Easter Egg Hunt Opening Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before you this afternoon with grateful hearts, thanking you for the opportunity to gather with our precious children. We thank you for this wonderful event that brings us together to celebrate your love and hope.

We also want to thank all the moms, dads, and children in attendance. May you bless them with your love, peace, and joy.

Let us stretch our hand over them…

We want to thank you for the beautiful weather today, and for the safe environment in which our children can participate in this event. We pray that you continue to watch over them and keep them safe throughout the day. May they have so much fun and create lasting memories with their families and friends.

We ask that you bless the activities (and games) that they may create an atmosphere of joy and unity among all who participate.

We pray that children will find happiness in today’s event and experience the warmth of your love.

We are grateful for our HOA President Ruel and BOT Secretary MeAnn Tala, members of the Events Committee the Admin Staff, and all those who have helped make this event possible. May you bless them for their dedication and hard work.

Lord, as symbolized by this event , may we thank you for the hope that you gave us through the resurrection of your son, Jesus Christ. As your word says in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

May we always remember the hope and new life that we have in Jesus.

We pray that you bless this event and all those in attendance.
Lord, we ask also for your guidance throughout this event, so that everything will go smoothly, and most importantly, that your name will be glorified.

May your love and grace shine upon us and unite us in faith and love.

In Jesus’ precious and Holy Name, we pray, Amen.

Kapit Lang

Sa buhay , kung minsan dapat kang sumakay
Sa estribo ng jeep na punuan
Kung gusto mong makarating sa paroroonan.

Di masarap at kung minsan tagilid
Pero umaarangkada pa rin
Kaya kumapit lang
Kumapít ng mahigpit
At pasa saan ay darating ka rin .

May oras na umuulan na , wala pang masakyan
Ang meron lang ay punong punong bus at jeép.
Kung hinde ka sasakay ay baka maiwan ka sa ulan at baha
Di makapasok sa susunod na araw

Di madali at kung minsan delikado
Pero ikaw ay umaarangkada pa rin
Kaya kumapit lang
Kumapit ng mahigpit
At pasa saan ay aabot ka rin

O kababayan , tandaan may humahawak
Sa atin . Sa ating kamay at sa ating likod . Di mo man napapansin,andyan Sya.
Kapag tayo ay nasa estribo ng buhay.
Madulas o maka bitaw
Mayroon hahawak ng mahigpit sa atin

Para tayo makadating at magawa natin
Ang pagkatawag sa atin
Mahigpit ang Kanyang kapit
At pasa saan tayo ay aabot din .

EDSA 1 -People Power -Sign of Divine Intervention

This is hodge podge of Facebook posts -as answer to a question on comparing Israel’s Exodus in Egypt to what we experience at EDSA Revolt of 1986 as a sign of God’s intervention. Later I will clear the narrative -but for now I will just paste all posts here:

-I think you should be more worried on those who wants to bring back the Martial Law years as the good years -we can become a Singapore.? How old … were you in 1983 ? in 1986?

But it is an application of Scripture. Will we then narrow our application to something personal or churchly-and leave out what happens to the naked public square ? Maybe Edsa1 was not salvific as in Exodus or At Calvary. but it is a story of historical liberation from bondage . And to our generation -He did intervene in that history -from the salvation of Ninoy, Colson’s influence on Ninoy-to the non-violent liberation of Feb 25, 1986.

I don’t think my analogy is new. Search thru the (news) archives near the event.

Exodus created a nation wherein before Israel is just a <clan> of Jacob…This did not happen to us Filipinos. But I think you should also look into the historical analogies made by Columbus, the Pilgrims, the 17 states for the Independence of US from Great Britain and the US Civil War. It does not speak of salvation -but of liberation.

And also Cromwell against the Anglicans -and Luther against the Papist.

The Lord our God intervenes in history -not as always clear to us – in all of it..but He does …now we have 30 years to look back and discern His hand on it.

I think …  you are 30+ years old and during 1986 -you are just in elementary and thus you don’t have first hand memory on how brutal and Orwellian that dictatorship is.

