Philippine Election 2010: The Plans of Manny Villar for OFWs

Many has been said about Manny Villar being an giant businessman and entrepreneur, and his rags-to-riches life story; but only a few has been mentioning about his real plans in case he will be elected in the upcoming presidential election this May 2010.

Interestingly, one of the dreams of Manny Villar dreams is when Filipinos do not have to leave their country to earn a living. His long-term plan is to provide jobs for Filipinos in the Philippines while his short term plan is to provide safety nets to ensure the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

With this, I found an an interesting article at OFW Guide which is about the plans of Manny Villar for OFWs.

1. Create a safety net until such time as we can create jobs in the Philippines like provide for placement for workers who were victimized or a return trip back to the Philippines.

2. Increase the Department of Labor & Employment (DOLE) budget.

3. Have to change structure of Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) so more Filipinos can be sent out.

4. Send more lawyers for OFWs.

5. Provide Hospitals for OFWs.

6. Help OFWs find ways to invest.

7. Create government programs for small and medium enterprises.

8. Change the banking system to ensure flow and credit for small and medium enterprises.

9. Teach and encourage Filipinos to be entrepreneurs.

Well, I think this is a very noble plan and I hope these are also the plans of other presidential candidates. But can it be done? Are the Filipinos ready to sacrifice that much?

Manny Villar or any presidential candidate cannot achieve this alone, since working abroad is a personal choice. However, the last part of the plan which is to teach and encourage Filipinos to be entrepreneurs is the best part.

Disclaimer:

Angel Cuala is not campaigning Manny Villar for President. He just wishes to educate Filipinos about his plans in case we will win.

If you have ideas about the plans of other presidential candidates, please spread the word so they will know how to vote wisely.

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Why the Philippines will never have a Good President

I have been exercising my vote this since the Marcos regime, but all the presidential candidates that I voted for did not win. It is maybe because I have been choosing the wrong candidate or maybe only a few of us know how to vote wisely. The last reason I want to say is because of rampant cheating, and I hope I made you smile a bit.

Anyway, I did not say that the past presidents have been bad. But I truly believe that a good president may not always start as a good presidential candidate. Apparently, the election here in the Philippines is still very far from what I expect. Well, it’s maybe because we never learn or we do not want to learn.

So before casting your vote this coming May, let me explain why I think the Philippines will never have a good president.

First of all, a good president may not exactly a good presidential candidate. A good presidential candidate should tell the nation that he can stop the corruption, maintain peace and order, and make our economy grow. Unfortunately, he will need more than a billion pesos just to make him popular. Otherwise, only a few will notice him.

Consequently, he will need huge machinery and a lot of friends to help his face scattered all over the country. He will also need to have a few cash on his wallet when someone asks him for help. If he cannot even afford to sponsor a few events, then he will be as good as a nuisance candidate. Needless to say, he should also be kind to the media people if he wants his image to be exposed nicely.

Now, let us assume that he is good enough as a candidate so he will win; but his headache has just began. It’s payback time, my friends. We Filipinos are very friendly, you know. We sell our carabaos just to feed the whole barangay during fiestas, and even get a high-interest loan just to please our visitors on weddings. Interestingly, that’s just a part of our being a very hospitality people and being a good president.

On the other hand, honesty is also a part of being a good president. But who among us can say that he is always honest? If he does, then he is not being honest. Will you tell your potential foreign business investor that your country sucks? Have you ever known a president who did not get richer after his term? Can someone convince me that we did not have freedom after the World War 2?

My countrymen, corruption will never be stopped, poverty will always be ours, and killings will continue. Corruption is present because we allow it even in our homes. We are poor because we chose to be poor; we don’t bother to learn the stock market. There are killings because of our evil minds, and not because we have bad presidents. Therefore, all of these problems are our personal choices. We just look for reasons for not doing what we are supposed to do.

We are good citizens, industrious people, and humans who care for each other especially for our family. We are already talented, intelligent, and highly skilled; but foreign countries are getting the more benefits out of us. Most bright workers are leaving the country to serve other countries. No wonder, our country is being left behind in terms of almost everything.

