It would always be the same crooks, the same money interests who would take fullest advantage of democracy or any kind of government in the Philippines, while the poor and the brave would always lose out. The batters change in the game of Philippine politics, but the baseball team remains the same and the game remains fixed.

- Ninoy Aquino [1]

As we celebrate the 28th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, it would be good to look back on the wisdom of the man who inspired us to unite as a people and defend our country against a corrupt government. We are more aware of Ninoy’s oft-quoted, “The Filipino is worth dying for,” but I chose the one above because it is more suitable to our present times.

Let’s follow the command of our Supremo! A command that was given to us over a hundred years ago. In his message, he reminds us that we should willingly offer and give our intellect, skills and strength to ensure the success and prosperity of our Motherland.

Ang kaginhawaan pong ito ay malinaw na hindi na natin makukuha mula sa gobyernong pinamumunuan ni Pangulong Arroyo. Totoong hindi pa natin napapatunayan sa harap ng batas ang mga katiwalian at korupsyon sa pamahalaan at maaari nga namang hindi totoo ang mga nasabing akusasyon laban sa administrasyong Arroyo. Subali’t ating tandaan na ang responsibilidad na magserbiyo sa publiko ng pamahalaan ay nakabatay sa tiwala na ibinibigay ng taong-bayan.

You and I know that it would be against our democratic institutions and against our conscience to accuse and punish someone of committing grave sins agains the nation, unless there is undeniable evidence to support the accusations. Two of our greatest national heroes, Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, were both given death penalty sentences based on false testimonies from witnesses who didn’t present any proof.

…we are all victims of the abuses made by the Arroyo administration to our battered nation.

And just like battered women who have successfully left their abusive husbands, so too must we say goodbye to the Arroyo administration. We must move away from our delusion that things will get better if we give them another chance. It’s time we come to the realization that this administration has put our nation in danger. We must say to ourselves, “We deserve better!”

We must force ourselves to take rational action and show our government that abuse of power is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it any longer. We have to show our support for Jun Lozada so that other witnesses can come out and tell their stories about the ills of the Arroyo administration…

Perhaps you’ve heard of the controversial memorandum(1) of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) regarding the Guidelines of the Direct Hiring of Filipino Workers. Please allow me to explain to you why OFWs need your support against this memorandum. We really need your help! Please forward our plea for help to as many people as possible.

Malinaw po na ang kawawa ay ang ating mga kababayang OFW at isa na rin po ako rito. Tiyak na mahihirapan po kaming makahanap ng mga employer na magtitiyagang sumunod sa Memorandum No.4.

Kawawa din ang mga pamilya ng mga mawawalan ng trabaho na OFW. Marami sa mga OFW ang inaasahan ng kani-kanilang pamilya. Marami sa mga OFW ay may mga pinapakain at pinapatulog sa kanilang mga tahanan sa Pilipinas. Marami sa mga OFW ang tumutulong magpaaral sa kanilang mga kapatid.

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The Year of the Pig will be a memorable year for me because it was in August 2007 when I started blogging. Marc encouraged me to join the Pinoy Blogosphere’s Buwan ng Wika Blog Writing Contest. And so I entered my first post, Ang Mother Tongue at Lingua Franca (along with its English version). Writing that essay made me feel like I was in high school again. It felt great to be able to express my self and my ideas. Blogging has allowed me to write anything and everything I want to write about. Every time I write in my blog, I get to live out my childhood dream of becoming a writer.

Janette Toral is asking for a blog brainstorm and discussion about the important issues that presidential candidates should address during their campaign. Basically, the question is: What are the issues that you would like our candidates to talk about in the 2010 national elections?

Here’s my wish list (in countdown order) of the Top 10 Issues I Would Like My President to Address through Policy, Propaganda and Programs: