Iloilo Podcast (Episode 3)

Hi Everyone :) Here's another edition for our podcast.

Topics this week

* Ibahay incident
* Manila bombing and Makati accident
* Dinagyang aftermath news
* Plazuela de Iloilo Spotlight
* Taxi - mahal na! Sus!
* Appeal for the School :)

Just push play!

The 3rd Episode

Iloilo Podcast (Episode 2)

Ikaduha namon nga podcast :)

Ginistoryahan namon ang (we talked about)....

* Dinagyang (of course)
* Noynoy's Porsche
* Iloilo City Motorcylce
* Job Fair
* Ms. Dinagyang

Please comment :) Thank you. Hala Bira Iloilo! Viva Señor Santo Niño!

Just Push Play!

The Second Episode

Iloilo Podcast (Episode 1)

Hi Guys :)

We've finally done it! Here's our 2nd, first podcast about Iloilo. Made by Ilonggo, for the Ilonggos. Enjoy and don't forget to comment.

Topics:

* Fiesta Villa
* Dinagyang Preview

Just push play :)

The First Episode

Senator Drilon and Malls for Vacation

A few days after the elections, I decided to stop for a few months so that I could observe the winners and see how they hold up to the pressure of saving our country. C’mon, admit it: we’re too lazy to move our butts to save this country that we just blame the president and every other politician for not doing enough.

But there are actually statements that just made me cringe and forced me to write this. I was listening to the radio and Senator Franklin Drilon was being interviewed because of his proposal. His proposal is actually very impressive – start the classes in September instead of June. This will prevent students from missing classes because of too many floods, typhoons and other climate-related problems from June to August.

I actually like the idea. But there’s just one qualm that I can’t imagine him saying it. He was asked about the detractors or people complaining to this proposal because they will miss their vacation. His reply? Parents and people can still go out even during rainy season – they can still go to the mall! Mall! MALL!

The mall makes sense in a physical manner because it has a roof that will protect everyone from the rain and other adverse effects of nature. But the mall is never a place where you go on vacation with your kids or have some fun. What do you do at the mall? Spend a lot of money…you watch movies, you play video games, eat and shop. At the end of the day you spend thousands because of the whining kids who wants to do this and that.

This is partly the reason why I can’t seem to agree with his reasoning. We need vacation but parents should never take their kids to the mall. This will only teach them consumerism so they end up spend and spend and spend some more until they die. With this economy, no one can deal with that type of lifestyle and this can lead to dangerous scenarios. Summer is great because kids can still go out and be at the beach.

Yes, this is selfish but our kids need options. Imagine your kid having to go to the mall everyday for two months because there is nowhere else good to go? You can say that your kids will stay at home for two months but that doesn’t do anything good for the kids development.

Senator Drilon, please don’t send the kids the mall. Consumerism is a good thing in someway but forcing them this habit doesn’t help them in anyway.

When Smoking is the Reason for National Progress

This is a long article but stick with me here...

Noynoy Aquino won the elections. Period. Us whiners will just have to wait and see what he can do for our country and just help in our own terms. If he screws up, we’ll be there. If do something good, we’ll be there as well.

I have to be honest; things are not starting well for the President-elect. His conviction to not to use the new Supreme Court Justice, the possibility of delaying the proclamation and constant bickering on the showbiz world with him involved is just a bad way to get things started. The worst part of it is that it’s not his fault that these are happening. People in power also wanted to share Noynoy’s power and those going out just wanted to show that they can still inflict inconvenience. I mean, c’mon Nograles, your time has come. Is it not enough that you already shown the country that you can actually bend the rules if you don’t like it?

All these things are pressuring Noynoy. Aside from these “politickings”, he has also promised “no corruption” which is like promising he will fix the ozone layer with a duct tape.

So what’s a man got to do to get away from all these and think of a solution? Smoke. Yes! Smoke. Light’s up Mr. President!