The OFWs suffer a lot for their families and their future, but not for their country. They may be bringing home pride and honor but it is the country that they worked for that will feel the long term effect of their act. A hero suffers a lot for his country, and sometimes even forgets that he has a family. A hero is someone doing the right thing at the right place at the right time.

Now, here’s the kicker. The reason why the Philippines will not have a good president is because we don’t need one. What we need for a president is a smart one who knows when to lie and when to tell the truth, a tough president who can handle tough situations like natural calamities and terrorism. He should also have an iron hand if necessary, and has Mathematics as one of his favorite subjects so he cannot easily be fooled by numbers. Finally, we need a president who can motivate us to love our country more than anywhere else.

Don’t worry, I will still cast my vote this coming May although I am quite sure that my chosen presidential candidate will not win. I got used to it, and I am even proud of it simply because I know how to vote wisely.

I hope you do too…

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GMA7 vs ABS CBN 2 2010: And the winner is…

This year 2010, GMA7 vs ABS CBN 2 continues as these two giant local TV networks aim to win the number one TV station. For all you know, ABS CBN 2 restored its power after the People Power in 1986, while GMA7 is now celebrating its 60th year anniversary. Needless to say, each of them has its own different strategy to win the majority of the audience although there are times I feel that they are copying each other.

Meanwhile, it is interesting to know each other’s strong points and weak points. With that, allow me to share my observations which are not intended to degrade anybody. Instead, I hope they will be used as a guide so they can improve more.

So is it GMA7 (Kapuso) or ABS CBN 2 (Kapamilya) this 2010? And the winner is…

The early morning show of ABS CBN 2’s Umagang Kay Ganda has Anthony Taberna as their ace, while Pinky Web and Karen Davila (a former GMA7 news anchor) are continuously improving. I have been watching GMA7’s Unang Hirit since day one, and I got used to Arnold Clavio and the rest of the gang. Love Anover deserves her throne as the Reyna ng Kalsada (Queen of the Streets) for her traffic update and other stuff, although puppet Arn-Arn rarely adds spice to the show. Mareng Winnie Monsod has sharp comments but Anthony Taberna has the sharper ones.

For the noontime show, ABS CBN 2’s Wowowie seem to win a bigger crowd now but it cannot put GMA 7’s Eat Bulaga down easily. It must be remembered that Eat Bulaga once aired at ABS CBN 2, while GMA7’s Lunchdate only got closer due to the popularity of Randy Santiago. Don’t forget also that Eat Bulaga is now on its 30th year which means the star magic of Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon never run out of style.

Apparently, Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) consistently shines from the first season and the recent Melason effect can still be felt. Young love teams like Gerald-Kim are now with the veterans, which make them better actors rather than just sweet love team idols. The Albert Martinez-Gabby Concepcion back to back brings us back to the 80s and a lot better this time. As for me, the teleserye of ABS CBN are better than the fantaserye of GMA7 maybe because the latter focuses on the younger audience.

In terms of great actresses of today, Judy Ann Santos is again the teleserye queen on her Habang May Buhay at ABS CBN 2, although Claudine Baretto (a former ABS CBN drama talent) might have a good fight when she makes a comeback at GMA7 in the near future. Marian Rivera may be the latest superstar of GMA7 and in her own right, but I notice that she is starting to lose her charisma. I also feel that ABS CBN 2 has better story writers than GMA7 these days.

Meanwhile, Regine Velasquez and boyfriend Ogie Alcacid may be the King and Queen of local music industry today but GMA7’s Sunday noontime show SOP is already gone. Although Party Pilipinas was recently launched, the effect on fans is still hard to assume. GMA7 may have a lot more music talents than ABS CBN 2, but ABS CBN 2 has put a stronger impact plus they have Charice Pempengo on the side. In terms of talent search shows, It’s Showtime and Pilipinas Got Talent which are both from ABS CBN 2 are far better than GMA7’s Diz Is It and its other talent search shows.

