The Philippine education system is in shambles. This basic truth couldn’t be highlighted by anything but the recent victory of Efren Peñaflorida as CNN’s “Hero of the Year.”

Efren Peñaflorida is a simple person that initiated the “Pushcart Classrooms” to help educate street kids and out of school youths in the Philippines. Pushcart classrooms are made of pushcarts that carry all the basic necessities of a classroom: a blackboard, books, pens, notebooks and other school supplies. Efren and his group, the Dynamic Teens Co., take the pushcarts around Metro Manila and nearby provinces to reach out to street kids who are not capable to go to school. Efren’s pioneering work was a success and many people copied his initiatives. Now pushcart classrooms can be found in urban centers around the country.

Ideally, pushcart classrooms are not needed because a well-maintained education system is enough to fill the educational needs of the citizens. The problem is that our education system is dysfunctional. The Philippine educational system receives so little attention from the government. Various administrations that came and went ignored the importance of educating the youth and its benefits in nation building.

Problematic Public Schools

Our public schools should serve as the place where the poor and the disadvantage members of our society can acquire a free education. The public education system should have the capacity to empower the poor youth to get an education at par with their counterparts in the private education sector. It should be a venue where we could exercise our right to be educated.

But this is not so. Every year, public schools always face the same perennial problem of lack funds from the government, which result to inadequate numbers of classrooms, chairs, books and teachers. The teachers who are employed in the public schools receive salaries that are barely enough to keep their families alive, making the teachers take other means of livelihood that sometimes make their teaching skills to suffer. Add those problems up to the continuous destruction of schools due to typhoons and landslides and the growing number of student populations every year.

Even the State Colleges and Universities were not spared by the complete ignorance of the government. Budget cuts are the usual scenario for state colleges and universities and these institutions are forced to outsource their budget. Tuition fee increases are now common in these institutions of learning and more and more of poor students drop out of their studies because they cannot afford the steep price of public education.

NGO’s to the Rescue

The inadequate action of the government on the problems of the public learning institutions made the NGO’s to act and fill the part ignored by the government. Peñaflorida’s DYT is one of the NGO’s that tried to fill these inadequacies. However, try as they might, the NGO’s could never fill the part of the government. The education sector needed a guidance from an institution as large and as organized as the government that will direct its course.

The problem with the government is that it does not care with the plight of the common tao (people). It is a shame that out of school youth had to ask the NGO’s for help.

Peñaflorida’s victory is a victory of the Filipino people and shows that there simple people around us that work without asking for media mileage to help their fellowmen. It is a mark that brands the government as a worthless institution when it comes to the task of educating the youth. May his victory inspire us to demand that education sector receive the attention it deserves so that Efren Peñaflorida’s pushcart classrooms will never be necessary to educate our out of school youths.

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In one of my previous posts, I lament how our public officials act like God in their agencies and jurisdictional areas. Appointed department secretaries and administrators of agencies act irregularly and government employees quake whenever they are around. Elected officials from political dynasties act like little emperors and their constituencies act like Middle Age peasants, who fear their landlord.

The massacre in Maguindanao highlights the glaring problem of our country and clearly shows why democratic elections never really take off. Warlordism is alive and well in our country, despite the fact that we are already in the 22nd Century. The gruesome event also highlighted the readiness of these political dynasts to kill anyone who blocks their goal in winning the elections. In the name of “public service,” these people treat human beings with impunity and act like savages.

The Maguindanao massacre also revealed the weakness of our institutions and the lack of teeth of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Our institutions were weakened because our leaders patronize the warlords in exchange for their support. The government turned a blind eye on the existence of private armies, not only in Mindanao but also all throughout the country. The weakness of our government resulted in the weakness of the COMELEC to truly implement a gun-ban during the election period.

The death of the Mangudadatu’s, civilians, and journalists in Maguindanao is just one of the many acts of violence that are related in the 2010 elections. Many politicians and their supporters were killed, harassed, and threatened so as to prevent them from exercising their electoral rights. The father of my friend was murdered in Batangas to stop him from seeking a local post in that province, the family feud in Abra killed dozens of people, and the kidnapping and high profile banditry are all related to the 2010 elections. As the election fever rages on, more and more of these incidents will happen.

The massacre in Maguindanao is one of the worst in the Philippine’s recent history and it is expected that more bloodshed will occur between the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus. The government should skillfully act now to shed light on this gruesome affair. Let those who are responsible for the massacre be subjected to the full punishment as mandated by our laws.

