Facebook, Twitter and the 2010 Presidential Candidates

Thank God for social networking sites. I don't have to watch TV or read newspapers just to be updated with related news and activities of the candidates. All I need to do is to "become a fan" and I'll get the latest updates of these guys.

That is why I'm a fan of them all - except those who do not have groups.

The following are Facebook groups that have very strong activity. Believe me that their page is updated almost 24 hours. Please take note that some of these pages were created by supporters and not sanctioned of official candidates. Click on the names to be directed to their Facebook pages.

Jamby Madrigal

Somebody should step up to the plate for Jamby Madrigal. Her fan page does not contain any information except for the latest updates. She only has 317 fans as of this writing and she only had 2 twitter posts. The first post was on January 6 (I'm on twitter now… Happy New Year) and her 2nd post was January 19 which is just a reTweet (RT @inquirerdotnet: Plunder raps set vs Villar at Ombudsman http://bit.ly/4P7kLp)

JC De Los Reyes

NONE - Their website is under maintenance for some reason. Please post on comments if you find something.

Richard Gordon

Gordon now has 5K supporters as of this writing. I don't know if this is a verified account on Twitter but it has a very vigorous activity as it has at least three posts in one day. I think someone is doing it for him which is a good thing. Wall posts on Facebook are constantly updated by people supporting him.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva

It's no secret that Bro. Eddie's supporters are some of the biggest users of social networking sites. Since they can't spend billions in advertising, they just use the internet to spread the message. As of this writing, he already has more than 16k supporters. His twitter page is a lot more active as it has constant updates on the news related to the candidate.

Erap Estrada

The former president has more than 4k fans in his Facebook page and the twitter account posted on the info has 594 followers. But even with the small number of supporters, the posts are all pledges of support. The activities are not as vigorous compared to previous candidates discussed.

Gibo Teodoro

We're entering the hot seat now…starting with Gibo Teodoro. Updates on the wall posted by supporters are coming fast. Almost every minute you'll see posts on the wall saying the full support to the candidate. As of this writing, he has more than 53,000 fans. His twitter post is relatively active but it's done by his supporters which reTweets some information and posts some links to latest news.

Noynoy Aquino

Noynoy already has 410,000 fans - and that's a lot. My favorite show (The IT Crowd) only has 190,000 fans and that's worldwide. The posts on the wall are even crazier compared to Mr. Teodoro. His official twitter account though needs some serious work. His last official Tweet? January 1st. Get someone to post some statements Mr. Aquino and fast.

Manny Villar

Manny Villar has the most advertisements not only in television but also online. I've seen his Google ad links many times today and his Facebook ad could have stayed there if I said didn't say no more. He already has 350,000 fans and like the most of candidates, continues to increase. My only beef to their Facebook page is that no one can post in the wall. Everyone can just comment. C'mon, we need to place something there that's original. His Twitter is not as vigorous but constantly updated.

Note: the two new candidates (Perlas and Acosta) will have detailed posts later.

Thanks for the Poll Votes

I want to thank those who voted on the poll on my blog. More polls are coming so keep posted on the latest :)

Anatomy of a "Trapo" Speech

Speeches can provide a lot of information about the speaker. The knowledge and expertise on the subject, the ability to provide professional predictions and how the speaker relates to everyone can be determined in one speech. This is very applicable to a TRAditional POlitician or TRAPO.

Now I love speeches made by TRAPOs during caucuses and political rallies. But I hate it when they are done outside these venues. Why? They ruin everything. These speeches delay fun and activities in the town fiesta, they are too boring that the fun is no longer there when they show up and make the same statements again and again…

THEY ARE ALL THE SAME!

Forgive the writer for these capitalizations because I just want to emphasize my anger to this type of speech. But let's get to the point shall we?

The Long, Long, Long, Long Greeting

Politicians take forever before they can start their actual speech. You don't just get "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" as a greeting, they will greet everyone in the stage they know. Here's an example:

"To our awesome President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who has given us a lot this year. To our dear Vice President Noli de Castro who has worked harder to give us what we want. To our Congressman (insert name) who has give us (insert money and project), Sir/ma'am (insert stupid comment here)."

The speaker will name EVERYONE in the stage so that everyone will be pleased…except the listeners. Unfortunately, this is not worst part because this type of greeting will be repeated by every politician in the stage. By the way, every politician in the stage will most likely ask for time in the pulpit because they also want to *iss *ss to everyone there.

The Vague Statements

Don't think that the politician will talk about what they did in the past. No, that type of speech is very rare because they actually didn't do anything. Here's an example of a vague statement:

"I thank everyone for coming here because this only shows our support to the cause we want to push. We are not afraid to change so we took time to travel for hours just to show up in this rally. Times are challenging so we have to be united and get everyone behind our leaders to get what we want."

It's a great "pom-pom" speech because it cheers everyone up but doesn't give anything, ANYTHING at all.
The What I Do/What I Did Variety

During election period, the candidate will say something like this:

"I built something, I contributed something now I'm planning to do something if I win."

This sounds nice but that's just "subjective memory working" you really can't pin that speech to the candidate. Why? Because there are too many factors to consider. The politician's "frienemies" will block, support, praise or burn the project. But they still win because they "tried". We lose.

New Trend: Get the People Pumped Up

There's a new trend I notice in candidates especially the young ones. While they practice the traditional pattern of speech, they end up by chanting something and getting the crowd to answer.

Politician: "Hep, Hep?"

Everyone Else: "Horray!!!"

At this point you'll notice the *iss *ss. He/she who shouts the loudest, *isses the *ss most. An exception is given to kids because they seem to enjoy something like this in a political rally.

This is the sorry, sad state of our political speeches. Of course, there are few candidates who are great orators and don’t succumb to TRAPO blah, blah, blah but to those who do something like this - please stop it. Hire someone who can write a good speech that will tell your true feelings. Wait, scratch that - that will get you in trouble.

4 Too Obvious News This Week

(Editor's note: this could be a weekly segment regarding the thoughts of the candidates that were already thought of by the people. Please comment if there's any changes on the title, pictures, etc.)

The current political candidates are definitely smart guys. But they are not really stirring the noodles in their heads with their latest statements. Of course, they want to sound smart but anyone who wanted to make this country a better place would also say the same.

