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How to make your 2013 more meaningful
How to make your 2013 more meaningful
By: Harvey S. Keh
Published at The Manila Bulletin on January 6, 2013 (Sunday)
The new year always brings about new resolutions, opportunities and challenges to all of us. A recent survey done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) shows that almost 90% of Filipinos are entering this new year with renewed hope and excitement. Yet despite this, there still much work to be done to help our country continue to move forward towards lasting progress and development. This will only happen if each of us will take the time to do our own small share towards making a difference in our society.
Here are some concrete initiatives that we can do to help make our 2013 more meaningful not only for ourselves but also for our country:
1.) Share your old but usable books to our public schools
While we have many books that just gather dust in our book shelves or cabinets, less than 20% of our public elementary schools do not have functional libraries due to lack of resources. This is equivalent to more than 10 Million young Filipino students who are not able to learn how to read properly because they do not have books to read in the first place. The Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation accepts storybooks, up to date encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and other learning materials that can still be placed in our public elementary school libraries. If you would like to donate, you can call (02) 433-1440 or (02) 990-3282, you can also bring your donations to 56-D Esteban Abada St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
2.) Volunteer for the coming 2013 National and Local Elections
We always love to complain about how corrupt our government officials are and this is a fact in our country where we lose billions of pesos due to graft and corruption. These billions of pesos can easily provide scholarships to poor but deserving students, adequate housing to poor families and health insurance for every Filipino. More often than not, the reason why we have corrupt political leaders is because many of us choose to just stay away from getting involved and ensuring that these people never get elected into public office again.
If you believe that our country deserves clean, honest and truthful elections then you may want to share your time and talent to volunteer for election watchdogs such as the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) or the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). You can contact NAMFREL by calling their office at (02) 470-4151 while you can just visit your nearest parish church to volunteer for PPCRV.
Let us remember that we do not have a right to complain if we don’t do our part as citizens of this country to ensure that we elect the right leaders.
3.) Blog and write about inspiring stories in your community
When one looks at the front page of our newspapers, majority of the news are usually bad news. Are we as a nation really that bad? I don’t think so. There are so many inspiring stories in our communities but sadly, not many people know about these stories until media decides to publish or feature it. One prime example is the Kariton Classroom of Efren Penaflorida who only got attention when he was chosen as the CNN Hero of the Year in 2009. Fortunately for Penaflorida, his friends decided to upload a video of his initiative on YouTube which got the attention of people from CNN. This recognition enabled Penaflorida’s group to receive more resources and donations that is now allowing them to help more children in Cavite.
Our country is a nation of heroes that is why I am sure that there are a lot more exciting and worthwhile initiatives that are happening in our own communities thus, it would be good if we can blog or write about these initiatives so that we can continue to inspire more Filipinos to do their own small share in making a difference by sharing their time and talents.
Just like the Kariton Classroom, the community projects that we start need not immediately make a great impact but if we are able to create several hundreds or even thousands of these initiatives all over the country then it will only be a matter of time before we are able to make a big dent in our nation’s fight against illiteracy and poverty.
Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com
Bawal Magreklamo ang hindi Bumoto!
Ayaw natin sa mga Epal at Political Dynasty diba?
Ito na ang pagkakataon natin na maalis sila sa kapangyarihan sa pamamagitan ng ating pagboto ng mas mahusay at matinong kandidato sa nalalapit na halalan.
Pero, hindi tayo makakaboto kung hindi tayo magrerehistro!
Magparehistro na sa inyong local COMELEC office! Deadline na sa Oktubre 31!
Nominations now open for the 1st Dakilang Barangay Health Workers Awards
The 1st Dakilang BHW Awards is the first awards program to give honor and well-deserved recognition to the public service and community volunteerism given by our Philippine public health volunteers known commonly as Barangay Health Workers (BHWs).
Health volunteers, or BHWs, are the frontliners in primary health care services in any Philippine locality. They are often volunteers in community health centers that operate under the guidance of the Local Health Board (LHB) in accordance with the guidelines of the Department of Health (DOH). However, over the years, many of these hardworking BHWs are often under-recognized and not given the due recognition that they deserve for all the hard work and services that they render to their communities.
The Dakilang BHW Awards program seeks to provide due recognition to outstanding BHWs based in Metro Manila who have at least five years of active experience. The awards program is organized jointly by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government, the Kaya Natin! Movement of Good Governance and Ethical Leadership and the Office of Senator Teofisto Guingona III.
Nominees will undergo a screening process from which up to ten (10) finalists will be awarded a trophy and cash prize from the organizers in an awarding ceremony to be held in February 2013.
