Why I am FOR Mar

I have been campaigning for Mar Roxas way before he made up his mind to run for higher office. I did this for selfish reasons. I needed an inspiration. I badly needed hope. I needed something to hold on to after being hopelessly disillusioned with the government and losing sight of the meaning and purpose of public service.

I needed to find something that would bring back the honour lost and regain the ideals of public service that were so corrupted by the present administration. It did not take me that long to find and know Mar Roxas.

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The Amoral Nation of the Immorally Rich

Opulence.

That is how most accounts describe the lifestyle of the Ampatuans as exemplified by their fetish for big and expansive mansions in Manila and Mindanao. And these are the elected government officials of the country’s second poorest province.

I personally passed by these mansions in my recent trips to Davao while our friend from Ateneo de Davao explained how the father and the son seem to be engaged in a contest on who could the build the bigger and more luxurious mansion in such a short span of time. Apparently, the whole of Davao City including the old rich themselves are just in awe. The city has never seen big edifices like these and thus, it has become a common practice for locals to show these to their visiting friends.

And then there is another story of the grand daughter studying at an exclusive school in Manila.

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Remembering Tita Cory

It will be almost two months now since the last piece of writing was posted on this blog. It was an an awful day. I was pissed and frustrated. I felt dismayed and betrayed. I was and I am still angry. The feeling of exasperation and hopelessness dawned on me.

I am breaking my two-month silence because of an extraordinary event; because an extraordinary person passed away. A person I never imagined I could learn to admire and respect despite of and in spite of her perceived frailties. And today I write not because of anger or frustration, but because of hope and inspiration.

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Four Weddings and Some Funerals

Aside from my birthday, new year’s day is usually  the traditional time for me to reflect on what and how things wenty by. While birthdays give me time to think about what I have achieved after another year of existence, every new year makes me ponder about important events that have had influenced on me. The past two years saw career moves, travels, weddings, and funerals being the basic ingredients of my most recent reflections . I have discussed the first two in some of my earlier posts, let me delve on the last two items.

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Mar and Korina to Tie the Knot Soon?

Yes. So it seems.

The political and showbiz stars of the 2010 universe are finally aligning and giving us signs that Mar Roxas and Korina Sanchez are going to tie the knot before the 2010 presidential elections. Rumor has it that Korina already filed a leave of absence effective second half of this year to commit full-time to the wedding preparations and for Mar’s candidacy. Well, this is not entirely new.

Mar has already made it public that the ball has always been in Korina’s hands and it is up to her to decide when to formalize their destinies. Mar is not known to play coy and is considered to be a private person – until of course her much publicized romance with Korina. And so, maybe it is Korina’s way of playing coy and helping Mar’s candidacy in the end. If Korina gets her dream wedding, what is it for Mar then?

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Sharing Something Special This New Year

Happy New Year!!!

I received a number of inspiring feedback from the poem I shared last holiday season. Many found the poem not only intriguing but also appropriate in explaining the many meanings of the ups and downs of their personal experiences, especially those relating to romance.

Hence, in consonance with my annual practice of sharing something special for my friends and readers for the holidays, I am sharing this new year a poem I received through a friend about the “Lost Generation” – our generation.

I must admit I was taken aback by the initial message this poem brings for it somehow spoke the evident truth about our frustrations – us in the 20s and the 30s. However, after discovering the secret and the ultimate message that lies within the stanzas of the piece, I felt more optimistic than ever about the possibility of instituting change in our country by and within our generation.

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Patikim – On Education and Freedom of Expression

After a two-year stint, I am leaving the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia (YLDA). The greatest gift I received while working for YLDA was the opportunity to get to know people who would inspire me to do more and do things even better.

One such personality is former Bukidnon congressman Nereus “Neric” Acosta. An acknowledged expert on the environment and climate change, Neric is also creating a niche for himself in the field of education and leadership training and management. It is thus such an honor that he obliged to contribute a piece to my last project with YLDA, the book on Asian Freedom Writers. Having read his articles and having heard him speak, I was looking forward to reading what he has to say on the nexus between education and freedom. And Neric, as usual, did not fail me.

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Of Hospitals, Health, and Hope – Dissecting the Philippine Health System

For someone who has been working since 17 years old, it came as a surprise to me how Philhealth (Medicare) can be so useful. Well, useful to a certain extent. While it covered a substantial amount of my hospitalization bill last week, Philhealth still does not shoulder a big portion of your bill and does not cover medical consultation fees and hospital out-patient privileges. This is what we get from copying the American instead of the Canadian or British model of public insurance system.

It was a first time for me to be hospitalized and while my offices (I have three this year) religiously deduct my Philhealth contributions monthly, I never imagined I would end up using this benefit this year. Anyway, my realization is that even if Philhealth is helpful to employees, the limited coverage it offers is just not enough to alleviate the plight of an ordinary patient.

And thankfully, I am not an ordinary patient. I have been employed time and time again by different private and public institutions at the same time so I belong to a higher bracket in the Philhealth ladder of coverage. I also have my own private health insurance, which I pay for personally and so I do not have to worry so much about what Philhealth cannot cover in my hospital bill. But how about the ordinary patient? Those with no private health insurance coverage? Worse, those without Philhealth coverage?

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