Gibo: Supreme Court selection must be transparent

My take: Of course it has to be transparent. You can't just get someone for the government position without the right process (and conscience) which is already transparent.

Villar wants better collection of taxes

My take: this should have been done eons ago even the current and past presidents knew it.

Noynoy, Mar share Gawad Kalinga vision

My take: There is already a name for this gentlemen and it's called Pag-Ibig Housing. Let GK do it's thing...just donate silently.

Money can’t buy the presidency— Gordon

My take: Sour graping is a bad thing Sir. Besides, you are in a better position compared to other candidates.

Vote and Comment!

Who Made the Most Obvious Statement this Week? (Jan 10 - 17)
	Teodoro: Supreme Court selection must be transparent
	Villar wants better collection of taxes
	Noynoy, Mar share Gawad Kalinga vision
	Money cant buy the presidency (Gordon)
	None - they're spanking new!
pollcode.com free polls

What the Tick is a Guest Candidate?!?

Browsing online for possible topics, I came across a small news about "guest candidates". I already seen this trend in the past local elections. Apparently some of the political parties can't seem to choose the right number of candidates. What they do is let someone become a candidate but only as a guest.

But this trend is now a trend in the national level. Some of the senators are now official candidates in one party but "guest candidates" in other parties. Take note of the word "parties" since some of them have enough balls to be part of various political parties.

Here are the candidates and their guest appearances:

• Miza Maza (Gabriella) - guest candidate of Nacionalista Party (NP)
• Serge Osmeña - GC of Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)
• Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. (Lakas Kampi) - GC of PMP, NP, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), and Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC)
• Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos, Jr. (KBL) - GC of NPC, NP, PMP
• Miriam Defensor Santiago (People's Reform Party) - PMP, NP, LDP, NPC, Lakas Kampi

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of being part of this party fiasco?

Pros:

• Your name will appear in more sample ballots. Senator Santiago will appear in 5 sample ballots which means she will be advertised like crazy in the coming elections.
• You might not lose much because you have bet on everyone.

Cons:

• Awkward introductions - Former President Erap Estrada introduced Senator Santiago as guest candidate but she was not there. She appeared instead of Manny Villar's rally which was held in the same day in a nearby location.
• Conflicting ideas - although our political parties are like basketball teams where you can just jump from one group to another, there is still some identity in philosophy followed.

In gist, candidates who became guest candidates clearly has some issues with their current party. It doesn't matter if they are asked to be a guest because you are also a competitor for a few slots in the government position.

What do you think? Are guest parties a good idea for the party?

5 Alternatives to Private Armies

The government and COMELEC are paranoid nowadays because of the private armies. Although they are doing this because of the recent cases especially the Maguindanao Massacre, it's still good that they are holding the politicians in the neck. This prevents every politician to go out and bring someone with a gun who looks like a villain in Jeric Raval’s movies (where’s he anyway?).

For those who are not approved by the Comelec, don't fret. I stayed up really, really late and missed my deadline in posting an article to give you some recommendations. Here are 5 things you can have instead of a private army.

1. Buy a lot of Samurai Swords and give it to your "companions". Because "guards" are not allowed, you can always have someone walking around with a sword in their side. This is even more dangerous compared to a guy with a gun because of the brutal possibilities your "companion" could do.

2. Hire Ninjas and Samurais as your "companions". No one said that you can't bring any Ninjas to your rally. Imagine if Ninoy Aquino actually walked around with 3 Ninjas in complete costume. That would be fun if he meets Manny Villar with five samurais in full battle regalia. This is also great for crowd control because people don't just approach guys with long blade in their side or the back. Plus, shuriken shows are awesome.

3. Get four VERY VERY big guys - I don't think the presidential candidates are the biggest guys in the country. With that said, there are a lot of really tall muscled men who can stand in the candidate's way to protect them from any harm. Just remember to differentiate obese guys from the muscled ones. I'm sorry to discriminate the fat-intensive dudes (I'm one of you), but we can't run with Ninoy in case he shows up with Kris Aquino, James Yap and Baby James for the rally.

4. Twitter and have Live Feed Videos - there two online tools will not protect you from any hail of bullets but it will not protect the culprit or the mastermind. Get an assistant to "tweet" where you’re going and who you met. The live streaming can also become a great tool to show what you do even in the most boring time of the day. Show me that you actually eat dirty ice cream every 4pm and you will have my vote.

5. Don't run. Live a simple life and avoid politics. If you don't want to get mobbed let the braver ones run. Having a bodyguard just tells people that you have a lot of enemies and you're a bit paranoid.

P.S. Please comment on this. If you have more input, maybe we can extend the tips to 3 million J

5 Arguments Against 10-Year Limit on Marriage (Without Using Religion)

Party List "Isa-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso" (1-ABAA) is trying to get the recognition and support of the people by proposing something radical. They plan to push for an expiry on marriage. After 10 years, a man or a woman can just say to their partner "I'm through so I'm walking out". He or she can remarry with no questions asked. It's a very simple proposal that's supposed to save marital problems…after 10 years.

I have to disagree to their arguments and here are my reasons without being preachy

1. Paperwork = Red tape - after 10 years, the couple would have to renew their marriage. They will still have their marriage license (supposedly) so they can easily get married. But this just means you have to visit various government agencies. You have to pay them some fees and you have to spend time and more money dealing with the red tape.

2. What about the kids? - Here’s a question for you "1-ABAAers": what if the family has two kids and decides to separate. Before you answer the question, let me quote a news clip from ABS-CBN:

"There are existing provisions in the law that deals with children of separated parents. Tajon said they will not meddle with that aspect of the law."

Leaving the kids alone to the existing law means you will just leave them to their moms which would lead to single parenthood. Kids will be neglected no matter what.

3. Why the Magic 10? I don't understand why a person has to wait for a decade just to ditch his cheating wife. This is also the same for the women. If my husband beats me up everyday after 1 year of marriage, why should I wait for 9 years more? Maybe you should propose daily renewal so that you can check their marriage status.

4. Can they rewrite the Family Code? The family code is just one part of the constitution but it will radically change with this proposal. You have to think a lot of things about alimony, child support, the process of annulment, ownership of property etc.

5. Why now? You should have pushed for this years ago. Coming out during the elections simply means you are just doing this to get the attention of media and everyone else so that you can have free publicity.

