An Alternative Choice for President

(Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, Feb. 20, 2009)

Who do we  vote for in the next Presidential elections?  Well, in case you didn’t know, next year is another opportunity for us to choose our President. 2010 is a Presidential election year. These things only happen once every 6 years.

And what makes this one special is that for the first time in a long while, it is a wide open field. Well, sort of.

We know that the current ruling parties, Lakas CMD and the President’s own KAMPI have to field candidates for the top job. The question of course is whether they can do it together via an alliance, or will they do it separately, if unification deals don’t actually push through.

Another question when it comes to the ruling parties, if they unite for the elections, is who should be their candidate for top dog?

I am sure there is a long list of people who want to take that slot, but I think that, of those people in that possible list, nearly none of them will be a winnable candidate (think of a guy obsessed with the color pink, a city mayor, and a former tv newscaster).

Then there’s the Opposition. I am sure they see opportunity knocking on the door, in the same way that the Democrats saw opportunity when George W. Bush’s term was ending.

The Democrats knew that the American people were largely fed up with a Republican administration, and that it was the best time for a Democrat to come to power. And so you had the Barack Obama phenomenon.

Some members of the Opposition have already begun to jump on that same Obama bandwagon, trumpeting that they are the best candidate for hope (think of the city mayor whose city is arguably the financial center of the country).

Even the deposed President Erap has somewhat thrown his hat into the fray, with rumors of his running as a candidate in 2010 buzzing all over the political field.

Some lawyers have even circulated their legal theory that he can still run for President, despite contrary opinions from other legal experts and the clear wording in the Constitution, which states that a President cannot run for election.

A number of  senators are also interested in the job, I hear.

A former lady newscaster is still considering running, despite the bad taste the vice-presidential election left in her mouth. Mr. Palengke is raring to go, and continue the family legacy of Presidential leadership. All he needs to do now is get a wife, who could possibly be the next First Lady. A major newscaster is supposed to be interested in that wife position.

Then there is the smart and very eloquent young senator named Chiz. Some say he may be too young for the job, although he would make an interesting alternative candidate. In my opinion though, his youth may make him a viable candidate for Vice-President, rather than President.

Even the sitting Chief Justice has been named as a possible candidate for President. I strongly do not believe he should run, since it would mean leaving the Chief Justice seat up for grabs and open to the appointing power of the current President. But if Puno does run for president, I would vote for him in a heartbeat. I still hope he doesn’t run though.

But since the field for the Presidency in 2010 seems so wide open, have we Dabawenyos ever thought about this interesting option? Mayor Duterte is finishing up his third term. He can no longer run as Mayor in the next election. And from what I hear, he has no taste for a legislative seat. Being a man of action, he has always preferred being in an executive position like Mayor.

So why not run for President, Mayor Rody?

Think about it. He’s got a great background of success, is nearly as famous as most Senators  (I once saw several Senators walk up to him and say hi while he was in Manila) and has a tough take-no-prisoners style which would serve him well in the rough and tumble field of national politics.

Sure he is a long shot, but imagine what he could do if he were President. It would be like having a disciplinarian like former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew in charge of the Philippines.

I don’t know about you, but I would love for our country to be like Singapore.

Think about it.

Why Puno Shouldn’t Run for President

(Babble On column for the Sunstar Davao, Feb. 6, 2009)

As a direct result of the supposed impeachment campaign against Chief Justice Puno, there has been a quiet, yet persistent clamor from various groups for the Chief to run as President in the 2010 presidential elections.

Many reasons are given for this call, such as the Chief’s integrity, his civic-mindedness, his loyalty to law and order, his seeming incorruptibility, his call for morality, his love and defense of human rights.

It is true that the Chief would seemingly make a great candidate for President. His biography would be a political operative’s dream come true.

He has the background and fortitude to be a good President. His morality and love of the law would serve him in good stead as the Chief Executive.

But. And this is a big BUT. The Chief should NOT run. He is qualified yes. He has all the markings of a good leader, true. But to run for President in 2010? I say a big resounding NO.

My reason for this is simple. To run for President in 2010 means that the Chief would have to resign from his position as Chief Justice.

The law dictates that any appointive public official (meaning someone who is appointed to a government position, like a Justice of the Supreme Court)  who runs for an elective position is considered resigned from his appointive office and must vacate it at the start of the day of the filing of his candidacy.

And if the Chief does resign, who would then have the power to choose the next Chief Justice? Our current President. That’s who.

If the President is placed in such a situation to appoint the next Chief Justice, fate would have seemingly conspired to allow her  to circumvent a Constitutional prohibition against appointments during an election period.

Chief Justice Puno, as mandated by the Constitution, retires when he turns 70 years of age on May 17, 2010. The elections will be held in May 2010, which means that when Chief Justice Puno retires, his seat on the Court must remain vacant, and the most Senior Associate Justice (in this case Justice Carpio) would then be acting Chief Justice. Remember, the Constitution prohibits any appointments during the election period.

So if the Chief were to resign in order to run for President, the current President would have gotten a free gift, because the prohibition on appointments during the election period would not apply. She can then appoint anyone she wants (and I am betting she doesn’t want Justice Carpio to be Acting Chief or even the next Chief Justice, which could happen if another President gets to appoint the next Chief).

