Out of my mind

The things we do in the name of the poor! I never thought I would see the light of the day when certain people would use the same line of defense that their erstwhile nemesis - he who professed his innocence to high heavens yesterday- used to justify all his actions: to benefit the masa, or the poor. Okay, so maybe there is no point in quibbling with intentions because there is just no way that anyone can actually measure sincerity and all that. Perhaps we can even grant that people do want to help the poor in this country and that the desire to alleviate poverty do haunt their waking hours - they can't sleep, they can't eat, they can't function productively until they are able to accomplish this noble mission. Fine. So we need to do something for the poor. But how is fighting for the rights and welfare of the poor a class issue? Does it automatically mean that when one is middle, higher middle, upper class, etc., one can not espouse anymore issues of the other "cl...

The following appears at the op-ed section of the Manila Standard Today - June 28, 2006. THE second round of the Graduate Tracer Study officially commences today as research directors of 60 colleges and universities from all over the country come together to begin the arduous process of answering the question that has been baffling industry and academe in the last few years. No, the question has nothing to do with how those voices got caught on tape. The question, in layman’s terms, is what exactly is causing the mismatch between what academe produces (skills) and what industry needs (jobs)? Hopefully, the answers will lead to prescriptions that will help academic institutions and national policymakers develop a more responsive and relevant educational environment that will enhance the overall competitiveness of Filipino graduates in the marketplace. But first, an introduction about the Tracer Study. It is a nationwide “tracer” study that aims to gather feedback on the whereabouts of c...

My column for today (Manila Standard Today) is about One Voice and its advocacy. THERE are at least three main challenges facing One Voice, the new citizens group initially composed of respected Filipinos who have come together to craft a five-point proposal to take the country out of the current political impasse. The first challenge is getting heard loudly and clearly above the din and dynamics of the current political melee, particularly as the run-up towards the second impeachment brings to a boil. This early, the message of the group, precisely perhaps because of its more sober tone, runs the risk of being drowned out by the more insistent and more confrontational stance of the other messages out there. It doesn’t help, of course, that in our country today, controversy and hysterics get more attention and media airtime. The adversarial positions being taken up by those advocating that the President be kicked out of office now as a nonnegotiable precondition for anything else, on ...

There are days when you can't help but suspect that all that pressure must be finally taking its toll on some cabinet secretaries. Being a cabinet secretary must be such a difficult job, particularly under the present dispensation; but then again, nobody is holding a gun to their head telling them to stick to their jobs or else... Of all the cabinet secretaries today, no one - bar none - is as disturbing and exasperating as the Justice Secretary. Yes, he with the cluttered and disorganized work desk and outrageous public statements. Watching the honorable secretary on television is always a riveting experience. A friend once likened it to listening to Howard Stern - you know he is going to say something outrageous but you still listen because you wanna know what appaling thing he is still capable of saying in public. For instance, why would anyone in his right mind issue a hold departure order for Satur Ocampo and in the process invite adverse media attention? Why would someo...

One Voice, a new citizens group, which counts among their ranks some people I have profound respect for, has issued a manifesto today. I have read the manifesto, although I haven’t had time to really study it. I read MLQ’s column today which provides some insightful context on both the group and the various points of the manifesto. Overall, I find myself agreeing with most parts of the advocacy. There are some points that I need more clarification on and I hope that these are addressed in the next few days. There are some parts of the manifesto that I could sincerely identify with, such that I could very well have written them myself. In fact, I think have written some entries in this blog that hew closely to some of the points the group is raising now. In particular, I did write about the need to craft a "social agenda" that takes away focus from the endless nitpicking and mudslinging. Parts of one particular blog follows. "But I think it is time to stop the screaming c...

My schedule this week is crazy, so I may not be able to blog regularly. But thank you to all those who emailed me privately and to those who left comments in this blog congratulating and wishing me luck me on my new preoccupation, which is writing a column. My column for today in the Op-Ed section of Manila Standard Today is Sex, lies and tough talk. SEX has been very much in the news in the last two weeks, thanks to three national controversies: the introduction of a module on sex education for high school students beginning this school year, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board’s latest protestations regarding the alleged sexual content of some television shows, and of course, the ongoing trial of four US servicemen accused of raping a Filipina at Subic. It has been more than a century since this country got out of the metaphorical convent, but judging from the furious reactions of some quarters on the issue of sex education, Padre Damaso is alive and kicking, a...

Starting today, and every Monday and Wednesday thereafter, my byline will appear in the opinion pages of the Manila Standard Today. My maiden column is about something close to my heart as a Human Resource Management practitioner: wages . Although it was that letter that gave me my 10 minutes of notoriety, it was this blog that caught media's attention. Yup, bloggers out there, it looks like mainstream media is indeed keeping a keen eye on the blogosphere. Manila Standard Today has another blogger on its roster of columnists, Sassy Lawyer . I know that there are bloggers out there who will see this move as a form of selling out. I don't. Have a good week ahead everyone!