Please…Really think about your proposals…There are good stunts and bad stunts to gain public attention. So far you have done the latter.

5 Tips on Jingle Making (For Candidates)

First off, here's the video:



Now. There are two sides of the story.

Rico Blanco's and Warner Music's side - the song was copied from one Rivermaya's song.

Dennis Garcia (the "arranger" of the tune) - the song was actually based on "Posible" which was no way related to "Sulong, Laban" of Rico Blanco.

It's a tough call, so you be the judge if it was actually pirated or copied. The only weird part is that the song's "owner" Lizza Nakpil, is the former manager of Rivermaya.

So for future references , here are some tips for those who wanted to create a tune for their future campaigns. If you want, I can create something for you. The quality will be so terrible that you'll win because everybody hates it.

Now on to the tips:

1. Hire someone popular and do a press conference for that agreement - the first option (hiring someone popular) is not a necessity but the second option is not negotiable. If you want to create a tune for the campaign, let the media know that you are doing something. It doesn't have to be that popular but a small news should ensure you're doing something right.

2. Listen to popular songs - this is the reason why the song "Posible" became a bit controversial. Note to composers: before you release a tune or copy a tune, make sure that it doesn't sound like anything popular today ir in the past few years. If you are thinking of copying "Nobody, Nobody…" Just make sure the Wonder Girls and their representatives here will not come to your office and kick your a** with legal fees.

3. If they use a popular song, double check the legality of the song - lawyers were made for a reason and one of them is to prevent from bad things happening to your campaign. Mr. Teodoro should be a bit paranoid and not too trustful about the arrangers. Sir, let them feel bad because you're not a nanny. You're running for presidency.

4. Create a full length song - I don't know if there's a full length song exists on "Posible" the Teodoro version but I already saw Ninoy and Bro. Eddie's videos online and they look great. Gloc 9 is really pushing it for the evangelist. This will prevent any confusion since you have created a full length song.

5. Learn the Song! - Although the leader of the land doesn't have to sound like the best singer of the land, at least they should be able to hum their tune. Think about it: you have paid someone with a chunk of your political campaign fund. Not singing it simply means you ordered something tasty for dinner but you just started at it.

Hope this helps. Again, if you want a tune - I can give you one. In fact, I'm humming right now.

8 Videos Related to Presidential Candidates

I could not help but look for their commercials on YouTube. So these are the videos I found. Many of them are pretty interesting - especially the JC De Los Reyes and Eddie Villanueva (Gloc 9 Rocks!). But I'm not endorsing anything. Feel free to have fun on these vids.

By the way, for some reason, the video of Noynoy is bigger and I have no idea why.

Noynoy Aquino Commercials - of course, he has the backing of celebrities :)



Manny Villar - he has been poor once so we should vote for him?



Erap Estrada - Can't find anything good in YouTube so here's the Arthro Commercial



Gibo Teodoro - pushing for social services is good but there's something not there -



Richard Gordon - dwell in the past to prove your future



Jamby Madrigal - unfortunately, I can't find any ad about her presidential bid so here's her speech declaring her plans:



Eddie Villanueva - yep, that's THE Gloc 9 :)



John Carlos de los Reyes - can't find anything for this guy so here's the interview on GMA



So? Will you vote for any of these based on what you so? Me? I wish they would come to my home and explain to me why the country is in the ***tters. Those who can give a good explanation in 5 minutes, gets my vote.

4 Things You Should Know About Vote Buying

Vote buying is already considered a "tradition" in the Philippines. If you're looking for a proper defintion of this phrase, you're out of luck because it's defined as it is - candidates for political positions buy (cash) the votes of the people. It's an unfortunate state of our country but happens in a massive scale.

Before you accept that money - here are things you should know about vote buying.

1. The money you receive did not came from the candidates because they came from your pocket - This is already an obvious data but we are always fooled by what we see. The cash we received rarely comes from the pocket or hard earned cash of the candidates.

2. The more money they give, the more powerful they feel - this is a trend observed everywhere. If the candidates spent millions in vote buying, you can be sure that he or she will control everything. They will never care about your welfare because they plant to earn more when they are in power for three years.

3. The bidding war for vote buying is just a taste to come - if the rival candidates in your town are bidding for your vote (one gives out 300 and the other gives 500), be very afraid. The future of your town, district or province will only get worst. Because they have spent more than they expect, they will get everything they spent on taxes and other projects.

4. You don't have to vote for the candidate who gave you money - do not be pressured in voting for the candidate who gave you money. In fact, vote for the person who DID NOT gave you cash for your vote. A vote buyer should never be placed in the office. He or she can't go after you if you don't vote for them. They will not stand behind you on election day.

Please share! (image from http://secondhandsmoker.wordpress.com)

5 Ways to Know if Your Politician has Election Fever

Election is just months away and even though our automated poll machine has failed miserably on its latest test (only 30 out of 600), the show must go on. Although we're scared **itless about the possibility of massive cheating, the show must go on. Even politicians believe that the show must go on.

And what a show they are putting up. Every three years, our politicians go on a battle far more complicated, brutal and funny than the Battle of Mactan (except the funny part). The politicians are on election fever and there is no cure. In fact, the more we watch the greater the fever.

Here are the indications that your politician is about to be hot on his heels this election season.

1. Increased block time on radio and television - give your politician credit for giving jobs to retired and sometimes, annoying broadcasters. Months before the election semi-journalists (like me) go on a rampage against the opponent. Additional kudos if the politician gains enough money to spend on television shows dedicated to praise what he has done and thrash the opponents.

2. Legal battle has started - one of the many tricks a politician will use to destroy the enemy is to dig up past problems of go to the court. The weird part is that almost everyone knows about the past problems of the politician and only now that the election is coming they have opted to go to the court. Most of these are just threats so that the people will realize what the politician did but these are just ploys.

3. Posters, calendars, t-shirts, caps, jackets, wall clocks, bags, notebooks, pencils with the politicians name - if you receive any two of these before the end of the month from the same politician, then that politician has the fever. Be prepared because they will spend millions on these things. When that time comes, the fever has landed.

4. Challenge to a debate - this is a bit unique in the election much like the legal battles. To show their true supremacy over their opponents, they will usually challenge their enemy to a debate. Of course, the opponent will just walk away, do not reply or say "no". But after the elections, you can't seem to see them shouting at each other to prove their point.

