Revotelution

The Women of the Nacionalista Party’ National Slates

By Sen. Pia S. CayetanoOn her blog www.whereispianow.com 

Healthcare, nutrition, education, livelihood, these are just some of the concerns that women have to deal with every day. But who makes the policies on these important matters? The public officials are mostly men.

Women make up a little bit over 50% of our population and yet, they are always in the minority when it comes to decision-making bodies. In the Senate, there are only 4 out of 23. In the House of Representatives, there is about 25% women. But in the local government level, there are only 18% women councilors.   

I have often blogged about empowering women. I have often mentioned that to have more gender-sensitive policies and laws, we need more women in government. But not just any woman. We need women who are competent, and knowledgeable about issues that affect women, their families and society, women who understand that discrimination abounds and that we must change policies and laws to achieve true equality.  

There are outstanding women candidates out there. In the Nacionalista Party alone, there are 5 women out of 12 senatorial candidates. Our vice-presidential candidate is also a woman. All of us went to the University of the Philippines (UP), except for Toots Ople who went to University of Santo Tomas and the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University. All of them are accomplished in their own field. Each of them has a background in public service. Allow me to introduce them:  

Gwendolyn ‘Gwen’ Pimentel  

·        Worked at the Office of the Solicitor General as Solicitor III before assuming the post of Chief of Staff in the office of Senator Aquilino Pimentel  

·        A lawyer and a Child & Family Rights Advocate, she is the president of the  Association of Child Caring Agencies of The Philippines (ACCAP)  

·        Obtained her law degree and master’s degree in public administration from the UP 

·        Taught English & History at the Liceo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro City 

·        Get to know more of Gwen at www.gwenpimentel.org  

Liza Largoza Masa  

·        Representative, 13th Congress Gabriela Women’s Party 

·        Graduate of University of the Philippines Diliman ‘78,  B.S. Business Economics  

·        Activist since her college days 

 ·        Women’s rights advocate 

·        Endearing mother to two boys, Niko and AG ·        Hails from San Pablo, Laguna 

·        Gabriela ng Masa | Liza Maza for Senator 

Susan ‘Toots’ Ople  

·        Advocate for labor and migrant workers 

·        Undersecretary of DOLE in 2004, and was requested by the President to be transferred to the Office of Communications Director where she used her gift for writing as head the presidential speechwriting group 

·        Writer/ columnist for Panorama and Tempo (Manila Bulletin) ·        Worked in the Senate for 16 years 

·        Heads her father’s foundation, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, which provides free Short courses on diplomacy, writing, and Philippine history for students, housewives, and government employees and grants scholarships for poor students. 

·        A graduate of UST, A.B. Communication Arts, and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University where she received the Vernon Award for Excellence in Communications. 

·        Youngest of 7 siblings, family hails from Hagonoy, Bulacan 

·         http://www.susanople.com/    

Miriam Defensor Santiago 

·        Recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service for her battle against corruption as commissioner in the Bureau of Immigrations 

·        Before becoming a senator, Miriam was an RTC judge, and Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary, and Bureau of Immigrations commissioner 

·        During her stay at UP, she was the first female editor in chief of the Philippine Collegian 

·        Has written 30 books on law and in social sciences ·        A native of La Paz, Iloilo 

 ·        http://www.miriam.com.ph/    

Loren Legarda – for Vice President  

v    A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Laureate 

v    Founder of the following foundations: Luntiang Pilipinas Foundation (Focused on the environment/ planting of trees) , Libro Ni Loren Foundation (gives educational assistance to indigent students) and Bessie Legarda Memorial Foundation (helps indigent breast cancer victims). She also organized the Livelihood Opportunities to Raise Entrepreneurship Nationwide (LOREN) which provided capital for women entrepreneurs. 

v    Played a crucial role in the safe and expeditious release of military and police officers and men who were held captive by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). 

v    A graduate of UP Diliman (Broadcast Communication, cum laude) and a reserve officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of lieutenant colonel. 

v    http://www.lorenlegarda.com.ph/  

And finally there is me: Pia Cayetano 

·        A senator, a lawyer, a mother and a triathlete. 

·        Currently President of the Women Parliamentarian of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the oldest organization of parliaments all over the world.

 ·        In the senate, among the landmark legislation I have worked on are the following: 

o       The Cheaper Medicine Law, The Food and Drug Administration Law (that empowers the agency to ensure that our food, drugs and cosmetics are safe), The Expanded Senior Citizens Law, The Expanded Breast feeding Law, the Environmental Education Awareness Act and numerous Protected Area laws all across the country. 

o       I have also introduced gender amendments to many laws, to ensure that women’s needs are taken into account of.  

o       I am health and sport advocate in my private life.  I run and do triathlons. 

 o       I am a UP graduate. School of Economics, cum laude, and College of Law, with distinction.

 ·        More on my work, on my official website senatorpiacayetano.com
 

Follow Sen. Pia's blog on www.whereispianow.com
 

Be a fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/senatorpiacayetano
 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Piacayetano 

For info, Mike Ac2 - 09178335000
Office of Sen. Pia S. Cayetano
Room 505 Philippine Senate Building, Pasay City
Official site: www.senatorpiacayetano.com
Pia's blog: www.mydailyrace.com
Follow her on http://twitter.com/piacayetano
Gabriel Symphony Foundation: www.gabrielsymphony.com
Pinay In Action: www.pinayinaction.com
Bike for Hope: www.pia-bikeforhope.com
or www.cayetano-foundation.com 

Philippine National Red Cross Appeals for Overseas-Filipinos' Help (With Update from Governor Sanchez)

A Special Report by Bobby Manasan of Virginia

Joanne Zapanta-Andrada is a member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC). Today, she sent an urgent appeal for help. The appeal was coursed through this writer, who is a contributor of this website.

Ms. Andrada is requesting donations to help the victims and survivors of the worst natural calamity to hit Metro Manila.

The PNRC reports that yesterday’s typhoon was the worst natural disaster brought about by rain in the history of Metro Manila. A month's worth of rain fell in one day. So many people (most of them children) drowned and countless others have lost their homes and belongings. To make matters worse, although PNRC officials knew where the people were, the Red Cross was not able to go to them because the roads were absolutely impassable. Surrounding provinces (including Pampanga) have also been affected.

Ms. Andrada requests that Filipino Americans donate to the Red Cross as they go about helping the indigent bury their dead, serve food and clean water and clothe the victims and help them rebuild their homes.

Dollar donations can be made to: Metro Bank (dollar acct) 151-2-151-00218-2 The account is in the name of the Philippine National Red Cross.

Editor’s Note: Upon receipt of Bobby Manasan’s e-mail, the Mabuhayradio.com forwarded it to Chairman Bing de la Vega of the Philippine Disaster Relief Organization (PeDRO), Inc., of Los Angeles, California, for coordination purposes.

The PNRC website has the following updates on the storm:

PNRC deploys WASAR teams to Cainta and Marikina

September 27, 2009

The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) today deployed three (3) Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) Teams to rescue the stranded commuters and affected families due to heavy rains caused by tropical storm Ondoy, the PNRC Operation Center reported.

WASAR teams of PNRC National Headquarters were deployed in Providence Village, Cainta and in Marikina which were greatly affected by flooding.

In a report of Leo Ebajo from WASAR Team 1, 40 persons were rescued near R. PAPA LRT Station who were stranded because of heavy flow of water in the area.

“Rescue operation here is still in progress. As of now, around 40 stranded persons were already rescued,” Ebajo reported through a text message sent to PNRC Operation Center.

The PNRC is now accepting donations through the following ways:

Through SMS and GCASH type red<space>amount then send to 2899 or 4483

Through bank deposits:

METROBANK

Account name: The PNRC

Peso account: 1513041631228

Dollar account: 1512151002182

Type of account : savings

Swift code: mbtc ph mm

BPI PORT AREA BRANCH

Account name: The PNRC

Peso account: 4991001099

Type of account: current

BPI UNITED NATIONS BRANCH

Account name: The PNRC

Dollar account: 8114003094

Type of account: savings

Swift code: bopi ph mm

http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/Home.aspx?ID=I,1469,P,-1&ShowID=703&SS=P 

Tropical Storm "Ondoy" continues to loom as it moves to Central Luzon

September 27, 2009

Tropical Storm “Ondoy” has accelerated further as it moves closer to Central Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near center and gustiness of up to 100 kilometer per hour, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) Operation Center reported.

