Top 10 Everything of 2010

At the turn of the New Year, it is but proper to come up with a review of the events that transpired over the past 12 months. Check out my Top 10 hodgepodge events of 2010. 10 – You probably had the Last Song Syndrome with Manny Villar’s TV Ad, “Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura?” last May. I believe because of its media overkill, it should have been voted in the Billboard Charts and if be mass-produced, would surely be a radio hit.

9 - Last year’s election brought us the first ever automated election. Smartmatic’s PCOS (Precint Count Optical Scan) is the name; automated election was the game. And did I mention that Joseph Estrada allegedly junked his runningmate, the first black president Jejomar Binay? Photos and TV footage were there to prove it; Erap admitted skipping the VP slot but “returned” and then corrected it.

8 - A pathetic milestone in lawmaking was made by Lito Lapid. His proposed bill: seeking to limit the weight of bags of schoolchildren to three kilos. LOL (for old-timers, this means “Laugh Out Loud”)

7 - The seemingly-never ending debate between the RH bill proponents and the pro-life advocates also made the headlines. The president was warned with excommunication, Carlos Celdran was jailed, and there was a scuffle between the two groups outside the Manila Cathedral. And then suddenly, Report: Pope approves use of condom to prevent diseases”. I can’t help but smile. (Click here, here, and here for my articles about Sex Ed and RH Bill).

6 - Words such as Taamah and major, major were everyone’s catchphrases for the year. Thanks to Maria Venus Raj’s major, major blunder at the Miss Universe Q & A. Taamah!

5 - The Bar blast that injured 44 people also made the headlines which brought us the question of whether to discontinue the long-standing tradition of Bar Exam Salubong or not. Raissa Laurel, the law student who lost her two legs after the blast, is modern-day picture of resiliency and optimism.

4 – In the world of sports, Manny’s eighth world title in eight different divisions made us proud in world sports. His opponent Antonio Margarito looked so awful after the twelve-round pugilism; he had cuts all over his face and a broken facial bone. On the other news, Philippine football team shocked defending champion Vietnam, 2 goals to nil in ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup tournament; finally reaching the semis against the powerhouse Indonesia. Will soccer be our next basketball?

3 - The biggest bonus in the history of Philippine lotto lured thousands of Pinoys to various lottery outlets all over. People from all walks of life flocked to try their luck for the windfall (which is, 1 in 28 million). in the end, the 741.1 million-peso pot money was won by a New York-based balikbayan.

2 - Who would forget the August 23 Manila hostage crisis? Nine innocent tourists were wasted due to a botched attempt of the Manila Police District. I am keeping my mouth shut.

1 – And instead of PNoy’s administration that should be frequently looked into, strange enough, his love life was always brought in the limelight. The bachelor’s affairs were always highlighted whether it’s with Liz Uy, Shalani Soledad, Korina, Barbara Milano, Bernadette Sembrano and 14 others girls. Let’s see who will be the new girls in the stellar president’s love life this year.

Automated Elections: Tips on How to Vote

I was able to compile some information about the automated elections.

Here are some tips on how to vote for tomorrow’s election.

Feel free to share this to others.

PCOS stand for Precinct Count Optical Scan. It’s a machine that could help us count the votes faster and get the results in 48 hours (2 days). Blackouts? No worries. PCOS have internal batteries that can last 16 hours (the voting lasts 10 hours) in case of power outages.

1. You may find out beforehand (through your barangay), your Voter’s ID number, precinct number, and your sequence number (which is beside your name in the voter’s list).

2. Bring a valid ID. Voter's ID is best. Driver's license, passport, or any ID with your address and preferably a photo is all right). Present this to the Board of Elections Inspector (BEI).

3. The polls open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

4. You will get ONE CHANCE to have your ballot changed if you don't like it. That's when they first hand it to you. The key is inspection. Inspect the ballot right away for scratches, folds, etc. Additional tip: There will be a barcode going around the ballot. If this is marked, even scratched, in any way, the ballot will be spoiled. That is why, if anyone else handles the ballot, watch them well incase they would intentionally scratch the barcode with their fingernails to prevent your ballot from being counted.

5. Keep your hands very clean before voting. The ballot is very sensitive to marks, ink, water, stains, scratches, folds, or even sweat.

6. You are given 5 to 10 minutes to vote. To save time, you can bring a codigo (list of your chosen candidates on a piece of paper).

7. Don’t make mistakes.

8. Vote only the exact number you should vote for: 1 president, 1 vice president, 12 senators, 1 party list, 1 mayor, 1 vice mayor, 1 member of the House of Representatives, etc. The limit will be there on your ballot as a “Vote for not more than ____”). You can vote LESS than what is asked, just don’t OVERVOTE.

9. The ballot you are given will only be readable by one specific PCOS Unit because it's pre-registered there. Don't line up at the wrong machine or your ballot won't be read and it may spoil your vote.

10. Shade the egg-shaped hole beside your chosen candidate FULLY.

11. You will only have FOUR TRIES to put your ballot through the PCOS Unit.

12. The PCOS machine will print out the vote count in what looks like a long cash register receipt. This will be put into a sealed box that will be sent to the Comelec for proper counting. The PCOS Unit will count the number of voters who are voting based on the ballots inserted into it. Watch the screen on the machine to make sure of voter count, as well as other important messages.

13. Watch the readout on the PCOS Unit when you insert your ballot into it. If you done it right, it will show: “Congratulations! Your ballot has been scanned.” If not, it will indicate why (e.g. improper shading).

14. There will be a usual dropping of indelible ink in your right index finger. There are also the usual signing of forms and marking of thumbprints.

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Poll Results:

Question: Do you think the May 10 Elections will be a success?

Yes it will be - 11 votes (78%)

I don't know - 2 votes (14%)

No. There will surely be a failure of elections - 0 votes (0%)

I am not going to vote - 1 votes (7%)

Let us vote wisely. I pray that the elections will be a success.

Special thanks to Princess Mae Chua, a senior Political Science student at MSU-IIT, who is currently undertaking her thesis on voters’ attitude before and after the Automated Elections.