Except the God who intervenes in history. Unless we don’t believe that God intervened at Edsa 1 anymore. That is more a triumph of Marcossian origin.

Why now ask the limits in application ? Why ? Is it because I mentioned that those rooting for a Marcos -wannabees like DU30 – is like the Israelites who wants to go back to Egypt and its garlic- affected you ? Maybe it should. Dont worry about Liberation Theology – I am Kuyperian  <Presbyterian/Cromwellian>. The comparison is about bondage ,liberation, Intervention and now those who wants to turn back the time – throwing the gains of freedom and wants the hard taskmasters of Martial Rule.

Like I said …bondage , deliverance by Divine intervention, and then the next generation forgetting this deliverance and wanting to go back to Egypt. Why is it off tangent ? Because the <majority of the> people God used are Catholics? Don’t forget that the period of 1980s was when Born Again Christians boomed…and DZAS was almost chosen as Radyo Bandido and that PCEC Head then Atty. Jun Vencer was much for non-violent protest. I know -I was part of a seminar where the position paper of PCEC was discussed. Evangelicals are weary of politicians with left-leanings are being used by Commnists then-and they should be -i.e. why God used other methods.

Don’t hide your preference for DU30 ….  . You know my preference.. <I am for Mar Roxas> and this is both coloring why you don’t want me to apply that Scripture to this situation -and why I am applying it. And as for Liberation Theology – I am more on the Presbyterian/ Theonomy view of the revolution of the ‘lesser magistrates’ <Calvin’s view in the Institutes> which was used by Cromwell,, the Huguenots, the Americans in their Independence revolution. and Kuyper alliance with Catholics -and Barth’s against Hitler and his Nazis.

The questioner made a reference to :  Martial Law as being constitutional …Martial rule in the Philippines was backed by U.S. in the context of Cold War….we are not even under forced labor- and another made a response -“Martial Law was not constitutional but also absolute. That is why Marcos was a dictator and his reign was also absolute. The then Pres.Marcos suspended the 1935 Constitution, dissolves the Congress and assumed absolute powers and issued Proclamation 1081 imposing Martial Law.” -this response is correct and to add he created another constitution afterwards to consolidate his constitutional parliamentary authoritarianism -where initially Marcos is both President and Prime Minister (eventually it was the technocrat -Cesar Virata became the Prime Minister)

Another made this response : It is not only oppression but of tortures, extra-judicial killings of thousands victims which are documented and incomparable to succeeding presidents after him and worse than Egypt’s force labor…the imposition of Martial Law was unconstitutional because it was done unilaterally and made to look that situations were already chaotic. As Enrile confesses to fake ambush as prelude to martial law…Actually, there were many law luminaries who challenge its constitutionality that time and what Marcos did was to change the 1935 with the new 1973 to legitimize martial law… that is why we have now the 1987 Constitution as that safeguards us from the repeat of martial law regime. That it cannot be done unilaterally anymore but also by Supreme Court and Congress.

From the official Gazette of the Government : After the declaration and imposition of Martial Law, citizens would still go on to challenge the constitutionality of Proclamation No. 1081. Those arrested filed petitions for habeas corpus with the Supreme Court. But Marcos, who had originally announced that Martial Law would not supersede the 1935 Constitution, engineered the replacement of the constitution with a new one. On March 31, 1973, the Supreme Court issued its final decision in Javellana v. Executive Secretary, which essentially validated the 1973 Constitution. This would be the final legitimizing decision with on the constitutionality of Martial Law: in G.R. No. L-35546 September 17, 1974, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions for habeas corpus by ruling that Martial Law was a political question beyond the jurisdiction of the court; and that, furthermore, the court had already deemed the 1973 Constitution in full force and effect, replacing the 1935 Constitution.

( Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer / The Philadelphia Inquirer ) People Power: The Philippines EDSA Revolution // Jan-Feb 1986 Corazon “Cory” Aquino became president of the Philippines, after millions of Filipinos took to Manila’s streets in support of reformist soldiers who had mutinied against longtime dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The questioner mentioned something – that I am seeing more than their weak and feeble eyes can see …and he implied that my application is not the faithful reading and application of a text -so my response is – As you can see your analysis also betrays your bias on reading our historical context and the text itself.

