Ramblings Intérieurs

Philippine Daily Inquirer

100. Philippine Daily Inquirer

Finally, I reached the 100th mark for my list of reasons to be happy and thankful that I am living in this lifetime. Since this is a record, it is only appropriate that the 100th reason would cross all boundaries. And what more could this be but our newspaper for more than 15 years (if I'm not mistaken).

This broadsheet has been a very big help not only to me but to my family as well. The information that this newspaper has giving us for the last 15 years or so has been very, very useful to us. It does not only give us the latest news (very, very credible I must say) but tips on practically every aspect of life - personal, financial, mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. It's an all-in-one paper.

I can give short examples about those as I grew along with PDI.

Personal: I grew up reading the advices of Robbie, Rissa, and Raya Mananquil (now all models and professionals) when they were still teens in the 2BU! section of Inquirer. The advices of Tita Dulce also made perfect sense as I heed her advices and gave her advices to my friends who turn to me for advices (shhh...that's a secret).

Financial: The Business Section of PDI has more that just business news. It has featured and is still writing stories about the inspiring and success stories of the best entrepreneur the country has produced. Of course, on those stories it is clear that the success stories of these CEO's, COO's and taipans were not walk in the park. They encountered a lot of challenges, difficulties, and pains but they continue and succeeded. How? Read the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Mental: The Opinion Section of the Inquirer is another gem. This is where I read the best writers that the country has produced. Conrado de Quiros, Michael Tan, the late Adrian Cristobal are just one of the few many writers that I read in PDI that got me hooked on reading the most widely-read broadsheet in the country.

Emotional: A lot of stories in PDI had made me emotional. The stories of the youth in "Young Blood" and their counterpart, the uhmmm, sixty-something in "High Blood." Not to mention the real stories that appears in it's front page. The not so-good-things about our country and how we and I are not able to do something about it. But what makes this truly special is that because the stories always end up with hope. Hope that we should not abandon despite everything.

Physical:
Of course the Sports Section of the Inquirer is a class of it's own. Almost always on time (sometimes PBA results yesterday would not be included in the next day's issue). But in general, I could rely on PDI regrading results of sports tournament I watch. NBA, US Open, Super Bowl, you name it they got it. They also have the best sportswriter in town, Al S. Mendoza and Recah Trinidad (who came back after a fling with retirement). The Tuesday Section of PDI about Lifestyle and Leisure also gave me tips on how to live a healthy and happy life with articles about the latest exercises and how to have a happy disposition in life through the articles of Cory Quririno.

Spiritual: This is the best part.

PDI has Fr. Jerry Orbos in it's Opinion Section every Sunday. Fr. Orbos column is my must-read column of Inquirer every Sunday with his jokes and anecdotes about life and his practical tips in life on how to live life as a Christian.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer also has what it calls "radical optimism" every Sunday. This means that every Sunday, it's front page only features good news. Yes, only good news. If you read a bad news or headline, you will see the good news inside it. I have another good news. It's not limited to Sundays anymore, as you can see in my previous blog entries.

Now, how's that for news?

Manindigan Para Sa Katotohanan, Katarungan, at Pagbabago

Evil triumphs when people do nothing.

For the very first time, I joined a rally. Yes, I went to Ayala Avenue in Makati last Friday to join the Interfaith Rally asking for the resignation of our "president" Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

I was still too young when EDSA People Power I happened and I don't have any recollection of it or what happened then. When EDSA Dos happened, I was just watching it on the TV at work. Even just by watching, I felt the emotions of the people and I felt the same way they do. They wanted to hear the truth and they wanted something be done about it. I wanted to be there but I couldn't because I was working.

When I heard the news that a rally was to be held in Ayala Avenue on February 29, I said to myself that I have to be there. I wanted to join these kind of rallies but the circumstances however would not allow me. This time, my schedule fell into place. I just resigned from work and I was to visit my friend Melissa in Makati Medical Center which is just a stone's throw away from the place.

When I arrived in Ayala, I was given some pamphlets which I really didn't read because I couldn't make what exactly the pamphlet was saying. I also wanted to go near the stage and experience first-hand what exactly happens in these kinds of rallies. So after some hustling and bustling I was able to go near the stage. Just in time when Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada appeared on stage and delivered his speech that he read. He specifically pointed out that he's asking for change in the government. It's not enough that GMA resigns or step down because if she did, after that, the people will be gone again and corruption would still remain. Very intelligent words from a "probinsyanong Intsik."

Unlike the EDSA Dos that I just watched on TV, somehow I flet the emotions from the people and from me is not there. Sure there were rock bands like The Wuds, The Jerks, etc. singing political songs (I loved their performances by the way). The speaker-guests were fiery with their speeches. The people were angry and they want to hear the truth like I do but I felt something was lacking. Maybe the people is tired of "People Power" already. Maybe I am too. Maybe we have already given up because we know GMA won't step down. I don't know why.

What I know, however, is that I would remain true to theme of the rally. Today, tomorrow, and the days to come. I will stand up for truth, for justice, and change (for the better). I have faith in God that the truth will come out, justice will be served, and change is near.

