestas, festivals and summer affairs and Filipinos would
not want to miss the events. They would even borrow money just to please
their relatives, friends and visitors during fiestas. It seems the May
spending is a yearly obligation. When the dry season begins early, there
would be poor harvest or even none at all. The temptation to accept money
offered by politicos would be very strong.

I have witnessed November elections. November is usually harvest time. The
majority of Filipinos who are farmers have money. Employees have bonuses or
are expecting them in the next few days. There are practically no fiestas.
Filipinos can think well.

I am afraid that money will decide the result of the election this May 2010
especially because of the El Nino. People can’t think well because of
financial constraints.

Finally Common Sense Wins in Supreme Court - But Damage is Already Done

A few months ago, the Supreme Court (SC) issued a decision that "favors" appointed officials. Instead of automatic resignation upon filing of CoCs, they still should resign, terminated by the President or win the election. If none of these happens, they stay in power - even if they are running for a government position. Upon hearing this news, I decided that it's a "WTF-moment" for the SC. They should have used their common sense instead of deliberately ignoring the consequences of their decisions.

Fortunately, they have reversed the said decision. This means the appointed employees by the government are now considered resigned. What's even better is that COMELEC would go after the candidates who will not remove themselves from their office.

I wish they have used their common sense before the historic 8-6 vote to allow government officials to abuse their power to gain the votes of the people. Yes, it can be argued that some candidates are still good at heart and may not abuse what they have. But giving them power and not using them to gain votes is like giving someone a gun, place their finger on a trigger, tickle them incessantly but reminding them not to use the gun because it's against the law. Like a gun toting ticklish maniac, government officials who stay in power after filing their CoCs will surely pull the trigger - and it's aimed at us.

But I think the damage is already done. Too much power were already given to these candidates. They will gladly step down now because they have already used their power to gain every vote they can. I just hope I'm wrong on this one or else our country will suffer more.

For the SC…please consult a common sense oracle before making decisions like this one.

For the candidates who don't want to step down after filing CoCs, please don't be drunk with power. People may kiss your as* but the world knows how you abuse your power.

My Argument Against Publishing Survey Results

A survey is a well known tool used by many businesses and various companies to know their status with the customers. Some companies use the survey to know the customer's reaction to their products while others want to know how they fare compared to competition. This tool is provided to businesses so that they will know how they can improve.

Did I say anything about publishing the results of the survey? No. That is why I am against the published results by survey companies, private institutions or anyone who goes out and ask people as a form of survey. These results should never be given out to the people. The results should be kept private. They should be divulged only to those who commissioned the survey.

What happens when the survey gets published?

* The veracity is automatically questioned - publishing the opinion of some people will never be accepted by everyone. The old adage "you can't please everyone" and in this age of the internet, the opposition to a specific opinion could be vicious.

* The survey becomes an advertisement - I don't care if the survey is true. What I care about is that the survey becomes a form of advertisement. I even consider it as a form of pressure since people might be forced to patronize a product, watch a show or vote for a candidate because everyone is doing it.

I'm not questioning the results of the survey or if the survey is good for our country. I think it's a great tool but the results should be kept private. The current practice of public survey is a form of harassment or brain washing. We don't need to know what people think in some places - let us think clearly by learning more about the facts - not the survey.

Why Am I Voting for Mel Carreon

This article is mainly intended for those voting in Iloilo City. But this doesn’t mean you should close the browser and look for other blogs to read tonight. This is practically a blog that represents my realization why researching for the right person who will lead our city to better heights. Let me tell you…it’s frustrating. This is going to be a long blog but I hope you stay with me.

First off, you may already have heard about this person. Mr. Carreon is the first person who filed for the top position in the land when the COMELEC opened their doors last year. But he backed out after a few weeks and sought to run for Vice-Mayor in Iloilo City. He may just be a part of the amusing story of the country but he will perpetually be part of the local elections here in Iloilo city.

Politics is in the blood of Mr. Carreon but it seems that his blood is trying to get out of him because he’s always at the wrong side of everything. He ran for city councilor, mayor and congressman too many times. They say he’s trying to get his name in world records because he will always run for a government position. Last election, he was stopped from running. Rumor has it, he was threatened to be charged with vandalism because someone (supposedly his followers) spray painted his name in public properties particularly on waiting sheds and walls.

