Fliptop Battles: The Return of Filipino Hip Hop

Suicide, Suicide, and More Suicides!

Hey, this post have already moved to my new blog. Just click the image below to redirect or you may click here.

Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines (Part 1): Facts and Salient Features

Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines (Part 2): My View

Supremely Surprising South Cotabato!

“Ano? Taga-Cotabato ka? Hindi ba magulo doon?” I was kinda used with these questions after hearing me say where my home province is…I replied, “Yes, I was born and raised in South Cotabato. Hope you can visit my home turf so that you’ll realize why my heart solely belongs to that place”.

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For almost six years now, I have been away from my home. I merely have the opportunity of going back to South Cotabato once a year (and if sometimes I get lucky, twice). I blame the insufficient bank account and the bottomless pits of work for this. Waay abi sing damo nga kwarta mo. (Transliteration: I have no lots of money, that's why).

Life is not a piece of cake especially if you’re living alone in a far-off place where you grew up. After finishing four years of my undergrad education, I decided to study law here in Iligan City while working at daytime as a college teacher. Working like a dog in this city, a half-day-bus-trip-away from your folks, simply meant a “challenging” life.

Spending some sixteen years on my home province gave me a sense of affection towards it; a thing hard to believe by people whose minds were inked with negative notions of Cotabato being unsafe. I remember an appalled co-teacher who said: “Ano? Taga-Cotabato ka? Hindi ba magulo doon?” (Transliteration: What? You’re from Cotabato? Is it safe there?).

I was kinda used with these questions after hearing me say where my home province is . Somehow getting the hang of it, I replied, “Yes, I was born and raised in South Cotabato. Hope you can visit my home turf so that you will realize why my heart solely belongs to that place”.

Somehow after an ample time of staying away from home, I developed my nostalgia outlet. I often grab the opportunity of going back to the Municipality of Tupi on the two-week long Christmas breaks. After the vacation, my loneliness would spring to life and a coping mechanism, I have musings of turning back time to when I had my wonderful moments at my Southern turf.

Since my two-week vacation is a few months away (it will already be October tomorrow!), let me share to you some of my happy moments and my stress-relieving escapades at my home province...

On a bus ride upon reaching my place, I can instantly tell if I’m nearing South Cotabato just by a quick glance outside the bus window. How? If I see the stretches of wild grass, trees and ricefields which are interrupted with occasional sea of pineapples and cornfields, I know I’m close to home.

Formerly among the country’s dormant provinces, South Cotabato is progressing significantly with the lure of exciting activities drawing a record number of both local and international tourists alike. Although South Cotabato’s claim to fame on the international tourism stage came in the form of the highly lauded Lake Sebu, the province is fast gaining fame for its numerous activities on its other municipalities, too. Lake Sebu and Tupi towns will be the focus of today’s musing. First stop will be Lake Sebu.














I’ve had my first taste of Lake Sebu back on my high school days. We had a provincial journalism seminar scheduled at the town and I was one of the delegates. I never knew that it was grandeur as it is.

We took the Tupi-Marbel bus trip and hopped to another going to Surallah. From there, we had a short trike ride to a jeepney terminal bound to Lake Sebu. From Tupi, it would take more than 3 hours to get there. (If you’ll be starting off from GenSan, it will take more than 4 hours). But the trip is twice engaging, especially while on the jeep trip to Lake Sebu.

I still can’t forget that feeling even it happened a couple of years back. The jeep going up to the lake-town was slogging heavily on the snaky road, probably due to its heavy cargo and passengers. It was pretty slow but as I with the delegate went upwards, the cool South Cotabato wind can be felt. Thinking about this reminds me of my Tagaytay escape last year.

Staying at the Punta Isla Lake Resort, for three days, I never missed the opportunity of seeing the golden sun rise as it reflects on the mirror-like surface of the idyllic lake. There and then, I appreciated the beauty of this picturesque cozy haven. And with luscious huge lake tilapia dishes for our meals, both my eyes and stomach were deeply satiated.

The Lake Sebu experience seemed was not enough for me that after a few months, upon hearing that the 2004 Provincial Scouting Jamboree was to be held at the same town, I quickly enlisted myself to scout there hoping to visit the place one more time.

You may experience riding on a habal-habal (motorbikes on steroids of quick trips) as substitute to the dawding jeepney trips. I’ve experienced riding on those grand prix motorcycles on my second Lake Sebu outing.

