ANAK 2013 Version ni Ka Freddie

Freddie Aguilar, the singer song-writer of the world-reknowed and legendary song, 'ANAK' recently made headlines for his romance with a 16 year old girl!

The song, which sold 6 million copies worldwide and translated into at least 26 languages, is now up for a much needed revival!

Here's the new lyrics! Enjoy!

Noong isilang ka sa mundong ito

51 years old na kaya ako

Pati aking bunso mas matanda pa sayo

At ang nanay at tatay mo'y

Di malaman ang gagawin

Minamasdan lagi pag-alis mo

At sa gabi'y napupuyat ang iyong nanay

Sa paghintay sa gate ninyo

At sa umaga nama'y papasok ka sa eskwela

Kasama ng highschool bestfriends mo

Ngayon nga ay sixteen ka na

Two years na lang ay debut mo na

Di man sila payag

Walang magagawa

Ikaw nga ay biglang nagbago

Naging matigas ang iyong ulo

Anong magagawa eh nag meet tayo?

Di mo man lang inisip na

Matanda pa ako sa lolo at lola mo

Pagkat ang nais mo'y

Masunod ang layaw mo

Di mo sila pinapansin

Nagdaan pa ang mga araw

Hinayaan mo akong manligaw

Ikaw ay nalulong sa matandang pilyo

At ang una mong nilapitan

Ang iyong laptop at binuksan

At ang tanong ng facebook ,"what’s on your mind?"

At ang iyong mga mata'y biglang lumuha ng di mo napapansin

Nagtataka at sa isip mo'y

Nalaman mong ika'y nasa headlines

Nagugulo at sa isip mo'y

Hayaan na at least ika’y aking girlfriend

Kiniklig at sa isip mo'y

Nalaman mong ika'y may regla na.

The Plunder Quiz

In recent news, Dominga Cadelina (the former maid of Janet Napoles) who was sent to jail for qualified theft, was seen on the television last night saying that she knew a lot of things that is why she was placed behind bars.

If you were Cadelina and Napoles filed a case of theft against you, what would you have said?

A.     Hiyang-hiya naman ako sayo ma’am! Ako pa ang magnanakaw ngayon?

B.     Kung magnanakaw ako, anong tawag po sayo ma’am?

C.     Pag maid magnanakaw agad ma’am? Pag senador napag-initan lang?

D.    Bago niyo ako ikulong mag-privilege speech muna ako! This is unfair ma’am!

PNOY was fuming when he was recently named ‘Pork Barrel King’ after the public learned of the irregularities in the pork barrel distributed during the Corona trial for those senators who voted for conviction.

In his official statement PNOY reverted back to old tricks and played the blame game by slamming the name of ex-president GMA and how her administration mishandled funds.

If you were GMA what would your reaction be?

A.     Eto na nga ang daang matuwid! Ang shaya-shaya noh?!

B.     PNOY, move on move on din pag may time noh?!

C.     Yung totoo? Gaya-gaya lang kay Jinggoy? Pag nahuli turo sha iba?

D.    Hiyang-hiya naman kashi ako sa kalinishan ng administrashyon mo noh?!

Jinggoy delivered a privilege speech crying foul and saying that selective justice is injustice. In the same speech he said that there is a government official who provided Jollibee receipts as pork barrel liquidation.

If you were Jollibee, what would you have told Jinggoy?

A.     Mas maganda kung nag resign ka na lang kesa nag privilege speech ka!

B.     Naks! Idol! Successful ang diversionary tactics! Bida ang saya!

C.     Thank you for the free advertisement! Langhap na langhap ang sarap!

D.    At least kami nag issue ng resibo, si bestfriend Napoles mo ba?

There have been two installments of Chito Miranda sex scandal, one for Wally Bayola, the attack of Habagat which submerged the greater Metro Manila, the Zamboanga crisis and Megan taking our first Miss World crown but the pork barrel scandal remains at the headlines of news.

If you were Napoles, Jinggoy, Bong and JPE what would your reaction be?

A.     Naknamputsa naman! Wala bang bagong pasabog si Kris Aquino?!

B.     Ara Arida! Please win the Miss Universe!

C.     Wala bang sex scandal si PNOY at si Grace Lee?

D.    Mayweather! Labanan mo na kasi si Pacquiao!

Photo courtesy of philnews.ph

Unggoy

Once convicted plunderer and Senator of the Philippines, Jinggoy Estrada delivered a privilege speech last week after his name was heaved at another plunder case this time with fellow thieves senators Bong Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile.