Apparently, this is the tool for Mr. Aquino to deal with pressure. Wow. I never thought that a stick of cigarette would actually be the key to our national progress. The man can’t think straight if he doesn’t do his nicotine kicks from time to time. Think about this situation:

Man: Mr. President, the people are in the streets calling for better wages, our national debt is almost impossible to be fixed, the peso-dollar exchange is nearly 70.00 and your sister is here to complain about James Yap! What do we do?

Mr. President: Let me light up a cigarette and get back to you.

After 5 Minutes….

Mr. President: Man? You there? Here’s what you do…call the wages board and union leaders for a meeting – I’ll be there. I’ll talk to IMF and reduce the pork barrel to help pay for the debt. The peso-dollar exchange can still bounce back – just wait for Christmas and enrollment season. For Mrs. James Yap…call Boy Abunda.

See? A single stick will help our country.

Not kicking the habit is actually a very bad thing for our president. It simply means you can’t let go of some vices and will even place the country desperate for some changes in nicotine kicks. This simply means there are bad things you can do just to make things better. You know who also have this philosophy? Niccolo Machiavelli “The Ends Justify The Means”. Worst, our country might be placed in a bad situation without any good results in the end.

Mr. President, you have to be the poster boy for anti-smoking. You could fake the idea that you’ve already give up smoking. Yes, that’s hypocrisy but it’s necessary because millions are hinging to your every word. Think of the poor people who spend more than 25% of their daily wages on smoking. With you on the anti-smoking campaign, they might be swayed and they will use the money on better things. Food instead of cigarettes is a good thing you know. Don’t worry about getting caught. You will have PSGs protecting your every move you make so that the public will not know. You can also help DOH save money on advertising. I don’t want to see any celebrities telling people to give up smoking because I know these guys are just paid to say things in front of the camera.

At least he sticks to the message that he’s willing to die for our country. I think he’s trying to tell us “Yes, I am willing to die for our country – but not because of being shot to death but because of liver and throat cancer”.

The Elections – 2 Days After

Our country just went through one historic election – we’re going digital! Instead of waiting for days before realizing the real front runner in the elections, names started to pop-out after 24 hours. What’s even impressive is that online results are available. Check out http://electionresults.comelec.gov.ph/ and you’ll be taken to a site where you can see the results of your precinct! I was really blown away by the technology.

Unfortunately, there are some missteps the COMELEC made in the election. I thought about it for two days and have made these conclusions:

• COMELEC relied too much on technology – 1,000 voters per precinct is not and will never be a good idea. The voting process is still relatively slow to deal with 1000 voters. Even if the precinct will start at exactly 7am, it will still have a hard time dealing with the rush of voters. Because they relied too much on technology these things happened:

o Too many lines
o Confusion on the voter’s side
o Less support from the BEI
o It’s just too damn hot!

• The ballot voting is flawed – I read in the instructions that the PCOS will only disregard your votes for that particular group if you vote for one candidate more than allowed. For example, you voted for 13 senators instead of 12 so the PCOS machine will disregard your vote for senators but will count the others. Unfortunately, this is not true.
• It’s still a vote buying process – no candidate is saying about this but everyone knows that vote buying is already a “black tradition” in our country. Many people use their voter’s ID to accept money from the candidate. It’s sickening to hear those who claim they “earned” during the elections but I have to respect their decision if their thinking process is based on what they can earn. After all, that’s also the thinking of most of our politicians.

It’s a great day to be a Filipino. I just wish COMELEC will allow more PCOS machine the next election.

Interns and Student Nurses

Note: this is my last article on my running thoughts on health care in our country. Read the previous posts for the past articles.

Ahh….interns and student nurses. They are always eager to help, eager to reach out and eager to make a difference. While the intern doctors are taught on how to be the best, they are not really the best yet. This actually creates a problem because the life of an individual is placed on someone inexperienced or someone who might crack under pressure.