And in our FB message – ….  I can back down now. Forget it .politics and hermeneutics are incendiary ingredients. But we do need a framework to use. But i don’t know anyone who has it now . We are too close to the issues. I don’t discuss my political applications n in the pulpit like when in the time of Erap and Eddie Villanueva .I do make it known though in the blogs and social media.I am not a pastor nor an officer in any local church anymore.

Then I mentioned my rule in applying Scriptures in past concrete historical situation – And I still stand that throughout church history – Christians applied the Exodus deliverance motif to their concrete situation and were rewarded by the intervention of God. Applications does not required that every detail of the original redemptive -historical revelation-event should be there.

It does not mean that every action and motives in the historical situation be legitimate or sacro-sanctum – but it only need to be in consonance to general motif of the original revelation. I don’t believe in agnosticism or conservatism in application to historical situation especially when so many other witnesses or observers points in the historical situation -to be signs of God’s intervention.

 

 

 

 

Why am I am not for the Mayor in the South

I have posted this at my social media page -but through the months I am updating it -as I read and observed this man’s quest for the highest office of the land. The more he speaks his mind -the more I feel the revulsion -considering when in  November,2015 -due to the incessant NP Senator’s (Alan Cayetano) wooing him- I tried to assess his viability as president -But I am way pass that. I consider a Binay/Duterte as President and then a Bongbong Marcos VP as a disaster to our country, a retrograde to the past-much more than Erap or GMA combined. Here are my reasons:

Because he is just a city mayor in the South, who took almost 30 yrs (since 1986) to make things work in his city -he might have murdered criminals without due process (700 to 1700 ) -He is now denying these extra-judicial killings though . He turned down a DILG post because he admitted that he is not qualified for this national post. He was in the  Congress but never passed any laws and he admitted that he was just passing time then.

A self-proclaimed socialist, a local industry-protectionist that will scare away foreign investors, a leftist leaning ,and a Muslim and a LGBT sympathizer. His knowledge of macro economics and international relations are too simplistic ( like a creating a national steel mfg.?  and just talking to China or going in a jet ski to solve our West Phil Sea encroachment?).

Not a family man-  you can point to your children as someone to emulate because of her two wives ( first marriage was annulled -with abortion forced on his 1st wife as per his psychological report in their annulment ) and simultaneous girlfriends and a mouth like Al Pacino who does not even respect the worldwide head of an established religion (the Pope) and even the memory of a female Australian missionary who was raped and killed in August 1989- but easily be lenient to local vote-rich religious group -the INC (who inconvenienced for 3 days the riding public in a major highway-EDSA) and the cult of Quiboloy.

His planned form of government (federalization) may dismember our 7500 islands-nation and will even grant 2 ARMM areas in Mindanao(1 for MNLF, another for MILF) because of supposed righting of a historical wrong we did to the Moros of Mindanao -which did not consider that Islam basically spread its religion by conquest or by sword.

His parents were local govt officials during Marcos era- which is now influencing his views wrt the Marcoses. He will allow a hero’s burial for an ex-dictator and falsely medaled Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and is infatuated with Bongbong Marcos -while using the resources of NP Senator Cayetano as his VP tandem.

He has his own political dynasty at Davao city. He was ex-President Gloria Arroyo’s consultant on law and order when Human Rights Watch is monitoring the Davao Death Squad -which is related to his announcements of its target for the DDS.

He is threatening to close the Senate and Congress if he is NOT able to get their cooperation once in office. He is not just after one term in Presidential office. He wants a revolution.

So in terms of character, competence and experience. He is 5th on my list after Roxas, Poe, Santiago, and Binay.

I Smell Something Fishy Here

Are they ganging up against Supreme Court Chief Justice Sereno?

