EDSA 2022

 

Photo credit to VP Leni Robredo's supporter Cathy Frayco

As the campaign nears its end I see a renewed hope for the Filipinos, a sense of inspiration and well-meaning "bayanihan". While the labeled 'yellow-pink' team of Vice President Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo and Sen. Francis Pancratius "Kiko" Pangilinan is trailing in the surveys, the people's support and organizations says otherwise.

Trully, the game is over until it is over. Yes, the surveys coming out days before the election day on May 9, 2022, may be indicating that it is for (former Sen. Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr and Mayor Sarah Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio) "BBM-Sarah team but the public votes must first be casted and counted in before anyone can say that it is their A-game.

It has been proven and seen many times that for a good leader six years is short but for a bad governance, the six year term is tantamount to hell. This, I think, is the reason why many people are making a clear stand, going out of their way and doing the people's campaign–to save what is left of our children and their future generations. 

In the social media platform Facebook alone; the "Leni-Kiko '' page set-up and organized by followers has at least 71 joint public groups not to include the "Robredo People's Council and Pangilinan's own set of public supporters that were put-up in various areas of the country that made way for the series of successful people's rallies, consultation-meetings, palengke visits, and people's caravans amongst others particularly in the stronghold of their top opponents. 

I believe this is the very reason why despite VP Leni's lack of financial and logistical machinery the 90-day campaign of the Robredo-Pangilinan campaign ran smoothly. Of course, thank you to the able management of Leni-Kiko supporters and leadership of the Robredo-Pangilinan campaign team. This can also be translated to the change the people are obviously clamoring following six years of President Duterte's strong fist governance where killing, hunger, injustice and job loss are very much prevalent. While I could not say all are bad with the current administration, as the President contained the petty crimes incidents such as snatching, robbery, car theft, and has launched a massive drive against the communist terrorist groups, strengthen the 911 and the build-build-build program which is the centerpiece of the Duterte government. 

However, there are also other issues affecting the nation and the people that were not given sufficient importance such as the territorial dispute over the Scarborough Shoal that limited the fishing activities of Filipino fishermen, lack of job opportunities especially during the pandemic, oil price hike that has a domino effect on the costs of electricity, transportation and other basic commodities, irregularities at the health care and healthcare system, support to local farmers and agriculture, transportation issues, corruption in government contracts and the clear incidence of poverty in the country, and the clear attempt to silence, if not shut down the critics of the administration. 

All these seemed to be a rehashed of the past that paved the way to the success of Edsa 1 in 1986, and Edsa 2 in 2001 that ousted the Presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada respectively, who were both charged with plunder among many other cases. Thus, as the campaign is coming to its final stretch, more and more voices are echoing calls, urging fellow Filipinos to come out and make a clear stand to prevent history revisionism and not to allow another Marcos from being in power again. Amongst these who willingly responded include the Ledesma and Araneta relatives of the wife of Presidential contender "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, niece of President Duterte, Nuelle Duterte who have expressed support to the tandem of Leni-Kiko, as well as the son of senatorial candidate Loren Legarda, in the person of Lorenzo Legarda Leviste who labeled his mom's decision to ticket with BBM-Sarah as "convenient opportunism."

The campaign of Marcos-Duterte focuses on "unity" as they promise that their victory would bring unity and growth to the country contrary to allegations of those opposed to them that it would means another half a decade of tyranny, political dynasties, extra-judicial killings, impunity and corruption. The surveys may be against the Leni-Kiko Team but the overwhelming show of support from the fashion industry, showbiz and entertainment, beauty queens, bikers, transport sector, labor organizations, doctors and lawyers, volleyball players, PBA coaches, indigenous communities, lay, priests and clergy, schools and universities, students, professionals, senior citizens, tricycle drivers, LGBTQIA group, anti-mining, directors and artists, religious leaders and community among many others are stating the contrary. Therefore, it is still anybody's game. 

And as May 9 draws nearer, it is also exciting to see how well the Filipino people and various organizations will work to ensure the fair and safety of the elections particularly in securing the ballots. 

God bless the Philippines and the Filipino people.

WFH vs WORKPLACE

 

Photo credit to @Karolina Grabowska of Kaboompics at Pixabay.com 

I can feel the emotional and mental fatigue brought by the COVID pandemic, that I now look at any news related on the covid variants as mere threat to control the public.

Why do I say this? Because there seems to be a conflicting standpoint on the issue of healthcare and economy/business during this pandemic period. I don't understand why the government would rush into opening the businesses to operate and push the workers who safely and can conveniently on the work from home (WFH) set-up to go back to face-to-face, if there really is a serious threat to health? 