Now, don’t bash me for hating interns. I have seen some of the most impressive interns here in Iloilo City and they can easily beat some of the experienced doctors they know. As I’ve said, they’re feisty in terms of helping people – your questions are always answered and your requests will always be considered. The tools are not yet there though in some situations. But thank God, the older ones are still there when trouble or very difficult cases arrives. I guess, we have to work with and thank the interns because they are willing to help and reach out the older ones when worst comes to worst.

This also goes the same with the student nurses. They are willing to help for a piece of knowledge they will use in the future.

But what made me tick is when I try to think about what they have to go through to become professional doctors and nurses. These are two professions you don’t want to get in if you don’t have any serious cash. There are too many things to buy, too many people to pay off (in form of “fees”) and the school is just too expensive – even in a public school. If you’re a parent who struggles to pay for a student studying AB English or any Education related course, count yourself lucky because nurses would cost twice as much.

And for what? Go Abroad? Now that’s a dandy idea. The kid studies for 4 years, passes the board exam the next year, studies for NCLEX and passes the exam the next year, gets some experience for two years and BOOM! Your nurse is already somewhere but not in the Philippines. You and your relatives up to the nth degree are now enjoying your kid’s hardship. What does your kid get’s in return? A weekly chat and messages on Facebook. Yep. Life is good when I can see someone I know in the computer and some Facebook requests to fertilize my farm.

The problem is that our kids are pushed to the school for all the wrong reasons. I know there are still kids who wanted to be a nurse because they want to help the sick. But many will answer “I’ll help my family”, “I want to get out of this country” or “I want to visit Disneyland!” could be the answer. Where’s the caring of the sick? Where’s the idea of helping other people dying? Yes, yes, I may be cruel about this but I always thought that a degree is chosen because of a desire. Not to go out and earn money but a desire to do what you really like to do.


What’s worst is that not everyone can go through the plan of going out of the country. After college, some can’t pass the board exams immediately. Out of those passers, only a few are able to pass another exam. Some would end up unemployed, others in a call center while others simply go to another industry. All the millions spent on one kid will all be for nothing.

If a kid would like to be a nurse because he or she wants to be abroad, they don’t have to be in a hospital trying to help the sick. They should be in a travel agency looking at pictures of the countries they want to visit. This is the reason why I’m not really comfortable facing student nurses in the hospital because at the back of my mind, many of them are there just to get out of the country.

I just hope I am sooooo wrong about this idea.

Decoding the Hospital System in the Philippines

If you’ve been following my blog, you already know that my topics will be related to healthcare because of experience nearly two weeks ago. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the hospital system in the Philippines.

The hospital system in the Philippines has a love-hate relationship with its people and patients. It doesn’t matter if the hospital is a government or privately owned – people will hate and love the same hospital at the same time. This is the reason why some would prefer one hospital over the other.

Unfortunately, some of us are never given any choice. Because of financial constraints, they are “forced” to use government hospitals.

The Fo(a)rce in Government Hospital

While boarding a taxi, my mother-in-law talked a bit where my wife should go. We have two options: Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital and West Visayas State University Hospital. I asked her to take my wife to “Doctor’s” because of their recent experience there which is favorable to the medical requirements of my better half.

But this doesn’t mean West Visayas State University Hospital is not a good hospital. I have seen thousands of people going in and out of the hospital that were given the cure they need. I even assisted an old guy once who didn’t have any ID and money but gained consultation and x-ray. Now that’s government service.

Unfortunately, something has to be done in our government hospitals particularly here in Iloilo City. The emergency rooms in two hospitals have no air-conditioning system and in this really, really hot weather it’s going to be near-hell for those who don’t feel well. The poor companions will forced to fan their patients for hours. This is the first reason why I didn’t take my better half to the government hospital – she is suffering from high grade fever and conditions in the government hospital would only make her feel worst.

Another challenge to government hospitals is the lack of personnel. I love working with intern doctors because they are so eager to help. But the real doctors are rarely seen because they are also busy on helping others. They are practically overwhelmed that they often focus on those who really need them. I can say that those who were stabbed or shot are the first ones who would be given attention.