I’ve had the opportunity of traversing through its glorious seven falls. The hours of hike may get arduous but for adventurers out there to help you for the trek, I've got a tip: secure a cane (mine was a makeshift cane from a kakawati trunk). But when you finally reach the seven interconnecting falls, you’ll surely appreciate this great work of The Almighty.

I’ve enjoyed my five-day camping there by enjoying other exhilarating activities such as rock-wall climbing, rappelling, and kayaking. One can also enjoy the 700-kilometer zipline dash there. Tourists can also visit huts where the native T’bolis interlace indigent threads on a loom to make the famous t’nalak cloth. It is the inspiration for the joyous month-long festivities of the province thus calling it “T’nalak Festival”.


Lake Sebu was truly a dreamlike place for people on an eco-vacay. No wonder this “South Cotabato Summer and Tilapia Capital”, was acclaimed internationally considered by the German hiker Jens Peters* as "the country’s most beautiful lake". It was even featured by Discovery Channel one time. As a South Cotabateño, it truly made me proud.

While the pristine Lake Sebu is South Cotabato’s top tourism jewel, my hometown of Tupi was also making the news. This is our second stop. Tupi is not just a sleepy town where buses plying the Koronadal and GenSan routes stopped only briefly at the bus terminal to load and unload passengers.

A municipal forest park called “Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape” in Barangay Linan, Tupi is making high notes for wildlife tourism. And why wildlife tourism?

Bohol = Sole home of the tarsiers? Now, it doesn’t hold true anymore. It was recently discovered that a throng of the world’s smallest primates were naturally breeding here in Mindanao – and that’s in my hometown of Tupi. Those adorable bug-eyed ET-looking creatures are now protected by the townspeople and last year formally made the landscape a protected area open for tourism business.

Tupi, known in the region as the home of Mt. Matutum and the “Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Basket of South Cotabato”, boasts many surprises too. The now tourist center, Barangay Linan, is a mere 5-kilometer ride from Poblacion. A few years back, I’ve visited Linan hotsprings and it is a good thing the local government is making ways of promoting and developing this environmental fantasyland.

Clearly, Tupi’s pride can stand up to par with Lake Sebu, given the potential attractions of the Bailinan River, pineapple plantation, orchards, its eleven falls, caves, springs, and pilgrim hills. Tupi’s Linan is a haven for relaxation after one’s fast-paced leisure activities, indeed.

Springing back to reality, reliving my precious trekking experiences at South Cotabato never failed to refresh me. South Cotabato is one of the country’s fastest rising tourist destinations. The question of the province’s security is never an issue for people who use good sense, I believe. Well aside from my mom’s delish home-cooked meals and Tupi’s fresh fruits, meeting Linan’s tarsiers will be a thing I will surely look forward to.

So if you're planning for a place to visit, my serene home province is obviously a sure hit that would take your breath away. You may check out www.southcotabato.org for your awaiting unforgettable escapade. Or better yet, you may inform me A.S.A.P. and don't forget to prepare your camping gear, backpacks and fare.

This December, you will be sitting beside me on the bus.





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Madamo nga salamat sa akon mga 'migo sa South Cotabato Tambayan sa pag-mugna sing 1st SCT Blog-Writing Contest. Indi gid matungkad ang akon nga kalipay sa pagsali para makabulig sang pagpalambo kag pag-edukar sa aton nga mga kasimanwa diri sa cyberspace.

Ang mga still pictures gali diri kay halin sa Isulong Music Video. Other pictures are linked back to its respective source by clicking the it. Madamo gid nga salamat!

* Thanks to the German-national Mr. Hans Brandeis for pointing out that Jens Peters was "German" and not "American". I thought Jens Peters was an American only based in Germany. :-)

Dengue Cases in the Philippines: Symptoms, Precautions, and Treatment

Top 10 Dengue Prevention Tips

Martial Law in the Philippines: A Retrospect (Part 1)

Top 10 Funny Swat Acronyms

After the Manila Hostage Tragedy, a lot of acrostics for S.W.A.T. came out, well that’s ofcourse it digressed from the original Special Weapon and Tactics.