No wonder then there is supposedly a “strong clamor” for the Chief Justice to run for President. After all, who wouldn’t want the power to appoint the next Chief Justice?

Loyalists to the administration are probably thinking, better that the current President gets to pick the next Chief, rather than the next President getting that power.

Which is why it is unlikely to be a coincidence that the President’s party, Lakas, announced a few weeks ago that it was seriously considering drafting Puno as a candidate for President. It probably also isn’t a coincidence that so many “supporters” materialized when the attempt to impeach Puno met stiff opposition in the court of public opinion.

But then again, this is just speculation on my part.

Of course, the issue of Puno running may be moot. He has already stated that he won’t run for President and that he is happy where he is, as Chief Justice of the Philippines.

Let’s hope that he isn’t convinced otherwise.

A Look at Bush’s Legacy

(Babble On Column for  The Sunstar Davao, Friday, January 23, 2009)

People will remember this week as a historical one. This week, a black man, President Barack Obama, became President of the United States.

However, I will remember this week, not so much for Obama’s ascendancy, but for George W. Bush’s descent into infamy, and his long painful ride into the sunset.

So for now, let’s forget about Obama for a minute, and look at George W. Bush.

Former President George W. Bush (and I am sure many will rejoice at being able to call him FORMER president), started out his term in the White House riddled with controversy.

He won a bitterly contested election that required hordes of lawyers from both the Democrat and Republican parties to argue endlessly over the legalities of counting chads.

Winning this election, and coming to power in such a manner, was already a foretelling of the future. In the same way that Bush came into office, hounded by controversy and ridicule, he leaves in basically the same way.

What happened in his two terms as President is a sad tale at how high, and how low, a President and his country can go.

From becoming a leader of a powerful nation with the backing of the civilized world, ready to face the challenges of terrorism after 9-11, the United States and Bush became a financially weakened state, with little to no international support or credibility. The United States became a hollow shell of what it once was, and what it could have been.

Unloved, unpopular and leaving a horrible legacy of debt (the U.S. financial crisis), death (the Iraq War) and disaster (Hurricane Katrina) Bush left office with the largest disapproval rating since Nixon resigned.

It is a wonder he wasn’t forced to do the same, considering how many international and domestic laws his secretive administration may have broken. The next few months will be very interesting for the many disclosures that will come out, now that that Obama’s more open administration is in power.

I feel sad about Bush. He is a Christian man, very devout in his faith, and with a strong sense that God had put him in power for a reason – to save the world from terrorism. He failed in that task.

Terrorism is as rampant in the world as it was when 9-11 happened. If only that was the only place where he failed. But he failed his country, and the world, financially as well. The world economic downturn took place during his term.

There are debates as to whether he could have prevented it. Nevertheless, it happened during his watch. And as Truman says, the buck stops here.

Ironically enough, Bush has taken to comparing himself with Harry Truman, a Democrat who was an unpopular president during his time, but was redeemed by history and is now widely considered one of the best Presidents the United States ever had.

But Bush is nowhere near being a Truman. Specifically because Truman never blatantly violated human rights, which is something Bush’s administration did with impunity, and is clearly his worst legacy.

This legacy of torture is embodied in Guantanamo Bay. A place where Bush made torture and violation of human rights an everyday practice. This is patently against international law.

But he did it anyway, using loose legal reasoning by a young legal scholar named John Yoo, as his basis for torture, among others.

Whether or not Bush will suffer the consequences for his actions and decisions remains to be seen. But he will forever have to face the shame of being a failure as President. And that is a punishment which will follow him the rest of his life, and in the history of the world.

In any event, Bush is gone. Obama is here. And the world may be all the better for it.

I’m Married

(Babble On column for the Sunstar Davao, December 19, 2008)

I’m married. Yes, somehow it happened. Somehow, a woman loved me enough to say “Yes” to my proposal and then say “I do” at a wedding.

Most people didn’t think I would get married. I think it even came as a surprise to some of my old Davao friends that I was tying the knot, and that I was doing so with someone whose family originally came from Davao as well.

Although it must be mentioned that my wife (I love saying that, it is a new and very unique feeling to use those words) grew up in Manila.

Just so you know, it took roughly a year to prepare for this wedding. To handle the logistics of wedding preparation is difficult, and I can understand why wedding coordinators sometimes charge so much.

As a result, I am very grateful to my wife, who handled much of the preparations while I was reviewing for the Bar. It is because of her that our wedding turned out perfectly.

On the wedding day itself, the ceremony was a blur. While the people around me were talking about either how beautiful the church was, or that Pacquiao had won the match (yes our wedding was on the same day as the Pacquiao-De La Hoya match), I was just shuffling along, trying to figure out what was happening.

At one point, I vaguely remember asking my mother “Am I getting married today?” Mom gave me a funny look before chalking it up to nervousness and jitters.

Either that or she was thinking “how did I ever get such a stupid son?” I hope not.

As I walked down the aisle of the church, which was filled with friends and family, I heard clapping, and it took me a moment to realize that the sounds of applause, of hands coming together in joy, was for me.

It was a touching gesture on the part of the audience, and a reminder perhaps, that somehow I was fortunate to be marrying the wonderful woman who would be my wife.