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The 2010 Election proved to be a machine of surprises as more and politician and politician wannabes make their tango of political union and divorce. One of the recent surprises is the proclamation of the Filipino veteran actor Edu Manzano as the running mate of the presidential aspirant Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro.

It seems that the Lakas – Kampi – CMD is getting desperate to have a vice-presidential candidate before the end of the filing of candidacy for the next election. No popular politician wants to stake their chances with an administration candidate and Gibo, who is not known in the far flung provinces, needed a popular personality who will catapult his ratings. Loren Legarda does not be an administration candidate and teamed up with Manny Villar instead. Vilma Santos and Bong Revilla also shrugged the possibility of being the vice president of Gibo. There are more personalities who are being courted to be Gibo’s partner, but the speculation ended when Edu was announced as Teodoro’s running mate.

President Gloria Arroyo and the men in Malacanang expect that Edu will give the much needed boost in Teodoro’s candidacy. Edu Manzano is a respected actor and does not have too much controversy that may weigh him during the elections. He is also looked upon as an intelligent actor, which contrasts former president Ejercito Estrada’s barumbado and ill-educated personality. This characteristic of Edu Manzano sits well with the image being projected by the handlers of Gilbert Teodoro as a wise and intelligent leader that will ease the country’s problems.

There is something with being the running mate of Gibo that caused the former potential running mates to shun the offer of Gibo’s handler. That something is the political death. Anyone who is seen as joining forces with the candidates of the present administration are viewed as corrupt and the future protector of the evil President Gloria Arroyo. Running as vice-president under Gilbert Teodoro is just the same as political suicide.

Edu Manzano made a wrong decision in that respect. In the past, the public adore him as a talented and respectable actor. Now, he will be as tainted as Gilbert Teodoro and his popularity will not be enough to gloss over the stain of being associated with the present administration.

Edu Manzano should have opted to run for lower electoral post like mayor or governor. In that way, he could learn to run the government. He should have studied Vilma Santos’ political strategies that propelled her into a respectable politician (as perceived by the public).

It is too late for Edu Manzano to turn back now. The best thing that he could do is to make the most out of his candidacy and prove to the people that he will not be infected by the corruption plague that is prevalent with the present administration.

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The situation is always the same every night I go home from my office in Binondo, Manila to Commonwealth Avenue area. Heavy traffic starts at Lawton Area, then to Quiapo Church going to Quezon Boulevard underpass. The ordeal does not end there since I still have to undergo the traffic from the whole stretch of Espanya Boulevard and Quezon Avenue until the underpass in front of Hi Top Supermart. The ordeal is the same everyday and it makes me think that the Metro Manila Development Authority and the city governments of Manila and Quezon are not doing their jobs to ease the daily traffic problems on these areas.

My ordeal is just one of the hundreds of ordeals that the Filipino people experience in Metro Manila. Every city had its own traffic problems and every city government seems to be useless when dealing with those problems.

The unbearable traffic in the Metro always gives me this thought that this is the way the government or the society rewards the workers and employees who are working hard in keeping the gears of the economy moving. Imagine the ordeal of the Filipino workers, who are already tired of working eight hours straight, face every single day in being trapped by heavy traffic on their way home. Instead of having an early rest, there they are wasting their time because of the worthless traffic schemes of the government.

Our government should create new schemes in easing traffic in the Metro. The MMDA and the city governments should cooperate with one another so as to create unified and comprehensive traffic solutions. The LTO and the LTFRB should also lend a hand in reducing this problem to bearable levels.

Continue the PUV Reduction

LTFRB’s program of removing old and dilapidated Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) on the streets of Metro Manila should be continued. We already have numerous public buses that are running without any passengers. Bus and jeepney operators usually keep their PUVs as long as it can operate even though they are very old. Stopping the renewal of franchise to these kinds of PUVs will greatly ease the traffic in Metro Manila, simply because the drivers of public transport sector are the most disobedient of all the drivers. Old and dilapidated PUVs also produce large amount of smoke that pollutes our air and have the tendency to have engine failure that usually leads to the blocking of the roads and creating heavier traffic.

MMDA should also continue catching all colorum PUVs. Removing them in our streets will also reduce traffic and increase the profit of legitimate PUV drivers and operators.

Clean and Organize the Sidewalks

Another cause of traffic is the invasion of sidewalks and even the streets by illegal vendors. Because of this, the pedestrians are forced to walk on the streets, hence blocking the steady flow of vehicle traffic. MMDAs street clearing operations must be continued. However, MMDAs work is still inadequate since city governments coddle these vendors and give them a go signal to place their stores there.

