In just 1 single click

Reposting from my article for Blog Watch because it’s timely (Iblog7: In 1 single click= E power http://blogwatch.tv/) Seeing my friends as speakers for different outstanding events makes me wonder that if they could do it, if they could do an spectacular something, why it’s very hard for others. Poverty is one hindrance, but what if everyone could afford? As we have this journey, how can we manage to bite back when they are always telling us that reality bites?

(This is me discussing Blogging for Advocacy for Iblog7 At Malcolm Theatre, University of the Philippines, College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City)


In Blogging for advocacy, everything comes naturally. It is about yourself, your passion and your environment in which you focus all your forces together with some luck. Blogging is not for everyone. To be a good blogger, one must have the will, time and an open heart to accept the challenges. There are three things to consider; Empowerment, Encouragement and Enrichment.

In 1 single click, an individual, group of people or even a politician can be empowered. It’s about influencing a target market about the issue. With the use of the fingertips, it could even start a revolution. The power of that 1 single click just like an ‘enter” sign for the “go signal” to allow the missile to be released could cause a disaster or peace. Empowerment is having power, making everything or thinking that everything is within your reach. It gives somebody courage, confidence and will to continue.

In 1 single click for an advocate, everything needs to be done. An awareness program for the citizens to be concerned, a training or seminar for a group of people to become skilled or a forum for those who are misinformed to have the right information. From the events and experiences of an advocate, the time has come to write which is as easy as 1,2, 3 because of the facts, observation, interviews and curiosity. A blogger must be knowledgeable about the issue. The world is the market and audience. Encouragement will be easier with proofs and reputation thus facts must be the objective.

In 1 single click, there are many connections. With the same advocacy group like RHAN or The Reproductive Health Advocates Network, while blogging, one can enrich everyone, no impossible. Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress and Blogspot are just some common tools to show the advocacy, from there one might encourage, empower and enrich the whole country without knowing it.

Blog Watch Team

The power of the internet and your fingertips might be the biggest issue today because of the positive or negative strength of the world wide web. It’s like praying that you are thinking somebody out there will do the work. In just 1 single click, everything will never be the same again.
In blogging for advocacy, it must be non-profit. One must not consider it as the day job. Donations and supports are welcome to be able to sustain the goal and objective but not for thyself. In one single click, one can help by expressing through blogging.

Participants at Iblog7 with Janette Toral at University of the Philippines, Diliman, College of Law (check where I am*wink). (Thanking @enjayneer and Pusang Kalye for the pictures)

Crimes of the Elite

Pilipinas na binubuo ng mahigit kumulang na 95 Milyong katao ay naghahanap pa rin ng isang Lider na makakapagpasunod sa karamihan, tuwid na daan ang kinakailangan at may kamay na bakal. Kadalasan ang mga nahahalal sa pinaka mataas na katungkulan ay mga kilala, batikan o may mga dugong pulitika ng nananalaytay sa kanilang ugat. Mga maykapangyarihan na sa kani kanilang bayang sinilangan at ginagalang sa kanilang komyunidad, nagtapos sa matataas na paaralan sa ibang bansa o kaya naman ay nagka posisyon dahil sa popularidad sa palakasan man o sa pinilakang tabing.

Napansin nyo naba ang pagkakaiba ng krimen sa ngayon na ang nasasangkot ay mahihirap at may kapangyarihan? Napagnilay nilayan na ba nating lahat ang pagkakaiba ng hustisya kung ang nasasakdal ay isang hamak na Juan o isang mayamang si Diego? Gaano man kagaling ang namumuno sa ating bayan, may prosesong pinagdaraanan ang paglilitis, ngunit ang kaibahan sa haba ng panahon, prosesong pinagdaraanan at sistema ng hustisya ay may malaking pagkakaiba ang mahirap at mayaman.

Sa kaso na may kapangyarihang opisyal na nadidiin ngayon sa “Plunder”, ilang beses na ba nating nasilayan ang kanyang presensya sa hukuman? Humarap na ba sila upang ipag tanggol ang sarili mula sa nag gigitingang mata ng taong bayan at nangitngitngit na mga mapagmasid? Sa ating natunghayan sa radyo man o telebisyon, mukha yatang nagkakaroon ng mga sakit sa katawan ang mga nasasakdal. Mula sa diksyonaryo, ang salitang “Plunder” ay katumbas ng “magnakaw”, “manloob” o “mang agaw”. Magnakaw ng hindi kanya, manloob sa iba, o mang agaw ng hindi sariling pag aari. Sa madaling salita ay kumamkam o kumuha ng hindi nya pagaari ngunit ito ay hindi kayang gawin ng iisang tao lamang lalong lalo na kung ang pinaguusapan ay kaban ng bayan. Napakaraming proseso ang pinagdaanan ng pagnanakaw, hindi lamang iisang araw ang ginugol ditto kung limpak limpak na salapi ang nakulimbat. Ang tanong mangyari ng mga pangkaraniwang mamamayan ay kailan may makikitang may kapangyarihang nakulong.