In a report of PNRC Catanduanes, Aurora and Isabela Chapters to PNRC Chairman Richard Gordon, these provinces are experiencing light to moderate rains. However, all trips in sea ports bound for Albay and other areas in Catanduanes were cancelled for safety precautionary measures.

In Camarines Norte, PNRC Camarines Norte Chapter reported that the province is experiencing medium to heavy rain with no flooding incidents reported. Stranded passengers in various seaports already returned to their hometown/residences.

On the other hand, in Albay, PNRC Albay chapter reported that there were 286 stranded passengers at the Tabaco Port who are being assisted by port authorities and shipping companies.

According to the Provincial Office of Catanduanes and the Tabaco ports authority, they are ready to help and sustain the needs of the stranded passengers for one week. Staff and volunteers of PNRC Catanduanes chapter are on standby to give assistance to the stranded passengers.

In Marikina, around 114 families were evacuated in Malanday Elementary School and Bautista Elementary School due to heavy rains which caused flooding in the area. Staff and volunteers from PNRC Rizal Chapter and PNRC Marikina Branch are at the evacuation centers to distribute relief goods.

Meanwhile, PNRC Chairman Senator Richard Gordon enjoined Red Cross staff and volunteers in affected areas to continue monitoring and to be ready to give assistance 24/7.

“I enjoined Red Cross staff and volunteers from all the affected areas to continue monitoring and report to the PNRC Operation Center any untoward incident to their areas. Chapter Disaster Response Team should be on standby and volunteers in high risk areas should be advised to monitor 24/7,” said Gordon.

Meanwhile, PNRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang commended the effort exerted by Red Cross chapters nationwide for their immediate action and preparedness on Typhoon Ondoy.

“This is a proof that we can not doubt the efforts and services given by our volunteers and staff to all Red Cross chapters nationwide. As we work together, we can give humanitarian service to Filipinos with immediacy and efficiency,” said Pang.

Public Storm Weather Signal number 2 is raised in La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Bulacan, Northern Quezon, Polillo Island, Camarines Norte and Rizal while Signal number 1 is raised in Isabela, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Ilocos Sur, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Marinduque, Mindoro Provinces, Lubang Island, Southern Quezon, Camarines Sur, Albay, Burias Island and Metro Manila.

This disturbance is expected to enhance the Southwest Monsoon and bring rains over Central and Southern Luzon and Visayas. Residents living in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes in areas affected by the Southwest Monsoon and those under signals #1 and #2 are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides.

http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/Home.aspx?ID=I,1469,P,-1&SS=P&ShowID=702 

 * * * * *

Migrapartheid: How Home and Host Governments Discriminate Against Overseas Workers

Part One of an Occasional Series

By Bobby M. Reyes of Sorsogon City, RP, and West Covina, CA

Remember how “Apartheid” became the universal word that meant the social-and-political policy of racial segregation and discrimination enforced by Caucasian-dominated minority governments in South Africa from 1948 to 1994? Well, there is a new kind of “apartheid” that many home and host governments practice against overseas workers. This writer, for want of a better name, calls these discriminatory practices against migrant workers the “Migrapartheid.”

For purposes of this position paper, we will discuss the perils and persecution of, and the prejudice against, the Overseas-Filipino workers (OFWs).

While many Filipino national and local leaders have hailed the OFWs as the country’s “modern-day heroes” (BalikBayani) for their billions of dollars in annual foreign remittances, the tribute to the Filipino expatriates is actually merely lip service, if not “consuelo de bobo” (roughly translated, “consolation for the dumb”). The OFWs have remitted more-than $19-billion in 2008, and counting and which equaled almost 20-percent of the country’s GNP. Their annual remittances – as tracked by the Philippine Central Bank – did not include the remittances via the Black Market and the value of the tens of millions of shipping boxes containing canned foods, clothing and other necessities that they send by sea freight to their kin in the Philippines.

In actual practice, many Philippine government offices and their officials treat the OFWs as instant sources of graft, if not unwilling givers of bribes. The Philippine government actually considers the OFWs as “necessary evils,” for their foreign earnings keep the economy afloat and the rotten bureaucracy well-fed.