Say his name here in Iloilo City and you’ll hear countless tales on what he tries to do to gain public attention. Even if he’s not campaigning, he always wears that eccentric jacket that bear his name and the position he will try on the next election. You’ll constantly see him in a coffee shop in SM City or in front of old Mary Mart Mall (in Delgado St.) talking to some people. When election time comes, people will bet if he will reach 1,000 votes just for fun. His popularity is soaring and the proof is that he is constantly invited in a radio station during weekends to say his “eccentric” political comments. He blurts out things that you haven’t heard before on the radio which is very, very, very amusing.

Most call him crazy, some just refer to him as some dude who just wants to have fun. But he always has something in his mind.

So why will I vote for the guy? Here are my reasons:

· Money is a problem for this guy – I know that some rich people are so rich that they will not care about the money they made in the government. I wish that statement is true but I have a feeling that the rich people who holds position the government are trying to suck more money from the government. If they steal, we won’t notice it because they are already rich. How can we know if they just took one hundred thousand pesos when they already have one billion?

But in Mel Carreon’s case, the moment he tries to steal money, we will be there. This guy is not much when it comes to property. He lives in a home that could be destroyed by signal #1 typhoon, his home doesn’t have any electricity and his property is basically trees with a small, dilapidated house. At least he has trees. He could get a decent salary and improve his property a bit and buy a motorcycle. But once he builds a mansion, we will be there with pitch forks.

· He could be a great wild card in the council – think about him leading the city council…it’s eerie but at the same time he’ll give the councilors a very big problem when it comes to dealing with his eccentricities. If he doesn’t sell out and continuous what he does. The council would be one beautiful mess.

But why will I vote for someone that might make the city council a butt of jokes for the country? This should be a wake-up call for the current local candidates. Everything they do is already the butt of jokes in the country. His presence will just highlight that what they do are not really doing anything in the city.

· At least he will solve one problem (His) – I’m sure Mr. Carreon has too many problems to deal with in his life. But winning in the local elections will mean so much for him because finally, he will have a good source of money that will deal with his problem. I know money is not the answer of everything but it will really help. While writing this, I’m thinking: what have they done to help me or the community that’s really, really visible. Oh yeah: the overpass that’s causing nightmarish traffic everyday and the city zoning ordinance that’s alienating our friends from the province who gives us our daily food. If he wins, he will just take care of his problem. We should just be happy that we are voting for a guy who could solve his problem while highlighting the problem in our city.

· No poster – because he has no money, he can’t put up a poster except for the ones he is posting in front of his house. I’m sick of local candidates reminding the people who they are. One candidate even claims he’s “Mr. Clean Iloilo” but his poster is littering the city. Another candidate always asks questions. I don’t know why but he should just email me and I’ll tell him the answer. There’s also another candidate who seems to introduce each district of Iloilo by making up slogans. Please, stop making our city dirty!!! Mr. Clean, what are you doing about it? Mel Carreon fortunately doesn’t have anything to spend for the election.

If Mel Carreon wins, the city will be in a great position to bring itself up…because it will go terribly down…but aren’t we already in this position?

El Niño and Politics: The Pairing can be Scary, Helpful

Politics and nature has a way of influencing each other. Our countries contribution in making the world a lot greener depends on the political decisions of our candidates. If they do not care about the environment, it can be presumed that our country composed of small islands will be drowned by the pacific ocean in a couple of centuries. Don't think that 200 years will do nothing for us. Yes, we're all dead but those following us will die a very horrible death. Politicians should push for radical reforms now before nature push for their version of reform. When nature does it's own version of reform, stating that our country will be wiped out of the map is an understatement.

El Niño is actually not a unique phenomenon. People have been experiencing this disturbance for sometime. But what made this phenomenon scarier is its current implications. USA is having a hard time dealing with record breaking volume of snow. On our end, the temperature is a lot higher. One indication that El Niño should scare us: my city (Iloilo City) is experiencing random bush fires. Open lots with lots of grass burst into flames. Fortunately, no property is damaged because it was controlled but it's a clear indication that something's wrong is definitely happening here.

Politicians be warned: each of your actions will have a direct effect on what will happen to our nature in the near future. This will not happen to you and me but also to your children and your children's children. Your grand daughter will no longer be able to enjoy the garden outside your mansion because it's too hot.

I'm blurting out regarding nature again because it's already 9:00pm and it's too hot to think of anything else. Please! Do something!

Common Poster Area - Nearly Oxymoron Phrase

Here's an excerpt of the COMELEC ruling on Common Poster Area:

SEC. 21. Posting the Campaign Materials. – Political parties, party-list groups, organizations, and/or coalitions thereof, and candidates may post any lawful campaign material in:

1. Authorized common poster areas in public places subject to the requirements and/or limitations set forth in the next following SEC.; and

2. Private places provided it has the consent of the owner thereof.

The first guideline is good because it will limit the garbage in our country. People will be able to see the streamers only in designated areas. No longer will our trees becoming an eyesore.

However, the excemption of common poster ground (refer to no. 2) just made this country a potential dumping ground of campaign poster materials. Why? Here are my reasons:

* Some people will allow some posts in their private property for the candidates they support - This creates a big bias in election campaign. A good example is when a rich business owner opts to allow posters in his mall. What if some malls in our country decides to allow only one candidate?

* Small infractions will most likely be ignored - you may not like it but you'll one day have a campaign poster in your front yard without your permission. Why? Because someone will place the poster in your gate while you're sleeping. You could report that incident but it's too complicated before you could actually pin that incident to anyone.

I wish COMELEC will remove the ruling on private property. Removing this will look like restricting a person's freedom but a "fair election" should mean everyone should have equal grounds in letting people know what they can do for the country.

Source: COMELEC

Live Video Streaming for Security: Definitely Good but could Get Worst

COMELEC is going to ask the help of the public to secure the most complicated elections ever. Instead of letting people watch in person the printing process, they will provide live streaming. This simply means security will be given to those who have crazy enough to stay in front of the computer for hours. COMELEC is going to stream their 26 CCTV monitors (16 already installed and 10 more coming). Although no one knows when the live feed will be implemented, we'll be there when it happens.

This is definitely a plus for COMELEC and everyone else. We're going to get a good glimpse how the government is actually spending our hard earned taxes on something sophisticated. They could have chosen some security personnel but they might be paid off. If they stream this online, everyone can monitor how things are done.

Call me a pessimist but I feel some trouble brewing from these services. Unfortunately, the last thing I would rely when it comes to technology is the government. I'm sorry but they are not that advanced when it comes to technology. A good example is their websites. There are moments that these sites are down while others are just plain ridiculous.

Streaming videos for everyone to see requires money - a lot of money. There is a big possibility that the streaming will eventually crash and they might do something with the ballots while everyone is wondering what happened. This can easily become a scapegoat. COMELEC can just say, "no we didn't tamper the ballots. You were there watching in video streaming remember?"

It's a bold move for COMELEC but can be a sacrificial lamb to make the polls look clean. I just hope their live streaming is as efficient as the Big Brother shows online.

Drugs and Election: A Dangerous and Deadly Combination

Drugs and Election: A Dangerous and Deadly Combination

Before reading the article, here are my references:

QTV News Bit: http://www.gmanews.tv/largevideo/latest/55251/qtv-pdea-illegal-drug-trade-may-be-funding-election-campaigns

Sunstar News: http://67.225.139.201/network/pdea-told-intensify-drive-vs-illegal-drugs-219-pm

The fact that someone is trying to bring in massive amount of drugs during the election period scares me. The drugs that were tried to be sold or distributed in Eastern Samar is not just your walk in the park drugs - the content should be more than enough to fund a congressional campaign.

Friends, welcome to the dark side of the election. Aside from from killing your political opponent to win, this is probably the next worst thing a candidate can do. Selling drugs so that it can be used to print paraphernalia that only tarnish the parks, fool voters that they're godsend, spend millions on crazy tunes and pay people to vote for them is just plain dangerous to the country. The politicians selling drugs are not just eliminating one or two persons to win, the candidate is eliminating the community so that they can win. The term "narco-politics" is just a bad idea.