The Private Institutions

I don’t have a beef with these private institutions. I respect their way of doing business since they will give a good service but will require a fee. The latter factor has been my problem though.

Money is always a question in private institutions but they are very subtle. I like the way they support their patients. They treated my wife as soon as she arrived in the hospital, no questions asked. After 4 hours and a couple of tests (that I paid for) her results arrived with the diagnosis.

Private hospitals will always provide patients with an option – you can always deny the hospitals recommendation for some tests. In fact, you can go home as soon as possible if run out of funds. You can just ignore their pleading for tests.

But who can ignore these recommendations. I can’t say no to X-rays, blood and urine tests since this are the only way my wife would be diagnosed and a cure would be formulated. They subtly are telling me that “yes, we’re not forcing you but this is a matter of life and death”. Fortunately, I was able to get Philhealth’s help which slashed the hospital bill 60% (maybe more).

Stay tuned for more articles related to health care system. Up next: Interns!

My Learning Experience in Philhealth

As I’ve said in my previous blog post, I’ll be providing some thoughts on what I learned while my better half is in the hospital. In this blog, I’ll be tackling Philhealth which is our insurance system.

I always thought that when it comes to national healthcare, we’re a bit better compared to Americans until their national healthcare system was pushed through their congress a few months ago. Through Philhealth, we’ll be able to have some discounts in medicine, hospitalization and even in doctors. Almost every hospital in the country is accredited by Philhealth which means I can easily walk to every hospital and ask for some assistance thinking that the Philhealth will help me with the bills.

While staying in the hospital, I often find myself going back and forth to the Philhealth liaison to check if my drug I’m about to purchase is covered by Philhealth. Imagine my grin when they stamp “Ok” on some prescriptions. It has saved me more than 2 thousand pesos just on medicine. When I checked out, I also asked for a couple of deductions in the room which was gladly provided by Philhealth. There are also prescriptions that I personally bought during the stay in the hospital that I gave to Philhealth. They told me to wait for 3 months for a reimbursement. Sounds great right?

But along the way, I have realized why many are complaining about Philhealth. I was a bit frustrated running around just trying to confirm my wife’s Philhealth membership. Luckily, I was able to get what I need and saved some money in the process. Yes, I’m still broke but not too broke.

Here are the things I learned about Philhealth:

• Better go on individual paying member rather than employed member – when you are employed, the documentations required by Philhealth is very difficult to access especially when you’re dealing with a big company. An added difficulty comes in when the person in the hospital is the person employed and you have to be there as a representative. But an individual paying member only needs to show the receipts of their payment to Philhealth.

• Look for a doctor accredited by Philhealth – I know there’s a doctor that is a proud member of Philhealth but I didn’t seem to find one in the hospital. I could have saved more in the process.

• If employed, double check with Philhealth every six months – I don’t know how you can do this but you have to double check with Philhealth to make sure the contribution is actually forwarded to Philhealth.

• Be paranoid on names – Philhealth is very, very strict in names. Double check the name, last name and middle name of the person so that you’ll get confirmed immediately.

• Look for the Philhealth office immediately and get the required documents. Complete the documents early so that you don’t need to run after documents when you’re getting out of the hospital.

Stay tuned for more articles regarding my hospital experience.

I Missed Blogging and Learned Many Things

For one week I was not able to write anything in this website and I'm sorry about that. But there is always a valid reason why I have to leave my responsibility (yes, this is my responsibility) a bit. Luckily, I also learned a couple of things why I missed my posts.

You see, a week ago (almost 1am Thursday) I took my wife to the hospital. She was suffering from fever for more than 2 days and after some medication and visit from the popular "manog-hilot" nothing happened. At the emergency room, she was given some tests on her blood.

Alas, she has to stay in the hospital...for 4 days. So I was stuck in the hospital from Thursday morning until Sunday afternoon. It was very humbling experience because I was left with nothing to do. Screw the money - I can sell everything just to buy the medicine or yank someone to take a look at my wife. Have you ever felt helpless while your love one just laid there suffering? It's really bad - I've seen this stuff in the movies and it actually freaked me out.

