Politics, Pandemic, Conflict, Life...and Independence Day!

I know I have been neglecting my blogs since the tail-end of April and there's no valid excuse, really...just poor time management and plain laziness. There are so many things happening all at the same time that somehow "inspiration" and "motivation" get lost or buried among all the other daily issues and concerns that come my way. And what are these issues and concerns? Well, some are indeed urgent and important, a few can be life changing, others I would consider abuse of authority but most were just petty. The most important one for me...the CON-ASS. Now, I am not a radical person and basically, I have a rather high tolerance for politicians but this...this takes the cake for the most "walang-hiya" house resolution ever cooked up by this congress. The motivation here obviously is to get into the good graces of GMA and probably get that much coveted funding for the 2010 election...plus of course, let us not forget the pork barrel. This particular blog of mine is not a political blog but as a citizen of this country which I love so much, this time I have to take sides. Some say that this resolution will not really be implemented because the Senate will never agree to a Constituent Assembly but the fact that it has been voted upon and approved by the House does not diminish the possibility that political and unethical maneuverings can be done by those who will benefit from this the most. I am for constitutional change but only through a Constitutional Convention and this proposition can be included in a referendum in the 2010 election. Although the Philippines is a democratic republic, the diverse cultures and orientations of the different regions and ethnic groups of the country has resulted in a weak and flawed political system. I am of the belief that a federal system of government is a better fit for the Philippines and the Filipinos. Right now, we have some semblance of it under the Local Government Code but still LGU's or local government units do not have total fiscal autonomy and general control is held by the national government. For the provinces and regions to fully develop and attain prosperity, they should no longer be dependent or accountable to Imperial Manila. Now is the time to shift to a federal form of government but only through a constitutional convention and not before the 2010 general elections. The second most important concern is the AH1N1 flu which has now been declared a pandemic by the WHO. We now have 77 cases in the country and just this week a 17 year old student of De La Salle Manila came home to Bacolod and was quarantined in the Regional Hospital since her test taken before she came home came out positive. We are on full alert and the hospital has prepared a holding area for patients under observation. The issues that fell into the category of urgent and abusive are mostly work-related and since it's a 3 day-weekend, I won't think about them till Monday ;) Petty issues, I don't even listen to...although I do give some attention to petty concerns because I believe that people are important and sometimes, all they need is a change of perception :)

I gave a talk on Conflict Resolution last Wednesday for church workers in my parish and it was serendipitous because the next day, I had to meet with some staff regarding a conflict which started last week. We still have to resolve it though...but like I said...hey, it's a weekend!

Today, it's my city's charter day celebration and also Philippine Independence Day... the day the Philippines began as an independent nation. It is my dream that in my lifetime, I will see this country rise from it's past and the people moving towards a progressive and bright future...as my Facebook friend and APO member Jim Paredes says and I quote, "We as a nation need a major rethink. Let's get out of mindsets that don't serve us. Let's change our national conversation from left vs. right, administration vs opposition, to what works vs. what doesn't or what moves us forward vs. what does not. Then maybe we can move forward. Do not go gentle into that quiet night Rage, rage against the dying of the light."