5. Increasing friends - "paid for by friends of". 'nuff said

Setting up a Podcast

This year, we are going to have a small podcast dedicated to what is happening in Iloilo. The podcast will be in Ilonggo. Please share this to your friends :)

DVDs of the Maguindanao Massacre? C'mon!

Now this is just insane…

The Optical Media Board is now looking into the piracy of DVDs containing the footage of Maguindanao. The contents are gruesome (allegedly) as you'll see heads were crushed and body practically mutilated because of the massacre. The DVD has been circulating in Mindanao for days. The DVD allegedly contains 4 hours of footage - 2 hours for the first day of digging and 2 hours the next day. According to the newspaper, the DVDs can be purchased for 60 pesos.

There are two conflicting ideas in the report:

The OMB is clearly against this type of "exploitation" earning from a gruesome event is not something a regular person should do.

On the other hand, a lawyer in Mindanao is sees "nothing wrong" with the distribution of DVDs. Because this should show how gruesome some people are in this senseless murder.

Both parties have a point but both parties are missing out something.

For the OMB - guys, you better do something about this fast. The weird part is that you only new this because someone sent in a complaint online. Don't you have guys down there in Mindanao? If there's any place you should be aware of piracy it's in Mindanao. I know Manila is also hotbed for piracy but our brothers in Mindanao are doing much more simply because of the economic situation. Why should I watch "Panday" in MMFF when I can have it on DVD for half the ticket price? Don't just investigate - go down there and do something. Sir Ronnie (Rickets), you should be the one more concerned about this because your movie is also heavily pirated.

For the Lawyer who Encourages the Distribution of the Said Movie - I know how you feel and I understand it. I'm also curious what's inside the DVD. But selling them? I don't see any justice for the families there. The persons behind this distribution are the only ones earning from this mishap. They are exploiting the situation and tries to earn big from it. The earnings should be given to the families but I don't see that happening.

That is why I think the distribution should be stopped. The families are the ones on the losing end of this alleged DVD fiasco.

Zombie Streamers are Coming!!!

The election period will start in January 10 and the current politicians are aware of this restrictions. In fact, they are all aware that they can't tell people to vote for them until the fateful 10th day of January. So what do they do? The circumvent the law and have "political ads" wherein everything is paid for by "friends of...".

The gloves are officially off in January 10, 2010 - Sunday. But it doesn't matter because politicians are already busy convincing people to vote for them one way or the other. You can already see banners of politicians reminding the people what they have done and what they dream for the city. Please take note, they dream of something big but many are still experiencing nightmares.

Before I completely go off topic...I'll just go to my main point. Streamers of politicians are already popping out here in our city and it's only a matter of weeks before the country is engulfed or covered with political banners. These are not just your average banners - they are tarpaulins which costs hundreds of pesos each. The politicians are not just printing 20 banners in an election, tell me if I'm wrong but I think a politician might print no less than 4,000 tarpaulins just to remind people who they are. If a tarpaulin costs 100 (very unlikely) per piece then he or she could be spending 400,000 on tarpaulins alone!

We should also remember the possible implications on paper - we'll ravage forests and cut down trees just to print calendars, leaflets and sample ballots so that everyone will be "guided" on who to vote for in the coming elections. Millions of paper will be wasted just to remind people who to vote for...mother nature is going to go through something difficult this coming election.

All these wasted paper could have been used for books. All these tarpaulins could have been used to shelter someone during a storm. Or at least the money could have been used for something else.

Note to politicians: please tell us who your "friends" who pays for your advertisements and election funds. We also would like to be friendly to them so that we can also have something.

Photo taken from uncyclopedia.com

The Upper 4 Candidates in the 2010 Philippine Election

Yesterday, the 4 "underdogs" were given a quick look for the upcoming election. Today, we're going to consider the 4 powerful candidates and see why they have strong following and might win the election.

* Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III - Noynoy Aquino has gained a lot of praises and criticisms since he declared his decision to run for the top position in the country. Those rooting for him claims that he has been in the government for many years and there are no anomalies attached to the guy. On the other hand, others argue that he is simply riding the popularity of the late president (Cory Aquino) and his hero father (Benigno Aquino, Jr). But he has been the focus of media for many months and many are seeing some good in him. Plus the fact that one of the strongest contenders (Mar Roxas) stepped aside in the party for Noynoy is a big boost.

* Joseph "Erap" Estrada - many argue that the ousted president should not be allowed to run again. If you have read the country's recent history, millions went on the streets to throw Erap out. But don't think that he has no supporters. The former president won on a landslide and his supporters are still strong. The biggest supporter of Erap is actually his VP - Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay. The "masa" support is still strong and he can easily gain a good percentage on the upcoming election.

* Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro - he came into the spotlight when he was chosen by LAKAS KAMPI over Bayani Fernando. He is the former defense secretary and aside from that fact, nothing else is known by regular Filipinos. He is expected to be the chosen candidate of the current president which will do good and bad for him - depending on the voter. His choice for VP is quite odd since he opted to partner with Edu Manzano (OMB Chairman).

* Manuel "Manny" Villar - one of the richest persons in the country is about to be one of the most powerful man as well, if he wins. Manny Villar has already invested millions in advertisements stating that he has been a poor guy once and he can relate to everyone. He used to be the Senate President and he has chosen Loren Legarda as his VP.

These are our options for the upcoming election. Should they provide new wind of hope if they win can only be determined in the future. Let's just pray or cross our fingers (if you don't pray) that we'll improve with the new president.

The 4 "Underdogs" in Presidential Election

In a race, there will always be winners and losers...but that only happens after the race. Before the race, there are underdogs and front runners. Today, we're going to look at the 4 underdogs in the upcoming presidential election. Some may disagree with the tag "underdog" but let's face it, their chances of winning is not the same compared to the front runners.

* Richard Gordon - this guy can easily run a country but along the way of pushing the envelope, he lost the charisma of getting everyone to follow him. I was expecting he run as VP (with Bayani Fernando) but it was actually the other way around. He was a senator but he came to the national spotlight when he became the administrator of Subic Freeport :)

* Jamby Madrigal - she is running as an independent candidate which means she doesn't have any financial backing from a party. Last election, she personally financed most of her push to become senator. It's quite a mystery why she decided to run because of her affiliations with a party but I guess she wanted to prove a point that you don't need a party to become significant opposition in the election.