In that speech, Jinggoy complained how it was so unfair for the public to judge them based solely on the COA report and the account of the whiste-blowers.

Taxpayers, let us say sorry to Jinggoy for being so unfair. Never mind if we are robbed every month of our hard-earned income year in, year out. Nakakahiya sa kanya. 

In that same speech Jinggoy tried to discredit the COA report by pointing out process flaws and throwing ad-hominems to the COA Chairman.

COA, please say sorry to Jinggoy for implicating him on your PDAF audit. Never mind if he used the same report to point fingers to his fellow high-profile snatchers and thief at the senate and in the congress.

If that is not nincompoop personified I don't know what that is. 

In that speech too Jinggoy revealed that 50 million pesos worth of PDAF (pork barrel) ‘incentive’ was given to each senator who voted to convict Corona.

Ex-CJ Corona, please do the honors and thank Jinggoy for exposing this irregularity. Never mind if he admitted to have accepted the additional 50 million allocation too and never thought it was wrong during that time until he found himself in this shituation now.

True to the movie star that he is, he injected a punch line in his speech by mentioning how a certain public official also has questionable transactions involving millions of pesos with Jollibee.

Which makes you wonder if this clown-senator wants to somehow make this pork-barrel saga a telenovela by calling Jollibee in the succeeding senate inquiry?

Or perhaps if you want to make it more literal, which is more questionable? Millions worth of yumburgers with receipts or millions worth of shadow projects?

If there is such a thing as poetic justice we might be seeing Jinggoy behind bars for his second plunder case.

But another conviction for this shameless high-profile thief is more indicative  of us as a nation rather than him and his kind.

Long as it is (not mentioning how it lacks substance) by any standards, the 14 page speech failed to dispute and address the allegations thrown at the thief Senator- that one question that demanded concrete, absolute and concise answer- did you or did you not do it?

But such truthfulness cannot be demanded or at least expected of a man whose morals have been questionable in the first place, more so a man who has been convicted of plunder and voted back to the senate, more so of a specie called Filipino politician. 

The Call Center Work: Perceptions and Reality

Much has been said about the call center work both against and in defense of the industry in the social networking sites as well as in the mainstream media.

I will attempt to pitch in and contribute in the discussion, albeit late, not because I feel there is a need to correct the misconceptions but because I want to address my fellow call center professionals.

The Perception of Financial Supremacy

The first thing that comes to mind when someone learns that someone is working in a call centre is that, that person earns a lot.

While it is true that call center professionals generally earn more compared to most of the working population in other industries, I feel that this reality also is the roadblock why the profession has yet to receive the respect it deserves.

When a call center professional receive a negative comment about his/her line of work the most common and immediate reaction has always been ‘at least I earn more than you do!’

This has got to stop my friends. Not because it is not the reality but because the reality of the call center profession is larger than that.

So What If We Earn More?

The Philippine economy in the last few decades have been relying highly on the revenues being generated by our OFW friends until the BPO industry started to peak.

Today and in the last decade the annual revenues generated by the BPO industry is undeniably one of the strongest force driving the country’s economy in the form of tax, job creation and boom in food and in commercial and residential realty.

It is said that if we compare the two the BPO work outweighs the OFW work in terms of direct economic consequence.

This is because for every one employee employed in the BPO industry there are approximately five jobs that are created elsewhere.

This observation is validated by proliferation of 7eleven and Mini Stop stores in BPO areas as well as fast food chains (Jollibee, McDo among others), the boom of food stalls, condominium units (either rented or sold) and most importantly office spaces across the country.

If we take the BPO industry out of the picture Makati, BGC, Ortigas, QC, Cebu, Davao would be a lonely place. Imagine how many buildings would not be occupied or constructed at all?

The truth is, the Starbucks barista should be smiling at you my friend because your BPO employment necessitated the growth of coffee shops in the country and so is the local and national government for the huge amount of tax that you and these industries generate monthly.

Simply put, the BPO industry pumps the blood that other industries need to survive and thrive.

But I Am A College Graduate!

Oh this one is the most painful misconception because it underlines the fact that the profession is not recognized much more respected both by those who are in it and outside of it.

There are a lot of BPO workers who up until now thinks that it is not a profession and it is just sad and I think that it stems from the fact that they see it merely as a means to get their bank accounts filled twice a month.

