If I were the President of the Philippines...

It is for a fact that our country today is experiencing a lot of problems. The main problem is that those issues which should be addressed and which create a large impact on the people are usually disregarded. And those small scale problems such as the president’s personal life is the center of news today. Media generally has a strong influence on what goes on in our country and if I were to become the leader of the Philippines, I will impose a limit on what the media propagates. Media has a tendency to exaggerate and sensationalize a story, which can ruin a person’s reputation and worse, one’s career. I have been in the audience’s perspective and the true story and the publicized ones are more often than not completely different.

Whenever we watch news about the lifestyle of government officials specifically the president broadcasted on television, we would always assume that they are living the life of a king. It may seem that way because they have bodyguards protecting them and not to mention the bulletproof car. However, if you put yourself in their shoes, you will realize how difficult their life is. Presidency is not an easy task. I was the president of my class during elementary and it was very difficult. Not everyone will listen to you all the time and leading a group of people entails sacrifice and patience. The logic behind leading a group of people will always be the same regardless of age, whether you are leading your class in school or an entire student body, because they are still people and they are the ones who got you to your position in the first place. Hence, this just proves their trust in you and your dependability. Furthermore, you are also seen as someone who is responsible enough to endure difficult and challenging problems.

As quoted from the Bible from the book of Mark 10:44-45, “And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”. These 2 verses show us that the idea that “for one to be a good leader, one must also be a good follower” has been around time immemorial. We must learn how to listen to others’ opinion. The quote “no man is an island” can be applied here. Each and every one of us depends on one another because every person is endowed with unique talents and skills, which is to be shared. Furthermore, we are imperfect beings meant to learn and improve ourselves as we grow which gives emphasis to the idea of having advisers. It is also said that “two minds are better than one” because 2 people contributing and collaborating will definitely produce a better outcome than 1 person who cannot discuss his ideas with someone else. Leading a country of almost 100 million people is a big deal because these are lives of living human beings we are talking about.

Being a president also requires me to have an objective point of view on a lot of things, such as deciding whether a certain law will benefit or hurt the majority. I would have to sacrifice my desires and think about the people. Serving my countrymen will be my priority. Making sure that these laws passed have no loopholes where people, usually criminals and corrupt government officials, can slip. Moreover, I will impose that no government officials including myself will be exempted from the law. Everyone is equal and I, as well as the rest of the government officials, should serve as a role model to the Filipinos. We are responsible for passing and approving these laws so we should follow them as well.

The Philippines is a third world country, we all have to accept that. This means that our country is not as rich as the United States of America or China so why do we always compare our economy to theirs? Why do we always try to copy their laws? Is it because we think applying their laws here in the Philippines will immediately make us like them? Of course not. We have to be smarter than that. If laws are just passed without the proper implementation, then what kind of results do we expect? Nothing. People will not be updated and knowledgeable about the law. Aside from this, we must think whether our country is in need of instant improvement for us to grow or do we have to achieve stability first before anything else.

I believe that our country should achieve stability and aim for sustainability before any improvements are made. How can our country move on to the next level of growth if we can’t even maintain our status now? Just like a child learning how to walk. If he is not able to stand up and walk with balance, how do you expect him to start running? These 2 ideas are very similar. Also, slow development will probably be the best for our country since zooming up to the top will only signify a sudden drop as well. Based on the study of Economics, there will always be a graph signifying stability or “equilibrium” where the price and quantity of commodities can be sustained. Whenever the point on the graph goes beyond or below the “equilibrium point”, it will only stay that way for a short period of time and will eventually move towards that “equilibrium point”. There will always be that limit or boundary to the resources we have, such as manpower and money. We are already having a difficult time reaching that “equilibrium point” so how do we expect to focus on improvements if we can’t even sustain ourselves well? A big percentage of our population is still under the poverty line. We should focus on improving and alleviating them from poverty before proposing development in our country.  