During the wedding march of the bride, people watched my face to see if I would cry. I didn’t, although I admit my eyes did water a bit, especially when I said my vows.

My bride was also a bit teary eyed during the ceremony, but even with her tears, she was beautiful that day. A lovely sight to behold.

So what else can I say about my wife?

That she likes to travel and write.

That she is a businesswoman who knows how to get the best deal possible.

That she enjoys surprises and long conversations.

That she loves beaches, good food, new experiences, and me.

She is someone who loves me unconditionally and has put up with my many eccentricities and faults.

She is someone who has pledged to love me for the rest of her life and mine, even before we even promised to do so in our vows.

She is my faithful partner, my constant companion, and my one true love.

To me, she is perfect. And I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

And as I watched her approach the altar, resplendent in her flowing white dress, I couldn’t help but think about how beautiful she looked. About how God has graced me with such a wonderful gift. And about how I was going to marry her.

Yes, I’m in love. Gloriously, madly and deeply in love with my wife. I love saying that. I love these words in particular: my wife.

To my wife, I love you.

Lincoln: Obama’s Role Model

(Babble On, for the Sunstar Davao, Friday, Nov. 21, 2008)

President-elect Barack Obama currently looks at Abraham Lincoln as a role model. There are many parallels between the two. Both are skinny and come from the state of Illinois. Both were new to the Washington political scene and became President despite the odds against them. Both also faced wars during their administration, one a civil war, and the other a war on terror. Both faced massive crises which threatened America itself, one on slavery, the other financial.

In a way, Barack Obama is already destined for greatness if he chooses to emulate Lincoln. Lincoln stands as one of the greatest American Presidents the country has ever had. He abolished slavery and kept America united even when separation seemed imminent. He also reached out to his political enemies and made them his Cabinet members and confidants ( a move which Obama may very well follow if rumors are any indication). Lincoln was a great President and a worthy hero to channel and emulate by any standard.

However considering some of the actions Lincoln took as President, President-elect Obama may want to reconsider his choice of Lincoln as a role model.

Remember that Lincoln resorted to what Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank Williams termed “extra-constitutional measures” in order to achieve his goal of abolishing slavery and keeping America united. Lincoln dangerously limited civil liberties by suspending habeas corpus, declaring martial law and authorized military tribunals to try terrorists (do some of these actions sound familiar?)

The fact that Lincoln succeeded in his goal to save America, so to speak, does not necessarily mean he did it in the proper way. Lincoln was a great man, and a great leader, that is true. But his term as President may be the best example of the philosophy of “the ends justify the means.” And at this point, I am not so sure President-elect Obama wants to go down that particular path.

If the President-elect was a superstitious man, he may also want to reconsider channeling Lincoln as his Presidential persona. Lincoln was assassinated and died without finishing his 2nd term. That seems to me a rather bad “omen,” for lack of a better word.

And speaking of omens, the President-elect is the 44th president of America. Under Chinese superstition, 4 is a very unlucky number because its Chinese pronunciation sounds like the Chinese word for death. 44 would then be clearly unlucky. I’ve already heard some older Chinese people mention that Obama may be an unlucky president because he is the 44th. But then again, there seems to be no indication Obama is a superstitious man.

In any case, Lincoln may not be the best role model for President-elect Obama. Maybe he ought to consider picking someone else.

Where’s Our Obama?

(Babble On column for Sunstar Davao, Friday Nov. 7, 2008)

Obama won, and the whole world couldn’t be happier.

I am a supporter of Obama too, even if I couldn’t vote for him. I hoped and prayed he would win, in order to help change America and the world.

But watching him give his victory speech, listening to him evoke feelings of hope, change and possibility, I am suddenly melancholic. I can’t help but feel just a little bit sad.

Sad because America has now shifted political directions for the better, while Philippine politics remains the same.

Sad because America is evolving, while the Philippines is not.

Sad because a Black man, a minority, and from all indications NOT a rich man, can become President of the United States; while minorities in the Philippines and people who are NOT rich, cannot become President.

Sad because America has a leader they can be proud of, while we, for the time being, do not.

Sad because America’s elections is bloodless with no deaths or guns or goons, while our own elections involves goons, guns, gold, vote-buying and fertilizer scams.

Sad because America now has hope, while we remain hopeless.

Not only am I sad, but I am also envious. One man is galvanizing America for the better. Here in the Philippines, we have no such man. Or at least, not yet. Where’s that man? Where’s our change? Where’s our hope? Where’s our Obama?

I guess we’ll find out in 2010.

President Barack Obama

Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, Friday, October 31, 2008

We are at the dawn of a new era.

Although the U.S. Presidential election and its campaign season is not yet over, it is clear to any person that America will soon have its first Black President, Barack Obama.

Nevertheless, against all odds, John McCain still believes he can pull off an upset.

Unfortunately for him, history is not on his side. Few American presidential candidates have ever come back from a large deficit in the polls to win an election. (He is said to be trailing anywhere from 5-10 percentage points as of this writing.) Al Gore came close in the highly contested 2000 election against George W. Bush, but in the end he still lost that one and he became the man who SHOULD have been America’s President.