The truth is, there is more to the BPO industry than answering calls.

You can be a people manager- not any different from an office worker or a business manager. You can be in training and people development- not any different from any corporate training professionals. You can be a quality or reports specialists- not any different from analytics professional in other industries who crunch numbers 9 hours a day!

Or you can be a world-class call center associate- not any different from a hotel staff who maintains the best customer service with guests and customers!

So what if it was not your course in college?

My friend, no one said that you have to derive your self-worth from your degree. The best doctors and teachers out there are the best not because they have applied what they learned, they are the best because they deeply and genuinely care about people they deal with and that passion is translated to what they do.

Simply put, it is not what we do, it is the value we put in what we do that matters.

Something Has To Change

The recent onslaught of non-stop rains is a testament to the waterproof commitment and dedication of the call center professionals in this country.

My friends, there is dignity in with the fact that we have explored different means to constantly go to work, leaving home with a sick family member or a baby or worse risking our own safety so we can perform our duties.

This is what I meant when I said that our defense or knee-jerk reactions towards criticism should not just be confined in the argument of who earns better.

By leaving the debate of salary to facts, we establish ourselves as professionals who are beyond monetary gains (although, mind you it is very important!)

We should establish ourselves as professionals who are highly flexible and dedicated worthy of respect and recognition not because we earn more but because just like them we think about our families and we believe that this profession is the best way to provide and improve the lives of our loved ones.

A diploma is only wasted if it is not used to its maximum potential. The BPO path is not any different from any other professional paths.

There is also a need for us to stop the superiority complex (which is a defense mechanism) and the extreme sense of entitlement.

Let us start to be more appreciative of the things that we have. A lot of the people I know in the industry constantly ask for more- and there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that- except that we have to constantly pause and say thank you.

I will not enumerate the benefits that is exclusive to our industry, you know what they are and I suggest that you start appreciating them for what they are.

Simply put, a person cannot be happy by demanding more. A person can only be happy if he/she starts to appreciate what is at hand and look at the future with optimism and resolve that he/she can be the best in what he/she does. 

The Heaven Won't Stop Weeping

I am writing this blog inside my car hoping that the rain would give me a reprieve now that I have been stuck here not moving, hungry and extremely worried than tired for almost five hours now.

My twitter feed said that C5 was ok so I decided to drive back home only to meet a heavy downpour a fraction through my travel. The horrors of last year's Habagat not only was resurrected but this time reincarnated with a vengeance.

Prior to this I read a joke posted on twitter saying that the rains were paid for by Napoles as a distraction so Pinoys have something to talk about aside from her and her business partners at the Senate and Congress.

Then it dawned on me, that 10 billion pesos could have gone a long way in terms of flood control initiatives had it went to the right hands. Then I became sad more than worried.

If you could still remember, analysts during Ondoy time, were saying that such a catastrophe only happens once every few decades but as we have seen and experienced now- that is no longer the case.

Sure you can blame it on climate change but by blaming climate change you are confronted with the ultimate question- what are you gonna do about it?

What has really changed after Ondoy? What has changed after last year's Habagat incident? Barely anything.

The Metro Manila remains to be a disorganized and unprepared urban area devoid of any solid and concrete flood prevention and control infrastructure, just waiting for the perfect storm or monsoon to happen so it can turn itself into a water world.

So unless something is drastically changed I guess it is a gruesome fact that millions of Filipino people would suffer every year. Yes, as you can see the problem is not just contained in the Metro Manila, as years go by many cities and developing municipalities across the country would become acquainted with this annual tragedy.

And no, do not thank the governor or the mayor if he wakes up early to declare that the class is suspended or that they have given away a truck of relief goods. We deserve better leaders than that.

You see people like me and you are stranded at the road because we came to work and like all law abiding citizens of this country we pay our taxes with eyes closed twice each month.

So it is both infuriating and frustrating just thinking that the hard earned money went to the pockets of the likes of Napoles and Satan's minions at the halls  Congress and Senate.

But as I sit here not knowing when the rains would stop or what time I'd be able to go home I was reminded of a facebook post I made a few weeks ago:

'Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep the right attitude while waiting'

And as I ponder on that principle I entertained myself with happy thoughts and started calling people that I love and is close to my heart and my heart was filled with gratitude and joy knowing that somehow, someway I will be home today.