Well enough for my feelings. My better half is better than ever. My proof? She made me Jellp before she went to sleep. Ah..good times.

Looking back, I learned a lot of things and I'll share them in this blog. It's semi-political so it should still be relevant.

Here are some hints: Philhealth and Insurance, Hospitals, Student Nurses and Public Hospitals in Iloilo City.

Stay tuned. It's going to be a better week.

Another Letter to Sir Percy Lapid

I'm a big fan of Percy Lapid of DWIZ. His show starts at 12 midnight until 1.30AM and it has an audio feed online as well as live video on USTREAM. It's a great show because he doesn't hold back to any candidate and institution. He also welcomes reactions from his listeners and happily engages on their thoughts. With that said, here's my latest letter to Mr. Lapid while listening to his show:

Hi Sir Percy,

I have to say I'm a bit disappointed on your comment with CBCP. I am a staunch supporter of the church but I am also a thinker like you. But I think the way you prove your point against on what the bishop's are is misconstrued. The logic is simply not there.

The idea of getting some endorsers is to solicit votes. If you tell the people not to listen to the endorsers that means you are questioning everything the candidate does. I'm with you on that idea but shielding the endorsers (I know you're a big fan of Dolphy) by blasting the CBCP for blasting some endorsers doesn't sound well. They are simply stating that bad endorsers will provide a bad example to the people.

You also said that the Catholic church doesn't provide any criteria on who to vote without sounding partisan. I attended last Sunday's mass and before the mass ended the priest read and explained something to the parishioners and they are providing warnings on candidates and how we should choose. I think they are not partisan. They are simply pointing out something is wrong. I know they have some lapses but I don't think they do it deliberately. Why? They should be the ones who will be very fearful and careful on what they do because they know God is monitoring their actions.

I'm sorry to say this but getting sick of journalists and politicians saying the "separation of church and state". That's just a lame excuse of people who wanted to get away from doing something bad. For example, a journalist would say really bad words or show lewd material on radio, television or newspaper and the church will react. First response? "Separation of church and state". This is also true when bishops or any religious group try to tell the politicians that they are doing something really bad for the country. There is a clear line between what is legal and moral. The bishops only stands for what is moral that also happens to be legal. If the church doesn't stand for anything, what message does it give to the people? They are doing everything they can on their flock and standing up to blatantly tell the candidates about their endorsers is one of those methods.

Your idea of "Freedom" is also misconstrued. Being free doesn't mean you can do anything or say anything. You and your co-hosts are stating this is a democratic country. This means our freedom is not based on what we want to do but on what we have to do to maintain a democratic country. Our freedom lies on our ability to do something great and not just what is required from us. Our freedom does not lie on the evil or bad things we can do to our fellow men.

Still an avid fan though :) Keep up the good work Sir. Midnights is always a fun activity when you're online.

Thanks.

Sincerely,
Ryan
http://www.pinoypolitiko.com

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.

Who the Hell Made that Post?

There’s a new leak on “Noynoy’s Psychiatric Report” and as a political blogger, I became curious and tried to look for the actual data so that I can learn more. But the more I search, the more I realize that the post is a hoax – that means it’s not true and it has angered some bloggers. Count me in for the angry mob.

This is the reason why we bloggers are being hounded by the law – we could easily end up in jail for something that we post here. We can be angry at their actions, we can be angry at their decisions, hell, we can even be angry on what they’re thinking. But proactively saying something that’s not true is not a way of a blogger. Yes, I am a pseudo-journalist (feeling journalist ba’) but that doesn’t mean I can post nasty things about people.

Mind you, I am not for Noynoy nor for any presidential candidate. I am still thinking about the right candidate but these blogs are only bothering me because it tries to muddle my decision making.