Any Filipino citizen or organization can nominate a BHW who is currently working in their community in Metro Manila using the application kit that can be found on http://www.kayanatin.org. They may also send an email to dakilangbhawards@gmail.com or call (02) 990-3282.
Nominations will be accepted until November 30, 2012.
Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of Supreme Court Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
The Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership recently received a copy of the summarized Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of Supreme Court Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. So far, only Justice Carpio and Sereno have voluntarily given Kaya Natin! copies of their SALN. We have not received any reply as of the moment from Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. We sent a letter to all the Supreme Court Justices requesting for a copy of their latest SALN for public disclosure last December 19, 2011.
Here is a copy of the letter of reply from Justice Sereno together with her latest SALN:
Letter of Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
Official Summarized SALN of SC Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
Elections and Sendong
Elections and Sendong
by: Harvey S. Keh
The Manila Times
http://manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/columnist1/13724-elections-and-sendong
Our newest batch of Kaya Natin! Champions of Good Governance and Ethical Leadership
The Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership (KN), a national movement initially convened by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government in 2008 recently welcomed five new Champions of Good Governance into its fold. The movement counts Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, former Pampanga Gov. Among Ed Panlilio and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service, Grace Padaca as among its founders. Aside from them, other Champions of Good Governance currently include Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, Quezon City 3rd district Rep. Bolet Banal, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, Jr., AKBAYAN Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Alicia, Isabela Mayor Jeng Reyes and former San Isidro, Nueva Ecija Mayor Sonia Lorenzo, who is also the current Executive Director of the Union of Local Authorities ofthe Philippines (ULAP). There are currently 27 KN Champions who come from different areas all over the Philippines.
New champions of good governance
The newly inducted Champions of Good Governance include current Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte-Alimurung of Quezon City, Rep. Erin Tañada of Quezon, Councilor Aura Landar of Passi City, Ilo-Ilo, Councilor April Dayap of Davao City and Brgy. Captain Caesar Marquez of Brgy. Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Belmonte-Alimurung was cited for her accomplishments in the promotion of local tourism and the effective implementation of livelihood programs for women from depressed communities in Quezon City. Tanada was cited for his continued fight for transparency and public accountability by being one of the main proponents of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Landar and Dayap were both cited for their programs that help promote access to quality basic education among the youth in their communities. As the first barangay captain to be inducted as a KN Champion, Marquez was cited for transforming his barangay into one of the most child-friendly barangays in Metro Manila. All KN Champions were selected based on their proven ability to practice effective, ethical and empowering leadership.
Padaca visits University of Cebu
These new batch of KN Champions will now take part in the movement’s Caravan of Good Governance that aims to share inspiring their inspiring leadership stories to colleges and universities all over the country. Recently, Padaca through the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty and Freedom visited the University of Cebu where she encouraged student leaders of the school to become active agents in promoting transparency and public accountability among their local government officials. At the same time, Padaca reminded them of the enormous power the youth can have especially in electing better government leaders for our country.
Elections and Sendong
The massive destruction and loss of lives that typhoon Sendong has left in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan serves again as a grim reminder that we should never take our environment for granted. Many environment experts have already predicted that if illegal logging and deforestation activities continue all throughout our country, we will experience more tragedies such as this. It is very important for our government officials led by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Sec. Ramon Paje to immediately penalize and punish private businessmen as well as government officials that have perpetuated these acts. Unless we see people behind bars, we will see more these brazen acts of destroying our environment for one’s self interest.
As ordinary citizens especially those that have witnessed and experienced the effects illegal logging and illegal mining activities in their communities, this should also serve as a lesson to take our elections more seriously so that we will be able to elect better government leaders who will protect the environment and promote the common good. We should also take part in activities, institutions and organizations that promote voters education and will ensure clean, fair and honest elections so that we can finally have government leaders who will not use their power and position to enrich themselves and their families.
Start the New Year right with Success Source
What better way to start and kick off the New Year than with a series of inspiring talks filled with important lessons of success from notable young leaders of our country. The Asia Society Philippines will be holding Success Source: New Ways to Succeed series, a series of talks for students and young professionals that aims to shed light on the different aspects of success through the young and successful Filipino leaders of today’s generation. It aims to inspire participants to come up with their own innovative ways to success. With the fast paced development and progress of today’s global community, there are always new ways to discover to succeed. Starting January 2012, we will be having 3 separate sessions focusing on the different aspects of success specifically business and finance, education and travel.
Those who would like to register and take part in these interesting talks should contact Migel Estoque at (02) 752-4374 or you can send an email to info@asiasociety.org.ph.
Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio’s Latest SALN
Last December 19, 2011 (Monday), the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership sent a letter of request to all Justices of the Supreme Court for a copy of the latest Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). This is in the interest of transparency and public accountability. As of 6pm today, only Justice Antonio Carpio has voluntarily given us a copy of his summarized SALN. Below is a copy of the letter that we sent to all SC Justices and the reply of Justice Carpio to Kaya Natin.