A larger problem is the needs of the ambulant, who usually are members of the urban poor that do not have other means of livelihood. The MMDA and the city governments should develop a creative solution to this problem. MMDAs clearing operations will never be enough because these people will always sell on the streets. I propose a solution for this problem in my article Let’s Mind the Vendors.

No matter what the solution is, the government should organize and clean the sidewalks so as to ease the traffic in the Metro.

Innovate Better Solutions

Bayani Fernando’s major solution to traffic is the erection of pink fences and the placing of U-turn slots. However, these things that he cooked up were not all encompassing solutions and caused more harm than good in some parts of the Metro. The Pink fences in Cubao area is ugly to look at and somehow adds up to the traffic woes on that area. The pink fences on other parts of EDSA and Commonwealth Avenue caused many accidents because they are almost invisible during the night. MMDA’s U-turn slots worked well in Commonwealth Avenue but brought heavier traffic in Quezon Avenue.

Pink fences not on appropriate places should be removed because they cause accidents and are just stolen to be sold to junkshops. The elevated U-turn along C-5 at the corner of Kalayaan Avenue is a good innovation in solving some traffic problems. Bayani should keep in mind that not all areas in Metro can have the same traffic solution. I believe that he should remove the U-turn in Quezon Avenue and think of better solution for the traffic there.

Remove all Corrupt Traffic Enforcers

Another problem is the corrupt traffic enforcers of the city governments and the MMDA who tolerate traffic violations in exchange of money. These same traffic enforcers tolerate the ambulant vendors in exchange of tongs or bribes from every ambulant vendor, as the case in Litex area along Commonwealth Avenue.

The ranks of traffic policemen should be cleaned and corrupt traffic enforcers should be replaced by people who are clean and never tolerate traffic violations in their area.
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These are just few of the more solutions to the traffic problems of Metro Manila. There are more solutions out there that are more creative and more comprehensive than the ones outlined here. I just hope that the government and the Filipino people work together to ease our traffic problems. I am very tired of waiting every night to reach my destination just because of traffic.

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There are many ways to highlight an idea or a point in an argument and an excellent statesman will not have a hard time to express those ideas fluently and without resorting to histrionics. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago once again failed in that respect and let her mouth utter unnecessary bad words within the halls of the Philippine Senate.

The issue on road user’s tax is indeed an issue where many of us will feel anger. The misuse of the Road User’s Tax and the plundering of the motorists money by the Ebdane brothers is another evidence of corruption of the present administration. Everyone have the right to be hate and be angry with corruption. Everyone have the right to demand an explanation on why our roads are dilapidated despite the millions of pesos collected from vehicle owners every year. However, not every one of us has the privilege to say bad words especially our Senators.

I approve of Senator Santiago’s works in exposing the inconsistencies on the use of the Road User’s Tax. The time is right for the corruption within the Road Board to be exposed so that the Filipino people will see how their money is being used. However, I disapprove of her swearing during her privilege speech. As a respected member of the Senate, she must never utter such things in the Senate. Her swearing makes me think that she is resorting to dramatics in her expose so that she will catch the attention of the public. Miriam Santiago went for media mileage instead of going after the truth.

The Ebdane brothers are right, none of them will land in jail because of their plunderers activity. Miriam Santiago’s expose will be just expose within the series of dramatic exposes that were already shown in the Senate. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s foul mouthing is a proof of this.

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I have been thinking, what did happen to the star studded and much talked about social renewal program known as “Ako Mismo?”

What did happen after the launching of their website? All I remember about Ako Mismo is the dog tags that were given away to the public. The dog tags, which are either genuine or imitation, are now just being sold by street vendors all throughout the Metro. As I see it, Ako Mismo failed to captivate the public in changing their ways of life.

Yeah, it is cool to place your pledge on the online wall in the Ako Mismo website. It is cool to wear those dog tags and make yourself think that you are doing something good for the country. It is nice to see Angel Locsin, Chris Tiu, Ely Buendia, and other celebrities making a pledge publicly. What is not cool is the lack of depth of Ako Mismo.

Ako Mismo is just like our politicians, full of sloganeering but lacking a valid platform. This is the reason why the popularity of Ako Mismo died out. If the backers of Ako Mismo crafted better plans and development on the programs then even if the popularity died out, there will be a substantial group of people who will remain with Ako Mismo and make a difference in this country.

The backers of Ako Mismo did not sustain the hype and public’s attention. In the end, Ako Mismo was forgotten by the short memory of the Filipino People like the many issues, scandals, and similar programs that came and went through the years.

