Looney, The Martian

     I just want to stress my points and personal standards in choosing the right persons to have a seat on different positions in our government. I want to inform everyone that whatever I wrote in this was based mostly on my personal thoughts and the things that I’ve learned from my early schooling.

     The Philippine State is divided into three branches: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch and the Judiciary Branch.

    
The main responsibility of the executive branch, from the word itself, is to execute or implement different infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects to be utilized by their respective subordinates and the development of the whole society.  This branch serves as the front liner of the government in implementation of visible projects and endeavors. That’s why we should go for someone who we know could be should’ve been implementing the pursuits serving the interests of the people.

     The executive branch is composed of the president of the republic, which is the head of the branch, the governor, vice-governor, provincial board members, mayors, vice-mayors, councilors, up to he barangay level officials.

    On the other hand, the legislative branch’s main function is to make and amend laws which they think could help in the republic’s development and to investigate for special concerns. They are not tasked to implement projects but they are given the so-called “pork barrel” to at least manage to satisfy their constituents through projects.

    This branch is further divided into two divisions. The lower house or the Congress is headed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives ad composed of the district representatives. While the upper house or the senate is lead by the Senate President and composed of the Senators. The lower house is into creating laws and policies to be approved by the upper house.

     The Judiciary branch is tasked to exercise and practice the laws and policies as approved by the legislative branch. They are the watchdog which sees to it that all are equal and no one is above the rule of law.

     The branch is headed by the Supreme Court Justice hand in hand with the Justice Secretary and consists of the Justices.

     With this in mind, I did come up with a roster of standards to consider in electing a government official:

• He/she should have earned integrity and credibility. Meaning, he/she have gained the trust and respect of the people and a believable and undoubtful image and personality. The candidate’s name shouldn’t also be involved in any controversies and anomalies. Moreover, he/she should’ve established a stand on every issue concerning the society to prove his/her determination.
• He/she should have attained the right educational level. How can a public servant talk about finishing school if he hasn’t finished his? This may sound degrading but we still have to keep in mind that they are to deal with people from different walks of life and they should be able to handle such circumstances. And it may influence the youth further to that dreams could be fulfilled even without college diploma.
• He/she should also have a rightful lifestyle with a stable family structure and background. Public officials are the role models of the society. Enough said.
• He/she should also have gathered upright and enough experiences which will serve as his/her stepping stone in entering politics. This means that they should have background on what they are entering for them not to be overwhelmed by the nature of work they might be dealing with.

     Much has been said, again, this is my personal thoughts only. I just want to speak out on how a public figure should be chosen because our pubic officials serve as our representatives in the government.

     Good luck for us Filipinos for weaving another chapter in the country’s history. May the people who are truthfully chosen by our fellowmen prevail and may God bless all of us to vote for the right person and may his will would prevail.

    Malaking bahagi ng kasalukuyang  populasyon sa Kalakhang Maynila ay nasa "below poverty line" o yung tinatawag na nasa "underground economy" at karaniwang nakatira ang mga ito sa mga lupaing hindi nila pag-aari o yung tinatawag na "depressed areas".  Dito  masasalamin kung gaano na kalala ang kahirapan sa bansa na siyang tinuturong pinag-ugatan ng iba pang mga suliraning kinakaharap ng ating lipunan.

    Sariwa pa sa aking isipan ang unang halalan na aking natunghayan nang ako ay bata pa.  Sa mura kong isipan, nasilayan ko ang isang kampanyang aakalain mong piyesta sa kapal ng mga taong nakikisalamuha sa mga kumakandidato sa iba’t ibang posisyon sa pamahalaan.  Animo’y walang mga problemang kinakaharap ang bawat taong naroroon at puro kaginhawaan ang tinatamasa sa buhay.  Noongg araw ng halalan, bilang isang paslit noong panahon na iyon, namimigay ako ng polyeto sa bawat botanteng dumaraan sa aking harapan sa kadahilanang di ko alam.  Marahil ay nakikisabay lamang ako sa aking mga kaibigan na tila nakikisama lang din sa panahon ng eleksyon.  Nabasa ko sa mga polyetong iyon ang mga magiging  sagot raw sa lumalalang suliranin ng lipunang ito sa kahirapan.  Wala pa iyon para sa akin noong mga panahon na iyon.  Hindi ko inakala na ang mga salitang iyon mismo ang mamumutawi sa aking mga labi sa hinaharap.