This is a copy of the letter that we sent to all the Justices of the Supreme Court requesting for a copy of their latest SALN in the interest of transparency and public accountability
This is the letter of Justice Antonio Carpio to Kaya Natin! which was sent by his office via fax
A copy of the latest summarized SALN of SC Justice Antonio Carpio as sent to us by his office
Founding President of Starbucks International Howard Behar visits Manila this coming February 2012
Man who brought Starbucks outside the US and into the whole world will visit Manila
From a single store in Seattle to thousands of stores across the globe (with 190 here in the Philippines), Starbucks can be considered as one of the most successful franchise companies and business stories that we all know of.
Aside from starting the “coffee shop” craze here in the country, their expansion outside of North America has proven to be very helpful and effective to the business and it has also set the model for other companies in the coffee business as well.
Now, just as with other companies, we all know that their success did not happen overnight. But a lot of people can attest to the fact that there is something different in Starbucks that has caused its continuous growth not just in the US or in the Philippines but in the whole world.
And so the question remains: What continues to make Starbucks the go-to place today? Is it the coffee?
Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks International, says otherwise. In his book entitled “It’s Not About the Coffee”, Mr. Behar enumerates several principles that he has learned and implemented throughout his career and life at Starbucks.
With experience of over 50 years in consumer oriented businesses and industries, Mr. Behar is a testament to the ideals that he advocates. His growth as a professional from working various industries and environments is reflected in the milestones that he’s had with Starbucks. From only 28 stores, founding Starbucks International has led its expansion to over 15,000 stores in five continents. He has also helped establish the Starbucks culture and bring the Starbucks experience to consumers beyond national borders.
Through his book and several speaking engagements, Mr. Behar is known for his insights on organizational and personal leadership. After 21 years of service to Starbucks, he now serves on several profit and nonprofit boards including the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, Sterling Savings Bank and Anthos Capital to name a few.
On February 8, 2012, he will be coming to the Philippines to help develop and educate future leaders through a talk organized by the Asia Society Philippine Foundation, Inc. and Starbucks. The talk will be from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm at the AIM Conference Center, Legazpi Village, Makati City. His books are also available at any Powerbooks stores. 10% discount will be given to those who buy the books at the venue and a book signing will also be arranged after the talk.
Asia Society Philippine Foundation, Inc., an organization that promotes and strengthens understanding between and among people, institutions and leaders of Asia and the US, invites everyone to listen and learn from Mr. Howard Behar, founding President of Starbucks International. This is a great opportunity that you wouldn’t want to miss!
For inquiries, please call 752-4374 or e-mail info@asiasociety.org.ph.
Official Statement of Kaya Natin! on the Impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona
We, the leaders of the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, support and laud the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona by the House of Representatives.
We believe that the Supreme Court, as the highest judicial body of the land, should undoubtedly be independent from any administration, past or present, in order to fulfill its obligations justly and without bias. The long and strong history between Corona and former President now Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gives Filipinos a compelling reason to believe that the Supreme Court led by Corona is still heavily biased for Arroyo. It also did not help that Corona’s appointment as Chief Justice itself was questionable and went against the Constitution as a midnight appointment.
The Filipinos deserve a truly independent and trustworthy judicial body that will decide on important cases based on what is legal, constitutional, and right, not on whom the courts are loyal to. We Filipinos have already suffered countless of injustices from biased decisions, and we will no longer remain silent while these people continue to defile our institutions.
We refuse to tolerate this poisoning of the Supreme Court. Now, more than ever, there is a need to restore the full trust and confidence of the Filipino people in our high court. We cannot afford to have a court that is highly mistrusted by the people, especially the Supreme Court which is supposed to work for the good of the Filipinos.
We call on the Senate of the Philippines, as the trial court for the impeachment case of Chief Justice Corona, to listen to the people whose trust was betrayed by the actions of Corona. We hope that the evidence presented by the Lower House in the articles of impeachment are sufficient to exact accountability from the Chief Justice.
We also call on every Filipino in the country to remain vigilant and continue to hold accountable our officials who have likewise betrayed us by putting their own selfish interests above the public good. It is high time that we demand transparency and accountability from our government officials, as we should rightfully do.
Finally, we call on all government officials, whether appointed or elected, to be truthful and faithful in our mission to serve the public. Public service is not a business, not a way to make money, but a way to give our countrymen good governance and a better quality of life that every Filipino deserves.