Here’s my Top 10:

10 – Sh3t Wala Akong Teargas

9 – Stupid Wipe A$$ Team

8 – Stupid Weapons And Tactics

7 – Samahan ng Walang Asensong Tao

6 – Sorry We Aren’t Trained

5 – Sobrang Walang Alam Talaga

4 – Stand and Watch All the Time

3 – Sana ‘Wag Akong Tamaan

2 – Sige! Wait Atras Tayo!

1 – Sharon Wow! Ang Taba!

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On a personal note:

I would like to ask for an apology for the people who, are in a way were affected or deeply offended by this post. The joke was meant to crack up and lighten the very serious SWAT issues we had during the last August 23 crisis. The number 1 spot was an obvious digression from the real meaning of SWAT and that has been seen as a basic element of a comedic posts.

I thank all of the readers for their expressions of concern. I sincerely thank you for your time and effort in reading my entries. Enjoy your day... with a smile! :-)

Manila Hostage Crisis: MPD Needs to Play Counter Strike

Almost a week has passed since the Manila Hostage Tragedy. This may be quite long overdue but still I had to share my views on this one. With the Philippines being on the international press once again, I should never miss this featuring this one on my blog.

As we all know, the handling of the siege was a failure; there are two things I’ve learned. First, not all Chinese knows kung fu because if they do, they should’ve kicked Mendoza’s guts out. Second, I realized that both the PNP and SWAT need to play Counter Strike. Seriously, this is how my August 23^rd night went:

I just finished taking my midterm exam in Property subject at MSU College of Law. I hiked away to go back home. Before finally going out of the campus, I’ve caught a throng of university and law students gathering in front of the flat screen TV mounted on one of MSU-IIT’s lounges.

What I saw was a tourist bus surrounded by a throng of creeping policemen on a dark rainy night. They lobbed to tear gas into the bus. There was hostage taking situation in the Quirino Grandstand, Manila.

I’ve thought of it as an inconsequential event so I just straddled my way. Maybe it was just a trivial hostage drama, I thought. As I’m approaching towards our lodging house, I’ve noticed that TV sets are all tuned in to the same hostage drama taking place. And it then made me curious why it was broadcasted play-by-play on live TV.

Reaching my place, I hurriedly turned my TV on and found out that yes, it was a hostage taking of a certain Police Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza. Earlier in the day, according to reports, Mendoza hitched a ride on the Hong Thai Bus but then pulled out an M16 automatic rifle and declared he was taking the 25 passengers hostage.

With the hostage taking starting at 10:30 AM, it ended nearly half a day. A total of seven hostages were released before six o’clock and before the agitated hostage taker initiated the carnage. Mendoza would have been trained in police tactics and known what to expect and as it seemed, he was better trained than the 200-strong (?) police and SWAT team that assaulted him.

At the end of the day, eight innocent Hong Kong nationals died. A both fiasco and carnage witnessed by the 90 million Filipinos and the rest of the whole wide world (through CNN, BBC, Fox News,etc.)

If there was a day that made me ashamed of being a Filipino, last Monday would probably be one. Even if I was not personally involved; I was outraged on how things went awry which should have been prevented if only brains were used instead of plain stupidity.

A lot of things and changes ought to be done (as always). Our policemen and SWAT were too coward not to employ an aggression that would follow through. Kapag may putok mula sa bus, kanya-kanya na sila nang retreat at tago. That's why I suggest our cops to play computer games like Splinter Cell, Delta Force or old school Counter Strike. They may also watch movies that should help them improve in strategizing: Misdirection techniques in Swordfish; Injection of sleeping gas, compressed air propelled hook to puncture the door to be pulled by a truck, and false broadcast courtesy of Speed 1. Or infrared scopes from that of the movie, Navy Seals.

MPD have shown to the world that we lack equipment. Are we really that poor not to have ladders? No flashlights attached to firearms? No night vision goggles? Although we clearly had other things that may be of use: a sledgehammer and an old rope that would snap after tying it to the door.

Another possible option’s that they could have just accepted his demands. He could be reinstated in the police - and then be immediately put in prison for life for hostage taking. It’s a must to hear the grievance of Mendoza first, and give initial soft assurance. After all he is not doing it for money.

My brothers and sisters in the media should also be partly blamed for the bloody end of the incident. They covered it as it happens without knowing that they’ve been giving the hostage taker leeway to ascertain the movements of the detachments. The live coverage could have been giving Mendoza up-to-date knowledge of how the police are trying to sneak up on him. Definitely not an intelligent move.