On the other hand, Kris Aquino is still the Queen of Talks and continuous to be among the most controversial and influential individuals of today. It is hard to say though how things will be different after the May 2010 election, while her brother Noynoy Aquino continuous to be a very strong presidential candidate. Furthermore, Kuya Kim continues to shine while Vice Ganda is unstoppable with his (I mean her) brand of comedy and talent, as well as Ted Failon who is so adorable in his comeback at Failon Ngayon.

But for journalism and serious issues, I suppose everyone will agree if I say that GMA7 is better. I sleep early but I don’t mind waking up very early in the morning just to watch the replay of shows like Reporter’s Notebook, Case Unclosed, and others. Kara David, Howie Severino, and the rest of the team are simply incomparable. I am even not surprised that Jessica Soho ranked third as the most trusted Filipino in the recent Readers’s Digest survey since she is very human. In addition, Mel Tiangco is always at her best at Kapuso Foundation, while Mike Enriquez remains as the best ever Imbestigador ng Bayan.

GMA7 vs ABS CBN 2 2010 is still far from over, and a lot of things can still happen. But for the meantime, I think the winner in terms of journalism and public service is GMA7 but ABS CBN 2 is winning in the entertainment field.

But of course, the issue of who is copying who will never end.

In the end, I just wish that both of them will continue to be responsible and committed to serve the Filipinos worldwide especially for the children.

Related posts:
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Download Comelec Sample Ballot for Philippine Election 2010

It is only 51 days left before the election 2010, and a lot of us are getting excited to vote. Controversial issues are everywhere from the candidates as well as their parties.

While COMELEC is getting more busy preparing and educating us about this first ever automated election here in the Philippines, one of their activities is to provide a sample ballot to every voter.

With this, here is a copy of a sample ballot that you can download and print so you can practice by yourself and guide others.



If you have problem viewing this, you can visit http://www.scribd.com for more details.

For my email subscribers, you can also click the title of this post.

But aside from learning to use this ballot, I strongly suggest that you know how to vote wisely.

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If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE,you can subscribe in a reader or by Email. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.

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Secret Millionaire Grace Groner Donated $7M to Alma Mater Lake Forest College

Grace Groner, a woman who lived in a one-bedroom house in Lake Forest but a secret millionaire, donated $7 million to her Alma mater Lake Forest College at Illinois when she died last January at the age of 100.

Groner, who never got married and never had children finished liberal arts school at Lake Forest College in 1931. She made her fortune after purchasing three $60 stocks of Abbot Laboratories in 1935 where she worked as a secretary for 43 years.

Her donation will help 1,300 students of Lake Forest College take internships and study abroad, experiences that many of them would never have had without her help.

Below is the video report about the story of Grace Groner from ABC's Good Morning America.


Her story truly inspires me and I hope that it also inspires you. This only proves that making money is not the wealthiest way of living but it is how you spend it.

Related post:
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Pilipinas now got a lot of Talent Search shows, so what’s next?

Last night, I was able to watch the latest talent search show on local TV. The show is Pilipinas Got Talent and aired on ABS-CBN 2. Interestingly, it is being shown simultaneously with Talentadong Pinoy (Talented Filipinos) by ABC5 and GMA7’s Bitoy Showtime.

Although GMA7’s Eat Bulaga which is longest running daily noontime TV in the world has a portion with the talent search, ABS-CBN 2 is doing great at It’s Showtime despite of some controversies.

I believe it is the Talentadong Pinoy that started the trend in accommodating different talents in one show. Meanwhile, ABS CBN 2 and GMA7 copied the concept and just trying to improve by adding some features.

With the rapid growth of different talent search shows here in the Philippines today, this only means that Filipinos are really talented. So what’s next?

If I count them correctly, I think there are now 6 existing talent search shows here in the Philippines and people with different talents flock from one talent search show to another. Some sing, perform magic trick and stunts, but most of them dance in groups. These talent search shows allows the contestants to market their talents, which gives them opportunities to have an additional income or a promising career.