In spite of the campaign by some OFW leaders, still the Philippine (home) government has not done much to protect its expatriate workers. Here is a move initiated by Ms. Amanda Bueno and Ms. Freda Contreras in their efforts to educate OFWs on their rights, Simplified summary or Cliff Notes on: “Protecting Overseas Workers: Lessons and Cautions from RP 

The Exploitation of Filipino Woman Workers by the Arroyo Dispensation Continues 

The Issue of Woman OFWs

This writer and other authors have penned several articles about the injustices that woman OFWs suffer at the hands of their foreign employers and the bureaucracies of the home and host governments. Readers can browse the articles in this Women’s Section of the www.mabuhayradio.com at this hyperlink, http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/womens-section.html

"The national leaders of the Philippines must and should realize that even Arab women are treated as second-class citizens in many countries in the Middle East. So, one can just imagine how Filipino women are looked down, abused emotionally, physically and sexually." – Bobby Reyes

Ms. Winda Lagumbay-Petilla, a Filipino-Canadian writer and online activist, has described the perils of being woman OFWs in this article, Ms. Moonglow’s Sad Stories and News Briefs About OFWs, Especially Filipino Maids 

And there are host governments of which the eyes of their immigration bureaucrats turn blind when young foreign women enter their airports or seaports of entry as tourists. How can foreign women – young and often penniless – enter Japanese ports of entry with just a visitor’s visa? The truth is that countries like Japan need young Southeast-Asian women like the Filipinas to work in their night clubs, massage parlors, if not the houses of their Red-Light districts.

In 1994 I brought to the attention of the Japanese Prime Minister the issue of what this writer called, “the modern-day version of Japan’s Comfort Women.” To read more about this topic, please click on this hyperlink:

Does the World Care About Japan’s Modern-day "Comfort Women"?

And worse, even the two woman-Presidents of the Philippines continued, and the incumbent continues, to tolerate the abuses against the woman OFWs, as stated in this indictment, The Woman Leaders of the Philippines Must Protect their Fellow Women 

I mentioned my correspondence to the Japanese Prime Minister in my 1995 letter to the Pearl S. Buck Foundation about former Philippine President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, as stated in this article,

Not Getting Mad at, But Getting Even With, Tita Cory 

The sexual abuse of some OFWs is not restricted to woman workers. Francis Oca, our contributor from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), wrote this article, Report from Riyadh: Filipino Men Are Being Raped 

OFWs Are Often Treated as Second-class Human Beings

OFWs receive more-often than not the raw end of the criminal-justice system in the countries where they work. Several OFWs have been meted the capital punishment – and beheaded – in the KSA and the home government of the Republic of the Philippines (RP) has been rendered toothless, if not helpless, in protecting the civil rights of the OFWs who have been accused of criminal offenses by the host government.

Even OFWs drivers face the daunting problem of being blamed for traffic accidents that are caused by citizens of the countries where they work. To read a specific example of this illogical application of local laws in the foreign countries where OFWs work, please click this hyperlink, Filipinos Must Learn Middle-Eastern Logic and Filipino Rape Victim in Kuwait Accepts Settlement  

More Discrimination Even in Healthcare

As a general rule, OFWs are discriminated in matters of religion and even in healthcare.

OFW Christians are not afforded the freedom of religion in many Islamic countries. Nor do they are granted freedom of speech and/or of the press. In many countries – other than the United States, Canada, most European countries and Australia or New Zealand – OFWs and even their children born in the host countries cannot become immigrants, if not citizens, of the nations where they work. They are not even permitted to court a native woman in the host country. In short, if the native women in many Islamic countries are treated as second-class citizens, OFWs are treated like second-class human beings.

Even in the matter of healthcare, OFWs are given raw deals. Even in the liberal and progressive country of Canada, a Filipino woman OFW was almost denied life-saving healthcare services until a massive international protest persuaded Canadian authorities to reverse their decision. Here is an article published in this website about the case of the said Filipino OFW in Canada:

Cancer-stricken Filipino Caregiver Will Be Allowed to Stay (and Probably Die with Dignity) in Canada 

(To be continued . . .)

GMA Game: “Filipinos Love Me, They Love Me Not”

JGL Eye

GMA Game: “Filipinos Love Me, They Love Me Not”

By Joseph G. Lariosa

CHICAGO, Illinois (JGLi) – Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is undoubtedly going down on record as the most-traveled Philippine president.