As a member of the commuting public, months before the National Capital Region was placed on alert level 1, I can see that the people are still hesitant to the idea that Metro Manila will be opened to a more relax level, yet, the government persisted.  And now that the public has adjusted, the government is pressing the warning signals, yet, insisting that those in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry must resume to their office set up, why do you keep on distracting the organize and peaceful set up that some industries has learned to adapt. 

Can't the national authorities even consider that the BPOs wfh set up merits recognitions following its success and help to the Philippine economy during the last two years that we were downed by Covid? Can't you see and appreciate that the WFH helped greatly in reducing the country's traffic problem? And can't you even consider the money and time saved from not commuting were diverted to other priorities and expenses of each working class? 

I think the labor management and the tax mogul of the administration must instead of mandating the BPOs to force their labor force to report to office, should instead help them find ways to even sustain their home-office set-up amid the flaws of working from home that is typically exposed to the noise brought by the honks of vehicles, barking dogs, roosters, and even the neighbors fighting and shouting not to include the technical issues of signal and power interruptions.

We are in 2022 now, if most countries survived the WFH in recent years why change it, why not completely adopt it and even improve the system. This is already the 3rd millennium, maybe it would be good that we all should start thinking out of the box. Just my one cent thought.

PROMISES

 

Photo credit to PCOO

Do you agree that it is only now, after six years, that the current government realized it cannot curb illegal drugs, as well as the other campaign promises made by the outgoing administration that landed him in the top post in the 2016 presidential elections? 

For me, it was too late a realization for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to only admit now, less than a month before his six year term as the country's chief executive, that he failed to deliver his number one campaign promise—the war on drugs. 

This, after an estimated 18,000 people have been killed as part of the President's "cleansing program" from the illegal drug peddlers, drug users and sadly, included the innocent bystanders. Aside from the fight versus illegal drugs, PRRD also promised to address the then worsening traffic congestion in the country, thanks to the pandemic that Filipinos finally saw a traffic free Philippines these last two years. But if not for the pandemic, the traffic issue will not cease. In fact, it is slowly making an impact as we slowly move the economy and businesses forward.  

Also, amongst the other critical and crucial promises that for me have remained unanswered include job security, education, environment, economic, graft and corruption, and foreign policy, among others. 

Trully, the people are hungry for change that the majority of people at the time President Duterte offered to change the government system, the people were willing to take risks. But sadly, in the last six years so many had happened, and it proved one thing, the Filipinos and the nation made a wrong choice, thus, ended up disappointed because of failed promises. 

The administration may argue my position following the COVID-19 as an excuse why the government failed to deliver its promises. But even before the pandemic held the nation hostage in March 2020, the incumbent government was already seated in power in 2016. So technically, there was a clear lead of over three years. But instead of addressing the present problem caused by the pandemic which to this day is still prevalent, the government opted to zoom in on "revenge". Among these vengeful actions made include the closing of ABS-CBS by not approving its renewal for franchise notwithstanding the 11,000 employees  that will be left employed in the middle of the covid crisis, importing personal protective equipment instead of using this as an opportunity to generate jobs,  running after the CPP-NPA including those civilians who pioneered the community pantry worse alleging some of them of working as fronts of the communist movement.

Photo credit to inquirer.net

In 2020, the chief executive was openly bragging he successfully dismantled  the "Lopezes" oligarch "Lopezes" that allegedly robbed the government billions of pesos taxes liabilities despite the Bureau of Internal Revenue that the network has no outstanding tax dues to the government.  The BIR in a testimony said that the network paid P15.3-billion in taxes from 2016-2019.  

On the contrary, the government has not lifted a finger to even pressure the family of the late dictator Marcos to settle the P23-billion real estate tax liabilities that have already ballooned to P203-billion since 1999. What makes it even worse, is the Presidential daughter, Mayor Sara is even running as the vice president of Marcos Jr. 

The issue of corruption and illegal drugs that were thrown against some public officials including Sen. Leila De Lima, were the same issue also hounding the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Health for the questionable fund transfer to supposedly purchase overpriced PPEs. This, not to mention the favored contracts entered into by the government through DOE Sec. Alfonso Cusi. These are just some of the many issues and problems that the Duterte administration will soon be leaving to us–Filipinos including the payment of new huge debts to supposedly fuel government programs and projects. But honestly, in your homes and day-to-day life have you one way or another felt the benefit of the "iron fist" president?

So I don't understand why the people would still want to fall on the promises of the Marcos-Sara tandem when their parents must be first held liable?

I am not endorsing any candidate although I already have a candidate, but my wish for those still undecided to also take into account the long term effect of the choices they will make on May 9, 2022, as the future generations will be shouldering the wrong decisions we make on the election day.

God bless the Philippines and the Filipino people.