However, I wonder if all of them have a good first screening part. I can see some singing contestants with no talent at all in singing, and they have the guts to perform live on TV. Maybe the staff of the show still approves them thinking that they can add entertainment to the audience, while the poor contestants don’t mind being humiliated since they are only after the consolation prize and exposure.

On the other hand, the audience will always be looking for something new. If some current talent search shows will not be managed carefully, they will be left out and will vanish instantly. We all know that having a talent search show is a very profitable business, but the investment is also very high. Filipinos are good copy cats but sometimes the purpose is not good, crab mentality that is.

But anyway, I am more concerned about the singing talents. I cannot sing well, but I am a music lover. I am amazed by Charice Pempengco who eventually captured Oprah’s heart, and I know she can still go farther. Again, I know that Filipinos are very talented and can be globally competitive given the right packaging and attitude.

However, I still believe that art requires originality and singers should have their own signature song. There must be a song composed exclusively for that singer that can be made popular through the ages. Otherwise, she may run out of songs to sing and will only be remembered as a talented singing idol and not a singer. Although she can go with the trend of remake songs, having a signature song is always better.

With that, I hope these talent search shows will also showcase songs with original composition. I wish they can bring back the Metro Pop Music Festival alive the way it used to be, or a similar show. I know there are a lot of great song composers out there just waiting for their chance to show their talents.

Unfortunately, I am not one of them although it is one of my frustrations.

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Noynoy Aquino: The most trusted politician today on Readers Digest survey

Yes, presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino is the most trusted politician today. This was according to the latest survey on Readers Digest March 2010 edition.

Actually, this news as reported by GMA7 whose four top journalists landed also on the top. They are Jessica Soho (3rd), Howie Severino (6th), Mel Tiangco (9th), and Mike Enriquez (13th).

Readers Digest said the list of 80 people was presented in random order to the respondents who were asked to rate the people on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 means that they don't trust at all while 10 means they trust completely the person.

"We then calculated an average score for each and ranked them in order of perceived trustworthiness," Readers Digest said.

The survey was conducted in October 2009 by independent market research company The Digital Edge on behalf of Readers' Digest.

Meanwhile, actress and philanthropist Rosa Rosal was named the most trusted Filipino, while world-renowned singer and actress Lea Salonga ranked second.

Philanthropist Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga, ranked fourth on the list while Noynoy Aquino ranked fifth.

"With the passing of his mother last year, there is a sense of sentimentality attached to Aquino," Etchells wrote.

Interestingly, today's number one boxer Manny Pacquiao landed on the 36th spot. If you're interested to know the spot of President Gloria Arroyo, she is on the 78th who is slightly lower than former first lady Imelda Marcos, who is on the 74th spot.

But back to Noynoy Aquino, I think this will help him convince the Filipinos more that he is really trustworthy. But in my opinion, I think he should also prove that he can lead the country in terms of economy, peace and order, and graft and corruption. In terms of corruption, he will have to do a lot of work although being trustworthy can play a vital role to eliminate it.

Again, I am not here to campaign or destroy any candidate. I just want to share some information hoping that all of us know how to vote wisely.

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How to Pass the Final Job Interview

I have worked for more than 5 different companies with different kinds of industries such as electronics and automotive industry. I started as an Industrial Electrician, Technician, until I reached the supervisory position for Engineering and Manufacturing. I have been a supervisor for ten years, and one of my tasks is to do the final interview for production and engineering applicants.

I have been an employee for more than 15 years, and I have found a new job. I suppose I now have enough experience to give tips to job applicants on how to pass the final job interview.

They may not be assurance that you will be hired, but understanding each item will surely help a lot.

Know the important details of the company

On the first interview, it is usually the Human Resources Department (HRD) personnel that will interview you. It is more like getting to know about you, which includes confirming what is written in your resume. The final interview on the other hand, is more of what you can offer to help the company. You can share your ideas only if you know the important details of the company. This includes their product, system of management, and business history. Therefore, check their website and write them down. Also, find current or previous employees that you can ask for more details. Interviewers love applicants who know a lot about their company.

