Here is a list of candidates who I think (as of today)deserve my vote:
1. Kiko Pangilinan
2. Joker Arroyo
3. Noynoy Aquino
4. Chiz Escudero
Ikaw, sino-sino?
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Conscience Votes
The front page news of the Philippine Daily Inquirer this morning was, I believe, a good news. It proves that Pinoys are still worth dying for. One other reason for all those Pinoy-bashing Pinoys to stop blogging about how they can't stand living here in the Philippines.
But one has to read the article well. At first glance, the headline sounded a bit disgusting because it conjured the images of Richard Gomez and Cesar Montano. That's my first thought when I read it over breakfast. Buti na lang I read on. I pasted the entire thing here because I don't how to create the links. (Help anyone....)
I will still cast my vote come May 14 even if everyone else declared they won't because it's useless anyway. We'll be getting the same crooks, the same balimbings, whatever. I beg to differ.
For one, sayang naman, the efforts and struggles of the Filipinas to win the right to vote. The first time Filpinas were allowed to vote was only in 1937. Tapos, I wouldn't exercise it now because of the current candidates roll? I will not deprive myself of the right to suffrage.
Second, granted that the people who are vying for office are the very same people who have sins of commission and omission against this country, I still have the power to shortlist them and come up with a list of names who I deem to be worthy of my vote. If they win, I am aware that at one point within their term of office, they may fail my expectations. But that is exactly my point. My duty does not end when I cast my votes. It's a lifetime of right and responsibility. We have a right and a responsibility to be vigilant and watch their every move, speak out and act out if we see them failing their duties. We should not sit back and relax.
-------------------------------------------
EXCLUSIVE
Survey says popularity wins over machinery
Conscience vote counts
Inquirer
Last updated 01:18am (Mla time) 04/27/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- A big majority of Filipinos vote according to social interest rather than self-interest and follow their conscience rather than jump on the bandwagon, results of a survey conducted by the poll group Social Weather Stations (SWS) on April 14-17 showed.
The survey also found that most Filipinos believed that popularity mattered more than machinery in winning an election.
SWS said these findings showed that Filipino voters were independent-minded and not easy to manipulate.
Seventy-nine percent chose the statement “I will vote for a candidate if most will benefit from him or her, even if I myself will not.”
Only 21 percent chose to say that “I will vote for a candidate if I will benefit personally from him or her, even if most will not.”
In a choice between the views that “One should vote according to one’s conscience, whether or not the candidate would win,” and “A vote for a losing candidate would be wasted, therefore one should vote for the candidate who is leading and would probably win,” 77 percent chose the conscience vote.
Only 23 percent chose the bandwagon vote.
In nine SWS national pre-election surveys since 1992, the conscience-vote answers had ranged between 77 percent and 87 percent.
Asked to choose between the statements that “The political machinery of a candidate wins the election for him or her,” and “A candidate wins due to true popular support, with or without political machinery,” only 32 percent picked the first.
Sixty-six percent chose the second statement.
In two SWS national surveys before the 2004 elections, 61 percent and 63 percent, respectively, chose popular support.
In an SWS national survey before the 1992 elections, it was a high 85 percent.
Relevance of education
The survey this month showed that the adoption of social interest, rejection of the bandwagon effect, and belief in popularity over machinery were strongly related to the voter’s level of education.
Giving importance to social interest over self-interest in voting tended to be higher among those with higher education.
It was 89 percent among college graduates, 82 percent among high school graduates, 76 percent among elementary graduates, and 63 percent among those who did not finish elementary school.
The well-educated were more likely to reject jumping on a bandwagon, and vote according to conscience.
Ninety percent of the college graduates said they would vote according to their conscience. It was 79 percent among high school graduates, 74 percent among elementary graduates, and 63 percent among those who did not finish elementary school.
Belief that a candidate would win due to popular support also tended to be stronger among those with higher level of education.
It was 72 percent among college graduates, 66 percent among high school graduates, 68 percent among elementary graduates, and 53 percent among those who did not finish elementary school.
Location
The survey this month also showed that independent-minded voting declined somewhat as one got farther away from Metro Manila.
Voting to benefit social interest over self-interest was 67 percent in Mindanao, compared with 81 percent in the Visayas, 82 percent in Metro Manila, and 83 percent in the rest of Luzon.
Conscience votes also got lower as areas got farther away from the capital.
It was 71 percent in Mindanao, compared with 76 percent in the Visayas, 78 percent in Luzon outside Metro Manila, and 87 percent in Metro Manila.