Jun Lozada

33. Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr.

As a follow-up to Lester's honesty, I am adding another person to my list of 2008 reasons to be happy and thankful that I am living in this life time and that is none other than the courageous Jun Lozada.

I have already posted a blog about his testimony but I noticed that I didn't include him in my 2008 list so here he is.

I was watching Lozada testify at the Senate and tears flowed in my eyes (I have been crying too many times lately like Jun Lozada) after he was grilled and forced to confirm that his friend, former NEDA Director General Romulo Neri, said that the President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is "evil."

Lozada initially didn't want to answer the question not because he was afraid to tell the truth but because of his friendship with Neri. He didn't want to implicate Neri. But the senators wanted to know and after taking a break, Lozada finally said yes and continued to talk about "the meeting that never took place" together with Senators Ping Lacson and Jamby Madrigal.

Lozada went on and said the the context of the meeting was how his friend Neri presented to them how and why corruption exists in Philippine government. I wouldn't go with the specifics but as a summary it said that the government is in connivance with the military and the oligarchs. It also said that the only reason why the economy is afloat is because of the dollar remittances of the Filipino OFW's. The presentation also said that the middle class families don't want to meddle and would just go abroad to work but in the process leave a broken family. That's the summary and I agree with it although not 100 percent. But that's another story.

What I like about and the reason that Lozada is in my list is because of, time and again, is his honesty. A lot of people has been attacking him left and right, the government, the press, the private sector but they can't bring him down because of one thing-he tells and is telling the TRUTH. The Lozada detractors can throw everything to Lozada, including the kitchen sink, but they can't pull him down. I have always believed that you can't put a good man down. Much more an honest one.

I am again raising my hats off this time to Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr.

You are an inspiration.

Choices

I had no plans of voting for today's Barangay and SK elections but the circumstances that happened allowed me to vote. My plan was to go to work since it would be a holiday and it would be a rest day overtime for me (today also happens to be my rest day) and if our 13th month pay schedule of release would be the same like last year, I would have a 20k payout (that would give you an idea how much money I'm making...hehe) this 16th of November. That's a lot of money to pay for our debts and bills. Unfortunately, my pop was assigned to be a chair member in his school for today's elections and that means no one will be at home to open our mini-store and my mom would also not be able to vote. So I decided not to go to  work and instead help my mom at home and not going to work would also give me a chance to vote.

This is the first time to vote that I was not prepared. I don't know who the candidates for Kagawad (except for the one who lives in our subdivision) were although I know who the candidates for the Barangay Chairman were. I blame myself for that because I initially didn't plan to vote for the same reason that most, if not all, Filipinos say - "It really doesn't matter. The candidates would all be corrupt and nothing will change!"   

What made me decide to vote? Not just because I had nothing to do since I did not go to work but because last night, Sunday, I saw one candidate (I won't mention the name but he's the one who lives in our subdivision) went to our house to asked us to vote for him and he was doing this house-to-house. What's wrong with that? Nothing, except that campaign period was already over last Saturday. Next thing I heard they we're drinking already in one of the houses of one  officials in our subdivision. You may asked again what's wrong with that. Well, there's already an ongoing liquor ban. Then this morning I read an article in Philippine Daily Inquirer that says don't vote for the drunkards. The reason of course is self-explanatory. 

I said to myself if these are the guys that are going to be elected, I might as well vote and not vote for them. I ended up voting two (2) Kagawads that the last name I know and registers because they had their share of elected relatives before and then crossed out the other four spaces for Kagawad because I didn't know who the other candidates were. But I'm confident that the one I voted for as Barangay Captain is very capable of leading our barangay and is righteous enough (a doctor) to have a moral authority to lead. But still I don't know him enough.

Did I made the right choice? In not going to work and voted instead in the Barangay elections and passed the opportunity to have a big pay on my next payday? In not voting for the people who lives in the same subdivision I'm living? In voting the three people that I really didn't know that well. In voting itself? 

Frankly, I don't know. I just turned to the Lord for guidance after reading what my "Vessels of Honor" calendar says for today. It read "When faced with a morally gray area, we have the authoritative standard of God's Word, the inner witness of God's Spirit and the mind of God's Son to guide us."

I hope we all voted wisely and made the right choice.

The Best President the Country Never Had

I forgot to put this in my Friendster blog so it's a little late but as they always say it's better late than never...

"The Best President the Country Never Had"
Current mood: disappointed

Former senator, Raul Roco, passed away August 06, 2005 and left a legacy behind. He was an outstanding lawyer, statesman, and a real gentleman. His achievements are outstanding and a very principled man which is very rare for a politician. It's only a waste that he was not able to do what he wanted for the country. He was not given a chance by the Filipinos, partly due to his health. I was one of those who voted for him in the past two elections when he ran for President and just a few people who never felt that their vote was wasted and would gladly vote again for him, if ever, without any hesitation. Now that a lot of people are praising him left and right. It's just a waste, they did not translate all this praise into votes before. As the Editorial in Inquirer says, " Eulogies are wasted on the dead". Sayang.