One of the major problems in our country is unemployment. The unemployment rate has been rising big percentage points each year. I would like to implement a law reserving the facile work for the elderly or those who are not capable of doing laborious work. These will give them opportunities to earn a living and at the same time keep them productive. Every person who is unemployed means a waste or inefficiency because that person could’ve produced some product for the country. We have to maximize our labor force. The country of Singapore is truly admirable and worth emulating because it has already the disadvantage of not having natural resources but it has emerged as one of the top countries today. They have used their human capital properly and to the fullest. Our country is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and more than enough human capital. So why can’t we equal Singapore or even surpass them? There is definitely something wrong with the governance in our country. I believe that it may be due to self-centered government officials who do things just to benefit themselves.

We should start thinking about lessening the benefits or social services the people receive. I know these are the sources of people to buy food and all their basic needs, but these are also the reasons for their laziness. Since these social services provide retirees and everyone else with money, people tend to think that they don’t need to work anymore since they receive money regularly anyway. Some even go to the extent of quitting their jobs because they know that the social services can back them up.

In addition to those above, I want to implement stricter laws regarding the bus, jeepney, and taxi stops since most of street accidents are caused by them. These public utility vehicles load and unload passengers wherever they want which causes so much traffic. Some of the jeepneys just stop in the middle of the big roads and wait for their jeepney to fill up before they start moving. Most of these PUV’s have shattered or malfunctioning taillights and thus, many of the private cars behind them crash into them not knowing that they have already stopped. Passovers and bridges may be built for the pedestrians. The sidewalk and bridge system of Mandaluyong should be implemented in the entire country. Their system includes putting a fence around the perimeter of the sidewalks so people are forced to use the bridges and passovers. This will surely be a hassle and would cost more but lives of people will be protected.

Since corruption in the government cannot be avoided, I will make and organize an independent organization or body to control the monetary policies. This organization will see to it that our country will stay in the “equilibrium” level by either increasing interest rates to increase the money supply or otherwise. This will, hopefully, lessen corruption since those in charge will not be (and I will make sure) affiliated with any of the government officials. This organization should remain transparent at all times and to provide their financial and current accounts regularly. I sometimes ponder about how the United States of America and China are able to continue improving their economy and growing if there is also so much corruption in their government, if not more?

In my plan of action, my priority will be education. However, I will be following the idea of “quality over quantity” because no matter how much you study, if you aren’t serious with it, then surely nothing will happen. You will just be wasting your time and money. I don’t want to demand that schools follow the K plus 12 or the trifocal education system because both have their advantages and disadvantages. However, I will weigh the pros and cons of each and evaluate which will benefit the Filipinos more. If costs and money will be the problem, then the government will subsidize for those who can’t afford it and give partial scholarships. I know there are a lot more issues out there, which should be addressed but I believe that with the right education, these issues can be solved. Education gives the youth the basic knowledge they need to improve but the practical use of these in the real world depends on them. School will only give them so much but they have to learn to grab opportunities to practice their skills.

Investing in the proper capital such as infrastructure and modern technology is very important. We should focus on goods, which can be used by the public for their benefit. These goods are called “public goods”, which are non-rival and non-excludable. Non-rival means that everyone can have a fair share of that commodity without it running out. Non-excludable means that it is not exclusively for a certain group of people but it is available for all. However, we should keep in mind that these goods should help promote the Green Revolution. People should be aware of the growing effects of Global Warming. We should all work together to make a change because Global Warming does not only affect me, but it will affect everyone all over the world, no exceptions.

Regarding the problem of the black market wherein Marijuana is sold, I believe that the importing and selling of Marijuana should be approved. I know this is illegal but the more we punish people for importing these Marijuana, the more they would want to go against the law. That is just the nature of rebels. If we approve the importation of Marijuana, then we can now start putting a quota and tariff on these products for control purposes. Eventually, the black market for Marijuana will decrease and disappear.