This incident should give the COMELEC and everyone else a wake-up call to do their job.

For the COMELEC: please, please do your job. The people are not asking you to grow wings and fly. We just want everything to be clear during the elections. It would also be nice to whip those candidates that allow their local campaign mangers to place posters anywhere. Your "OPLANS" and "Operations" to remove the eyesore is not really working well.

For the Political Candidates: if you're planning to sell drugs so that you'll have some campaign funds, I will not just wish for you to lose but also to go in jail. It doesn't even matter if you're one of the most powerful person in the country - you are no more than a crooked criminal with a slightly better clothing.

For the Voting Public: this gives me another reason why you should take the money and don't vote for the candidate that gave you that money. The money is already there so take it and note that the candidate is a scumbag who might have sold some drugs for vote buying. If you don't vote for the candidate but got their money, they will lose not only the election but lose big because the money they have spent didn't have any results.

For the Law Enforcement Officers: Kudos for the embargo but we want more - catch the guys behind the shipment and let them rot in jail.

A Look at the Senatorial Candidate's Website (Part 2)

We continue to look at the senatorial candidate's official websites. In this blog the hotseat will be on Franklin Drilon, Teofisto Guingona III, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Guico.

Franklin Drilon (http://frankahan.com)

Information 5: This is a very personal site for Senator Drilon because it's a basic blog with a unique platform. He has so many things to say about various topics and he doesn't hold anything if he has some problems with some issues.

Interaction 3: Not much to do except to read the site and comment on his blogs.

Aesthetics 5: The best blog website I've seen so far. The iPhone like slides regarding his latest blogs is ingenious. You'll most likely browse through his articles and read what he has to say about various issues.

Highly personal, it's a recommended site for those who loves politics.

Juan Ponce Enrile: (http://www.jpenrile.com/)

Information: 5 - Everything you need to know about the very popular Senator is in this site. The site is not just on his previous roles as a senator but even when he is not part of the legislative branch of the country.

Interaction 2: Although the only interaction with has soem extra "forum" someone got the format wrong. A forum is composed of topics where every exchange opinion. The forum part of the site looks like a message board.

Aesthetics: 4 - The website background featuring his name in italics, official website and crimson red color is very unique. This really shows creativity on the site although that's the only thing that looks great in the site.

Pretty generic but well thought out although the forum in the site is a bit awkward.

Jinggoy Estrada: (http://www.senjinggoyestrada.com)

Information: 4 - There are so many things that you can read in the site but it's not updated. The "Jinggoy Speaks" page has very limited entry. Last entry in this part of the page was still in 2008.

Interaction: 2 - I may have missed it but there's no outside links that connects to various social networking sites. This is quite odd because most national candidates want to connect to Twitter, Facebook or Friendster.

Aesthetics: 3 - It's very generic and the borders are too wide. The green background will make you think you are visiting a boring website that didn't had a lot of changes.

The website is very generic and not updated compared to current candidates. Somebody do something about this site.

Ramon Guico (http://www.ramonguico.com/)

Information: 4 - because Ramon Guico is jumping from local to national scene, he has to use the internet to get his message across. Fortunately, he has provided enough information for those who wanted to consider him as part of their 12 senators. Photos and videos are not extensive but good enough. It's very good but the articles are not updated.

Interaction: 5 - Facebook, Friendster and other social websites are linked to this site. There's even a poll in the site where you can vote. There's even an area where you can sign up for the newsletter.

Aestehtics: 5 - The design looks great. Although not as great compared to Franklin Drilon, it's well thought out and time was spent designing the page.

Informative, the site offers a lot of things to first time users. They just need to update the articles for us to know more about the candidate.

Teofisto Guingona III (http://tgguingona.com/)

Information: 3 - Note to candidates: If you add a "blog" or any link to the page for unique information, make sure there's something in it for the readers. Mr. Guingona's site looks great but his profile is not extensive.