* Eddie Villanueva - a religious leader and an activist, Bro. Eddie is running for the top position the 2nd time. His group "Bangon Pilipinas" is gaining grounds in various areas but right now, the odds are against them. To be honest, he is one of those genuine politicians who might provide something for the country in case he wins. But there is not enough machinery (read: money) to tell and convince the people about his causes.

* John Carlo de los Reyes - John Carlo or JC is a councilor of Olongapo City running under the party "Ang Kapatiran". He has a Vice President and seven senators. Unfortunately, he came to the national limelight only when he filed for candidacy and this is not a good way to push for presidency.

5 Things from 2009 and 5 Things from 2010

2010 is here and we're back. It's been a while since the last post but I want to start strong so here you go...

We look back in 2009 and look forward in 2010. These are the things that haunted, entertained and inspired us in the past. Hopefully, everything will be entertainment and inspiration in the future.

5 Things from 2009

* Manny Pacquiao - the guy is practically everywhere: Beating up Hatton and Cotto, joining politics, movies and a little brush up with controversy. I don't think the news will have a vacation on this guy anytime soon.

* The Ampatuans - thinking about them simply makes us think twice about the value of human life. Is it worth to kill a person so that you can stay in the office for only three years? Their utter disregarded for life is just sickening.

* MV Baleno-9 and Catalyn-B - twin sea tragedies...I don't think I'll be in the waters for now.

* Efren Peñaflorida - Hero of the Year. I don't know what this guy did until I heard in the new but it's just astounding.

* Online Connectivity - this is not necessarily news outside the Philippines but personally, I'm just too happy about this because almost everyone can connect to the internet.

5 Things in 2010

* The 2010 Election - this event scares and gives us hope at the same. The hopeful part is that we might be able to change the country one vote at a time. The worst part is that the people we hope to change are the same people who are slowly destroying the country.

* World Cup - Yes, Philippines is not in the world cup but a small portion of Filipinos is crazy about this game.

* Call Center in the Provinces - I live in Iloilo and call centers are growing like mushrooms here and I've seen some aggressive expansions in other cities so I'm pretty psyched about this possibility.

* Worsening Weather - I personally don't care if you believe in global warming or not. But the storms are getting a lot fiercer in the 2nd half of the year.

* Improved Blog! - hey, I get to have one wish :) Please stay tuned to this blog and learn everyday.

Complaint Letter to RMN

I am a big fan of AM radio so any problems will immediately get their attention.

Lately, I have focused on RMN and I have some complaints. So I wrote them this letter:

Hi Sir/Madam:

I am writing this email in frustration. I am an avid radio listener to your stations in Iloilo (DYRI) and Bacolod (DYHB) because of the interesting commentators, radio dramas and online access.

But for the past few months your stations here in Western Visayas are nothing but short on these expectations. Let me enumerate the problems:

1. Your anchormen in Iloilo City are never consistent on their shows. Bacolod City anchormen stick to their schedule from Monday to Saturday. Unfortunately, the anchormen in Iloilo City only show up Monday to Friday. Worst they might not show up on Monday for no apparent reason.

2. Your radio dramas are getting "screwed" by block timers.

3. Your online access is a SCAM, SCAM, SCAM. Your radio announcers claim that they can be listened to online but for the past months Bacolod and Iloilo stations are never online. I emailed eradioportal about the streaming and they replied that the problem is the internet connection on your end. Can't you fix that? A dumb ox can fix their internet connection.

Thank you for reading this letter. Hopefully, this frustrating letter will never go unnoticed.

A Gruesome Wake Up Call to Everyone

Shock and condemnation are the initial emotions I felt when I first heard the story regarding the Ampatuan Massacre. I always thought that only terrorists who are so blinded by their belief can kill anyone without hesitation or conscience. Apparently some of the citizens in our country will gladly shoot anyone in the face with a shotgun because of money. They don't give a damn about the families of those they kill as long as they have something heavy in their pockets.

What really saddens me right now is the initial response of those in Malacañang. Instead of going after the obvious culprits, they have asked for everyone to be calm, mourn and wait for the results of proper investigation. This only means one thing: the President and anyone else who hold tight to their votes and rely on these goons are willing to delay justice just to get what they want. I know we have to mourn for the loss but we don't have to keep calm - the good people of this country believes that only swift action and arrest of the people responsible is the only solution to this problem. If this goes on for more than two weeks, the President, her party and anyone associated with the alleged and likely culprits will suffer. The people knows too much and the media will never be quite.

For the journalists and broadcasters, please protect yourselves at all times. Yes, we still need heroes who will guide us on what we have to do to make our country prosper but we want our heroes today to be alive, healthy and should live happily until they naturally die of old age. You are not a coward for running away - you simply care for your family and your country. There are still safer ways to condemn the corrupt. Remember that God will still judge them based on their actions.

Note To Journalists/Politicians: We Don't Need Dead Heroes

When I was in college, I was fortunate enough to be part of the PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting). Being part of the extensive seminar, I got bored of rules, laws restrictions and massive ID cards that you have to bring anywhere. But the snacks are free and there are too many great people to mingle with. So I don't mind the endless talks since everything is perpetually free and you learn so many things.

Honestly, there was only one thing I remembered during the seminar. A priest gave a short talk about the dangers and perils we might have to face during elections. I can't recall the exact detail but there was one phrase I will never forget as long as I live:

"We don't need dead heroes…"

His point is this, everyone is better off alive rather than dying for something. There is always a safer better way to convey your message without wasting your life. If you are really serious about spreading the message, you have to spread it for a very long time. Dying while trying to teach everyone about the election will do you no good.

His thoughts on heroism is quite odd, but very true. Nowadays, getting yourself killed to prove your point is not only reckless to yourself but also to your family. A person getting killed during election time can be a husband, wife or kids cared for by anyone. Dying will only place other people in trouble because you are no longer there to guide and provide the needed muscle.

This doesn't mean we will to run away and curl our tails from those who threatened our lives. We run away but resort to legal matters to end the oppression. As gloomy as it seems, there is always someone who can legally protect us and get our message across. If there is danger, run but don't stop the message - there is always another way to get your message across.