What the media did as part of their job completely disregarded the safety of both the hostages and the police. News blackout might be good as it was used by the Arroyo administration in a coup attempt a few years back. No one was hurt; no fatalities. After seeing his brother’s arrest, the hostage taker started killing some of his hostages in protest of what the police did to his brother. They should not have telecasted live since we know how the police might screw this up.

With its apparent international implications, Pres. Noynoy Aquino should have been visibly engaged in hostage situations. The event surely is a difficult challenge for the communications group of PNoy; not to mention his image-building moves. He just came out after the carnage; obviously showing signs of lousiness. Unavailable and cannot be reached by both reporters and Donald Tsang; that day, I felt that Isko Moreno was our president. Let’s see how he would skip this one. Tan-awa. Mao man gu’y inyong gebotaran.

To quote from Donald Tsang, Hong Kong's leader, “The way it was handled [by the Philippine police], particularly the outcome, is disappointing.” Ouch. The truth hurts. (Click here for the anime reenactment of the incident)

So, what are the things to expect for the weeks, months, and years to come? A lot of negative things. Hong Kong has placed the Philippines on the blacklist of countries to actively avoid, urging its nationals currently in the Philippines to immediately pack up and leave. We may expect maulings and dismissals of our OFW’s working in countries like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China. Singapore (with 70% of its population are Chinese) and Malaysia (around 40% Chinese, forming the urban majority in some cities) may follow suit.

At this point in time, a full report is eminent. It has to present thorough detailed crime scene including autopsy reports (if any) of the deceased and surviving victims. Full scale investigation will also be carried out in Hong Kong by those surviving victims and whether there was negligence. If there was sufficient evidence, the victims will then seek legal experts and most likely will convene a class action law suit against the Philippines government for unspecified sum for the deceased and victims.

Our already damaged reputation was exacerbated by our incompetence in handling these situations. As of the moment, it seems there’s a pint of hope left to ease off the siege’s effects. Unless we change our rotten system, the world will have no choice but to see us all in a bad light. We simply can’t beg other nationalities to see us positively with all this happening. Venus Raj’s win in the Miss Universe did not do much. A teenager’s letter hoping that “the world will know who the Filipinos are and that we're not all like Mendoza” did not do much either.

After all, it’s major, major big mistake to correct a big wrong decision.

Panaghiusa Mindanao Rap: The Voice of Mindanao

Last week, I had the opportunity of shooting a music video with the Rapnophobia Clan (Iligan City's top rap group). We shot the video at Initao-Libertad Protected Seascape and Landscape.

The setting was just so amazing, a forest overlooking the rich Misamis Oriental shores. It was last week when we released the video but the song was recorded two months ago.

The word, panaghiusa means "unity" in Cebuano. Last dry season (not summertime); I told Spyx of my intentions of making a rap collaboration with him which he replied positively.

Then, last May, I went to their crib and recorded this song at his home studio. It was my first personal contact with the Rapnophobia Clan. Spyx was my student in Philippine History last year and, it was also last year, when I found out about Rapnophobia's cybersuccess as well as Spyx's Youtube videos that has tens of thousands of views already.

Spyx was our director for the shoot. He chose for the location of the shoot as with the concept.
The whole point of the vid was simple: Mindanaoans letting their voices be heard about the so-called "Mindanao Conflict".

The problem here is quite internal and was from age-old conflict between the Spanish and the Mindanao Muslims and Lumads. Definitely, we can not point out some of the many reasons for the wars' continuity.

The Mindanao conflict is not because of a religious issue. Of the many factors; we can blame it to the sensationalized "bombing and terrorism" news of the media (99% of TV news about Mindanao are all about bombings, terrorisms, etc. according to the UP undergrad thesis of Miss Quebee Dusaran and Rawnna Crisostomo), the inability of the government to address the basic necessities in the region, the deaf ears of the central government to the Muslims and minorities, as well as the age-old psychological biases and prejudices held off against both the Lumads and Muslims.

The video tells the world of our small voices. I, JR Lopez Gonzales, represent the voice of the Ilonggos (although, I've only two lines of Hiligaynon dialect and with the rest in Tagalog); Zeff represents the Muslims (he used his native Maranao dialect), and Spyx rapped in Bisaya-Iligan. The song was not just a simple rap song about the war, but a song that aimed to enlighten each Filipino's mind about the causes and probable solutions to this problem.