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Many people were surprised at the sudden announcement of Senator Chiz Escudero that he is leaving the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). The young senator implied that he is leaving the party so as not to be tied up by restrictions imposed by NPC. He also added that his party should only be the ones composed of the Filipino People.

It is a dilemma for a leader with conviction to be a part of a political party that has no clear stand on the issues rocking the country. The NPC is a political party that has “no guts,” so to speak. It is not clear if the NPC is a pro-administration coalition or in the camp of the opposition. Because of this, the NPC can coalesce either with the groups allied with President Arroyo or join the opposition, based on what may become more profitable after the 2010 Presidential Elections.

NPC’s lack of clear stand on the many political issues works well for Danding Cojuangco, NPC’s founder. Danding is both a business tycoon and proprietor of the NPC. This set – up of NPC is a sign that the political party is just a business venture of a single businessman and not a genuine political party that is guided by clear ideologies. It is understandable why NPC chose to be “fence sitter” on political issues. Danding Cojuangco, as a “switik” businessman, is just making sure that he can maximize his profit and influence on the next administration. He does not want to irritate the possible winners of the presidential race and lose his influence on the next president. Business-wise, it is logical to court all presidential aspirants, either in the administration or in the opposition.

If the current set – up works well with Danding, it is not so with Chiz Escudero. His stands on political issues in the country are incompatible with that of Danding’s. NPC is just being a heavy baggage that mars the convictions of the senator. Chiz Escudero, as a leader with guts, experienced dilemma in staying with the gutless political party.

Chiz Escudero’s departure from NPC is admirable. It only means that he can sacrifice many things for the sake of his ideologies. However, we are yet to know his true convictions in the days to come. But, nonetheless, Chiz gets a “thumb’s up” from me.

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I couldn’t be helped but feel indignant about what I heard about one of my sister’s professor in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). According to her, one of her professor did not want to give them the final exam in his subject because no one passes in his exams. However, he assured his students that they will pass his subject but should not expect a grade higher than point 2 on their class cards. Apparently, he has no valid reasons for his style of grading the students.

What a mockery of the teaching profession! That PUP professor is unprofessional. Not giving a grade above point 2 just because of whim is unreasonable. What if a student really deserves a grade of point 1, will s/he not earn it? The way I see it, that professor is being unreasonable so that he could say that he is an excellent and a terror professor. He is one of those second rate professor who just want to terrorize there students.

There are many things that I am hearing about PUP that I do not like and this is one of those. There is indeed a shortage of lecturers and professors in state colleges and universities, but keeping a professor like him in PUP is not a solution. Professor like him adds to the woes of public education in the Philippines. Instead of imparting their knowledge to the next generation, they are just wasting time by mediocre style of teaching and grading students. The students did not get any useful knowledge from him and the taxpayers’ money was wasted. PUP should clean the ranks of its faculty starting with this professor. Now that the University of the Philippines stop being affordable to the poor yet bright Filipino students, PUP is well positioned for the title of being the genuine people’s university. Mediocre and worthless professor like my sister’s professor should be removed from being a stumbling block for this goal.

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Former President Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada just declared that he is joining the 2010 Presidential Elections. Erap teamed up with Makati Mayor and United Opposition chief Jejomar Binay. They did the declaration in Tondo, Manila so that Erap could show that he is one with the masses and still loved by them.

Mel Tiangco interviewed Erap after his declaration and asked why is does he want to come back to Malacanan Palace if he has so many painful memories there? He answered that he is coming back to continue his work for the masses. He even mentioned that nothing was proven for the 6 years of his trial on the case of plunder. Nothing was proven because he is not really a thief and did not steal the people’s money during his stint as president of the Philippines.

Many questions also abounds Erap’s plan to run again for presidency. Is it legal for him to run again despite that fact that he was convicted of plunder and the condition of the pardon granted to him said that he will not run for any political position in the government? Will the Erap magic, which gave him a landslide victory in 1998 Presidential Election, work again in 2010? How will the Dacer – Corbito murder case affect his bid for presidency?

Legality of Erap’s Bid

The decision is now with the supreme justices once someone raises the issue to the Supreme Court. However, prominent lawyers and retired justices said that there is no legal impediment for Erap to run again as president in 2010 Elections. The constitution only said that incumbent president and presidents that finished their six-year term are barred from running in a presidential election. Erap was ousted almost three years to his term. President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo used this interpretation when she ran in the previous presidential election. Thus, there is no reason for this interpretation not to be used on Erap’s bid in 2010.

Erap may only be barred by the condition of the pardon granted by PGMA when he convicted and imprisoned because of his plunder case. The condition of the pardon says that Erap should not run in the elections that will occur after he accepted being pardoned.