The sad thing is, the same cannot be said about our leaders and the tragedy that is Metro Manila at this time of the year, each year.

The Pork Barrel In A Bathtub

At least 5 Senators and 23 members of the House of Representatives are implicated in the 10 billion-peso pork barrel scam which was allegedly orchestrated by Janet Lim Napoles.

When asked to comment on the issue, the senators involved quickly denied the allegations saying that they do not even know who Napoles is.

 The outright denial was then contradicted by a photo showing Napoles conspicuously present in an event where both senators are in attendance too!

When pressed to comment further here are their reactions:

Jinggoy: Hindi ko alam may gate-crasher pala sa party ko! I should have tighter security next time!

Bong: Lahat ng bagay ngayon pwedeng i-photoshop! Kagagawan ito ng administrasyon upang siraan ako sa darating na 2016!

Manny: Hiyang-hiya naman ako sayo Bong! Tatakbu din ako sa 2016! See you in the presidential debate!

The whistleblower alleged that the money derived from these ghost NGO projects are being delivered at the Napoles residence and is placed at the bathtub.

In the spirit of fairness NBI raided the Napoles residence and found no bathtub. Instead, they (the NBI) found an Olympic-sized pool!

Forbes released their annual list of billionaires. Henry Sy gained the top spot for six years in a row which left many wondering where the hell is the name Janet Lim Napoles in the list?

Also in recent news, the Pope asked priests all over the world to refrain from living a lavish lifestyle.

Janet Lim Napoles and her daughter were relieved! After all, they are not priests!

Petitions to relocate Mali, the lone elephant in the country housed at the Manila Zoo, to the elephant sanctuary in Thailand is growing.

A separate petition to house senators and congressmen in the crocodile farm is also gaining grounds!

Meanwhile Senator Mirriam filed resolution to decrease pork allocation for lawmakers every year until it is totally eradicated by 2016.

COMELEC was worried that no one would run for Senator and Congressman on 2016!

Janet Lim Napoles and her daughter quickly reacted to the news and was quoted saying ‘paano na and kabuhayan namin?’

Meanwhile, the 10 billion pork barrel scam and the ghost projects inspired this year’s MMFF entry to be topbilled by no less than Jinggoy and Bong tentatively titled Shake Rattle and Roll 10 (Billion): The Ghost

BIR Commissioner Kim Henares commented that 90% of self-employed professionals in the country are not paying the accurate taxes due to them.

Janet Napoles was not so happy about the news.

In other news:

Claudine filed a case versus husband Raymart Santiago for allegedly abusing him mentally, psychologically and physically.

Raymart’s camp is preparing to use their star-witness to debunk the claims of Claudine in the person of Mon Tulfo.

In the recently concluded SONA by PNOY, many commented about the absence of three topics- the pork barrel scam, the FOI bill and the GMA blame game!

Fafa, Filipinas, Filipina, Full Tank Nyo Na!

Fafa

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines recently criticized the content of GMA’s new teleserye ‘My Husband’s Lover’, which tackles man-to-man relationship.

The reaction came as a surprise to no one since the religious group has been known to be a staunch opposition of anything related to homosexuality- except of course those that involve priests and altar boys.

The spokesperson of CBCP cautioned the television network to be sensitive of the viewer’s morals and urged them to craft shows that are within the boundaries of morality.

Short of saying ‘just please continue with teleseryes that are filled with rape, kidnappings, adultery and murders from start to finish.’

Filipinas

Meanwhile, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino made headlines with their proposal to do away with 'Philippines' and 'Pilipinas' and instead use 'Filipinas' as our country’s official name.

They argue that the continued use of ‘Philippines’ reeks of colonial mentality, as if it’s any different when ‘Filipinas’ is used.

The group justified the proposal by saying that doing so would unify our country. If that is the case, then our country should have been named Manny Pacquiao.

Filipina

A Filipina is bound to be executed in China after being identified as a drug mule. If only her last name was Singson not only would she escape death sentence, she would also be re-elected as congressman!

Full Tank Nyo Na!

Deposed President and convicted plunderer Joseph Estrada (now Mayor of Manila) was quoted saying that he was jailed because of his principles!

Now that stealing is a principle, we are indeed lucky to be have very principled congressmen, mayors and governors!

According to news, Maynilad and Manila Water Company passed on 15 billion pesos worth of corporate taxes to its consumers including income tax of its executives!