Perhaps McCain is thinking he can emulate Ronald Reagan who beat Jimmy Carter and became President despite trailing in nearly double-digit percentage points in the Gallup polls prior to the Election proper. But Reagan’s comeback can be traced to his clear victory in the debate with Carter, where Reagan told off Carter with the question “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”

This debate victory was fresh in the minds of voters when they went to the polls. McCain will have no such luck when voting begins, as the three debates he had with Obama were inconclusive draws with no clear victor.

Many now consider the race all but over, even some quarters of the Republican party, which is McCain’s own party, believe it’s over. It would take a major miracle for McCain to pull off a win, which is too bad for him.

McCain, who is 71 years old, is unlikely to be able to run for the Presidency again. This is his last race for the presidency, and it is probably the closest he can ever get to the White House.

So it will soon be President Barack Obama. And the world may well be better for it.

Frankly, it may be time for our Filipino leaders in the government to pick up copies of Obama’s book “The Audacity of Hope,” in order to get a better idea of how he thinks and of his stand on specific issues. I’ve gone through it myself, and though I disagree with some of his opinions in the book (his stand on abortion is one example), he is clearly an intelligent person who has given great thought to the issues of the day, carefully considering the angles involved before making a decision.

This would be in stark contrast to the current U.S. President, who is said to make decisions based on his personal beliefs, looks at the world in black and white, and does not always weigh all the pros and cons before making a choice.

I, for one, am excited at the possibility of a Black President, who is not only smart (he was a graduate of Harvard Law School and a member of its law review), but also principled (he has, so far, refused to run a negative attack campaign against McCain), and a careful decision-maker, who will engage the world rather than bully it as Bush did.

History is about to happen. And although we can’t help make it happen (Filipinos obviously cannot vote in the U.S. Presidential Election), we at least get ring-side seats.

Support Our Own

Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, Friday, Oct. 17. 2008

At a time of worldwide economic turmoil, when even our vaunted OFWs are unable to help our economy with their remittances, it is time for the Filipino people to seriously consider supporting our own. Our own industries, our own products, and even our own country.

Our people have always preferred foreign things. If we could afford it, we would buy Armani instead of Bench, Havaianas instead of Banana Peel, Minute Maid instead of Zesto, Maxim magazine instead of Manual magazine, Starbucks instead of Bo’s coffee club or Brew Crew.

Our choice of food also reflects this mindset. Filipino food is considered simple cooking and no one would go eat at an classy Filipino restaurant like Sentro or Abe, when they could eat instead at Friday’s or Italiani’s, or at fancy and expensive hotels which are owned by foreign conglomerates.

And when money is an issue we Filipinos buy the cheapest product out there instead, which is never the Filipino product, but the Chinese one. Most of the popular commodities which Filipinos purchase now like milk or luncheon meat is from China and is the preferred choice not only because it is foreign but also because it is dirt-cheap.

Even in our choice of travel destinations Filipinos prefer foreign over local. Filipinos often choose to travel abroad and go to exotic locales like Paris or Britain. And yet most of us have not fully explored our own country.

The Filipino loves the foreign over the local.

Some people call this mindset the colonial mentality. I just call it short-sighted thinking. The more we support or love foreign things, the more we buy foreign goods. The more foreign goods we buy, the more Filipino money goes out of our country. The more money that goes out of our country, the less money there is to run our economy.

Yes this is a fairly simplistic characterization, but we must remember that sometimes it is the simple idea that makes the difference. It is sometimes the simple idea that people can grasp. And to clearly spell it out, the simple idea is this: the more money goes out of the Philippines, the less money there is in the Philippines.

It is that simple, and that clear.

Despite this simple idea, our colonial mentality spurs us to keep buying or supporting foreign goods. I say enough. Let’s support our own.

There are countless top-notch Filipino products and places out there. You like nice clothes? Buy Bench or Folded & Hung. You like hamburgers? Eat at Jollibee or Burger Machine. You into beaches? Go to Antulang Beach Resort in Dumaguete or Boracay Island or Pearl Farm.

Let me repeat. It is a simple idea. If we support our own, we put more money into our own economy. With more money in our economy, it is less likely that the Philippines will drown under the tidal wave of economic pain that is engulfing the world.

There is a Chinese saying, “Don’t let fertile water flow into other’s fields.”

Let the Filipino water flow into Filipino fields. Let’s support our own.

***

I was on an early flight to Manila from Davao a few weeks back and was checked in very quickly and efficiently by Mr. Butch Casimiro, a ground manager for Philippine Airlines in the Davao International Airport.

He has a tip for passengers on popular, and consequently very full flights. When you purchase your tickets you can already pre-book your seats on the plane. This way, you are assured of a seat on the plane no matter what.

I hope Mr. Casimiro’s tip can be of help to travelers on very busy flights.

My Last Babble On Column: Lessons From Column-writing

Farewell (For Now)

(Babble On For the Sunstar Davao, January 25, 2008)

This will be my last column for the Sunstar Davao (for now). I’m taking a break from column-writing (with Sunstar’s permission) in anticipation of some personally significant events coming up this year.

I’ll still write once in a while on my blog and you are welcome to visit it, but 2008 will mostly be a rest year for me when it comes to writing, although I do hope to return to these pages. By then I may focus on a different area of writing instead of the Op-Ed topics I used to specialize in.