Note to Candidates: A Political Party is not a Basketball Team

First, let me quote the definition of a political party in Encyclopedia Britannica Online:

"Formal political parties originated in their modern form in Europe and the U.S. in the 19th century. Whereas mass-based parties appeal for support to the whole electorate, cadre parties aim at attracting only an active elite; most parties have features of both types. All parties develop a political program that defines their ideology and sets out the agenda they would pursue should they win elective office or gain power through extra parliamentary means"

A political is not just some groups of people coming together saying "hey, let's get more people so that they can vote for us". A political party is also not just a professional basketball team where you can just buy players with lucrative contract. A political party can be attributed to a group of people with the same ideology. They believe in the same philosophy or idea on how the country and its people can improve.

The fact that almost every candidate today is transferring to another political party scares me. Sure there are no weird political parties in our system that contradicts the ultimate goal of our country's development. But jumping from one party to another means that you do not have a core principle that will guide your decision making process. In short, if you are transferring from party to party, you simply do not have a backbone.

What's even scarier today is that we do not know the exact philosophy or ideals of the current political party. LP, NP, PMP, LAKAS-NUCD, LDP and other political parties are simply names attached to well known personalities. Aside from that fact, they are no more than basketball teams.

Political parties should make sure they are not just pushing their candidates this election, they should also push their guiding principles so that people can choose based on principles and not just on shaky personalities that handles them.

A New Sad Low for Ratings

Nothing wakes me up in the morning like bad news. Since its verrrry early in the morning, I decided to check some news on the West - well, it's still the same: recession, Fort Hood incident and Kindle for PC is apparently for US based customers only (WTF?) and Windows 7.

Our tech guys here are also excited since a few days ago, Windows 7 was officially launched in the Philippines and the Ultimate Edition is "only" 15k. I'll just stick with my XP until it's ready for the vault, thank you.

But one news has actually got my attention and courage to write this. Apparently our country is a little less corrupt! Wow! From 39th to 33rd! Now that's something to be really happy. I'll go open my half-finished Tanduay 5-Years even though it's 5.35 in the morning to celebrate.

You know the best part? The low rating is on technicality! According to Sec. Alberto Romulo, we are rated along with better countries so there's a big chance that we might not be rated well. Now that's a relief.

What I don't understand is that they are happy that they are now less corrupt. Well here's a news flash: a stolen peso is still the same to the stolen billion pesos. It's not yours. Being less corrupt still makes you a corrupt politician or person.

If they are trying to impress the people by telling us that we are less poorer (sorry English teachers), then they are doing a terrible job.

(photo from wiki commons)

"Fuel Shortage" - Classic Example Why Deregulation Sucks

Everyone is in the helping mood for the past few months because of Ondoy and Pepeng. The devastation is not just a change in the government's pocket. Billions have to be spend to rehabilitate some parts of the country not to mention the lives ruined.

Apparently, the big oil companies are exempted from helping. They fought hard against the latest presidential order. The reluctantly agreed.

Now they have a new tool to press the government to lift the price shortage - fuel shortage. I think the fuel companies are selling the fuel that was purchased on a reasonable price. The new imported fuel are still kept somewhere in the country only to be released when the ban on price increase has been lifted.

Friends, this is where we need to stand-up against oil deregulation. I used to get confused and even angry at the protesters on what the heck they talk about but this is no longer the case. Oil deregulation has to be stopped as soon as possible so that we can survive for the next few days - with fuel.

For the government - never back out on what you believe for the price ban and for Pete's sake: push to lift oil deregulation law. They will run away but competition will always get them coming back. A little sacrifice on your end will never hurt.

For the oil companies - it's strange to think that you are actually human beings. Maybe you're born ticks. I don't know. Hopefully, you'll be identified as new specie since I don't want to be associated with you anymore.

Advice to Radio Personalities - please don't become a media whore

I don't know if there are a lot of young people listening to AM radio. After all, the FM station would sometimes blurt out some news about celebrities so why bother? But I tend to shun myself from music most of the time and listen to good old talk AM stations.

But election is coming and there's a really bad trend going on in AM radio - block timers. For those who are not familiar with this programs. A block time program is a paid program which means the show is not sponsored by the radio station. The radio station is paid by the shows producer or the one who simply wants to talk on radio. They can say almost anything on radio and the radio station do not care what they say. The radio stations are paid and the commentators can blurt out anything they want. Everyone is happy - except the freakin' listeners.

These block timers are only there for two things: to praise those who hired them and attack the enemy of those who hire them. Most of these block timers are former radio personalities or public officials who has a knack to talk without anyone in front of them. They talk bad against the enemy because they were paid to talk that way. In Iloilo, the trend of block timers that attacks politicians is just starting. Personalities that are for Gov. Tupas are already in the radio stinking the airwaves. Those for Syjuco, Gonzales, Biron and Mabilog are also taking some time in the radio just to get their black propaganda across. Bacolod is already doomed with paid broadcasters for Mayor Leonardia and Congressman Puentevella.

Don't get me wrong. I love a good banter against the enemy. In fact, my favorite past time is to listen to broadcasters lash out the bad guys in the government. But these are legitimate broadcasters. They were specifically paid to tell both sides of the story and not just lash out the enemy. I still believe they are not really paid to broadcast in a bias manner because they still have some conscience left.

So please...this is an appeal to radio stations and "paid" broadcasters. Do not stir the airwaves with bad messages. The country is already in the **ithole as it is and you just made it smellier. Get off the airwaves or have your show at 2.15 to 3.15 in the morning.

Douche of the Moment: Oil Companies in the Philippines

Wow…look at these guys. Everyone is having a hard time adjusting to the natural calamities and the oil companies are the last ones to provide the much needed service. I'm in Visayas so the price hike can be a bit annoying and if I want it, I want to stop the hike (who doesn't). Mindanao is also having economic trouble even before oil deregulation was introduced. Luzon and especially NCR seemed to be having trouble as well - but since they are near the central power, they can breathe easier than the rest of us folks down here.

But typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng have virtually downed most of Luzon for a few days and will continue to do so for a few months. You've seen acts of heroisms from unknown individuals, celebrities (I don't like them but) and other organizations. They are doing everything they can to help. The oil firms on the other hand are thinking of their losses when they do not freeze the prices of their fuel. Wow. A market lady who earns only 300-500 a day can still implement price freeze in response to the devastation but the million-dollar (with an $) companies are not going to life one finger.