I shouldn’t have dreamt of being a lawyer or a teacher or a doctor or a pilot when I was a kid. I should have aspired to become an MWSS executive.

This revelation is expected to hurt the sensitivities of the Catholic Church which has been known for the longest time as an institution that is insulated from paying taxes. 

Only in Filipinas!

It’s More Flood In The Philippines

It’s that time of the year again when a 15-minute rain is enough to submerge Metro Manila and cause 5 hour traffic in EDSA and C5.

When PNOY was asked to comment on the issue, GMA interjected and said ‘alam ko na ako nanaman ang sisihin mo no? Move on move on din pag may time!’

Here’s what other celebrities have to say about the flooding issue:

‘According to Genesis 6:17, For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.’

--- Governor-elect, Manny Pakyaw

‘Dong! Sana magbaha sa Cebu kay hindi nila ako binutu! Buti pa tong si Nadia binalik na alahas at sala set ko! Drop ko na ang kaso dong!’

 --- Defeated Congresswoman aspirant, Anabil Rama

 ‘I resign!’

--- former Senate President, Juan Ponce Enrile

‘I resign too!’

--- Majority Floor Leader and Plagiarist, Tito Sotto

‘This is not about me! Hindi dapat ginagawang katatawanan ang ‘rape’ lalong lalo na ang baha sa Metro Manila!’

 ---multi-awarded journalist, Jessica Soho-Parker

‘Paumanhin po kung may nasaktan akong tao! Hindi ko po alam na masama na pala ang mag joke tungkol sa lechon! Seryosong tanong po, yung totoo? Ang baboy po ba nakakalangoy sa baha?’

--- comedy bar comedian turned box office star, Vice Gandara

‘I was very wrong in saying that Manila was the gates of hell. Yours is the reincarnation of Atlantis!’

--- Inferno writer, Dan Brownish

‘How dare you call our beautiful city the gates of hell I  invite you to come over and see for yourself! Don’t forget to bring jetski maulan kasi hindi nakakadaan ang kotse! hihihihi!’

--- MMDA Chairman, Francis Talentado

Elsewhere:

Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs are about to go head to head in tomorrow’s monumental Game 7 of the Finals!

Twitter and Facebook would be flooded with updates and status pertaining to the match coming from individuals who barely know these teams and NBA some two weeks ago.  They call themselves fans!

In  local language it is called sunod sa uso.

Freedom From

What is the relevance of the Philippine Independence Day if you are no longer a student who is being obliged to bring a small replica of the country’s flag at school?

To the working class, does it even go beyond the fact that it is a holiday, hence a rest day?

If you think about it, we have no Spaniard conquerors to free ourselves from. Well of course one can argue that the Catholic Church has remained almost unchanged since then up until this point- conservative, constricting and plagued with corruption.

You see, even if a revolution lead by a Bonifacio or a Rizal is no longer relevant, there are a lot of things that we, as a nation need to be liberated from.

For once, we should be liberated from telenovelas that start with a switched-identity premise and ends in a series of kidnappings as well as film festivals showing the infinite reincarnations of Enteng Kabisote, Agimat and Shake, Rattle and Roll.

That also means that TV Patrol and Inquirer should put a stop making Kris Aquino’s rants a national issue. Leave that to Boy Abunda and The Buzz.

Oh! Let us free ourselves too from clowns like Willie Revillame, we deserve a better kind of comedy or entertainment for that matter.

If we say that ‘it is more fun in the Philippines’, we better mean it and that means that we should start seriously thinking about re-constructing our airports.

Consequently, we should be free from carriers like Cebu Pacific whose only claim to fame apart from its constant delayed flights is Claudine Baretto.

If we say that we are a free nation and the beacon of democracy in Asia and in the world, then we should stop patronizing politicians whose credentials only includes their last name or pedigree for that matter.  The Senate is not a family-owned corporation.

That being the case, Maalaala Mo Kaya should stop airing the life stories of the Enriles prior to the election period.

That also goes without saying that the Aquinos should NOT have the monopoly of the Malacanang palace.

While the rest of the world legalized divorce we remained stubborn arguing that we would like to protect the sanctity of marriage and family and yet we champion movies with mistress themes.

Look around you and there are even public officials extremely proud of their ‘extended families’.  What gives?

While we take pride in being the text capital of the world, it also paints a sad picture about how we manage our finances and our perspective in terms of what matters most. The working class would rather have the latest mobile phone model than savings or investments.