I want to blame also other people who only flamed this news. C’mon guys, you are actually paid to investigate on the veracity of the report. I am never paid for these things I post here and I don’t think I’ll earn from it even if I write vigorously about politics. Again, YOU ARE BEING PAID TO KNOW IF THESE THINGS ARE TRUE SO YOU BETTER DO YOUR JOB.

So what do we do about this? I suggest two drastic actions:

• Read other news – I suggest focusing on other news. The President of Poland is dead along with his wife which is more tragic that this false report on Noynoy. You could also check out some things you can do to avoid too much heat in summer.

• Watch movies, lots of movies – if you don’t like other news, then don’t listen to the news for at least two days. I will even accept it if you don’t go back here for two days. That’s how I love my country – screw my blog as long as we get out a better person.

See you in two days. But tomorrow I’ll still post something.

We Will Never Learn – Just Look at the Surveys

The latest senatorial survey was released and I am shocked! There are only 12 senatorial positions up for grabs and who do I find in the top spot? Actors! Artista! Are we getting bored in choosing the right candidate that we just choose the name that’s most familiar to us? I hope our common answer is not yes but my gut feeling is saying another thing.

Of the 12 available positions – 4 of those positions according to survey are on television and movie personalities. Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Tito Sotto and Lito Lapid. That means a third of our senators are run by people whose claim to fame is being seen on films and television. Yes, they did have some experience but where did they start? How did they got the position in the first place? They were actors. Bong, Jinggoy and Lito were known for their ability to punch a guy on film and Tito Sotto was one of the goofiest guys I’ve seen on TV. Now, they are leading the country. The logic is simply not there.

Yes, you can argue that these guys are probably great in person – kind, approachable and probably helpful. But if that’s the only way a person can become a senator, I can think of a lot of people who has the same quality. And don’t get me started on education. Of these guys, only Jinggoy Estrada had a degree (AB Economics – Like GMA). The rest have little to no college education.

I do not endorse any candidate but I don’t think we should place actors in the senate, congress or in any political position. But the way I see it, the fastest way to grab voters’ attention is to be seen in movies. To hell with college degree, I’d better call my agent so that I could be in congress someday.

For the next 6 years, we’re going to use the same garbage hoping it will become gold so that we’ll prosper one day.

Call 163 and Get James Yap’s Son Out of the Campaign Trail!

Yes, he is the son of James Yap and Kris Aquino. Yes, he has the genes of a good basketball star and someone who can really talk. Yes, he has the capability to talk various local languages (Kris is basically from Tarlac and James Yap is from Negros Oriental). But I think he’s too young to be in the spotlight. Someone should call Bantay Bata and let the kid grow up in the most normal sense possible.

What’s worst is that the media is going crazy about this kid. Don’t get me wrong: he could be a good endorser of baby products, show up in movies or simply be part of a kid-friendly television show. But to quote what the kid said for politics? That’s just plain weird. Think about the potential damage the media is giving to this kid. Kris should be scared for his son right now because of the possible backlash it would give to his kid in the future. Imagine the reaction of the kid when he reaches the reading and understanding age and reads this news in the archives. If I’m in his shoes, I will be scarred for life.

I think the kid is not voting for Manny Villar because he can say his name. Kris should have told the press that her kid is actually a good testament that Villar is having too many advertisements. The song Villar is pushing on the radio and TV is now apparently lodged on James Yap’s son.

Please, let the kid go. Kris, let the boy stay home and watch cartoons. This limelight will take its toll on the boy.

Help! Tips on What You Can do to Clean the Streets

Our country is a dump. It has become a wasteland of useless posters of local and national candidates. COMELEC only has to appeal to these gooks and they often fall on dumb ears. I am writing this article not on anger but on HATE! I don’t like the word because it’s too degrading, strong and people on the worst condition can only use the word. But I think our country is in that situation.

I HATE campaign posters.

I HATE politicians who do not do anything about these awful posters that just destroy our town squares.