See this comment:

“Senator Joker Arroyo hopes Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno will not mistake “God’s will” for infallibility… After the Chief Justice expressed her belief that she was anointed by the Good Lord as chief magistrate, I hope she would not think she has now the infallibility in her judicial opinions,” Arroyo said, tongue-in-cheek.”

And this :

And this-from Rappler.com:

“Jose Mejia, a member of the 8-member body, told reporters on Monday, September 3, that the body will probe how the results of the psychological tests – which were supposed to be confidential – were disclosed to others. The Manila Times earlier reported that Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza got a grade of 4 in the tests. A grade of 5 means failure.

The newspaper quoted from the supposed results of the report, which described Sereno as someone who “projects a happy mood but has depressive markers too. There is a strong tendency to make decisions based on current mood thus, outcome is highly subjective and self-righteous.”

And see this as well:  PNoy to Carpio: Unlike

My take:

Did President Noynoy railroad many hopes of private individuals or companies when their champion ( 5-6 Senior SC Judges) was not chosen by the president? Have they expended so much money or resources in the previous years for this people so that they will move hell and high water so that she can be dislodge by this “maitim at maliit na maligno” form this office where she can do much reform in the next 16 years?

We really should pray for our President and his appointees- we can only move forward if all the level of government is filled with righteous and clean people with sincere heart –serving the people-just like Sec Robriedo –who the politicians fried in the papers before we really learn who he really is when he died.

When Gods Fall- The Impeachment of Corona

Last week, May 29, 2012 -the Impeachment Court headed by the Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile gave the 20-3 guilty verdict against former Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona. It was culmination of 5 months of gruelling sessions-highlighting the amateurish antics of the prosecution lawyers of the Lower House and the almost perfect performance of the defense panel headed by former SC Justice Cuevas. But the real hero of the whole thing is the Lord God who foiled that almost perfect performance.

Corona-even with the numerous undisclosed or unexplained properties and bank accounts – was Teflon proof since the prosecution bangled on how they present their evidences. But the defense -feeling over-confident -presented their hostile witness- Ombudsman Carpio-Morales. She detailed the 82 dollar accounts given to her by AMLC and with a PowerPoint presentation assisted by BIR Commissioner Kim Henares-they were able to present a convincing picture of how Corona tried to hide his wealth-which is ominously ill-gotten because of the large amount being transacted.

Even with the harassment form Cuevas and Senator Santiago- Ombudsman Carpio-Morales held her ground and was instrumental to the witness of Corona himself.

It was really hubris that brought the downfall of Corona. He does need to substantiate the Ombudsman findings -but by his admission -he testified that he really did not declared all his dollar bank accounts because of his self-serving interpretation of the Constitution and the FDCU law-meaning he can hide his dollars even by going against the SALN provision of disclosure of the Constitution.  It is said in Isaiah 29: 13-15

“And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.” Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”

And to cap it- he staged a walkout -saying “The Chief Justice…be excuse”…The gall and arrogance of this ‘god’ who walked the august of the Upper House -headed by the elderly Enrile -who again rescued his image -first in EDSA 1 and now in this impeachment court. He was foiled by the Senate Sargent-of-Arms and he made the alibi of hypoglycemia-which did not convinced any of the diabetic in the audience.

In the end -the verdict of the 20 senators who judged him guilty is summed up by Senator ‘Geronimo’ Lito Lapid- “awang-awa ako sa kanya..kala ko totoo ..di pala..guilty!”

And so the first impeachment court that finished their job was able to speak the Filipino people that -as a nation -we shall not be stymied by these lawyers  with their rules and prohibitions -in search of the truth and justice-because we catch i their words and in their pride-their culpability and crimes against the nation. Hiding behind the hood and robes will not blind our esteemed representatives what basic justice is like.

And Arroyo,Santiago and Bongbong Marcos-beware of your cowardice and blindness-it had already besmirched your name and it will remain in infamy for years to come:

Take time to go deep

This post is subsequent to my previous post regarding our ‘pambansang kamao’- Congressman Manny Pacquiao.