Do you ever wonder why Henry Sy is the richest person in this country? Or how omnipresent SM Malls are that their sheer count far exceeds the number of hospitals that we have in the entire country!

I hope that we could also liberate ourselves from the yearly enigma that is flooding.

Please don’t get me started about emancipation from traffic.

I-Nancy Binay Mo!

You see it’s not the end of the world even if Nancy Binay becomes a Senator of the Republic of the Philippines.

Her win teaches us three valuable lessons in life.

One, that it doesn’t matter how much condemnation she garnered in social networking sites at the end of the day what matters is how much reach do these social networking sites have.

While we might think that we are a country obsessed with facebook and twitter, the sad fact is that majority of the population doesn’t have access to decent meal three times a day, so how can you expect these people to care what is circulated and shared on facebook and twitter?

If election is a matter of number of shares and retweets we might have had a different set of Senators today.

USE IT IN A CONVERSATION:

PNOY: Krizzy, andaming nanlalalit pa rin sa akin hanggang ngayon sa facebook!
KRIZZY: Ano ka ba PNOY? Ok lang ma-Nancy Binay no! Tingan mo ako they say a lot of nasty things about me on twitter pero nina-Nancy Binay ko lang!

Two, there is wisdom in following the old adage ‘less talk less mistake’.

You see, the great Nancy Binay did not engage in any debate in national TV. Sure, she didn’t get to outline what her platforms are but it also insulated her from saying the wrong things.

So if you are a fresh graduate or a professional who plans to snatch a job and you are not really sure how to go about it. Take Nancy’s example: skip the interview.

USE IT IN A CONVERSATION:

Jobseeker 1: Pare, andami ko nang pinag-applayan pero hindi pa rin ako matanggap!

Jobseeker 2: Pare kasi pag interview na i-Nancy Binay mo!

Three, there is great value in being an OJT for 20 years. I will not expound on that further.

USE IT IN A CONVERSATION:

Father: Son, what will you do after graduation?

Son: Gusto ko pong maging Senator someday so mag-Nancy Binay po ako sa inyo!

Elsewhere:

Pacman wins anew as a Congressman while wife Jinkee wins a Vice-Gubernatorial seat at Sarangani. Anabelle Rama though got denied of a congress seat in Cebu.

Anabelle Rama should change residences and move from Cebu to Saranggani.

Convicted plunderer and deposed President ERAP edged out Lim in the mayoralty race in Manila.

GMA shouldn’t worry about being convicted for plunder then. All she needs to do  is act old and sick, ask for pardon and give it some time so she can run and win as mayor in any city of her choice.

Jack Enrile’s foiled attempt to grab a senate seat tells us that sometimes, two Maalaala Mo Kaya episode isn’t just enough.

Nancy Binay denied all attempts to get her into a debate during the campaign period saying that she would rather have it in the halls of the Senate. I wonder if the brilliant Miriam Defesor Santiago would waste her energy too.

Ten Things To Remember on Election Day

Sanitized version of the article is published at rappler.com

TEN: Keep in mind that voting is not tantamount to playing a freakin’ BINGO game! You don’t need a blackout card. Doesn’t mean that you have 12 slots for senators you’d fill it up for the sake of filling it up! If there are only 6 qualified candidates in your opinion, so be it!

NINE: Beware of surnames and pedigrees. Leadership is not a genetic trait but corruption is highly likely to run in the blood, so is stupidity.

EIGHT: Beware of candidates whose only platform is to remove political dynasty. They are not genuine alternatives and chances are they are just bitter.

SEVEN: Beware of candidates who promise to eradicate poverty. Chances are they don’t know what they are talking about. Everyone can shout ‘world peace!’

SIX: Senate is a legislating body. A substantial debate is necessary to craft policies. If your candidate doesn’t want to engage into debates, chances are she’s best left of as his dad’s shadow (no pun intended).

FIVE: If you are left with a choice between a convicted plunderer and an incumbent who did nothing but left the city to rot as mayoralty candidates, you better switch address at least for the next three years.

FOUR: Keep in mind that elections are not horse races. You don’t need to place your bet on the front-runner. You gain nothing by voting the most likely to win.

THREE: Before you cast your vote take out the last twelve months of your payslip and look at the section where it says tax. Add it all up and multiply it to three. Look at the name in the ballot and decide if the person is worth trusting every cent of your earnings.