I HATE COMELEC because they do not do anything about it.
But I am not one of those people who only shout my problem without a solution. So with my HATE I also offer my solution. This is not a vague solution just like COMELEC’s plea. You, my dear reader, can do this tomorrow when you go to work or right now while reading this.

• Grab a poster and yank it – placing posters in the town square or plaza is ok. But if they are placed in illegal areas, you can easily pull it out. On the streets, the electric posts or any place where posters are unnecessary.

• Never allow any posters in your property – they can only place posters if you allow them to. If they insist, call the police. If you support one candidate, show it through other means. You’re simply whoring your house which should be an abode of your family, not for the candidate.

• Visit the candidate’s satellite office and complain – they can’t do anything about it. If they try to touch you, it will be their candidate’s problem and their downfall. But don’t go inside charging like a bull. Explain your complaint and they will surely understand.

• Never accept flyers that only contain “Vote for Me!” – this is just a waste of money which probably came from the people’s taxes. Only accept flyers that have complete data about the candidate. Anything less than that should be refused.

It’s too late to tell these candidates what they should not do. They are too engrossed in their world of politics. What we can do though is to slowly tear those posters down. If every voters removes just one illegal poster, we’ll get rid of 50 million illegal posters.

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.

Stepping Down as the Leader of the Pack You’re Supposed to Lead - What Now Mr. Teodoro?

I have to say, I was a bit shocked when I read the news on Gibo’s decision on stepping down as the leader of Lakas-KAMPI-CMD. Although I was expecting Gibo to be upset with the lack of support from Gloria Arroyo, I didn’t expect that the retaliation would be this harsh. What’s even worst is that other leaders in the party started resigning as well. But these guys didn’t leave the party – they just stepped down as the leaders of the ruling party.

Gibo’s situation is one of the weirdest situations when you take a look at the past elections. For example, the late Cory Aquino raised the hand of Ramos and even went out to inform people on her support. Ramos also showed support on Jose de Venecia in for the 1998 elections but the man lost to Erap Estrada. Where is this guy by the way? Erap was not able to endorse someone and Gloria only endorsed herself. Everyone is expecting her to get out and raise the hand of this guy but nothing happened. They reasons her low ratings might affect Gibo’s bid for presidency. I think that statement doesn’t ring any bell. Whether she raises this guy’s hand or not, Gibo will always be Lakas-KAMPI-CMD and Gloria is also Lakas-KAMPI-CMD. The people are not stupid. I think Gibo would even have the chance to increase votes if she raises the guy’s hand simply because she is the president.

But the rumor saying Gloria is now talking to Villar is taking its toll on the Gibo. I think Gibo might have received a misdirected text message, received a phone call that was supposed to be from someone else or simply overheard a conversation from an important person. He feels betrayed – it’s like a boyfriend receiving some text message from his girlfriend with “mwah” but the message was for another guy. Ouch!

So what should Gibo do? I have three recommendations:

• Step out of the party and go berserk on them (including the President) – this is the perfect moment to tell the people what you really feel. If you get out of the party, you can say anything about the party and get away with it. Plus, you’ll be seen as a great guy because you had enough balls to get out of your house and put it on fire.

• Release an official statement telling them the real deal – I know you have the gift of gab but you don’t have to spin this situation. Everyone knows why you stepped down and saying another thing will make the people think you’re just another politician. Rattle the cage a little bit by stating something horrible about the party. Let the PR guys of Lakas-KAMPI-CMD and Malacañang worry about your words.

• Change your name on the President’s phone to MVillar – meet with the president and try to borrow her phone as if you want to change your number (tell her you’re on Sun now). Don’t change your number, change your name on the directory to MVillar. This will allow you to receive text messages that were supposed to reach Manny Villar (this is the cheating girlfriend/boyfriend technique).
Please tell us the real score. And don’t tell us you want to concentrate on campaigning because that’s just crazy.