(see: https://ravrodriguez.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/manny-pacquiao-for-congressman/). Then I gave my unsolicited advice on his political ambitions/ dreams- which were fulfilled -and some of my advice-which he may not have read in anyway-may have happened in his life. Like in this article at ABS CBN: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/05/08/12/jinkee-pacquiao-opens-hotel-gensan.

I know that he is now involved in bible studies and is renewed in his faith in the Lord-and even experiencing miracles or healings during prayer meeting at his home. I am just concerned and so I am sharing these verses:

1 Timothy 3:1-7

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

-Meaning -he needs to grow deep in his relationship with Jesus-how it understands it -and in his relationships with other people who might take advantage of him. He should take his relationship with Jesus foremost -and not what is happening around him-as in Luke 10:19-21

19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

Hinay hinay lang po.

Our goal is to end better than we started -2 Timothy 4:7-8

7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

It is said that it takes a moment to produce a Christian -but it takes a lifetime to produce a matured saint. See this posts on elders : http://redemptionhill.com/about-2/elders/ and  http://www.bible.ca/ntx-elders-pastors-bishops.htm

And he might suffer a Bob-Dylanesque burnout -see: http://bobdylanjesus.com/reviews.html, http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/4758.htm

Others better than ourselves

Foolish and selfish. Now foreign tourist will take second thoughts before going here.And our police force is not that good either. Too slow and not thinking that much-arresting relatives in the sight of the media. And the media? They need to have a macro view of our country.

The ombudsman,the media, the mayor nor his fellow policemen did not hijack,held hostage and pulled the trigger on those 8 innocent Hong Kong nationals. He is not a patriot-he is not thinking the repecussion on his actions on his fellow Filipinos in Hk. His brother? He is a gun-toting hotheaded police that the service can do without.

He deserves punishment in the here and now-as well as in the hereafter. The other people mistakes are only professional-but his is MORAL.

His plea that he is innocent of previous charges is drown now by his later actions. If he can waste other people lives-surely a little extortion is within his capability-whether it is true or not.Now in the hereafter-he will learn true justice in the hands of Eternal.

We rather die that others may be able to live. That what our Lord taught us. That is what is to be a Christian. Others are better than ourselves.

Other think upside down. Too much importance is place on oneself. All our yesterdays,skills, wealth and even our tomorrow is for those who will come after us. That is the lesson of life. We are not important. Only after realizing this-can we start living true to our reason for being.

We Don’t Need Another Aquino. It is time for Roxas

I believed in Ninoy. I believed in Cory. They are not perfect.We have rotating brownouts and coup d etats then. Our economy did not become a tiger economy in her term. MNLF adn MILF made a resurgence during her time. But yes-she restored democracy and was able to resist the pull of totalitarian power or perpetuating herself at the office.

2009 is a different time. Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos are no longer the dictators. But yes -there is still a couple who sits at Malacañang with the power and rumors of corruption. Of wealth and public offices.

Where was Noynoy in all of this? He did protected his mother during the coup d’etat and a bullet still is lodged at his neck. But the fighting,the  bills and laws needed by the people were done by others.

See this biography from his website:

HON. BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
Representative, 2nd District, Tarlac

PERSONAL DATA
Office Address Room 510 (SW), House of Representatives, Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City
Tel. 9315001 loc. 7288; 9316730
Email: benigno_aquino_iii@yahoo.com

Date of Birth 08 February

Place of Birth Manila

Civil Status Single

Parents Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. &
President Corazon C. Aquino

GOVERNMENT SERVICE

Member House of Representatives
(1998-2001; 2001-2004; 2004-2007)

Deputy Speaker House of Representatives
13th Congress of the Philippines
(8 November 2004 – 21 February 2006)

HOUSE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

13th Congress Banks & Financial Intermediaries, Energy, Export Promotion, Public Order & Safety

12th Congress Civil, Political & Human Rights, Good Government, Public Order & Security, Inter-Parliamentary Relations & Diplomacy

11th Congress Civil, Political & Human Rights (Vice-Chairman),
Public Order & Security, Transportation & Communications, Agriculture, Banks & Financial
Intermediaries, Peoples’ Participation, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Appropriations, Natural Resources, Trade & Industry

LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE

Made the procurement of the petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines transparent by requiring public bidding.

