The Long Awaited Death of Philippine Legislators’ Discretionary Funds aka “PDAF” (Pwedeng Dukutin at Angkinin ang Funds)

Let me go to the heart of the matter: Legislators don’t need PDAF. PDAF is like one gigantic Petty Cash fund that is easily abused. Hopefully, they design a system that demands accountability from the time the budget is created and submitted for approval. If they find it too slow, then they should set targets for expediency and simplify long winding “red tape” processes.

We should spend money where it’s most needed. Education, Security, Infrastructure (Flood Control, Fast and Massive Public Transport Systems, Ensuring Roads made exceed the standards of safety required of them, etc.), Fix the broken and susceptible to corruption SK, Complete Financial Transparency of where each peso goes from the Barangay level all the way up the chain of command, build more jail cells to house those convicted of PDAF Plunder, among others.

Every official who fails the lifestyle check and cannot prove that money they spent on their SUV’s, Mansions, etc. came from legal means should be prosecuted and made accountable for their actions. No special treatment. Magkano ba ang sweldo ng Senator, Congressman, Mayor, Councilor, Barangay Captain, etc. ? Sa sweldo ba nila eh kakayanin nilang bumili ng kotse AT MGA Bahay at Lupa na ang presyo ay higit pa sa kikitain nila sa isang taon? Lokohan yan.

Kung ang snatcher nga eh kung ninakaw ang wallet mo, KAHIT WALANG LAMAN, eh gusto mo itong parusahan at ipakulong at minsan ginugulpi muna para “matutunan ang leksyon”, eh ano pa ang dapat para sa mga “Honorable” Sena-TONG at TONG-gressman na ang sarap ng buhay ay galing sa pinagpawisan ng Pilipino?

Remove PDAF and any other reincarnation of it and you will remove the “prize” politicians fight and die for during every election. Tamang sweldo lang at benefits tulad ng natatanggap ng karamihan ng kawani ng gobyerno ay sapat na. Removing the “Pork” COULD help ensure that those who will run for office are not those looking to perpetuate the grand lifestyle they’ve grown accustomed to by virtue of stealing the people’s money systematically for years now.

Yung tatakbo eh yung desididong maging servant leader at tunay na uunahin ang kapakanan ng mamamayang Pilipino dahil wala na siyang PDAF na pwedeng pambawi ng Capital na pinagkampanya niya nung eleksyon! Kung walang nanakawin, saan pupunta ang magnanakaw na “Honorable”?

Lessons From The Farm Series: Cat vs. Rats

#CatVSRats

Way back in 2000 we had a lot of field rats in the payag. I thought maybe having a predator will keep them from occupying the payag which we built for us. That’s when operation “find a cat for the rats” began. I’m not much of a cat person so I didn’t have a cat.

I had to try and find a house cat from friends, but no one had any to give. Except a new acquaintance who wanted to get rid of a crazy cat that was as fierce as I get when I’m on a diet, yet really hungry and my “food” is delayed. On my cheat day.

Yup, this cat was FIERCE! It was so fierce it wasn’t used to people holding it and would scratch and claw at anyone who tried. All it wanted was to be left alone to eat whatever he wanted. Perfect, I thought, just the right cat for the rats. We called the cat the “Super Cat”. I love it when everything comes together.

But alas, I was wrong. So wrong. We were used to this cat NOT being around since it didn’t really like anyone else. At all. One week had passed and we couldn’t find the cat. We thought it ran away. I wished it ran away instead, to be honest.

Cause another week later, our noses began to tingle at the distinct smell of something decomposing. Hoping it was a rat that the cat got, we literally had to tear through pieces of the payag’s internal bamboo woven wall to find where the smell was coming from.

Boom! We found it! It was the Super Cat, stuck in a tight corner after quite possibly the final chase of rat tail he got. The rats outsmarted the cat. We gave the cat a proper burial as it served us well, even unto its own untimely demise.

#LessonsFromTheFarm

Sometimes, the best intentions and laid out plans don’t always work out. But it’s always worth the effort because you come out of it learning something new. You learn what actually works. And what doesn’t. You don’t want to live in the sad, regret filled world called “What IF”.

While we were never able to get rid of ALL the field rats, we successfully adjusted to living in the payag, rats and all. How would you get rid of 20 hectares worth of rats anyway? Even with a dozen “Super Cats” the rats might end up outsmarting them all.

You gotta learn to adjust and choose your battles cause you can’t get rid of all the rats. Even with a “Super Cat”.

Being People of Action, Not Just Intention

With the water rising, dark clouds still coming and the spectre of spending the night floating in flood water; the man was sitting on his rooftop praying for God to rescue him. In the past 15 minutes a flash flood had filled the house up, water on the brink of the roof. With dusk quickly turning into dark, the hopes of a rescue were slim at best.

Then out of the gray horizon, cutting through the pouring rain, a rescue boat arrived! The man refused to board the rescue boat saying, “God said he will rescue me. Go on and rescue others. I am safe and trust God’s promise.” So the rescue boat left with its rescuers bewildered by the man’s choice. Two hours later, with the water above and beyond the roof the man was sitting on, a rescue chopper spotted the man clinging for his life on the flimsy Aluminum TV antenna. The rescuers were rebuffed, yet again, by the man with the same words he confidently spoke earlier, “God said he will rescue me. Go on and rescue others. I am safe and trust God’s promise.”

An hour later the man found himself fighting to survive in the raging river-like flood waters. It finally overwhelmed him and the man found himself being interviewed at heaven’s gates. He asked “Why did God not rescue me? I held on to his word faithfully and trusted he would rescue me from the flood.”

“I sent you the people in the rescue boat and you refused their help,” God began. “I figured maybe you needed a bigger vehicle to rescue you so I sent the people in the chopper yet you refused their help as well.”

If you use Social Media Sites, you’d be accustomed to seeing posts that request for prayers and praying for miracles to happen. You would usually also see comments that support the poster that the prayers will be answered or the miracles and blessing will be theirs.

This got me thinking.

If I simply pray and not “respond” and “take action” to what my higher power may be telling me, then my offer and actual prayer is an empty gong. If I can “BE” and take action but choose NOT TO, for whatever reason, then I am a hypocrite.

“I’ll pray for your kids healing.”
“I’ll pray for your intention/blessing.”

If I don’t act on the urging of God on something I can make a difference in, then I’ve not really done my part. Say a devastating flood hits and people need your presence and whatever used clothes you can afford to let go of. If you say “I’ve said a prayer for them” instead of being a living extension of God and be a response to the prayer people are waiting for, then you too have not done your part. The act of being an answered prayer to someone is better than the act of simply praying for someone else. If you can help and make a difference in other’s lives, you should do it.

Let’s Collaborate To Choose Better Leaders in the Philippines

We know that the “party system” in our country is broken. Elections have become a popularity contest with the ones with the most cash and influence to throw around during the campaign having their way. The faces change, but the names ring familiar as always.

Now, is there anything we concerned citizens can do to begin making elections, starting with 2013, based on issues and not personalities? Can you suggest any set of actions or ideas that can lead to actions that we can take collectively to ensure we get the leaders we deserve?

We don’t have forever and we certainly cannot wait any longer to bring about the kind of change our citizens need. Before we know it, our children will be old enough to ask us what we did to make our country better. (some of you may even have children that have asked you that already)

Simply doing what we’ve been doing in the past 15-20 years clearly isn’t working. We need to make something happen. Enough talk, more action. We need to get involved and apply ourselves to the task of choosing better leaders.

Any suggestions on actions we can do collectively that can begin to make a difference? Let me know of any ideas you may have in the comments.