Writing an opinion column for the Sunstar Davao has been a life-changing experience, and it has taught me many lessons over the years some of which I would like to share with you:

1.) Not Everyone Will Agree With You. – Writing week after week on the most controversial topics usually means that not everyone will agree with what you have to say. Some people will even strongly disagree with you and go out of their way to insult you.

Writing on politics, in particular, tends to bring out the worst in people. I’ve had people call me names because of something I wrote. In this line of business, one’s opinions can get one into trouble.

But I guess this is normal for writers. Publishing your opinions and opening them to public scrutiny means that those same opinions are fair game and open to criticism, and that you yourself are fair game as well.

2.) Discipline is Key – I once thought writing my opinion about anything meant that it would be a fun job. I realized however that writing something every week is a challenge. Especially if other responsibilities get in the way.

There have been days when I wanted to skip the column. This happened a lot when I entered law school, and its horrible demands began to take over my life. Some days I would arrive at the house and simply want to plop into bed and sleep.

This is where discipline is key.

You have to set aside time for your responsibilities. You have to find the discipline to write, even though you would much rather get some sleep, or perhaps watch tv to relax after a long day of studying.

As I write this for example, I have a paper due for a class, and midterms to cram for. But I am pounding out a column instead, because I somehow found the discipline to do it week after week after week. This isn’t easy. But writing a weekly column is a responsibility which shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Discipline is a good thing, you see. And it can be the key to success.

3.) Attention to Detail is Necessary – Another lesson I picked up while column-writing is that one must pay attention to the smallest detail. I am not the only one who believes attention to detail is important.

Liew Mun Leong, the CEO of CapitaLand, the largest real estate company in Singapore, is such a perfectionist that others have said that he is “very fussy on details.” He credits his success to his perfectionist streak and paying attention to the smallest detail.

Applied to writing, paying attention to the smallest detail can mean the difference between a good column or a bad one, an accurate one or a totally wrong one.

In one column I wrote, one missing letter somehow made it seem like I was insulting a doctor I respected, rather than lauding him for his medical expertise. I apologized immediately of course but that was something that shouldn’t have happened.

One small detail can obviously make all the difference.

So Long
And with that final lesson, allow me to say thank you for your patience all these years. I hope you can join me when I return to writing one day in the future. Until then, you can still read my some of my random thoughts on business, law and life on my blog. You can also subscribe to my feed here.

Until then, farewell (for now).

***

Related Posts

• 4 Ways To Improve Your Writing
• So You Want To Go To Law School?
  
• Top Ten Emerging Blogs Contest: Why I Deleted My “Old” Posts.

Midterm Examinations & A Leave of Absence

I apologize for the lack of updates. It is currently midterm examination season in law school. So there will be few updates this week and next.

I will, however, upload my last column for Babble On later this week. I am taking a leave of absence from the Sunstar Davao newspaper due to several significant personal matters coming up this year. I’ll blog more on that later on.

For now,  please bear with me, as I continue to juggle law school and writing.

Take care.

How Your Motto Can Make A Difference

(Originally entitled How Slogans Can Make a Difference, for my Babble On column in the Sunstar Davao, January 18, 2008)

In a recent issue of Forbes Asia magazine, there was an article on “Slogans That Work.” It talked about how corporate catchphrases and mottos can be effective, provided that there is some substance behind it.

Meaning, they work only if the companies do actually support these mottos, and aren’t just using them as mere wordplay. For mottos to work, companies have to mean what they say, and essentially, say what they mean.

One example that the Forbes article cites is Nintendo. For years, the Japanese gaming company rallied around the motto of “The Blue Ocean.” Blue Ocean strategy basically says that companies shouldn’t battle it out in an already saturated market, but should instead develop uncontested market space with limitless potential.

And Nintendo did exactly that. Nintendo sidestepped the standard gaming market and aimed instead at people who never played videogames before. Uncontested market space equaled limitless profits.

Nintendo produced the Wii, which has attracted new gamers and is especially popular with women and older players. These were people who were never even considered part of the videogame market. Nintendo Wiis now outsell the products of Sony (the Playstation 3) and Microsoft (Xbox 360).

Nintendo’s Blue Ocean made a difference and succeeded because it wasn’t mere wordplay for them. It was their way of corporate life. It was a motto that became part of the corporate culture.

(Btw- In the Philippines, early advocates of the Blue Ocean strategy are Francis Kong and Josiah Go, who both teach seminars on the subject.)

In the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila prides itself in “creating men and women for others.” This is not mere wordplay either. One only has to look at the number of social entrepreneurs that make up the alumni of this school. For example, Harvey Keh created Pathways to Higher Education, which helps less-fortunate students from public schools receive quality university education.

Atty. Carlos Medina, a graduate of the Ateneo School of Law, went into alternative lawyering (where lawyers essentially work for free ) and became head of the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC).

The AHRC’s clients aren’t the top moneymakers. Instead, their clients are people like the Sumilao Farmers, poor and indigent, but in need of legal assistance.

Ateneo continues to mold men and women for others, because that institution supports its motto by believing in it, living it and breathing it everyday. Pathways and the AHRC are actively supported by the Ateneo leadership; both organizations have offices within the Ateneo campuses.

In the curriculum of the Ateneo itself, there are even classes which require immersion in poorer communities, in order to expose the studentry to those not so blessed in life. The Ateneo also actively supports and encourages the Jesuit Volunteer Program (JVP) among its students.