    Sa kasalukuyan ay isa akong  Kagawad ng Sangguniang Kabataan sa aming barangay.  Sa murang edad, pinasok ko ang isang mundong ibang iba sa mundong ginagalawan ng mga pangkaraniwang kabataang tulad ko.  Dito ko naranasan at natunghayan ang tunay na pulitikang umiiral sa ating lipunan.  Isang pulitikang nangangailangan ng agarang solusyon bilang paghahanda sa mga susunod pang mga henerasyon na susumpong dito.  Sa kabilang banda, humaharap din ito sa mga suliraning tila bahagi na ng ating lipunan.  Ngunit, sino nga ba ang puno’t dulo nito?  Ang ating mga ninuno o ang mga pulitiko sa kasalukuyan?                                    
    

    Matutunghayan sa kasaysayan ng bansa ang mga pagsisikap at pagpupunyagi ng ating mga kapwa Pilipinong nagsipagtanggol sa lipunan ng bansa.  Marahil ay hindi rin gaano katatag ang pulitikang binalangkas ng ating mga ninuno noong panahon na iyon.  Maaaring ito lamang ang nakikita nilang pinakamainam na gawin sa uri ng pulitikang kanilang hinarap.  Sa huli, hindi natin sila maaaring husgahan dahil wala tayo sa kanilang kalagayan at panahon upang magdesisyon sa mga bagay bagay.   

    Mataas ang tingin nating mga Pilipino sa mga pulitikong nangangasiwa sa ating pamahalaan.  Tinuturing natin silang salamin at sandigan ng lipunang kanilang pinaglilingkuran.  Ang mga pulitikong atin mismong hinalal ang siyang madalas nating sisihin sa mga bagay na bumabagabag sa atin.  Marahil, totoo ito para sa iba, ngunit sa pangkalahatan, ginagawa lamang nila ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya upang tugunan ang pangangailangan ng kanilang mga sinasakupan sa pinakamabuting paraan na kanilang naiisip.

    Ngayon, sino nga ba ang dapat sisihin?

    Madalas nating sinisisi ang ibang tao sa mga problemang ating dinaranas.  Ngunit, hindi natin magawang ibunton ang sisi sa atin mismong sarili.  Kung sa bagay, tayo ang gumagawa ng buhay natin.  Tayo mismo ang may gawa kung bakit tayo nasasadlak sa kahirapan.  Marahil ay kulang pa ang ating pagsisikap sa buhay, kulang pa ang ating pagtitipid sa ating mga pangangailangan, kulang pa ang positibong pananaw sa mga bagay bagay, at kulang pa ang ating pananalig sa Diyos.

    Huwag natin isisi sa iba ang kasawian natin sa buhay.  Maaaring ang iba nga ang dahilan, ngunit nasa atin din kung hahayaan nating mangyari iyon dahil tayo ang may kontrol sa sarili nating buhay.  Lagi rin natin isipin na hindi sapat na wala tayong ginagawang mali bagkus, kailangang may kaakibat rin itong gawaing tama.

    Pasasaan ba’t darating din ang panahon na ang lipunang nadungisan ay babalik sa dati nitong pagiging busilak.  Lamang, kung tayo’y magsisikap at magpupunyagi na mabago ang nakasanayan na nating uri ng lipunan.

    Sana lang ay malapit na ito. Sana lang!

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, 1961

Funny how
simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to
hell.

Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what
God thinks of me. (Are you thinking?)

        What
good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can
such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily
food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well
fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the
same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

                
                
                
                
-James 2:14-17

    We are now on the latter part of this electoral period.  We are to choose the leaders which we think will serve our interests most.  For once every three years, we are given the chance to speak up on what we think we should do for the common good. 
    We should not blame those people who run for office.  Who knows? Those called "nuisance" may be the only hope of this kind of politics we have in the country.  This is only the manifestation of how dissatisfied the people are in the ruling policies in this country.  We should not judge and blame them in this regard.
    As a concerned citizen and youth of the country, I am stressing on everyone to vote for the right persons doing the right things right. No more, no less. Let’s vote for people having the genuine agenda of helping the country.   And for the generation ahead, please prepare the Philippines to be the Philippines as it used to be.
    In this, we should be vigilant in observing the electoral process since different circumstances may rise.  We should defend the mandate of the people so that the true leader will prevail.  Anyway, this is the only thing where we, Filipinos, are equal in all respects.  And lets educate each one of us to do whatever it takes to defend the democracy that our heroes fought for, for the past century. 
    And, we should also remember, that the vote of an educated one is as good as the vote of an uneducated one.

Article V; Section 1 of the 
THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 

Suffrage may be exercised
by all citizens of the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law,
who
are at least eighteen years of age, and who shall have resided in the
Philippines
for at least one year, and in the place wherein they propose to vote,
for
at least six months immediately preceding the election. No literacy,
property,
or other substantive requirement shall be imposed on the exercise of
suffrage.

    Hallo, everyone!

    Good Day!

    Hoping that this would be the start of exchanging of thoughts about anything under the sun!  Hope you do spend time reading my blog, the journals, and the articles which I will write herein.  Hope I could help in enlightening your spirits and awakening your dormant self!

     I do wish all of you the best!

    May God be with you always!

 
"May integrity and uprightness   protect me, because my hope is in you"

 -Psalm 25:21