SELECTED HOUSE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

•House Bill No. 4251 – granting annual productivity incentives to all workers in the private sector

•House Bill No. 4397 – strengthening the regulatory power of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to effectively enforce consumer laws

•House Bill No. 4252 – increasing the penalties for non-compliance of the prescribed increases and adjustments in the wage rates of workers

•House Bill No. 3616 – extending the reglementary period for the educational qualification for PNP members

•House Bill No. 1842 – providing for the codification of criminal laws

•House Resolution No. 65 – inquiry in aid of legislation into the policies and processes of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in granting rate increases to electric utilities

•House Resolution No. 788 – creating a select Congressional Oversight Committee on intelligence funds to check and study the use of intelligence funds by government agencies to ensure that funds allocated therefor are utilized for the purpose they are intended

POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION & POSITION

Vice Chairman Liberal Party of the Philippines
(March 17, 2006 to present)

Secretary General Liberal Party of the Philippines
(2004 to March 16, 2006)

Vice-Pres. for Luzon Liberal Party of the Philippines
(2002-2004)

Secretary General Liberal Party of the Philippines
(1999-2002)

Chairman of the Board Central Luzon Congressional Caucus

EDUCATION

AB Economics Ateneo de Manila University
(1977-1981)

Secondary Education Ateneo de Manila University
(1973-1977)

Primary Education Ateneo de Manila University
(1965-1973)

Compare:

Mar Roxas is also a son of  a hero-albeit now forgotten- one who fought Marcos openly-as president of the liberal party and UNIDO. Mar Roxas was tirelessly making laws that will benefit the masses. He was also courageous in witholding his support for Erap during EDSA 2.

This is Mar Roxas’:

Biography

‘Mr. Palengke’ is Senator MAR Roxas, the son of the illustrious Senator Gerry Roxas, and the grandson of the venerable President Manuel Roxas whose public service careers have greatly benefited the country. MAR graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1974 and the Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania in 1979. Before entering public service, MAR worked as an investment banker, mobilizing venture capital funds for Small and Medium Enterprises.

MAR’s public service life began in the House of Representatives in 1993. After his congressional stint, he was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry; and then in 2004, he was elected to the Senate with a staggering 20 million votes, the largest ever obtained by a candidate in any Philippine election.

Owing to his record of accomplishments as a public servant and political leader, the international community described MAR as “one of the young leaders in politics and business who will bring Asia and the Pacific to the forefront of world affairs.” At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, MAR was named as “one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow who is expected to shape the future.” Recently, the Singapore Government has awarded him as the 16th Lee Kuan Yew Fellow.

Majority Leader of the House of Representatives

MAR joined the government in 1993 as a Congressman representing the 1st District of Capiz. He later became Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

As a congressman, MAR espoused consumer protection, underscoring the right of every Filipino to affordable medicines, as his personal advocacy. His landmark laws include, among others:

RA 8759 – establishing in all municipalities a Public Employment Service Office which serves as employment facilitation and information center, and links all job opportunities within the region;
RA 8748 – amending the Special Economic Zone Act by directly allocating to the municipality or city 2% (out of the 5%) gross tax to be collected from the establishments operating in the ecozone and providing for disturbance compensation for persons to be displaced or evicted by publicly-owned ecozones;
RA 8756 – incentivizing the establishment of regional headquarters to encourage investment and operation of multinational companies in the country and to generate more jobs.
MAR’s stint in the House is most noted for his principal authorship of RA 7880, also known as the Roxas Law, which ensures fair distribution of the education capital budget among all the provinces. This gave life to his advocacy for fair and equitable access to education, free from regional bias and political patronage considerations.

Mr. Palengke in DTI

In 2000, MAR served as Trade and Industry Secretary. During his four-year stint, he pushed for the development of the “palengke” as the basic unit of the economy and the root of progress, staunchly advocating not only consumer welfare and protection but also sound trade and investment policies, particularly SME development.

