Fellow Pilgrims, First of all, in the tradition of twitter, I would like to ask, “what are you doing?” I don't expect you to answer this in 140 characters or less, but that question can very well be the starting point of everything there is to know about life and your place in this universe.
The Real Work Begins: Skills Needed to Run Government
When the stress of the campaign, the media circus, the awkward dancing, starlets and comedians fed to bored men and women, and the results of the elections are out (we had the first ever digital/automated elections a year ago and this will help cut down on the stress of having to wait for the election results for months and months on end as well as the potential election protests that stretch for years), and someone is declared winner, the real work of governing begins.
Philippine Political Skill Sets: Or Why We Vote the Wrong Persons to Power
Years ago, when I was in high school, I was one of the winners in a writing contest sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry. During the awards ceremonies, I was congratulated by the DTI Secretary named Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Our National DNA
These days, I ask myself questions about our political culture and our psyche as a nation. How do we think as a people? Why do we act the way we act? Why has corruption become so ingrained, so institutional it happens in all sectors of our society? We talk of corruption in government because it is the most rampant and the easiest to talk about. But it happens at all levels. We in the private sector are just as guilty as some of the ones we have voted to power.
10 Videos That Made The Philippines
Some years ago, I listened to a CD called, "20 Speeches That Changed A Nation". It was a list of 20 Speeches that changed, made and molded our country into what it is now. In homage to that, and borrowing from that idea, I am featuring 10 Videos that I think best represent, or show us what this country is all about. This one is by no means a definitive list. But I have tried my best to get a good sampling from all over.
Lessons Learned from the RH Bill War
The Reproductive Health Bill has divided our nation into two factions (with a third faction of those who passively--or actively--don't really care about it). This is unprecedented. In the past, the factions were drawn around political and even cultural lines. The EDSA Revolution was about anti-Marcos civilians (of which a vast majority was a Cardinal Sin-led Catholic Church) and troops against a pro-Marcos military.
Parshat Ki Tisa 5772
Water is essential to life on earth. Water covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and makes up 55%-78% of the human body. Without food and water, humans will last for only 3-5 days. Clean water is a basic requirement to sustain human, plant, and animal life and ensure the healthy functioning of all the world’s ecosystems.
Don’t Be Surprised!
When we get to heaven, there will be three surprises: First, we will be surprised by the people that we find there, many of whom we surely had not expected to see. The second surprise is that we will be surprised by the people who are absent--the ones we did expect to see but are not there. The third surprise, of course, will be that we are there ourselves.
prayersofapilgrim.com 