It’s no wonder that Ateneo continues to produce selfless graduates, men and women for others, such as Benigno Aquino, who literally came home to the Philippine from exile to die. He believed in his motto that “the Filipino is worth dying for.”

Mottos aren’t just mere words. They can embody an entire culture and lifestyle, provided the corporation, institution or person wants it, supports it and believes in it. Then and only then can the motto make a difference.

As a law student and writer, I know the power of words. I make my living off of them, after all. I believe in the power of words so much, I made my blog and column’s personal motto revolve around it: “Making a difference one word at a time.”

I try and stay true to that motto every time I write. It’s a heady responsibility, knowing that with each word I put down, I am trying to make a difference in the life of my readers. It makes me more careful of what I write, and of the thoughts I consider putting down on paper.

So I continue to write and try to make a difference — whether it is through expanding the political point of view of my readers, sharing a lesson I learned with them, or simply just blogging a random thought, I hope my words can make a difference, one way or the other.

Whether I succeed or not like Nintendo and the Ateneo did however, is another story entirely. But I keep trying. One word at a time.

Your motto and your words can make a difference – you just have to stay true to them. And most of all, you have to believe in them.

So what’s your motto?

=====

Related Posts:

• Being Positive
• The Beijing Principles
• Making An Impact

3 Things On My To Do List For 2008

A To Do List for 2008

(Babble On, for the Sunstar Davao, January 11, 2008)

Every new year people make new year’s resolutions. The problem though is that resolutions are always broken.

So I decided to try something new and come up with a To Do List instead. It’s the same basic idea as a new year’s resolution, except that there is an emphasis on it being something that one HAS to do, rather than being something one merely hopes to do.

With the name change, the list is more likely to get done.

I know it’s just semantics, but you would be surprised at how effective a name change can be. Never underestimate the power of words.

So anyway, here’s my 2008 To Do list. Hopefully it will inspire you to include it in your own To Do list for the year.

1.) Learn more about Financial Planning – everybody needs to learn more about personal financial planning. Money doesn’t grow on trees, after all (even though I wish it does!). Unfortunately, financial planning isn’t something you can learn easily. It requires study and discipline.

This year, I plan to read and study different books on financial planning. There are a number of books in the Philippines on the topic already, such as Bo Sanchez’s 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich and Efren Cruz’s Pwede Na: The Complete Filipino Guide to Personal Finance. One recently released book is that of Chinkee Tan, ‘Till Debt Do Us Part.

On the internet, the best place to learn about financial planning and meet like-minded Filipinos would be the forum www.income-tacts.com. This forum includes some prominent businessmen, such as Francis Kong, as members. I just joined that forum myself, and I hope to see you there.

2.) Make a Positive Difference in the Lives of Others – How can I do this? By helping a volunteer organization, such as Pathways to Higher Education which provides college education opportunities to underprivileged high school students.

One can be a Pathways volunteer teacher or a friend-raiser (Pathways defines friend-raisers as someone who spreads the word about what Pathways is doing).

An alternative to simply helping an organization is to create the organization instead. One can partner with the international organization Glocal Key, which is on the lookout for a founding member for a Philippine chapter. I would love to do this myself, but I just don’t have the time nor resources right now. Hopefully, a passionate reader can pick up where I left off.

Glocal Key focuses on connecting the youth in grassroot communities throughout the world. Glocal is basically an amalgam of the words Global and Local. Their motto is this – A Global Network: A Local Impact.

Interested volunteers can contact the founder of Glocal Key, Harum Mukhayer, through the website at www.glocalkey.org.

Another option in making a positive difference is social entrepreneurship and becoming a changemaker. One can do this by joining the changemaker network which is supported by the Ateneo School of Government. You can learn more about social entrepreneurship and hopefully become one yourself.

3.) Find my entrepreneurial passion– after being an employee, student and writer most of my adult life, I believe it’s time to try and look for my own business opportunities.

It won’t happen overnight, especially since I have my Bar examinations coming up soon, but at least by being consciously on the lookout for a business, I am more likely to find a startup to call my own. And I hope it shall be something that I can be passionate about.

One example of someone with entrepreneurial passion is my very own little sister, Keryl Lee. She had a great human resources job with an international bank in Manila. However she left that job to pursue her passion for coffee in Davao city.

She soon opened her own coffee shop named Brew Crew’s Coffee House, near the Ateneo de Davao College Campus. Note that she is still in her early twenties, so this was no easy feat!

She is now doing what she loves, what she is passionate about. And that makes all the difference.

I hope to find my own entrepreneurial passion soon, and perhaps become like my little sister in the future.

So what’s on your to do list?

Related Posts

• Predictions for 2008
  
• Kelvin is (was) in Davao
• Making an Impact
  
• My ipod Story: How I wasted 10k
• Being Positive

4 Quick Ways to Improve Your Writing

4 Ways to Improve Your Writing

(Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, January 4, 2008)

As an offshoot of writing a column for the Sunstar Davao newspaper, a short stint as Food Correspondent for the That’s Beijing magazine (when I lived in China) and as a contributor to the AIM (Asian Institute of Management) Leader Magazine, I managed to pick up some basic writing tips which I think anyone can use.