To conclude, I know that these plans have been the plans of many presidents in our country. The true problem lies with the implementation – not strict enough. Also, the cabinet members I will appoint should be appointed for their merit and skills and not because of their connections. They are just fooling themselves and giving themselves a bad reputation with this act. However, if I were president, I would want to change that. I will do what is right and what will make our country greater. I cannot promise anything but I know I will do my best. As the saying goes “Rome is not built in a day”, I believe that changes can be made gradually. Stable improvements can make our country better because the people can slowly adapt their lifestyle to these changes. Hopefully, my successor can continue my work and make more improvements. (Word Count: 2102) 

UPFRONT: 2012 USC Candidates' Forum

The UP Economics Society, or more commonly known as EcoSoc, organized this year’s UPFRONT: The 2012 USC Candidates’ Forum. This is their 2^nd time to organize this and it has evolved into something all the UP students look forward to because they will be able to ask the candidates questions regarding their goals and plans of action. This event was organized with the goal of “proclaiming your beliefs right here, right now up front”. The event began with the opening remarks, which were given by Jose Maria Varga, the current president of UP EcoSoc. He proudly announced that UP EcoSoc is the first organization to arrange this kind of elections forum. Furthermore, the objective of this forum is to make the voices of the students heard through mobilizing organizations in UP. This also gives the UP students a chance to voice out their testaments to know and to be a part of the UP community.

There are currently 3 parties and one independent candidate. These are Stand UP, KAISA, ALYANSA, and the independent candidate – Martin Loon. First, the Stand UP party’s slogan is “Atin ang Lakas, Atin ang Bukas”. Their party is a student alliance for the democratic rights in UP. Second, the KAISA party’s slogan is “Scholars in Action, Driven by Passion”. Their aim is for the students in UP to come together, magKAISA, para sa pamantasan at sambayanan. Next, the ALYANSA party’s slogan is “Tara, Simulan ang Pagbabago”. They believe that each student should be able to have a voice in the University Student Council (USC). Last but not the least, Martin Loon believes that one does not need a political party to win the elections because as soon as all the results are out and all the University Student Council positions have been filled up, their goal will all be the same – to serve the UP students and help make improvements in our university.

Each party had 3 representatives who were to speak in front of the entire student body. The first set of speakers was the councilors. However, not all councilors from all parties had to give a speech, only one was chosen to represent the rest of the councilors. This seemed odd to me since it would be a little bias towards that specific speaker. Also, wouldn’t that councilor be promoting his self more than he is his fellow councilors? And it would seem like he is more knowledgeable about his position. To continue, the first councilor to speak was from Stand UP. She gave importance to education. Where does the cut from the budget for education go if not to the Iskolars ng Bayan? She said that all of these go to the Public-Private Partnerships and other projects for the benefit of the politicians. Education is the key to nation building and sadly, education is not the priority of the government. The next speaker was from KAISA. He started with the question, why should they run for a position in the University Student Council and not just hold a position in their own organization? The answer was that we needed student representation. The welfare of the students is their goal. “Sixwillfix” is the laban of the USC. (“Sixwillfix” is the term used to promote protest against the budget cuts of education). The third speaker is from ALYANSA. He spoke of the USC as an institution, which can be trusted because it is relevant to the students. USC needs a strong foundation so it should have a strong student council.

The next set of speakers is comprised of those running for the position of USC vice-chairperson. The candidate of Stand UP emphasized the importance of education and that education is a right. Next, the candidate of KAISA said that her previous goal was utilizing the potential of organizations. However, her aim now is to prove that even an ordinary student can achieve greatness, can make a difference, and be influential. She is an advocate of gender rights. But what she truly wants to project is that ordinary students have a voice and seeing students in action because they are driven by passion. The third speaker was from ALYANSA. He wants to inspire students to make a change. Making USC open, transparent and accountable is also his goal. USC will also have 0% tolerance of frat related violence and gender harassment. He wants each and every UP student to accept all cultures present in our university and respect one another.

Finally, the time for the candidates running for USC chairperson to speak has come. This is what everyone has been waiting for since this is one of the most important, if not the most important, of all positions. The chairperson is considered to be like the president of the entire UP student body. Since UP is known to be like another world or another community, the chairperson has a huge responsibility. Also, there are thousand of students in UP so it would be very difficult to make an impact on everybody.

The first speaker was from Stand UP. He believes that nabubuhay ang USC para sa kailangan ng istudyante. He gave more emphasis on the fact that education is a right and we should fight for it. We should go against the budget cuts. He also asked, what is the students’ contribution? Pakikipaglaban at pagkakaisa. Why do we need the USC to be makabayan? It is because we need active participation of council members who will fight for the students and who will not compromise the policies for students. Tayo ang pag-asa. We will be the catalysts for change and this will only be successful if all students are united.