We stand against wars as aside from being costly, would never kill ideologies. We advocate peace and lasting harmony between the Mindanaoans by eradicating the psychological barriers as well as the prejudices that we have against each other.

We believe that any ethnic group is capable of loving and caring. We aim for love to reign in the Mindanao Island. We are advocates of cultural understanding and equal treatment. We despise how the media treats the whole island of Mindanao as the place where evil terrorists lurk. We love our heritage; we need the government to work for peace and development here in the place where we're born. We firmly believe that unless understanding be fostered; there will never be genuine peace

As such, we ask for your support; we ask for your participation for change. This video may be a small contribution yet we aim that our message would get across every viewer's heart and soul. (If you're with us, we would be happy if you'd share the video to other people).

We are the voice of Mindanao. The key that would open up understanding and peace lies in our very hands. One Mindanao, One Philippines. Love and faith has no religion. We all want peace and we are one.

My Thoughts on Basketball in the Philippines

Filipinos love basketball. It is indeed the most popular sport in the islands. Less than a week ago, Lakers edged the Celtics in the deciding game for the 2010 NBA Finals.

Basketball, not soccer, is the most loved sport by the Filipinos. Come to think of it, the sport is a clear manifestation of the American influence. After more than a century of its creation by the Canadian physical education instructor, Dr. James Naismith, basketball has reached the globe and we were never spared.

It was introduced in the islands, less than a decade after its initial creation by YMCA. Years later, we developed the oldest professional basketball league in Asia which is the PBA (the Philippine Basketball Association) in 1975. The Toyota-Crispa rivalry, as many old-timers would agree, is one of the notable rivalries in the league ever.

I grew up conscious of the game’s popularity. I grew up to the headlines of the Gordon’s Gin-Alaska rivalry. In my high schooldays, I and my friends would play at their home-made court just beside the highway in South Cotabato. Basketball is a national obsession with makeshift rings visible at town plazas, parking lots, sidestreets, forest clearings, or even in mountains of Maguindanao. All this time, we had been passionate of the sport.

We were once Asia’s greatest team. In the 1954, the Philippine Team with Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga steering, placed third in the FIBA World Championship. It was during the time when the sport is not as popular as it is now in the world.

Right now, Philippine basketball is at its dark days. As time goes by, I realize that we loved a sport that is “not meant for us”. For a very simple and logical reason - in basketball, “Height is might”. In basketball, height is an advantage.

The average Filipino height is 5 feet and four inches. Yes, we have a lot of good and nimble players but they are no match to the giant ballers in the West. Very few have the height of or more than six feet. That is the same reason why even though we had been competing in the Olympics since 1936, we just couldn’t get any medal. From last year’s FIBA Asian men's championships, we even placed NINTH. It may be embarrassing but I am not surprised.

“Import” players usually outshine the locals in our basketball leagues. We keep on getting players from abroad yet we can not “export” Filipino players to play in other leagues overseas. We, Asians as we are, will never outplay the giants.

And it seems I am not alone with this view. Hall of Famer Carlos Loyzaga, the greatest Filipino basketball player of all time, once said there is too much importance given to basketball when there are other sporting disciplines where the Filipino can excel. Sports critic and former POC president Julian Malonso also agreed that basketball is not the game for Filipinos.

Let’s take a look at Japan. Baseball, and not sumo wrestling, is their favorite pastime and it seems they are doing pretty well. A multitude of Japanese batters are superstars in America’s major league baseball. It is time for us to switch our focus out of basketball.

I believe we should instead concentrate more on sports where we have better chances of winning, like the sweet science of boxing, billiards, bowling, golf, tennis, chess, or soccer. A sport that does not have height as a factor that is our only chance in the world of sports. Period.

JR's Thoughts on Philippine Independence Day

Today, we celebrate our Independence Day. Being a social science teacher lecturing about history and politics, I see it timely to share my piecemeal thoughts on our “Independence Day”.

We call today’s occasion as the “Independence Day” or “Araw of Kalayaan”. But if we look closely, Araw ng Kalayaan does not literally translate to “Independence Day”; it is “Freedom Day” (kalayaan=freedom). Therefore, Independence Day should be formally translated as “Araw ng Pagsasarili”, isn’t it?