Midnight Appointments – a Sign of Loopholes and Dirty Secrets

Appointing someone in the final days allowable is often seen as final political movements for survival. Forget about the welfare of the country, the decision is simply to get someone there that will help the politician’s cause in the future. If the person is really worthy of the position, they should have been there in the best possible moment. Getting someone there in the last few days (or hours) will only raise suspicion and questions.

The recent decision made by Malacañang to nominate Alfonso Yuchengco is one of those appointments that only raise questions rather than provide solution. Former Amb. Yuchengco was nominated as ambassador to Germany and the nomination was made 2 days before the 6-day banning period. Yahoo News actually has a great piece regarding this nomination. You’ll actually find some conspiracy theories that can be very scary because they editorial points to something obvious. The appointment might have been done to hide something. Fortunately, this nomination will most likely be void.

But who is Alfonso Yuchengco? He’s the head of one of the wealthiest families in the country and he is the head of Yuchengco Group of Companies including Pacific Plans which was highly controversial. He was also Ambassador to China, Japan and UN in the past. By the way, he’s already 87-years old. No disrespect for the elderly but with his wealth, he should be at home enjoying the presence of his grand kids while handing out scholarships and grants. Making him an ambassador today might still work but I think there are younger people who can be more agile than Yuchengco.

What do we need to learn from nominations? We should be listening closely to the news on radio and watch intently on TV. We should be vigilant and react to news that affects our country and future. Things like this can go through without our knowledge if we don’t keep a watchful eye.

An Open Letter to Loren Legarda

First of all, this letter is not to slam you. This is to give you a clear picture on where you’re standing and what you might need to do to have a better chance in this race. Why me? Because I’m your regular Filipino and what I see and hear is what millions also see and hear. I’m writing this in the open because I don’t know how to make sure you read this. So I just place this online so that a lot of people will read this and tell you about it.

Let me give you to you straight – Mar Roxas is leading in the polls and he has the best chance in the upcoming election. Again, let me reiterate: I am not for any politician. If the election is held today, I might end up writing my name on the ballot. To hell if they do not acknowledge what I wrote.

Why is Mar Roxas leading? Not because you are worst compared to him but because he came in the perfect timing. The keywords are PERFECT TIMING. He got married to one of the most popular journalists in the country and many laud him for stepping down for the sake of Noynoy. Personally, I think that’s a stupid idea because he has a fighting chance to be the next leader of the country. I think you will win if Mar did not step down. But the winds of change could be placing you in a bad position – all the time. Remember when you lost the VP elections to Noli De Castro? You were neck-to-neck in that battle.

I think Mar Roxas’ way of thinking can be compared to group chess tournament: why should I put myself in Board 1 where the competition is very fierce when I can go to Board 2 and win them all? See? You are not part of the factor but you were affected by his decision.

So is it over for you? Nope. There is still a fighting chance. Here are my suggestions and none of them are illegal. A bit tricky, yes, but you will not go to jail for these:

• Visayas is already on Mar Roxas so concentrate on other grounds – There are politicians who focus their ad spending on the areas where they will have the least vote. But this strategy is a bit hazy because people have already made their decision. What you can do though is to focus on NCR, Luzon and Mindanao so that you can get the most votes. Yes, you should still campaign in these regions but why fight the war where you’ll just lose?

• Be a bit gritty – I don’t say mudslinging but always COMPARE yourself: why are you better than Mar Roxas? As much as Mar Roxas can write a book why he is the best candidate, you can do the same or even more. Mudslinging makes you a dirty person but comparing yourself to candidates will make you better.

• Tell Manny Villar to include you in the jingle and campaign. I am sick of Manny Villar’s songs because I heard it too many times in my lifetime. Can you ask him to include your name in there? Ask him to change “Villar” with “Loren” to the jingle. The result will go like this – “Si Manny’t Loren ang magtatapos ng ating…” See? It still works.

These are some of the suggestions that could help you in this 2010 election. Nope, I’m not casting my support on your or on other candidates. It’s my way of getting the fight a bit even. We already had a lopsided battle with Pacquiao and Clottey and I don’t want to see that again this national election.