My 2010 Senatorial Candidates

Few days are remaining before we finally cast our votes for the candidates that we believe to have the capability and the character to lead the country.

However, many Filipinos are still undecided whom to vote for, especially when it comes to filling the 12 vacant positions for the Senate. This indecision was caused of the lack of focus that the Philippine media is giving to the Senatorial candidates as compared with presidential and vice – presidential candidates.

The Senate, together with the Lower House (Congress), forms the Legislative Branch of the Philippine Government. The Legislative Branch is the co-equal branch of the Judiciary and the Executive Branch of the government. The power of the Senate stems from the fact that its members are duly elected by the people. It is the Filipino people who gave the Senators the power to craft laws and be the force to serve as check and balances to the possible abuses of the other two governmental branches.

Because of this, choosing the Senators in the 2010 Elections is as important our bets for the posts of president and vice-president.

As for me, I have already chosen some candidates that I will vote in May 10. I am endorsing them to you dear readers and I hope that you vote for them too. Here are the candidates that I will surely vote in May 10:

Francisco “Kit” Tatad (No. 57)

Kit Tatad was one of the senators who sat in Joseph Estrada’s impeachment trial. Unlike his fellow senators who subscribed to dramatics to gain the attention of the media, Tatad chose to stick to the rules prescribed by the constitution and the internal rules of the Senate. This is what I admired for this man that is why I will vote for him.

Gwendolyn Pimentel (No. 44)

Despite being the daughter of Senator Nene Pimentel, Gwen is out to create a name for her. I’ll be voting for her because we share the same stand regarding the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. We both believe that the current version of the RH Bill have provisions that is unconstitutional and somewhat tramples on the basic rights of the Filipino people. Because of her belief, she got a vote for me.

Jo Aurea Imbong (No. 21)

She is one of the senatorial bet of the Ang Kapatiran Party and a newbie when it comes t national politics. However, she is not new when it comes to public service. She has a consistent track record in supporting activities that protects the Filipino family. For that, she gets my vote.

Tatad, Pimentel, and Imbong are the senatorial candidates that I will vote for in the elections in May 10. I do hope that you vote for them too because they will serve as our vanguard in the august halls of Senate.

I still have 9 Senatorial candidates to choose for so as to complete the 12 Senatorial slates. So far, I am considering Neric Acosta (No. 1), Alex Lacson (No. 23), and Bong Bong Marcos (No. 32).

How about you dear reader, who is your Senatorial bets? What can you say about the senatorial candidates that I am still considering? Are they worthy of my vote? Please share your thoughts and leave a comment.

Please vote Kit Tatad (No. 57), Gwen Pimentel (No. 44), and Jo Imbong (No. 21) for Senator in May 10.


Visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read my review of Jane Auel’s novel, “Clan of the Cave Bear.”

This is Prohibited

The Filipino people is feeling the election heat! And aside from that, we are experiencing the usual eyesore.

Banners are scattered everywhere. Posted on walls, nailed on poor trees, and pasted virtually on any surface that is visible to the public.

This photo was taken on Quirino Highway in Quezon City and MMDA just told us this: "Bawal Ito" (This is Prohibited).
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So if this is "bawal" then what should we do with political posters like these?

As for me I will peel them off the walls whenever I got the chance.

How about you, what will you do on eyesores like this?

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Lessons I Learned in 2009

It is just a few hours away before the first seconds of 2010 will be ticking in our clocks.  In this time, many people are busy in making their New Year’s resolution and hope that they will be able to accomplish the goals that they set before the end of 2009. People are busy looking forward that they most of them forget to look back. 2009 had been a tumultuous year to most of us, it is not good to let it come and go without any of us getting something meaningful before it goes to obscurity.

Aside from New Year’s resolutions, the dawning of 2010 is the best time to look back to the past 12 months and contemplate on the lessons that we had gained. As for me, these are the lessons that I believe I gained from to outgoing year:

1) Friendship is not a Collateral

2009 is a year when I lost a friend because of money. It seems that the saying that friends and money do not mix well is true. My friend’s decision to cut all means of communications between us still baffles me. She gave up on me for just a puny amount. Not answering my calls, e-mails, text messages, and Facebook comments is a signal that she does not want to be contacted. I learned that money corrupts even friendship.

2) Stress is not an Alibi

It is true that the transactions in any Smart Wireless center are slow and the queue is quite long during rush hour. It is also true that Smart should do something about this problem so as not disappoint their clients. However, this problem should not be enough reason to be rude to anybody. A Smart Wireless center tested my patience during my most stressed day. I showed one of their agents my grumpy side, which I regretted later. The lesson is patience and this lesson is quite hard to learn. At least I am wary of my impatience and I am now trying my best to keep me from losing it.

3) Prepare for the Worst

Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng caught many people unprepared. For the long time, many people suffered and that includes my family. Ondoy’s wrath taught me to be prepared for the worst that might happen, especially now that PAGASA told us to expect more extreme weather conditions in 2010 due to climate change. I learned the importance of radio, of keeping the lines of communication open, and being ready to give help to those who are in dire straits.

These are just three of the many lessons that I had learned in the past year. I know that I have more things to recall and more lessons to brand into my head. As the 2009 is waning, let us reminisce the past 12 months and keep all the lessons that it brought.

How about you? What are the things that you learned in 2009?

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