She has rendered ambassadors she appointed impotent as she turned them into wallflowers in her visit to their missions.

As a result of her wanderlust, Mrs. Arroyo must have adopted or learned cultures and traditions from other lands. And one of the folkways that she must have learned is the game of French origin where she speaks the phrase, “the Filipino people love me” and “they love me not,” as she picks one petal off a flower for each phrase.

The phrase she speaks on picking off the last petal supposedly represents the truth between the object of their affection loving her or not.

I could not think of a similar Filipino homespun game, except the uncertain fate during a ligawan (courtship) where the object is to win the heart of the girl. But in her case, Mrs. Arroyo is the man regaining the unrequited love of the Filipino people.

But at this stage of her administration, her relationship with the Filipino people has gone past the courtship stage because the Filipino people were supposed to have already professed their love to her when they elected her president in 2004.

CHEATING CALL

But by Mrs. Arroyo’s past acts, her relationship with the Filipino people is one of a forced or shotgun marriage following the revelation of the “Hello Garci” tapes. Mrs. Arroyo apologized for placing that cheating call heard around the world.

Unfortunately for Mrs. Arroyo, she has no more chance to redeem herself as she is barred by the Philippine Constitution from running for re-election.

And the silver lining for her vindication is the revision of the Constitution from presidential to parliamentary form. But even before the charter change (cha cha) was hatched, Mrs. Arroyo is cocksure that she is going to keep her power by running in her Pampanga district as a member of the Lower House of the Philippine Congress and become Prime Minister under a new Constitution.

Will someone please remind Mrs. Arroyo that her home district could turn into her own albatross? All she needs is a single scandal associated to her that could spell her defeat! And to think that her closet is brimming at the seams with skeletons, I wonder why her supporters would not wake her up from her bad dream?

GO THE WAY OF GORE, McGOVERN

Don’t her handlers know that both presidential candidates Al Gore and George McGovern failed to win their home states of Tennessee and South Dakata, respectively, that ultimately cost them the presidency?

Thanks to a story that tied Gore to alleged criminal figures in Wilson County, Tennessee, next door to Gore’s home county. A series of investigative stories detailing Gore’s involvement in and interference with criminal investigations linked to his uncle, retired judge Whit LaFon and top campaign fundraisers like Clark Jones of Savannah, Tennessee all but spelled Gore’s defeat.

However, if Mrs. Arroyo thinks that she has nothing to hide from the people of her Pampanga district, then, she can dream on.

If not, she can start packing her bag and start counting her blessings – her millions of dollars and securities stashed in New York and other banks. It will probably take her another six or more years to count all of them.

That is, if she can count them. Trouble is, if the anti-money laundering regulators will count them for her, then, she could go the way of my friend, former President Joseph Estrada, who was convicted and jailed for plunder.

NO TIME FOR CHA CHA

And this is the very scenario that Mrs. Arroyo is trying hard to avoid.

If the Philippine Congress comes up short with its creepy plan to change the Constitution by turning itself into a constituent assembly (Con Ass) because Lower House is running out of time, Mrs. Arroyo may still desperately resort to other means to extend her term. What those means are, only Mrs. Arroyo knows. 

But she should be wary with what happened last month to President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras, who was ousted by his own military, the Courts and Congress when he tried to hold a referendum to extend his term.

Otherwise, Mrs. Arroyo can always turn to her travel agent and ask for an inventory of the countries she had been to. Then, she can choose the country that has no extradition treaty with the Philippines and the most hospitable for her as her country of exile.

Her most logical option, of course, is to support the winning presidential candidate in next year’s election. Her only problem is that the winning candidate, who suddenly grows a big ego, may become independent-minded and may turn against her.

HONORABLE OPTION

But if all else fail, she can take the most honorable exit among her options – she can take the path of former South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun, who leaped to his death amid investigation into bribery scandal that tarnished his reputation.

Like Mr. Roh, Mrs. Arroyo is also 62 years old. He left a suicide note: "I am in debt to too many people. Too many people have suffered because of me. And I cannot imagine the suffering they will go through in the future."

If Mrs. Arroyo looks up a bright future, she can now announce that she has had enough of politics and she wants to give others a chance to lead the country.