Sure, they still have other activities to help the poor. But instead of asking for a price cut, why not do something beneficial to the folks at Luzon and do a TEMPORARY FREEZE ON RATES. You know what's the keyword there? Temporary. That means it's not permanent.

Douches.

Some Tidbits on the Local Elections in 2010

I will be voting for the first time in another town - specifically in the city. I'm sad that I have to leave my hometown to vote in the city but excited since this is the first time the automated voting process will be used.

Anyway, what I'm also riled up is that the local election here in Iloilo City is heating up. As of this writing, Mayor Jerry Treñas has just announced his bid to run for Mayor. This means he will be running against Raul Gonzales, Jr. - the son of former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, Sr. who I believe will be running for mayor. Rumor has it that the Sr's wife will also run for congress through party list. Talk about legacy.

Anyway, Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog has already announced his bid for the Mayor position. This means he will be running against the former Justice Secretary. For an outsider, this might be a one-sided race but believe me; Jed Mabilog is like a rock star here. He is a blend of traditional politician but can entice the crowd more than Michael Buffer.

But the best part is that no one is affiliated with anything yet. There are other players: Former Mayor Malabor, Undersecretary (what's his name?), Dr. Plagata, Councilor Baronda and even Councilor Perla Zulueta. Everyone is playing the waiting game. The mud slinging has not started yet (at least on Mayor Treñas) but I think come December, things will get nasty. But it should be fun for everyone to hear.

Bad Move, Smart Move, Dumb Move for the Philippine Elections

Presidential hopefuls are doing everything that they can to one-up each other and draw the attention and care of the voters. They announce their political affiliations, plans and or simply go through an activity to get the attention of everyone.

But doing something for your political gain is not always seen as a good move. Although your intentions are good, the people might see it as a stunt which means it will only hurt your career.

Now for the list:

Bad Move: Chiz Escudero - I always like the guy because of his feisty criticism of the President. I always listen to his interviews because of his straightforward answer. Heck, many (including me) are considering him a strong candidate even though he's just 40 years old!

But his numbers are lately going down largely because of Erap in the picture, Noynoy having that "Obama" phenomenon, Villar spending like rockstar and Teodoro having the backing of the system (hehehe). As a young man facing all these challenges what can he do? Unfortunately, he opted to bolt out from the platform that helped him succeed: his political party.

Tip: You stay in your party Sir because people still care about loyalty.

Smart (and Scary) Move: I say scary because I've seen this before. Secretary Teodoro, amidst this brouhaha in Philippine politics is as calm as the morning cooking oil. He also has commercials on radio and television but the volume is not that much that he can be beaten by Secretary Puno (and he claims they do things in silence).

What made me choose the guy for the smart category is the fact that he uses the "Karambola" technique: Let everyone duke it out and stay aside because everyone will die in the process and you become the survivor.

The scary part: he has the President at his side and has the Ramos pre-election vibe.

(Rumored) Dumb Move: Senator Villar courting celebrities as Vice President. I was about to place the guy in a pedestal for the dumb move of choosing a celebrity. Fortunately, latest rumor is that he might end up with Loren Legarda as the VP.

Tip: Sir, No matter what happens, don't go for celebrities. You already knew what happened last elections.

A Lot of Politics During Halloween

Politics will always be part of the way of life of the Philippines. With the 2010 Elections coming, it's hard to ignore the political side of everything the politician does from November 1 and November 2.

Here are some tidbits:

Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III - believed by many as the next president, his visit to the tomb of his mom and dad is nearly star studded. People did not only came to the cemetery to visit the two Aquino heroes but also a presidential candidate.

The Syjucos - this story is a bit local so forgive me readers. I heard in the radio that the couple are distributing candles with their name on it. It's a creepy way to remind voters on how their tax money is spent. There are also those who claimed that their current arch-rival in their district (Mayor Gorriceta) is also doing the same thing.

Of course, I've seen a lot of politicians in the cemetery. I was in Villa, Molo, Mandurriao and Forest Lake. So I've seen pretty much everything. I'll have a seperate blog on that. Stay tuned :)

Midnight Madness (DZMM DZRH and DWIZ)

Midnight Madness

I don't sleep well during the night which works wonders for my small office work and my ability to gather news. Thanks to the internet, I can gather as many news as I can not only in text but also in audio. Radio stations in the Philippines are now offering live audio streaming of their shows to attract more listeners outside the country.

The following are good stations that will keep you company during the night:

DZMM (630) - the official AM station of ABS-CBN. This station is home of the most popular broadcasters in the country and they don't joke around when it comes to selecting people for night shift. Midnight during weekdays features Amy Peres (is it Perez?) (he actress) wherein she plays songs and provides messanges good for the heart. The show is followed by the same format but hosted by a guy.

DZRH - this is the first midnight station that I love to listen to. When midnight strikes, the feisty Dating Daan program lasts for one hour. You can listen to "vintage" Eli Soriano duke it out to answer every question imaginable on the bible. After the "Dating Daan" the legendary Manny Val will be the master of the show from 2AM to 4AM. This show is very informative because he holds debates, takes DBK (Digital Bolang Kristal) on certain days and provide commentaries on the government.

DWIZ (882) - I stumbled upon the show of Percy Lapid (Lapid Fire) one night. While looking for a station to listen, I accidentally heard someone shouting and swearing like a sailor. From that time on, I was hooked. His show now lasts for an hour and a half because of popular demand. Every Monday morning he also invite his friends over for music jamming. After his show, Direk Anthony Taylor provides music and "vibes" for the caller.

DENR: Watch Out, Your Souls and Your Body is in Danger

I just heard the news that the DENR has already authorized mining companies to explore some (read mostly) areas in Guimaras. This is an utter disregard for nature, livelihood and human life. According to what I heard, nearly 1/3 of the island will be under exploration by mining companies. These companies are not even based in Visayas but somewhere in Metro Manila. I hope the storm signal #2 will wipe them in smithereens.

Before I continue, let me tell you about exploration. It's not mining per se but close. When they say they'll simply "explore" they will dig holes to look for possible minerals they can use. When there's mineral to be found - they will mine with gusto. That means they will practically place a hole in the highly sensitive island. Guimaras is just a small island and any drastic change will literally destroy the island.