Dress appropriately

Dress appropriately depends on what position you are applying for. If it needs to be formal attire, then prepare for it. Choose the clothes that are not too flashy, but impressive enough. If you are applying for a laborer position, it does not mean you can wear anything. Be neat and presentable to the eyes of the interviewer. Remember that first impression last, and you will be judged you the way you present yourself. Therefore, wear clothes that represent your character and make sure you feel comfortable with them. Otherwise, the interviewer will notice that you’re not at ease and might think that you lack self confidence.

Come early

Some experts will tell you to come early at least 10 minutes before the scheduled interview, and I agree with them. This is for you to be more relaxed during the interview or to have time to go to the restroom to fix your self a bit more. This will also avoid you to be late in case of traffic or some road accident. However, this may also add pressure to you especially if there are other applicants that you will look better than you. In this case, talk with them so that you will have an idea on how you can project yourself better.

Maximize your time

Usually, the interviewer will require you to do is to introduce yourself for around a minute. Therefore, you should maximize your time and tell only the important information that they need to know. Focus on the credentials that you think may fit to their requirements, but don’t mention things that you cannot explain further. On the other hand, you do not need to explain them the full details of the technical skills you have since these interviewers are the top personnel of the company. They are more interested in how you present your self. They watch your body language and analyze how you choose the right words to say.

Don’t waste their time

Their time is more important than yours so don’t waste their time. Answer directly to the point and avoid pausing for a long time. Practice at home especially if you are a first time applicant. Search for the possible interview questions and prepare for the closest answer. Usually on the last part, you will be given the chance to ask so take it. However, never ask about the incentives that you may receive. Related questions are being discussed earlier, and salary agreement is after passing the final interview. Instead, ask questions that are related to the company like their status during economic crisis or their future plans about the company.

There is one important thing that you should understand before going to a final job interview. You are there because you are asking for a favor, and not the other way around. You may possess the qualities they need for the job, but it’s how you present them that matters most.

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Remake Songs: The Art to Save the Music Industry

If you are in the Philippines, you will notice that revival or remake songs are rampant today as compared than ever. I don’t know in your place, but I suppose it now consists of ninety percent of all the songs here in my country. There are still new songs but old songs are still better, which is why artists are reviving them.

Although remake songs add bonding time for me and my teenage daughter, I feel most of them were not done in good faith. I have been a music lover since my younger years, and I know there are had been remake songs before. However these days, I seldom appreciate the way old songs are being remake.

In fact, I see them as just an art to save the music industry. Let me elaborate further.
If you have been a music lover since the 80s, you now miss the New Wave and rock music. Pop music has been conquered by Michael Jackson with his all-time best selling album Thriller. Local and foreign love songs also hit the airwaves, and new albums are being released almost every month by different artists.

Similarly, big money is being spent to come up with attractive MTV. I even remember some songs were being used as Official Soundtrack (OST) for famous Hollywood films. They add spice to the movie and make them more unforgettable. Who will ever forget the songs The Moment of Truth for Karate kid and Eye of the Tiger for Rocky? Well, rap music is fine but most of them is about anger and has foul language.

Here in the Philippines, wonderful songs were being used as the movie title so as the movie theme song. But today, old songs are being remake and are being used as the title of a movie or telenovela. However, some old songs are being remake over and over again by different artists and with only a very short period of time in between them.

But why are remake songs a trend these days?

Is it because of the never ending industry of piracy that loses the interests of song composers? Is it because we rarely give credit to song composers, and they die poor? Is it because songs these days can easily be downloaded for free and producers don’t want to invest that much anymore? Is it because of the overcrowded talent search for singing, but none for song composers? Should we blame Vidoeoke and You Tube because anyone can sing any song easily?

For whatever reason, I still believe that music is an art but you cannot remake it. You need creativity and originality, and it does not matter if Lady Gaga looks weird to some of us. You cannot call someone a singer without his original signature song, although he can be called as song interpreter.

It is a must that we save the dying music industry, but it is also a must that we save the art of music.

Meanwhile, I prefer listening to old but original songs rather than remake songs that were made just to save the music industry.

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