The second speaker was from KAISA. She spoke about the issues that UP students face. She is also affected by issues of the university, such as the neglected facilities, tuition fee increase, and lack of security. We can all step up and be a part of the solution. Only UP students can make a change in the university because we are able to experience first hand these issues. We all have to come together and believe in ourselves. Kailangan natin magKAISA. The candidate’s personal vision is to inspire others. She promises to keep USC transparent and she urges everyone to vote for someone who will not put power before work.

The third speaker was from ALYANSA. We all have differences but we also have similarities, which is that we are all here in UP Diliman. There will always be hope for a change and it will only happen if we believe. Going to UP is the right choice for her because her eyes were opened to reality and it was the first time for her to see understanding, acceptance, and respect of different cultures. All of the candidates are doing their best to please everyone to get more votes; however, the truth is that there is no such thing as one that fits the position perfectly. Everyone has his own flaws. Also, if we have the courage to pursue our dream and if you want to believe in change, then we have to do it together.

Last but not the least, the independent candidate, Martin Loon, is running for USC chairperson. He may seem as an underdog because of his lack of supporters, but if you see his charisma and determination, you would know that this guy has the potential and the heart to serve the university. His main objective is the fight for education. This is the most important and the greatest equalizer. We are all equal in the eyes of education. When we fight for education, there should be no parties. Some politicians even asked him why there are so many parties with so many different proposals. How can we support one single cause if we can’t even support each other here in UP? He wants to help others and ipaglaban ang kailangan ipaglaban. There is value in fighting for the right thing. We should base judgments on what is true and we all should work towards one goal or agenda.

If you read through these candidates’ general plan of action, you will notice that they all have the same goal in mind. So why is it that there are so many different parties? Is it just so they can have more supporters and more people who will campaign with them? Also, it is very obvious that they have such ambitious dreams for our university; however, will they truly be able to achieve those dreams? Because we are no different from those politicians and government officials so I don’t see why they can promise that power will not blur their visions. It is very difficult to choose which candidate to vote for since all of their platforms are the very similar, just phrased in a different manner.  (Word Count: 1474)

The Promise of Tahrir Square

Dr. Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid was the guest speaker. He is a professor of Political Science in the American University of Cairo. He came here to discuss the issues affecting Egypt, more specifically to differentiate between the two types of social movements, and the possible outcomes of their clashing ideologies for the future of Egypt. Afterwards, Dr. Francisco Nemenzo Jr., a Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines, gave a sort of reaction to the issue at hand.

In the previous year, there was so much chaos in Egypt due to social movements striving for democracy. However, the main conflict was the clash of 2 social movements: the old and new social movements in Egypt. First of all, a social movement is defined by groups of people inspired by ideas guided by one goal and ideal, also called unity. The old social movement was a socialist, Catholic, and civil rights movement. The new social movement, on the other hand, was a human rights, women’s rights, and environment movement which included people of the same class – middle. This also included professors asking for freedom from intervention of government and military forces in the academe since almost 2/3 of the government comprised of old movement people. Furthermore, those who started the revolution were not interested in seizing power but in changing the old ways.

The relationship between the 2 social movements would define the future of Egypt or the revolution. The new social movement or new groups were very active in initiating social movements. However, the old social movement believed that if they were united in their faith in Allah, then they would have all the power. The Salafists is an advocate group of the old social movement who wanted to apply the rules of Shariah on Islam immediately. There was even an incident wherein the Muslim brothers, another old social movement’s group, assassinated the Egyptian prime minister because he was believed to be monopolizing the power. The Muslim brothers were an illegal operation, a banned organization. They tried hiding their headquarters by opening one elsewhere but they were eventually allowed to open one in Cairo last 2011.