Apparently, you just have to appease the higher authorities to mine any area in the country. This is very sad because I just wanted to have a fence in my front yard and I need to talk to the Brgy. Captain about this. The mining companies? No Siree, they can just get anyone in DENR to sign and they are clear to do whatever they want. Governor Nava can only beg for mercy regarding the exploration. I was partly smiling when the reporter urged the local people to do drastic and nearly fatal actions just to stop these people. This makes sense because the mining companies are protected by the STUPID STUPID LAWS OF THE LAND REGARDING MINING.

There are two people who will definitely burn in hell for this fiasco. Sorry, but if millions of Guimarasnons will suffer because of mining, this will be YOUR FAULT.

* DENR Secretary Lito Atienza - Sir, this is practically a pleading from the people in the Visayas. Stop the mining in a very small island that will have no bearing to them. Remember what I say THEY - the local people of Guimaras will never earn anything. Jobs? What Jobs? The danger of mining is not worth the money you give them. Guimarasnons are content with their nature and doing the best on their own to improve. Drilling a hole in the ground will disrupt and end their source of clean water, source of food and lives.

* The Regional Director of DENR in Region 6 - Sir, having allowed these people to destroy such as a small and sensitive island is not just a sin against the people but a sin against God. I hope you have a religion that believes in Karma because bad things happen to bad people...'nuff said.

For the people of Guimaras, my prayers are with you...now if we can just stop mining in the Northern part of Iloilo everything would be better.

Yanggaw and Wanted: Boarders

One of the hottest indie film today is title "Yanggaw"." For many Ilonggos, the story is just too real: a story on how a person can end up with the curse in his or her body. I haven't watched it yet but I have heard enough stories about ghosts and goblins. As an Ilonggo, this story is just another story - but a terrifying one because it can happen in my neighborhood.

Another Ilonggo movie is coming out and I just saw the trailer. Titled "Wanted: Boarder" the film is starred by Rosanna Roces and it was filmed right here in Iloilo: Guimbal and Miag-ao. For those who haven't been in these towns, these are among the most popular towns in the South simply because of its rich history. Miag-ao stands the most because of the historic church that's a UNESCO heritage site.

It's a bit strange to think that the next Ilonggo movie is another story about "aswangs." But when a person says he or she is from Iloilo, the idea of "Dueñas" and "Dumangas" comes to mind. Our popularity is not the same as Capiz but these towns are known to be scary. I have also heard stories about these towns and I can assure you - "Yanggaw and Wanted: Boarder" is just a tip of the iceberg.

I don't mean to scare you. What I really want to emphasize is that the rich storytelling tradition in my town is still alive. The stories on how my grandmother and great grandmother and father survived in our small town is still in me. There are also countless stories of "experience" told by many men that seemed to validate the existence of such individuals.

If you ask me, I don't know if they are true or not true...but I got to tell you - a story told often is often a story that should not be forgotten.

Happy Halloween!

People who needs to shut-up this week:

I am starting a habit – I'll be carefully monitoring the news and events again so that I can give my weekly address of asking people to shut up.

 

Without much ado: here are the men (and women) who needs to shut up.

 

1. Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes – first up is our venerable energy secretary. I used to love secretaries because of the crazy fantasies I have but as soon as I realize that these are the popular secretaries in the country, I soon ran after my pockets. The energy secretary is the premier defender of oil price hike. Don't think that he is against oil price hike because he does so many things to push them. Case in point: no price ceiling for fuel even with the typhoon. Why? Oil Deregulation Law. Bam! Thank You!!!
2. Congress – I don't know most of these guys but thinking about the Congress for more than an hour can make my head hurt. This week, they approved a whopping 1.54 Trillion budget for next year. Wow! Everyone is thinking about coping up this year and they already have the budget for next year's election. Good for them, now bring them all here and distribute it on Election Day on envelopes. If I'm not mistaken, someone in the Congress asked for 12 Billion in relief funds. Now that's another money for every. Look at their beaming smile above.
3. NDCC/Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr – I don't know if I'm going to be angry to this guy but NDCC and the Armed Forces is such a mess these days you don't know where to start complaining. 'Nuff said.
4. DILG Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno – another secretary which means I'm having a nightmare tonight about secretaries. Sir, I can hear and see your commercials on TV. On Radio, you say that your group is working without saying anything. But that kinda contradicts what you do since you just proclaim to everyone what you just did. It's like promising not eat any chocolate anymore while chewing on one.
   

I don't know what will happen next week. But let's just get our eyes and ears peeled for something.

Po-po-po-po-po-po-po-po-po-poker room

The zoning comittee is thinking of approving the application of a business to set up a poker room in Boardwalk. They say it's going to be mostly exclusive since there will be a fee to join. It's going to be a very recluse set-up which means no one will notice it's there except maybe for the sign.

I think this should not be considered an improvement to the city. You can consider the poker room as the "gateway drug" as this will be the door for other gambling establishments in the city. First we already have STL (Small Town Lottery) and Lotto. Poker Room is an gambling establishment. I hate to say this but guys...poker is not a game of science where you study a person. A mahjong, tong its, lucky 9, player also does the same technique to win games and they are considered gambling and debilitating.

When the poker room is established, more things will come. Casinos can argue that they be allowed and other gambling establishments will be here before we know it.

I know its good for the government because of the taxes but c'mon. Since when did you care about the taxes that goes to the government. They can't even fix a single thing in the city. A small poker room will not make any miracles.

Watch out Iloilo! Your doom is here. Maybe I'll change my mind if Lady Gaga would make an appearance :)

Three in 24 Hours

Iloilo city is in big trouble. If you have a car, you are part of the high profile target of "Bukas Kotse Gang". As of this writing, three cars have been victimized - one of them even lost 600,000. It's a very sad situation for the guy. He might be a bit rich but no one should be robbed with the money he earned.

This is a big challenge for the Iloilo City government. There are too many problems the city is already facing and they are all "semi" man-made. Heavy traffic, congestion, too many water everywhere and politics. With robbery, the problem is made by a human. These guys really wanted to inflict trouble to people.

What can we do? We have to be vigilant. I don't have a car but I feel the pain - my mountain bike was stolen once. Don't just leave your car with your valuables.