Education. MAR intensified his commitment to quality education through the Personal Computers for Public Schools (PCPS) Program, which distributed over 30,000 computers to 2,000 public high schools all over the country. PCPS computers provided some 500,000 high school students with the necessary ICT tools and skills.

Trade. MAR’s work regarding trade policy was highlighted during the 2003 WTO Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, where he fought for increased market access for Philippine exports, particularly agricultural products and a rationalized Philippine trade regime so domestic industries would not be unduly harmed.

Information Technology. Hailed as the ‘Father of the Call Center and Business Process Outsourcing Industries’, MAR saw and harnessed the potential of the Philippines as a global e-services hub. He launched ‘Make IT Philippines’ and organized the first IT-enabled services (ITES) to the US which inevitably led to the biggest global industry names to invest in the country, thereby creating thousands of jobs for Filipino IT workers.

MAR pioneered the establishment of high-technology industry centers and the promotion of the business process outsourcing (BPO) market in the country, particularly call center operations, hence providing jobs and incomes to Filipinos. From a mere 2000 jobs at the onset, the BPO industry now provides hundreds of thousands of jobs, thereby putting the Philippines on the map as a major IT/BPO destination.

Jobs. MAR worked for the reopening of the National Steel Corporation which provided thousands of jobs, income and livelihood to Iligan City, Northern Mindanao and adjacent regions. He also launched the Garment Export Industry Transformation Plan and Assistance Package to enhance the competitiveness of the industry and ensure its viability and vibrancy beyond 2004. Moreover, he initiated the Motor/Vehicle Development Program to promote exports, create a viable market base for our car manufacturers and secure jobs for our workers.

MSMEs. Believing that micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs serve as the prime engine for job generation, MAR pushed for MSME development through the SULONG (SMEs Unified Lending Opportunities for National Growth) Program, which granted almost P26.7 billion on low-interest loans to 281,229 SMEs on its first year.

Consumer Welfare. MAR promoted the Tamang Timbang, Tamang Presyo program for consumers to get the “full and best value for their money”; the Presyong Tama, Gamot Pampamilya to make affordable and quality medicines accessible to Filipinos, and Pinoy Pandesal, Palengke ng Bayan, among others. These programs promoted supply chain efficiencies leading to growth and productivity, and a wide range of opportunities and long-term gains.

Being the proponent of the philosophy of ‘palengkenomics’, which considers the palengke as the economy’s weathervane and the mirror by which its over-all health can be seen and measured, MAR to this day continues to conduct weekly monitoring of the prices of prime commodities and maintains strong linkages with suppliers, traders, and vendors in the different wet markets.

“Price is an important economic indicator. It is a crucial determinant of activity in the market place,” he said.

Consumerist crusade continues at the Senate

MAR’s consumerist crusade continues with his authorship of Senate Bill No. 2139, which seeks to lower the cost of medicines by amending the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines. With the approval of this bill, prices of quality medicines are expected to drop resulting in savings for the poor, and better health for all.

MAR resolved to protect consumers from defective and substandard products. Thus, he initiated inquiries, with the end in view of strengthening the Consumer Code of the Philippines, on such legislative proposals as the ‘Lemon Law’, proper labeling of milk, toys, and food products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and stronger safeguards against pyramiding and other similar scams.

As chairperson of the Senate Committees on Trade and Commerce and on Economic Affairs and as co-chairperson of the Congressional Oversight Committee on the Electronic Commerce Law, MAR continued to nurse the economy back to robust health through education, information technology, job creation, and development of small and business enterprises.

When the pre-need industry succumbed to a mismanagement-spawned financial crisis, which threatened to wipe out the investments of thousands of consumers in pre-need plans, he filed a bill, the Pre-Need Act of 2005, to improve and strengthen industry regulation and safeguard consumer interest. MAR’s leadership at the time provided pre-need plan holders a veritable lifeline.