I believe these tips can quickly improve the quality of your work. They mostly revolve around keeping things short and simple:

1.) K.I.S.S. –Keep It Simple Stupid. Readers as a whole don’t like it when you complicate the things you are writing. It tends to tire them out and discourages them from reading more.

Simplicity is key. Otherwise, you’re just trying to show off to your readers. The point of writing anything is to make yourself understood. Not to show off. Stick to the basics and keep things simple. Your readers will thank you for it.

Predictions for 2008

Predictions for 2008

(Babble On column for the Sunstar Davao, Friday Dec. 28, 2007)

It’s the end of the year and it’s time for writers and columnists to write about what they think will happen next year in 2008. Here are my bold predictions:

1.) More Political Storms Will Rock the Philippines – Every year there is always some big political event which rocks the nation’s stability. This year it was the Trillanes takeover of the Peninsula, the ZTE brouhaha and accusations of electoral fraud during the elections, among others. In the previous years we had wire-tapping scandals, grave charges of corruption and a lot more. I don’t believe the next year will be any exception. Heck we’ve gotten so used to political scandals in our country, it already feels like a normal event. Which is sort of sad, actually. But that’s Philippine politics for you.

2.) The Philippine Stock Market Will Go Up. – After a very turbulent year for the market, I believe that next year, it will shoot up. I know the market remains volatile and I may sound too optimistic, but stock brokers seem to agree with my upbeat prediction.

Analysts from the Abacus Securities Corporation believe that the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Index will rise to 5,000 by the second half of 2008, if not sooner (as of this writing, the index is hovering around the 3,500-3,600 mark).

Stockbrokers aren’t the only ones upbeat about the market. Big time companies Cebu Pacific and Pepsi-Cola Philippines plan to list in the market come 2008. The message is clear: it’s time to invest in the stock market. We just have to be careful about it, of course.

A Guess At What Some Prominent Filipinos Want for Christmas

A Guess at What Some Prominent Filipinos Want for Christmas

(Babble On, for the Sunstar Davao, Friday Dec. 21, 2007)

It’s that time of the year when people are accustomed to getting Christmas presents from their loved ones.

The thing is though, we always think of what we want for Christmas, or perhaps what our family and close friends want to get on Christmas day. Yet we seem to forget about what politicians and prominent Filipinos could possibly want as Christmas presents. It probably never even enters our minds.

But it’s something to ponder. What do you think personalities like Trillanes, Pres. Arroyo, Erap Estrada, Jose de Venecia and others want as gifts, all wrapped up and ready for them under the Christmas tree?

Here are a couple of wild guesses.

Senator Trillanes – this one’s easy to figure out. He’ll want a pardon for Christmas. Or at the very least, a get out of jail free card. Anything, so he can finally fulfill his mandate as Senator. Unfortunately, since the Senator has been somewhat naughty this year (remember the Peninsula?) it’s unlikely Santa Claus will give him that pardon.

Trllanes Says Sorry

Trillanes Says Sorry

(Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, Dec. 14, 2007)

Like every other Filipino out there, I’m fairly forgiving.

In fact, Filipinos have seemingly developed a reputation for forgiveness. How else can we explain the pardon for former President Erap Estrada and the return to political and social prominence of the Marcos clan?

But even I would draw the line at Senator Trillanes’ apology in the court room of Judge Oscar Pimentel last Tuesday.

According to the Philippine Star, Trillanes and his companions, in a letter to Pimentel, said that: “It was never the intention of (the) accused to cause a commotion, much less a walkout,” and that they “meant no disrespect for the court.”

No disrespect? They walk out of the courtroom in what was clearly a pre-planned event, took over a hotel and called for the people to rise against the government, and they’re saying they “meant no disrespect” and didn’t mean to “cause a commotion?”

A lot of people would disagree, especially the Peninsula hotel’s staff and personnel.

What Do You Want for Christmas?

What Do You Want For Christmas?

(Babble On, for the Sunstar Davao, Nov. 30, 2007)

It’s that time of the year when you have to start shopping for Christmas gifts for your friends and loved ones. And it’s also that time when you receive gifts from all over.

I used to love getting gifts during the holidays. I remember staying up during Christmas eve, all excited about the gift-wrapped presents lying under the Christmas tree, just begging for me to open them.

As kids, I guess we somehow learned to value material things greatly by events like Christmas. I’m sure your family is no exception. We wind up looking at Christmas as a time to get gifts.

But the best memory I had of Christmas wasn’t of the gifts I received as a kid, but of the experience of giving gifts to my loved ones.

I still remember how I scrimped and saved to be able to buy my mother a necklace from a jewelry store in Insular Hotel (now the Waterfront). I remember handing it to her, her opening the present, and then wearing it proudly in front of me. Of course, I never figured out until much later that Mom wasn’t fond of jewelry, and rarely, if ever, wears any.

A Burma Beginning

A Burma Beginning

(Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, Nov. 23, 2007)

There’s a quaint little country over there near China. It’s bordered by Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, and India on the northwest. It’s nice and picturesque, with one-third of its perimeter forming an uninterrupted coastline. The view must be fantastic.

Too bad the country itself isn’t quite so fantastic. Burma, or Myanmar, as it is now called, has been in the headlines lately due to its harsh crackdown on its Buddhist Monks and its treatment of the now legendary Aung San Suu Kyi.