Weakened Magic

Erap is hoping that he will win again by the same landslide vote that he received in the past. That is a grim possibility, however, since Erap’s magic had already faded through the years. The people’s fancy with showbiz actors and actresses had already died out and many became cynical in voting for a candidate just because he/she is just an “artista” (showbiz artist). Many artistas turned politicians failed to deliver their promises and they just copied the trapos (traditional politicians) in the end. Popularity of being an artista is not bankable in the 2010 elections.

Another factor for the weakened magic is Erap’s poor performance while he is Malacanan. Many of his escapades and midnight drinking sessions during his stint as president were already made public and placed negative impressions on the middle class people and the segments of the people below the poverty line. His all-out war against all secessionist groups in Mindanao also lessened the support of the Filipino Muslims for him. The fragmentation of the opposition also helped diminished the so-called Erap magic and many of his former supporters had already focused their attention to other opposition candidates like Noynoy, Chiz Escudero, and Manny Villar.

Erap is still popular but his popularity will not transform into votes in the 2010 elections. Erap’s magic is feeble.

What If He Won?

If Erap returned as president in 2010, he must make sure that the vice president is his ally. If not, then he will experience another repeat of what happened to him during EDSA 2. The then Vice President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo was gripped with the desire for power and joined the crowd calling for his ouster.

Erap’s vice president will find plenty of opportunity to oust him since questions of legality of his presidency will hound him for the rest of his term. The Dacer – Corbito murder case can also be used by an enterprising vice president to cause his ouster.

Erap may also fall again because of his own doing because he still not fully capable of leading a nation, much less the Philippines that has many problems. If he continues his old habit of wine, women, and gambling – then he is doomed for another impeachment proceeding.

What He Should Have Done

The opposition is very fragmented and Erap’s declaration made it more fragmented. It would have been better if Erap just worked for the unity of the opposition groups. His declaration only helps PGMA and her cohorts in their plan of using just machinery in the 2010 elections. Erap working in the background could have been better than Erap fighting it head on.
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After the flood, the plague came to wreak havoc to the people affected by Typhoon Ondoy.  The plague came by the name of leptospirosis.

The back to back attack of the flood and leptospirosis is the end result of the waste mismanagement and blatant throwing of garbage to the streets and waterways. The flood is partly caused by the drainage system rendered useless by garbage. On the other hand, leptospirosis is caused by rats that live on garbage. According to doctors and epidemiologists, leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that comes from the urine of animals like rats. Human contracted this disease by drinking and absorbing leptospirosis infected water through cuts and wounds.

As of yesterday’s news, about 89 had already perished due to leptospirosis and more than 1,000 people became infected of the bacteria. Most of the people who contracted the bacterial infection came from flood affected areas in Metro Manila and CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon provinces). Public hospitals already had their hands full in treating the victims of leptospirosis. Even the private hospitals, spearheaded by the Private Hospital Association of the Philippines (PHAP) offered their facilities to avert further deaths. More leptospirosis cases are expected from flooded areas in Northern Luzon.

The sudden rise of leptospirosis cases and deaths only points to one thing and that is our continued wasteful lifestyle. The magnitude of the flood and leptospirosis would not have been profound if we implemented a zero waste lifestyle. The reduction of waste generated from the homes, commercial, and industrial will be translated to the reduction of flood and the reduction of the proliferation of rats and other pesky rodents in our neighborhood.

The rats in Metro Manila are larger than the regular field rats in the provinces. Some even say that the rats in Metro Manila are larger than cats and the feline creatures are afraid to hunt these vicious pests. These pesky rodents are usually seen plying on sewers and esteros and a whole colony of them live amongst the informal settlers that do not have proper waste collection schemes. Thus, it is not surprising if the Metro Manilans are experiencing the onslaught brought about by leptospirosis.

The Department of Health (DOH) and the public hospitals are working overtime to arrest the leptospirosis epidemic. However, their works are not enough and will not avert the future leptospirosis epidemics. The government and various sectors are now working to prevent the disasters that befell the country from ever happening again, I do hope that their plans also contains plans that will avert widespread epidemics caused by garbage like the leptospirosis.

The onslaught of leptospirosis only signifies that now is the time to initiate the zero-waste lifestyle in our country. Ondoy’s fury brought not only the garbage back to our homes but also shared to us, humans, the illness that Mother Nature is experiencing because of our wasteful lives. Let us reduce waste and make this country clean and green again.

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Awareness for Leptospirosis – After Ondoy and Pepeng in SilkenHut’s World.