Popular support
Only belief in popular support and political machinery did not vary across regions. Regardless of area, a consistent 64-66 percent believed a candidate would win through popular support.
The survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 registered voters nationwide. Three hundred respondents each were randomly selected in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
The opinion poll had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points for national data.
By design, the sample included every city and municipality in Metro Manila, and at least one province in every region in the other three areas.
But one has to read the article well. At first glance, the headline sounded a bit disgusting because it conjured the images of Richard Gomez and Cesar Montano. That's my first thought when I read it over breakfast. Buti na lang I read on. I pasted the entire thing here because I don't how to create the links. (Help anyone....)
I will still cast my vote come May 14 even if everyone else declared they won't because it's useless anyway. We'll be getting the same crooks, the same balimbings, whatever. I beg to differ.
For one, sayang naman, the efforts and struggles of the Filipinas to win the right to vote. The first time Filpinas were allowed to vote was only in 1937. Tapos, I wouldn't exercise it now because of the current candidates roll? I will not deprive myself of the right to suffrage.
Second, granted that the people who are vying for office are the very same people who have sins of commission and omission against this country, I still have the power to shortlist them and come up with a list of names who I deem to be worthy of my vote. If they win, I am aware that at one point within their term of office, they may fail my expectations. But that is exactly my point. My duty does not end when I cast my votes. It's a lifetime of right and responsibility. We have a right and a responsibility to be vigilant and watch their every move, speak out and act out if we see them failing their duties. We should not sit back and relax.
-------------------------------------------
EXCLUSIVE
Survey says popularity wins over machinery
Conscience vote counts
Inquirer
Last updated 01:18am (Mla time) 04/27/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- A big majority of Filipinos vote according to social interest rather than self-interest and follow their conscience rather than jump on the bandwagon, results of a survey conducted by the poll group Social Weather Stations (SWS) on April 14-17 showed.
The survey also found that most Filipinos believed that popularity mattered more than machinery in winning an election.
SWS said these findings showed that Filipino voters were independent-minded and not easy to manipulate.
Seventy-nine percent chose the statement “I will vote for a candidate if most will benefit from him or her, even if I myself will not.”
Only 21 percent chose to say that “I will vote for a candidate if I will benefit personally from him or her, even if most will not.”
In a choice between the views that “One should vote according to one’s conscience, whether or not the candidate would win,” and “A vote for a losing candidate would be wasted, therefore one should vote for the candidate who is leading and would probably win,” 77 percent chose the conscience vote.
Only 23 percent chose the bandwagon vote.
In nine SWS national pre-election surveys since 1992, the conscience-vote answers had ranged between 77 percent and 87 percent.
Asked to choose between the statements that “The political machinery of a candidate wins the election for him or her,” and “A candidate wins due to true popular support, with or without political machinery,” only 32 percent picked the first.
Sixty-six percent chose the second statement.
In two SWS national surveys before the 2004 elections, 61 percent and 63 percent, respectively, chose popular support.
In an SWS national survey before the 1992 elections, it was a high 85 percent.
Relevance of education
The survey this month showed that the adoption of social interest, rejection of the bandwagon effect, and belief in popularity over machinery were strongly related to the voter’s level of education.
Giving importance to social interest over self-interest in voting tended to be higher among those with higher education.
It was 89 percent among college graduates, 82 percent among high school graduates, 76 percent among elementary graduates, and 63 percent among those who did not finish elementary school.
The well-educated were more likely to reject jumping on a bandwagon, and vote according to conscience.
Ninety percent of the college graduates said they would vote according to their conscience. It was 79 percent among high school graduates, 74 percent among elementary graduates, and 63 percent among those who did not finish elementary school.
Belief that a candidate would win due to popular support also tended to be stronger among those with higher level of education.
It was 72 percent among college graduates, 66 percent among high school graduates, 68 percent among elementary graduates, and 53 percent among those who did not finish elementary school.
Location
The survey this month also showed that independent-minded voting declined somewhat as one got farther away from Metro Manila.
Voting to benefit social interest over self-interest was 67 percent in Mindanao, compared with 81 percent in the Visayas, 82 percent in Metro Manila, and 83 percent in the rest of Luzon.
Conscience votes also got lower as areas got farther away from the capital.
It was 71 percent in Mindanao, compared with 76 percent in the Visayas, 78 percent in Luzon outside Metro Manila, and 87 percent in Metro Manila.
Popular support
Only belief in popular support and political machinery did not vary across regions. Regardless of area, a consistent 64-66 percent believed a candidate would win through popular support.
The survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 registered voters nationwide. Three hundred respondents each were randomly selected in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
The opinion poll had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points for national data.
By design, the sample included every city and municipality in Metro Manila, and at least one province in every region in the other three areas.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Children of the Resurrection
"We are the children of the resurrection. The sons and daughters of the resurrection..."
This was all it took, for me to listen attentively to the Reverend Father whose mass we attended at the Baguio Cathedral last Easter Sunday. Children of the resurrection... hmmm... so there is such a thing. For the longest time I only heard of "Children of your Parents" (Anak ka ng tatay mo! or Anak ka ng nanay mo!) and the more activist "Children of the Storm".
After hearing these words, I realized that indeed, by simply waking up to another day, even we have risen from the dead. By simply waking-up to another Easter Sunday, we have been reborn and thus, become children of the resurrection. Aren't we so privileged? And then I thought, more blessed are they whose moms are named Resurrecion, they wake up each day of their lives being called a Child of the Resurrecion.
" What about those who faded away before Easter Sunday?" Some of you might ask. "Don't they earn the right to become children of the resurrection?" Honestly, I don't know but the Catholic in me would say that they're more privileged for they rise along with Him who is the the best company, Jesus Christ.
Last Holy Week was one of the rare opportunities for me to reflect on my spiritual life. It was also my homecoming on two levels. First, physically going home to my parents and second, spiritually going home to my God and my church. I am grateful that once again, I have proven to myself that I still have my faith. But I confess (to Almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters), that my loyalty to the teachings of the Catholic Church is no longer as die-hard as it used to be. Whose wouldn't, with all The Da Vinci Codes and the Angels and Demons around? Nevertheless, I know that my faith is still as resolute as ever. Thanks to a catechist for a mother and an education from one of the Catholic schools of Dagupan City. Thanks also to the experience of having a family, a husband and children, that I don't get to see 24-hours a day. Sometimes, I just leave it to God, the Virgin Mary and their own guardian angels to protect them. Sa totoo lang naman, even if I am with them 24 hours a day, there is no guarantee that they'll be protected. So better ask for back-up support. Divine intervention. Ipasa-Diyos na natin yan.
I was so amused and enlightened by the anecdote told by the priest during his homily. He said that there was once a father who was advising his daughter of the kind of man that she should marry. He said, "Find a man who is like me. I have no vices, I don't drink. I don't womanize. I don't smoke." From the kitchen the wife said, " Yes, find someone like him. Doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, doesn't womanize and doesn't have a job!". I snickered along with most of the churchgoers, some who like me, were standing near the side doors of the cathedral. I wondered how many fathers were hit by that remark.
The priest continued with his sermon. He said (as far as my memory serves me), that it is not enough that we do not have vices. Even if we have done everything to avoid sins, we still have a job to do and that is to spread the word of God. Then I suddenly remembered, Sister Florence, a nun I met in Zambales in one of my field work as a student. She was the one who explained to me what the prayer Our Father really meant, especially the line "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Simply put, she said that God's will is to bring heaven on earth. In heaven there is no suffering, no rich and poor, no hunger, no sickness, no homelessness, no poverty of body, mind and spirit. Sis. Florence told me that we don't have to wait to go to heaven to be free from sufferings. It has to be done here on earth. And that is God's will and when we pray Our Father, that also becomes our will. If it is God's will, then it is also His Word. Going by the sermon of the Baguio priest, that becomes our job... especially as children of the resurrection. To do His will here on earth. Tall order.
I met Sister Florence in 1992. My time of youthful idealism. I believed then that only in development work can that will be done. Fifteen years and three babies later, I conceded. I was wrong. Development work may be one of the noblest road taken to fulfill God's will (or social justice or whatever jargon it is called) but it may also be done within any livelihood or profession. Caregiving, engineering, nursing, trading, sports... did I hear somebody say boxing?? I guess that is up for some debate. Whatever. Bottomline is, I realized that when we appreciate our own work with a spiritual perspective, we get another reason to do it. It will not just be a matter of fulfilling our own heaven (better homes, more nutritious food, high tech gadgets) but it will also be a matter of doing our jobs as children of the resurrection.
Lastly, the priest moved to the concept of childishness and maturity. He said that by being childish, one thinks only of himself or herself. By being childish, we pray and ask for forgiveness for our sins. We give to charity to be saved. But at some point, we have to go beyond childishness. We have to mature and start to think not only about our own salvation but that of others too.
And that is the message of Holy Week slash Easter Sunday 2007 to me. I hope it becomes yours too.
Let us stand up and pray.
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