the vote 2010

In less than two months, we Filipinos will again choose our leaders.

Funny. I started this blog during the 2007 elections. And now, three years on, we're again entering the process.

I hope we finally vote Mr. Wisely = )

Back then, I was hoping and praying that the elections be automated. Thank God. It is. I just hope there's no power interruption = )

What was present then? What has changed since then? How have the Filipinos progressed? I wonder.

All I know is this - Manny Pacquiao got bigger. We were slammed by two super typhoons in two years, Milenyo and Ondoy. This made Civil Engineering and urban planning cool again. The Ampatuans put the Philippines, again, in bad light. The CNN hero gave us the honor of naming our countryman the first ever CNN-Hero. Kris Aquino is till hogging the limelight. And GMA was hounded by three scandals: ZTE broadband, Fertilizers and Hello Garci. We lost President Cory Aquino to colon cancer which made Noynoy ran for President. Why? I do not know. If he wins, we will find out why = ) Cancer also took away Francis Magalona from us.

And of course, the politicians are still at it. Mudslinging one another.

What if all of us, Filipinos, stop going to work tomorrow? Or we all call in sick tomorrow? Use all our leaves all at the same time? You know just to send a message to self-involved powers-that-be that we do not like how they use our hard-earned money, taxes? Highly improbable but possible. Hmmmm, interesting. I actually see this happening :) I mean, we tried talking about it. They hid. We tried exposing it. They hid. It is utter limited thinking to expect a different outcome when one did not change anything in the process. Oh, well.

The OFW remittances have been increasing every year. It seems that only the housing and development is getting the benefits of this trend. Which further aggravates the situation and highlights the important question of - what is the best use of our land? Farming or housing development? Hmmmm, is that question already moving from a simple economic question to an ethical one? I mean, the Philippines is the number 1 importer of rice. That's sad because the country where we import rice studied at our very own UP-Los Banos in the 50s and 60s. Our population is set to breach the 100 million mark by the end of 2010.

The number of Filipinos directly employed by the BPOs is closing in 1 million. Mini-Stop made a killing because of this. Smokers, though globally been decreasing, is spiking in the Philippines because of this phenomenon, too.

But here I am. Amidst all of this. Embarking on an adventure. Personally. Professionally. Hopeful. Equipped... and prayerful.

As an aside, I like what the network has done when it comes to our elections. They made it easier for our politicians to be heard. In a way, leveling the field. Turned this whole thing towards, let the best choice win.

I mean that.

"... why think like mere men?"