Anyway, about one hundred and twelve years ago, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the islands from the Spanish colonizers. Eventhough this declaration was not recognized by other countries during that time, this date was proclaimed as the “Independence Day”in 1963 by then President Macapagal. This is due to, above other reasons, that the people themselves should proclaim their own independence from the colonial master (and not the other way around, as what in July 4, 1946 happened). “Freedom should not be bestowed but be achieved”, Pres. Roosevelt once said.


Freedom is a country's right to rule itself, without interference from, or domination by, another country or power. But we Filipinos, in many ways, are still bound by other forces that cripple our chances of economic prosperity and development.

Are we really free? My answer is both yes, and no. Thanks to our system, this blog can not be closed down by the government because of my freedom to express myself.
But in many ways, we as a country, are still bound by the very basic of problems.

One is, to quote lines from Gloc 9’s song, “Balita”: Alam ba ng lahat ng mga husgado at lahat ng hukom/ Na mayroong mas masahol pa sa hatol ng kamatayan / Yan ay ika’y maging mahirap sa sarili mong bayan?”

Poverty. Forty percent of the 90-plus million Filipinos still can hardly get by. Apparently, a hungry stomach cannot imbibe civic pride from our rich history and trace their lineage from brave ancestors who defied foreign invaders.

The wealthiest 10 percent of families earn more than twice as much as the poorest 40%. The last elections, the supposed-to-be manifestation of our freedom, has been an event manipulated by the oligarchs for them to put their Kamag-anak Incorporated back to business. We are blinded and bounded.

We lost track of where we came from and where we are heading. We are even very forgiving and very quick to forget of the wicked ones that should be punished. We may not be virtually run by foreigners yet, the multinational companies flourish in the market. Most small Filipino products just don’t stand a chance. New form of colonialism at its best, contributed to the Philippines’ dependency while domestically not raising our own standards of living.

A country that is free should be able to provide jobs internally for people to freely engage to whatever enterprise they want. This is not true here in the Philippines. Ten million people are outside the country, flying over to foreign shores for greener pastures. And the worst, majority of them just don’t want to work there, they want to flee from the Philippines and migrate there. It’s either they work outside the country to serve foreign masters, or live abroad and be one with the masters.

That is why I am not wondering why very few of us think and ponder about our “kalayaan”. The very government that we have even show minimum importance to this annual holiday. It is even moved to be celebrated on Monday (June 14), this is in line with the “Holiday Economics” that “promotes tourism and strengthens family ties”. The Proclamation 1841 while I agree to be good and logical, should exclude sacrosanct days (like today).

Our Independence Day is the only day yearly that Filipinos should totally devote to strengthening pride in our legacy of heroism and sacrifice against foreign colonizers. As inheritors of the patriotic legacy of exemplary forebears, we now seem to take Independence Day for granted, which is absolutely deplorable.

What we were yesterday, what we are today, and whatever we will be in the future are made possible only because of our freedom to live our lives to their fullest potential. The nice thing about our freedom is that we have the free will to do good, let’s bank on that and do our share for the country. Padayon ta!



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Finally, I am back.
A pleasant day to all my readers.
Please comment, join the poll or follow this blog.
May God bless us all!

A Critique on the Philippine Educational System

It's enrolment time once again. Gastos na naman.

Many say that education is one’s wealth that cannot be stolen by anybody. I agree that education is the primary opportunity for upward social and economic mobility. In our present society, you cannot get a decent job without having, to the least, a bachelor’s degree.

This thought is also parallel with the human capital theory that “the economic development of a nation is a function of the quality of its education”. This means that the more and better educated the people, the greater the chances of economic development.

I am an educator, I teach history and politics here in Iligan City for more than a year now. Don’t get me wrong if I tell you that I see our educational system a bit far-off from our Asian neighbors. I just believe that pointing out these defects will help us realize more about ourselves and hopefully would provide solutions to our leaders. A senior Department of Education official agree to this as he described the quality of Philippine school education as “failing to teach the competence the average citizen needs to become responsible, productive and self-fulfilling. “We are graduating people who are learning less and less", he said.

Have you met a person not able to read and write? I did. We fondly call him Binig. He is a Tiruray, a lumad from the mountains of Maguindanao Province. My father hired him to work for us in our little fruit farm. He stayed at our house and with this; I grabbed the chance of teaching him his ABCs. I tried to explain to him the advantages of literacy and the joys of being able to read. For a week, I taught him (and the pronunciations) of the letters in the alphabet but after a few days, he gave up. He said he doesn’t want to learn anymore. As he said this, I was able to see truth in his eyes. He was ashamed of himself being taught by someone younger than him. He was 27, I was 19.