Interaction: 4 - links to outside sites and multimedia is very impressive in this site. Photostream and even tag cloud is in the site so that you'll know which topics are extensively discussed.

Aesthetics: 5 - The design is easy to understand and doesn't have that standard blog platform (like this site).

Great looking site but lacks additional information. Remove the blog or at least fill some articles on that part of the site.

Stay tuned for the next episode!

A Look at the Senatorial Candidate's Website (Part 1)

Honestly, I don't know a lot about our current senatorial candidates. And as a person who sits in front of the computer for more than 12 hours a day, all my information comes from the internet. So it's always a big plus for me if the candidate has an official website rather than getting things from Wikipedia or other sources.

But not every senatorial candidate has a website (maybe for now). Obviously, we'll skip them and we'll look for the first 5, in alphabetical order, the candidates who has an official website.

Please let me know if I skip a candidate :)

Neric Acosta (http://nericacosta2010.com/main/)

Information: 5 - Neric Acosta's website is very simple but has a lot of information and articles on what he thinks about a certain topic, legislation and platform. This really helps because it's a big jump for the guy as he's a former Congressman gunning for the rare 12 seats.

Interaction: 3 - Not much can be done on the site except to read the articles, watch some videos and click on links to the site of LP, Noynoy, Mar and a Volunteer movement. Oh, there's a catchy jungle in the lower right side.

Aesthetics: 3 - it's not the best website in the world but it's very readable and easy to understand.

Conclusion: a good enough website for those who wanted to learn more about the candidate.

Martin Bautista (http://www.martinbautista.com/)

Information: 3 - There are many things everyone needs to know about this guy. After all, he just came back to the country to help us as a Senator. That's a tall order and unfortunately, the website doesn't provide a lot of help. The blogs are quite extensive but aside from reaction to the news, nothing more. There is a small profile that will want the reader to seek for more.

Interaction: 3 - If you really dig in the website, you'll most likely find his Twitter and Facebook page. but aside from that, nothing more.

Aesthetics: 2 - The homepage is too long and the links to know more about him are simply additional links to site and they are located in the right side and in smaller fonts.

Conclusion: More information about the candidate (not just reactions) could be added to the site and a little revamp would do.

Ruffy Biazon (http://www.ruffybiazon.ph/)

Information: 5 - what you need to know about the guy you can get it here. He even posted his CV (aka Resume) in the website for everyone to scrutinize. One thing that caught my attention: he posted his speeches, resolutions and anything that he has done in the congress for the past 9 years.

Interaction: 4 - he has a forum which, unfortunately, do not have any posts yet. Links to his blogs, wordpress, Friendster and Facebook are also provided. His email address as well as official office address is even included.

Aesthetics: 4 - Maybe it's just me but the site seems a bit too imposing on other links. They do have great content but it is limited by the links to other sites.

Conclusion: great website for anyone who wants to know more about the candidate. Hopefully, his forums will have some questions for us to read.

Pia Cayetano (http://www.senatorpiacayetano.com/senpia/index.php)

Information: 5 - if you are asking for an information overload about a candidate, go to this site. But we're not complaining as the more information we can get, the better. Very extensive provide, information on what she did while in power and reactions to recent news.

Interaction: 5 - Sen. Cayetano's site is one of the rare political website that has a lower bar (like Facebook used to have). The bar allows you to click on various links including Twitter and Youtube videos.

Aesthetics: 3 - the color is ok but I think the website has placed too many things that it can't cater to everything. Still;, it's a great looking website.

Conclusion: this is Sen. Cayetano's personal blurt site which means you will know her personally when you follow this website. (P.S. She has other websites and the links are on her webpage)

(Note: for some reason, Bong Revilla Jr. was placed on my first 10 alphabetical list which is weird but I guess it happens on MS Excel sometimes)

Bong Revilla Jr. (http://www.ramonbongrevillajr.com/)

Information: 4 - my feelings are mixed with this one. I can learn more about the candidate especially his past life. It's a great article as it has mixed his life as an actor and a politician. But his current take on latest news is nowhere to be found. The latest info I can find is the Halili-Kho case which is already ages ago.