Moving on, I would like to elaborate more on the differences between the old and new social movements. The old social movement has been present for almost 8 decades beginning 1928, polyclass in social background, initiated the establishment of and restoration of society guided by Islam, has plenty of resources and sympathizers who support them all the way, has a large membership which makes it better endowed, there is homogeneity, and composed of Muslim brothers and Salafists. On the contrary, the new social movement became active in movements only during the 1980’s, comprised of middle class people and secular (Atheist), wanted a civil state (where religion and politics were separated), proposed to have internet access as a right, strongly believed that they could mobilize the people, and they are composed of the Human Rights Organization, Kefaya, March 9 (comprised of professors who want autonomy), April 6 (where they engage in general strike), Independent Trade Unions (who want freedom of expression), and FaceBook groups (denouncing police brutality and sending through the internet of videos showing proof of abuse).

The internet is truly a wonderful invention. It is a means of connecting people from all over the world without leaving the comforts of your home. The internet was also a very important tool in propagating the cause of the new social movement. They use this as a way of communication without censorship and to disseminate information where they encourage people to join in the revolutions. Since everything being written in the newspaper should be filtered by the government, the truth doesn’t necessarily always come out, so this group turned to the internet where the government has no control over. The slogan of the revolution of the new social movement is “Bread, Liberty, Social Justice” which is their belief in some social democracy or ideals.

These two groups are not totally different in their ambitions. One clear similarity that they share is that they are united in the sense that they are against Mubarak’s regime. However, they are different in all other issues such as the pace of transition to civilian rule. The old social movement wants an immediate transition to civilian rule by amending the constitution and preparing the country for elections. The new social movement though believes that time should pass, let the economy stabilize, then the country can start holding elections. They were also disagreeing in the modalities of transition which is how to go about the transition. The old social movement wanted to amend the constitution immediately, while the new social movement wanted to make a completely new constitution. The new social movement knows that only specific groups will win the election and the changes made will only benefit the group’s members and supporters, not the consensus. Another is the nature of the constitution – whether it will be Islamic (old social movement) or Secular (new social movement). There are also disagreements on position versus the military council, position on the fate of the revolution, and the methods of political action.

Since democracy prevailed, there are some implications seen. One is ideological differences among the political groups. Another is absence of balance among political forces, which tempts majority groups into authoritarian measures. Lastly, there might be political instability. (Word Count: 908) 

Most Powerful Person

In my opinion, the most powerful person in the Philippines is Manny V. Pangilinan, or more popularly called MVP. I believe that he controls majority of our economy, not in terms of the actions of the people, which is the job of the government through the laws, but in terms of providing for the needs of everyone. One such example is electricity. Manny V. Pangilinan recently acquired a huge percentage of Meralco Corp. which provides electricity to every single household in our country. If one day he decides to stop all functions of Meralco, then everyone will be surely affected by it. Even the government cannot control him. Next, he also owns PLDT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company), Smart Telecommunications, Inc., Philex Mining Corporation and Philex Petroleum Corporation, NLEX (North Luzon Expressway), Makati Medical Hospital, and a lot more.

As you can see, he also controls the telecommunications sector, which is every household’s necessity. You may say that there is still Globe Telecommunications and other services; however, Globe can only serve those with cellphones and has not yet perfected its landline service. PLDT is definitely the best in our country when it comes to landline and at the same time, broadband or internet connection. Furthermore, he also controls NLEX which is the only major hi-way connecting the metro to the northern part of our country. Having control of over 10 major hospitals is also a big deal. Hospitals are very important because people cannot stay healthy forever. We also consider health as wealth, as some say, because no matter how rich you are, if you get sick with cancer or some uncurable disease, then there’s no use of being rich if you cant move or function properly. Last but not the least, he owns Philex Mining Corporation which is divided into two: Philex Mining Corporation is the mining business, while Philex Petroleum Corporations is the gas and oil business. In the past few months, it has been evident that the mining industry has experienced a boost and is being clamored by all. They discover and process minerals and energy resources for the use of society (Philex Mining Corporation). This business is considered a “jackpot” because, for example, you find gold. Its price is, more often than not, increasing so you are sure that you will profit.

These are just some of the companies that Manny V. Pangilinan owns and controls. It may seem like he’s some sort of god because of all his power and wealth, but the truth is, he also started from nothing and slowly climbed up the ladder. He remained true to himself and persisted. I believe that all of us should emulate his attitude of determination and hard work so that one day, we too will be able to succeed. (Word Count: 474)

Philex Mining Corporation. 2007. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. < http://philexmining.com.ph//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=43>