People like Binig are not so rare in the Philippines. According to the report of the National Statistics Office, two out of ten Filipinos are not functionally literate. The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, (where Binig is from), has the lowest rate with 4 out of 10 not able to read and write. This would give you an idea that we are not that literate after all.

The main reason why we have a poor education system is the very low budget allocation. Our education expenditure is only 2.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (2005). Did you know our appropriation’s rank compared to other countries in the world? 158th. And oh, in case you’d want to ask, we’re 12th – in world population.

To give you an idea how small this appropriation is, let’s take the report of Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) President, Dr. Epitacio Palispis: In 2005, the Philippines spent only about $138 (Php 6,900) per pupil. Compare this to $852 (Php 42,600) in Thailand, $1,582 (79,100 PhP) in Singapore, and $3,728 (Php 186,400) in Japan.

The very low budget results to the underpayment of teachers. (I bet my professors in MSU-IIT, as well as teachers in high school would agree to this). In Singapore, they pay their teachers about Php122,000. Here in the Philippines, the basic salary is Php12,026 (excluding mandatory deductions like GSIS, Pag-ibig, PhilHealth, and witholding tax). That's the reason why we definitely have no summa cum laudes teaching in public schools. There should be a fair compensation that would give way for the competent ones to teach. Good thing many of us teachers still see teaching as a vocation and not a mere profession.

Another problem that arises from our measly budget is the lack of proper facilities in our schools. I believe this to be true for I was educated in public schools. I remember in our high school biology class, a bunch of us would take turns peering what's on the glass slides because of the very few microscopes available. Much of the things instructed were left for us to “imagine” as we can’t learn and experience those first hand. (That's the one and only time I've touched a microscope).

In our high school, I was fortunate to be in the “higher section” as we tend to receive “special treatment and better instruction” from teachers. What I worry is for those belonging to “lower majority sections”. Fifty to sixty students clump to poorly-ventilated rooms there. This sight is not exclusive to our school in South Cotabato. This holds true to the other 14 million youths studying in public schools all over the country.

Schools in the Philippines are also “commercialized”. More and more parents are made to believe that getting their kids in a privately owned school increases the chance of their children to become of top-notch caliber. Enrolling in private schools are very expensive but we can’t blame these parents. Most private schools tend to have superb facilities and comfortable rooms. Especially in the primary and secondary schools, the private school is a better choice for well-off parents not amenable with the 150 to 1 toilet-student ratio in the public schools. Most of the time, a conducive environment offered by private schools, ushers the better learning.

Because of this scenario, our educational system created a “social divide”. Rich people go to private schools while poor people have no choice. As one Filipino columnist wrote “Education has become part of the institutional mechanism that divides the poor and the rich.”

This very social cleavage gave way to a “knowledge gap”. I remember replying to a forum about the elections: “While many of us here on the internet exchange burning ideas about our aspired leaders, we forget the fact that the non-calculating masses still dictate the elections”. Most people in the grassroots fight for Erap, Villar and Aquino where it should have been a fight between Gordon and Gibo. The recent elections should have been a battle of leadership, intent, and platform; but the results have proven that stellar popularity is the masses' determining factor (thirty percent of a hundred actors who run for office won).

With lack of management competencies and systemic corruption, it’s no question why we have a lot of incompetent graduates yearly. While that is already saddening, add the “human capital flight” where our good technically skilled people have gone outside the country for greener pastures. And what is left is a big gap between the rich and the poor. The learned and the dumb.

Our government should focus on education. It is the key for progress. Our educational institutions should be backed up by opportunities to prevent this brain drain as it’s the only way to bridge the large economic gap. Ito ang kailangan natin nang hindi naman mahiya ang mga estudyanteng nagtapos sa Mababang Paaralan sa Mataas na Bukid. ####


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The Best Man for the Job: JRGon's President is...

I am a small voice but allow me to be heard. I’m imploring you to read the following in the hope that you’ll understand why I think there is a need choose the right president this coming elections. I hope that you will judge on the merits of this article.