For MAR, the exercise of public leadership entails accountability and transparency which should bring about people empowerment. He has called for a paradigm shift in policy-making, rejecting incrementalism, or the tingi mentality, which has resulted to ‘doing a little bit of everything to please a little bit of everyone.’

“People can hardly feel the impact of incrementalism. Government must target the people’s most pressing concerns and focus its resources on completely addressing these problems. We can’t be doing what we used to do in the past simply because if we did, there is no reason to expect that the future would be any different,” he said.

He complements his youth and dynamism by listening to the voices of the common Filipino, reaching out to them through personal interaction, the media, and various IT tools. His website, http://www.marroxas.com, is a sampler of his IT inclination, an interactive site that dispenses user-friendly information and serves as repository of public sentiment.

MAR has distinguished himself as a public servant in his own unique way, following the imprints of his forbears yet with the courage and competence to carve his own path as a national leader

Again my take:
I understand that Mar Roxas is way below in the surveys now. But who are those at the top of the surveys?

1. Villar- C5 at tiyaga? Philippines will become a big subdivision for him

2. Erap- We have  long memory- we will not forget his jueteng money, Dacer, midnight cabinets, and his girlfriends

3. Chiz- too young.Not now at least.

4. Binay- Philippines is not like Makati. We are not transients-we live here permanently

5. Noli- who? No guts to confront GMA for her sins. Jsut waiting to be endorsed.

It is time for Senator Mar Roxas. We will not be deprived like last time when Sen. Raul Roco. Today is our future. Please don’t fail us.

Cory Aquino: Leader of the Filipinos

We were awaiting for the funeral casket at my parent’s house at Sucat Road, Parañaque City around 9 AM. It was good that my parents lived there -so we can monitor first where The funeral cortege where before braving the rains and the waiting. The funeral cortege left Manila Cathedral around 11:20 AM. And was at Bicutan interchange by 5:30 PM.

My eldest son and I left my parent’s house by then and waited at the Sucat Exit for the casket truck of the late president ot pass by. There were many Filipinos waiting-but not as large as her husband when it passby Espana Road, Manila in 1983. I was still a student at UST then when her husband died.

She is not a saint-nor the economically brilliant president. We have our rotating brownouts and failed peace missions then. She was not able find justice for her husband and the hundreds of those who died during the misrule of Marcos. We never became a tiger economy then.

But what she did was precious to the soul of the nation. Restoring our faith in the democratic process, civility, trust of our soldiers and military, truth, honesty, sacrificial living, and uncorrupted government officials-no one can equal her. I was a hesistant martial law baby then in 1983 and 1986. We don’t trust the Aquinos then-but we don’t love the Marcoses (with their excesses) either. But her unfailing determination and simplicity strikes as somewhat quixotic and fairy-taleish. We begin to believe the impossible. True-we started believing that God is not only involved and concerned with us personally -but as a nation.

My son and I son followed her casket ruck as well as the van of Kris anf the three busses bearing the Cojuangcos and their friends.

I did not felt the tiredness for the 2.3 km we walked but around 7:30 PM the casket was brought in the Manila Memorial Compound-and so we started the trek back to Sucat Interchange. We ate dinner at Chowking Sucat-and was home at San Pedro, Laguna by 9 PM.

According to  http://blogs.inquirer.net/beingfilipino/2009/08/04/who-president-cory-was-to-this-martial-law-baby/– “She was history’s special child—an accidental hero, a reluctant leader, but by many accounts, a stubborn president.”

And based on a comment on the same blog- &quot;I don’t think she failed us, in fact she did more than what can be expected from anyone. She stepped down as she was supposed to, and it meant we have to continue the task of dismantling the monsters of the dictatorship. As we can see from our currently history, the monster is very much alive lurking in the shadows, pretending to be populists, buying shallow leaders. We have a number of promising leaders losing their ideals seduced by money and power, but it doesn’t mean we have to give up.&quot;

Will you want our P 500.00 bill bear the face of Cory and Ninoy? Pass the word:

I will add more thoughts on this later…