Burma finds itself in the news again because it managed to block a planned briefing by U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari to 16 leaders from the ASEAN states plus other key Asia players such as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Burma even managed to force the watering down of key provisions in the landmark ASEAN Charter. The Charter, which would have paved the way for an EU-style bloc, originally included provisions to set up a regional human rights body. However negotiators were forced to drop sanctions for states that violate human rights. Burma was the obvious driving force behind the move to eliminate such sanctions.

It would seem that Burma has managed to do whatever it wants diplomatically. Philippine history will look back at this week however, not for what Burma has done, but for what our President has said about Burma instead.

Explosion in Congress

Explosion in Congress

(Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, November 16, 2007)

It is said that April is the cruelest month. For the victims of the latest explosion in our country, November may be the cruelest month instead. Cruelty rained down in Congress on Tuesday night, just as the session ended and congressmen and their staffers were leaving. A bomb exploded at the South Lobby of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

The devastation was swift and unexpected. It killed Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar and the driver of Gabriella Representative Luzviminda Calolot-Ilagan, who was herself injured (Rep. Ilagan is an Ateneo de Davao University graduate and former faculty member of its Humanities Division). Several others were also wounded, left dazed, bloodied and walking around in shock. They never knew what hit them.

Mortality

Mortality

(Babble On, for the Sunstar Davao, Nov. 2, 2007)

All Saints’ day and All Souls’ day never fails to make me think about my own mortality. A visit to the cemetery to see the tombstone of my father, Franklin Chiew Lee, who was killed in an incident in the outskirts of the city twenty years ago, is a stark reminder of how death will someday come for us all.

I still remember when I heard my father was dead. I was barely 8 years old, and it was already late that night. I remember watching television and my mother coming in to tell the kids father was gone. In theory, I should have understood the finality of that statement.

Some Explosive Points from Glorietta 2

Some Explosive Points From Glorietta 2

(Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, Oct. 26, 2007)

The explosion last week at Glorietta 2 is an indication of the current state of affairs of the Philippines. A few “explosive” points about the way things are in our country have come to the forefront because of it.

1. We don’t trust the President – a number of columnists, politicians and even much of the public blamed our very own President for the explosion. They say that Malacanang palace caused the incident to keep the public’s interest away from the many political controversies hounding the government (i.e. pay-outs to local government executives, broadband deals with China, corruption, etc.).

Eulogy for Felix Chiew

Eulogy for Felix Chiew

(Babble On, for the Sunstar Davao, Oct. 19, 2007)

On Oct. 9, 2007, my granduncle Felix Chiew passed away. In honor of his life, I am publishing here the beautiful eulogy given by Dr. Bernard Chiew. God Bless Uncle Felix. We miss you.

Eulogy for Papa

I. Intro
We are all gathered here today to honor Papa Felix. Some of you here might not have known Papa or only known a certain aspect of his life. As a way of honoring him, let me introduce you to the father we knew and loved.

II.
Papa or Apa to the rest of the family is the eldest in a family of 9 children. He was born in Davao City in 1927 to a tailor and a housewife. They lived in San Pedro Street where my grandfather had his tailoring shop. He studied at the Davao City High School. After he finished high school at the Davao City High School, he helped his father out in the tailoring shop. It would be eight years later before he would go to college in Mindanao Colleges, the present University of Mindanao, where he took B.S. Commerce, major in accounting.

Life was not easy and he had to work as a teacher assistant and an athlete scholar just to be able to finish college. But graduate he did. For this he was greatly indebted to the late, Dean Florencio Facundo, who took Papa under his wings. After graduation, he taught accounting at U.M. He eventually went to settle in Gensan for greener pastures in 1966. He started his own business by putting up a grocery store. He managed it for a little over 20 years until be finally retired.

A Treaty with Darth Vader: The Revenge of the President

A Treaty with Darth Vader: The Revenge of the President

(Babble On, published on May 20, 2005)

In an attempt to lift dwindling approval ratings, the Philippine Supreme President Glory MakiStarwars Ayoko signed a treaty that entered the Philippines into a strategic alliance with the Intergalactic Empire. Lord Darth Vader, personal representative of Emperor Palpatine, signed for the Empire.

In a ceremony in Manila City, the President and Vader, despite the large height difference, shook hands in a historic agreement dubbed “The Revenge of the President.” The treaty would allow the Empire to recruit Filipinos into the Stormtrooper Legions, in exchange for large amounts of money which will go into the treasury of the Philippine Government. Another stipulation in the treaty would allow the Philippines to call on the Empire to aid them in times of rebellion or invasion.

Learning to Love

Learning to Love

(Babble On, Published in the Sunstar Davao, February 25, 2005)

It’s the end of February, the month of love, and I am reminded of a conversation I had with an Indian banker. Mr. Krishna, vice-president of an Indian bank, was the most senior in our marketing class in Manila. He took a liking to me and had attempted to impart some advice on matters of the heart over dinner.

“Kelvin,” he told me, “when it comes to love, trust your mother.”

At first I thought I heard him wrong. Mr. Krishna, don’t you mean, trust my heart?

“No, no, trust your MOTHER. She knows best about love.”