We Filipinos, as a nation, lack direction and foresight. We are lost. We, as a people, do not have a clear goal of what to be as a nation in the coming years. Our “bahala na” attitude is a clear manifestation of our carefree predisposition as a people. It is not even surprising that Time Magazine calls us the Asia’s Laggard. Why? Back in the 1960’s we are Asia’s economic giant only shy to Japan. We were the country with the highest literacy rate. Koreans and other neighboring Asian countries are envious of our success. Fifty years after, look at what kind of country we are now. With trillions of dollars as debt to the World Bank, 11% of the population looking for greener pastures abroad, more than half of the 94 million below poverty line, we are clearly lagging behind our Asian counterparts. We once dreamt of becoming a newly-industrialized country by the Year 2000, but up to now, we are still dreaming.

Our government has become a kakistocracy - a government run by the least qualified or most unprincipled. A government ran by the worst of its citizens. Many of us fail to elect the right leaders for the job.

We need strong leaders in order to restore our country. It is not enough to say for a leader that he or she is “for the poor”, what is important is he or she knows what to do to uplift every individual. Like a coach to his players, we need a leader that teaches and corrects us to help us win and succeed. A coach’s words may be harsh, but that is what real love is. That is what real concern and love for country is all about.

Our Asian counterparts have already done it on their own turfs. The late Park Chung Hee has done it in South Korea. Torn after the Korean War, Park has led the country to the industrialized status by 1988. Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore led the island nation to economic prosperity in a span of 29 years from 1959 to 1980. Japan on the other hand, was able to rise up and even hosted the 1964 Olympics (19 years after losing in the World War II).

We have few examples of strong leader ship here in the Philippines worthy to be followed. Despite being labeled as “The Punisher” by Time Magazine, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s iron hand in Davao made it, “The most peaceful city in Asia”. (You have to come to Davao to see for yourself because I did). Let us also not forget Mayor Alfredo Lim’s performance in Manila. It is apparent: discipline and political will is not a bad thing – it is timely and critically needed.

My president has a strong leadership. He enforces strong action, because for him it is the real essence of leadership, not a mere title.

My president studied History and Government in College.

My president did great results in an executive office. No other candidates did.

My president was visited by Margaret Thatcher, Dr. Mahatir Mohammad, and U.S. President Bill Clinton came to see the miracle of Subic’s great transformation from a sin city to a model city.

My president generated 200,000 jobs and was able to gather 8,000 volunteers to help rebuild the city after the Americans have left the bases.

My president is not a corrupt leader. His detractors filed 38 cases but all were dismissed; those cases did not even reach the Sandiganbayan.

My president, when he was still the Mayor of Olongapo, never failed to abandon his constituents during the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo despite the quake happening every two minutes. He saved 9,000 Aetas and forced them to evacuate the volcano’s perimeter. My President reminds me of New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was there to help after the September 11 bombing.

My president has been a volunteer of the Red Cross for more than 40 years. He was there to help during the Guzman Tech Tragedy in Quiapo (1995), Pagoda Tragedy in Bulacan (1993), Mayon eruption (2009), Cabanatuan City Quake (1990), Typhoon Frank in Iloilo (2008), Release of Abu Sayyaf hostages in March 2000, Glorietta Blast, Typhoon Ondoy, and many more.

My president was able to bring in 6 million tourists to the Philippines despite the Bali bombing, and SARS outbreak. He made us say Wow! Philippines.

My president authored the Tourism Act of 2008, Veterans Equity Bill, and co-authored many more. He was the Chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee challenging the infamous ZTE-NBN Deal of the government as well as the Fertilizer Scam.

My president, when he was still a mayor, said on March 1980: “What we need is not just a change of men but a change IN men”.

My president is, like other candidates, a sweet-talker. But has ALREADY delivered what he said. He has already cleaned his own backyard in Olongapo before vying for the Senate, and now, the presidency.

I am campaigning for Senator Richard J. Gordon. I trust him my vote for I believe he can take us where we want to be. We need the one “who can get things done” and has achievements to back up the claims of his capability.

Let us leave the surveys behind, they do nothing but give us preconceived notions of who to vote. Sink or swim, my vote belongs to him for he deserves it. And by the way, did I fail to mention that Dick Gordon is the author of the Automated Elections Law? ###


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Finally, I was able to finish this article. Let us vote wisely and may God bless the Philippines! Feel free to comment on this article. Feel free to share this article to others.

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