Interaction: 2 - it has some great points especially they placed some videos and resolutions on the past congress. But aside from the links, nothing more.

Aesthetics: 3 - the website looks the same compared to other candidates so you'll never be excited at first glance.

Conclusion: It's a good looking site but nothing new to offer.

Stay tuned for part 2!

Unfortunate but True: Advertising is the Name of the Game

There are many ways to get your product promoted and patronized. You can either have a really good product and let word-of-mouth advertising improve your business or you can have massive advertising so that people will notice you exist and try your product. You can do both or you can focus on the latter if you want to save money on quality.

One of the hottest news today is about another text message that was claimed to be forwarded a few times (I didn't receive anything). The text message seemed to insult Dolphy for accepting a "bribe" for a whopping 30-million just to endorse Manny Villar. The text message also seemed to have insulted the actor's sons, daughters and grand kids. Atty. Adel Tamano, an NP candidate for senator released a statement condemning the supposed text message.

Honestly, I feel insulted writing about the reaction to this text message. Here are my reasons:

1. A candidate reacting to a measly text message is a sign that some of our candidates are not mature enough to deal with bickering. Politics is not a walk in the park and everyone will try to find holes to debase everyone. Again these are just text messages and they are directed to an actor who didn't seem to care about the messages.

2. Getting actors as endorsements simply means our candidates have become another product. As already said in my introduction, people will spend a lot on their product to be noticed and patronized. It's also a bit insulting to us Filipinos since they are thinking "if Dolphy comes out recommending this candidate, everyone else will do". I think Dolphy would vote for Manny Villar but I don't care...so should everyone else.

Candidates, please do something about your advertisements. Instead of going the easy way by getting actors and actresses to do a commercial about you, spend that money to lay out what you are planning for the country. For God's sake you write too many things in your websites so why don't you read them in a commercial? Not everyone can access the internet so read some of the things you're planning to do on TV. It's even cheaper since you don't need an actor to read the message.

Here's an idea: go to the Pasig River and speak in front of the camera how you will change the place into it's former glory. You can also go to the dumpsters, squatters, red light districts or any place that speaks "poverty and desperation" at first glance. Tell us a very, very specific plan how you will implement these changes. This is a good way to show to the people your plans and aspirations to the country. I don't care if your commercial shows people holding hands.

Yes, your commercial could be boring but believe me - there are millions of voters who will listen to what you will say. Advertising is not just endorsement, it's also getting the right message out.

First Day of National Campaign…an Afterthought

Before anything else, here's the rundown of the political parties who officially started their campaigns today for the 2010 Presidential Elections:

* Liberal Party (Aquino, Roxas) - Tarlac, Pampanga as Aquino's hometown.
* Nacionalista Party (Villar, Legarda) - Calamba, Laguna as Rizal's birthplace.
* Lakas Kampi CMD (Teodoro, Manzano) - Antipolo, Rizal because of it's geographically higher and a lucky place.
* Bagumbayan Party (Gordon, Fernando) - Imus, Cavite since Gordon's grandfather (Jose Tagle) started his revolution in this place.
* Estrada, Binay - Plaza Miranda, Quiapo to show his commitment to the poor.
* Bangon Pilipinas Party (Villanueva, Yasay) - Rizal Park to reveal the biggest Philippine Flag.

No News: Madrigal, Perlas (announced will start on Friday), de los Reyes, Acosta.

(Update: Sen. Madrigal opted to take things simpler - she attended a mass in Quiapo. If you have a Facebook account. You can view the photos here.)

Everyone wants to have some impact on their first day. These candidates clearly want to start strong to have a good momentum. For that reason, they wanted to start somewhere meaningful and can gather the most followers.

But if you ask me, the latter reason (most followers) is the reason why candidates chose these locations. The decision of Gordon, Fernando is a bit risky if they don't have enough peopel who will voluntarily come out and cheer for these candidates. This is also the same with Villar, Legarda; Aquino, Roxas; Estrada, Binay as well as Villanueva, Yasay. The reason of Teodoro and Manzano is frankly a bit weird because they opted to seek something lucky. If I give it a meaning, they are placing the country's future on luck and higher ground - maybe we'll be in Baguio and things will be better…or Mount Apo. If they told the media they want to start strong by starting in the party's strongest town, it could have been an honor for the town and its people.