Kung ang nagkasala ay isang pangkaraniwang mamamayan, kulang sa pinag aralan at walang abogadong magtatanggol man lamang, hindi pwede na ang rason ay nagkasakit ng ilan ng buwan, hindi pwedeng humiling na mangibang bayan man lamang upang doon magpagamot at higit sa lahat mas mabilis pa sa ulupong ang proseso ng paglilitis. Napaguusapan ba sila? Gaano kahirap ang maging mahirap.

Sa mga mahihirap nating mamamayan, suspek ka pa lamang ay naka kulong kana. Natanggalan ng ilang araw, buwan o taon sa iyong buhay bago mapag alaman na wala ka palang kasalanan. Ang hustisya sa Pilipinas ay isang “iling” sa karamihan. May magagawa ba ang mahihirap upang ipagtanggol ang kanilang kinasasapitan? Sa tuwing eleksyon, ang ating mga inihahalal na may mga platapormang; Itaas ang pamumuhay ng nasasakupan, pagkakapantay pantay ng mga mamamayan, trabaho para sa lahat, pag iingat sa inang kalikasan, pag igtangin ang proyektong inprastraktura para sa bayan o matanggal ang krimen para sa tahimik na pamumuhay ay ilan lamang sa mga pinanghahawakan o rason kung bakit natin sila nahalal. May nakatupad naba?.

Unethical YOU : Anti Epal Bill

Projects are defined as work involving a single or group of people to finish it that usually involves research, design or implementation. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent that are constituted by teams within or across organizations to accomplish particular tasks under time constraints.

From the dictionary, An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either his own or that of his superior and/or employer, public or legally private).

A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public administration or government, through either election, appointment, selection, or employment. A bureaucrat is a member of the bureaucracy. An elected official is a person who is an official by virtue of an election. Officials may also be appointed ex officio (by virtue of another office, often in a specified capacity, such as presiding, advisory, secretary). Some official positions may be inherited.

A person who currently holds an office is referred to as an incumbent. –wikipedia

Today, we could see different tarpaulins, posters or even names of an incumbent or previous government official written on the Infraastructure, public works or activities that are project of the government, local or national. Senator Miriam Santiago made it a point for the Filipino people to become aware that the money spent for this projects are from the taxpayers money not from the government officials with their pictures smiling attached to the project on going or done.

Anti Epal Bill or formerly titled “An Act Prohibiting Public Officers from Claiming Credit through Signage Announcing a Public Works Project” or Senate Bill number 1967 is directed to politicians who claim credit for government projects. “Epal” is slang to “mapapel” or best defined as people who are attention grabbers, crave a role that are not theirs or scene-stealers that are not appropriate.

In terms of those government officials specially the incumbents with lots of tarpaulins as big as 10 ft x 10 ft square meters with their pictures and claiming it is their projects on going, the Senator find this unethical that could lead to corruption and evil because the project is funded by the taxpayers money.

Here are some points from the bill.

S. No. 1967
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

AN ACT PROHIBITING PUBLIC OFFICERS FROM CLAIMING CREDIT THROUGH SIGNAGE
ANNOUNCING A PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Anti-Signage of Public Works Act."

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the State's policy for public officers to serve with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, and to maintain honesty and integrity in public service.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. -For the purpose of this Act, the term:

A) "Government" means the national government, the local governments, the
government-owned and government-controlled corporations, and all other instrumentalities or agencies of the Republic of the Philippines and their branches;

(B) "Public officer" means elective and appointive officials and employees, permanent or temporary, whether in the classified or unclassified or exempt service receiving compensation,even nominal, from the government as defined in the preceding paragraph;

C) "Public works" includes, but is not limited to the following: streets, bridges,sidewalks, walkways, public buildings, public parks, sewage facilities, basketball courts, waiting sheds, and lampposts, which are funded, wholly or partly, though public funds released by the Government\ and (I?) "Signage" any form of writterl announcement, installed, posted, hanged, painted or otherwise displayed in a public place.