TWO: Gone are the days when our only obligation is to vote using our conscience and  best judgment. With majority of the population today remaining to be extremely gullible, it also rests upon us to educate and persuade.

ONE: The election day is the only day where everyone is truly equal. One vote per person, regardless of social status or intellectual capacity. Don’t let religion or campaign jingle or misleading political ad fool you.

Top 5 Most Irritating Political Ads on TV

It is impossible to tune in to the TV nowadays and not catch a single political ad. Here are the standouts:

TOP 5: Koko Pimentel still shouting fraud versus Migs Zubiri. Someone please tell the Senator there is such a thing as moving on.

TOP 4: Mrs. Villar’s irritating ad repeating the words ‘hanep na ang buhay basta’t may hanapbuhay!’. Mas hanep yata ang buhay pag walang epal?

TOP 3: Bam Aquino recounting how he is affiliated with Ninoy and Cory and NoyNoy. Did he purposely miss out Kris?

TOP 2: Jack Enrile’s ad with the tag line ‘Gusto Ko May Pagkain Ka!’  Yung totoo? Is this Jack Enrile running for Senator or a contestant in Master Chef? The next time you don’t have lunch or dinner you know who to bother!

TOP 1: If Grace Poe really wants to continue her father’s legacy why didn’t she start exploring a career as an action star first?

Elsewhere

ERAP as Mayor of Manila, convicted plunderer, Jalosjos convited rapist. Filipinos have a knack for electing criminals.

Surveys indicating that Jack Enrile, Nancy Binay and JV Ejercito within the Magic 12 of the senatoriables. Filipinos really love family reunions, don’t you think?

Recent survey showing the massive decline in the attendance of Catholic churchgoers and I was like, ‘Really? We need a survey to realize that long standing fact?’

The Catholic Church came up with Team Buhay and Team Patay to let people know about who voted for and against the RH Bill.

I wonder if we, the citizens of this country, can also come up with Team Halay to list down priests who are guilty of sexual abuse?

Habemus Papam!

A new Pope has been named last week. Pope Francis was chosen by his fellow bishops to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

The voting process, as tradition dictates, was held in the highest form secrecy. Unknown to many, the Vatican thought of introducing ‘voting via text votes’ for the first time in history! They backed out at the last minute because it’s like saying ‘lets give the crown to the Philippines!’

The voting process was so confidential that the bishops were reminded that they would be punished by excommunication if they spill any details of it. Unfortunately, this ‘my-lips-are-sealed’ policy also applies to the pile of sexual harassment cases that the church accumulated over the years.

As tradition dictates, a white smoke should signify that a Pope has been chosen while a black one signifies- suspense! (we will be back after the commercial break!)

This recent election of the new Pope was historical in many aspects. First Pope to come from the Jesuit order, first Pope to choose the name Francis and the first Pope to come from the Americas. So many 'firsts' or as Madonna would  put it ‘like a virgin!’

This is also the first time that the selection was broadcasted via social networking platform and as expected, it topped most of the trending topics in twitter expect for the Harlem Shake and Justin Bieber’s meltdown.

In the Philippines, the event was highly anticipated because of the rumored strong chance of our very own Bishop Tagle in the race for the papacy. Unconfirmed reports put Tagle as the first runner up! Or as we Filipinos put it- the Jessica Sanchez syndrome or pwede ding Janine Tugonon phenomenon!

It was said that inside the Sistine Chapel during the final deliberation the final candidates were made to answer one final question which goes like: ‘do you think Latin should be a prerequisite to being a Pope?’

Our very own Tagle gained applause when he confidently answered ‘It's not knowing how to speak a specific language, it’s about being able to influence and inspire other people. Thank Yeow!’

A new Pope has been named last week. Pope Francis was chosen by his fellow bishops to lead the Roman Catholic Church in an era where the institution is plagued by massive allegations of sexual abuse, diminishing believers and outdated beliefs.

Meanwhile in the Philippines, the Catholic priests are busy campaigning against RH Bill proponents so passionate that they mention it in Sunday homilies and so creative that they come up with a moniker for it  aka‘Team Patay’ and so shameless that they think they have absolute grip of the moral compass.

A new leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been named last week in Rome and he chose the name Pope Francis. In the Philppines, mid-term elections is looming and if candidates can choose their last name they would stab each other just to be an ‘Aquino’, ‘Enrile’ or ‘Binay’.