To the rest of the candidates - be sure to have something big and set it on a date with meaning. Here's a tip: please don't do it on Sunday citing "Valentine's Day" because it's just stupid.

So what do you think? Are we off to a better start?

Image and Source from Philippine Star and Manila Bulletin

5 Influential Religious Organizations this Election

Our country is a religious country. We are a religious people. It doesn't matter how much we clamor regarding the separation of church and state, we always end up working with the church. You may not have visited a church for the past few years but I'm sure you know someone who has been to a church yesterday (especially if you read this on Monday).

The church can influence people in more ways than simply choosing the candidate. In other countries, mass suicide or ritual execution can happen because of religious convictions. Those are pretty serious compared to the simple act of writing a person's name or shading a person's name in the official ballot.

But I don't think that religion itself is the driving force in our country's election. It's the people behind it. For that reason, I present to you the top 5 religious groups that would have some impact in the coming elections.

Please don't hesitate to add in the comments.

Apollo Quiboloy's The Kingdom of Jesus Christ - head of Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Pastor Quiboloy's congregation is stationed in Davao. He can be a strong ally and a dangerous enemy because of the influence he commands to his followers. Although his followers cannot put a big dent on the election results, he has another tool that the candidates will most likely look out: media. He has a TV station, Radio stations and a great website. He's also a great speaker and usually very passionate on what he says.

Iglesia ni Kristo - the leaders of this religious organization is constantly hounded by candidates for endorsement. Their numbers are in millions and can easily influence the national elections. Add to this factor a TV station and radio programs, you have one powerful medium.

Bro. Mike Velarde's El Shaddai - this Catholic religious organization is not a push over because of its charismatic and awesomely dressed leader Bro. Mike Velarde. It was even rumored that he'll be running for top political position. Like most of the leaders in the religious groups, Bro. Mike is constantly followed by political candidates for support.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva's Jesus is Lord (JIL) - the single most influential person coming from the religious organization…if he wins. Why? Because he's gunning for the highest position of the land. But this doesn't mean his current influence is not at par compared to previously mentioned religious leaders. He has the support of millions of JIL members and even people not part of the group.

Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) - the group of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines can't be easily reckoned with. Although they are not hounded by candidates for endorsements, they command great deal of influence for their faithful. As the direct head of PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting), they are a watchdog for the upcoming elections.

Now What? NAMFREL Out - PPCRV Ouch

A few days ago Comelec has officially denied the petition of NAMFREL to be part of the election. The reason? There seems to be a vested interested based on the background of the election watch dog. Jose Cuisia Jr. and Jose Concepcion have been doubted because of their "political leanings". Fortunately, PPCRV is still on the loop in the upcoming elections.

Based on the latest news (resources in the end of the article), NAMFREL is trying to get acreddited through tie-up with CBCP-Nassa which naturally creates PPCRV (Parish Pastroral Council for Responsible Voting). But the Comelec questioned the authority of Cuisia to make such bold decisions such as establishing a tie-up with PPCRV. Hence their application for accreditation is not approved.

This is a sad and bad news for election watch dogs. Back in the days, NAMFREL is regarded is often the basis on who will win in the upcoming election. Think of them as the spoilers - since they don't have to go through strict regulations of the COMELEC, they can conduct a quick count and reveal the results weeks before the proclamation.

So now that the NAMFREL is gone the burden is on PPCRV to ensure an honest and clean elections. But this is a tall order for the church based-group. I have been a volunteer of PPCRV once and it's a grueling task to ensure that the election doesn't stall. You're practically the right arm of the poor teachers who are having trouble controlling the elections. And it's set to get worst because poll automation requires a lot of mumbo-jumbo in technology.

The pressure is now on PPCRV. We just hope they would provide concrete actions and inform the public in advance on what they will do on the upcoming elections. The void left by NAMFREL is not an easy to fill.

Source 1: It's final: No Namfrel role in polls

Source 2: No more Namfrel quick count in 2010