Signed:
Jesse Robredo, DILG Secretary
Eddie Panlilio, former Governor, Pampanga
Grace Padaca, former Governor, Isabela
Teddy Baguilat, Jr., Representative, Ifugao
Sonia Lorenzo, Executive Director, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines
Neric Acosta, Presidential Adviser for Environment Protection
Jeng Reyes, Mayor, Alicia, Isabela
Fermin Mabulo, Provincial Administrator, Camarines Sur
Florante Gerdan, President, Poro Point Development Authority
Roque Verzosa, Jr., Mayor, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
Mabel Acosta, former Councilor, Davao City
Shirlyn Macasarte, Board Member, North Cotabato
Janaree Disomimba, former Mayor, Tamparan, Lanao del Sur
Gloria Congco, Mayor, Cabiao, Nueva Ecija
Marivic Belena, Mayor, San Jose City
The Kaya Natin! Champions – Effective and Empowering Leadership with Intergrity
Give the gift of Good Governance and Inspiration this Christmas!
For inquiries and orders, you can call Shylynne Castillo at (02) 433-1440 or send an email to knmovement@gmail.com
Meaningful gifts for this Christmas
Meaningful gifts for this Christmas
by: Harvey S. Keh
The Manila Times
LAST weekend, I attended a wedding reception at the Thunderbird Hotel and Resorts in San Fernando, La Union. There, I caught up with Mary Jane Ortega, one of our Kaya Natin! champions and widely acknowledged as one of the country’s best-performing local chief executives during the nine years she spent as mayor of San Fernando. The last time I talked with her was during the May 10, 2010 elections, in which I tried to convince her to support then-Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd and Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd. But Ortega politely declined to do so, saying that, as a Lakas-KAMPI stalwart, she was committed to support former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro despite knowing that it would be tough for him to make it to Malacañang.
The former mayor may continue to be associated with the former ruling party, but what is admirable about her is that, despite being with the opposition, she says that she wants to help ensure that President Aquino will succeed in his job. This is very commendable, since we usually see leaders of different political parties slugging it out and trying to bring each other down. The result? A country so divided that it cannot move forward and solve our nation’s most pressing problems. Ortega said that she continued to pray and wish the President well, since his success would also mean our country’s. We certainly hope that we will have more political leaders like her who go beyond political affiliations for the greater good of our country.
Help young Filipinos get a good education this Christmas
I am sure that many of us are now busy coming up with our own Christmas lists and thinking about what we can give to our family and friends. I hope that you can consider giving some meaningful gifts this Yuletide season, gifts that would not only make your loved ones smile but also make a difference in the lives of other Filipinos.
Pathways to Higher Education-Philippines, a non-profit organization based at the Ateneo de Manila University, is currently selling two main Christmas packages that you may want to consider giving to your family and friends. The first is called Double Blessings (P250 a pack), a set of nutritious brown and red rice cultivated by our hardworking Filipino farmers in Benguet and Ifugao. The second, Two Brews (P280 a pack), offers two kinds of coffee—Benguet and Hazelnut.
Pathways helps academically gifted but financially disadvantaged students from public high schools gain access to quality higher education. If you would like to order and support Pathways, you can get in touch with Donna de Jesus by calling (02) 426-6001 local 4046 or send an e-mail to pathways.donna@gmail.com.
3G: Goodies for Good Governance
For those who prefer sweets, the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership is launching its highly successful 3G: Goodies for Good Governance Brownies and is selling these for P195 a box. I guarantee that these brownies taste really good and I am sure that whoever you will give these to will definitely appreciate it. Proceeds from the sale will help fund the movement’s Caravan of Good Governance, which helps educate more Filipinos in colleges and universities about the importance of good governance and responsible citizenship. The movement has visited more than 100 colleges and universities in the country and through your support, it can continue to bring its message to more schools in the provinces.
Plus, Kaya Natin! also continues to sell Pasyonista shirts that are specifically designed to inspire young Filipinos to get involved in activities that promote nation-building. You can see the shirt designs at http://pasyonista2011.multiply.com. To order the brownies or the shirts, contact Wendell Bal-deras or Krz Lopez at (02) 433-1440 or send an e-mail to knmovement@gmail.com.
Help kids fight cancer
If there is one organization that I look up to, it is the Kythe Foundation. Kythe provides support for children stricken with cancer and other chronic illnesses and their families. This Christmas, they are trying to raise funds to support their wellness programs by selling eco-friendly Kythe Tote Bags and Christmas cards. Each bag and card cost P 200 apiece and this will certainly go a long way in helping these children. To order and support this very noble organization, you can contact Milette Belen by calling (02) 376-3454 or through milette.belen@kythe.org.
I hope you will consider purchasing these meaningful Christmas gifts and help bring hope to more Filipinos all over the country.
Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com
