Good morning, this is news from your world

photo from Philippine Inquirer website

Another typhoon is wrecking havouc again in the Philippines. I pray for all those areas that are greatly affected at this time. Weather is beyond human power :-( but I pray.

The weather is really getting scarier and scarier now. If you have not watched Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth", maybe it'd be a good idea if you check it out. I insist. I know it is already in the Philippines because Greenpeace had a screening of it last November 22 in SM Megamall.

The purpose of this movie is really to get laws passed that focus on environmental protection, as there seems to be a problem with that here in the US. On December 11, 1997 Al Gore signed the Kyoto protocol, but this is the position of the US for now. The United States (the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases) and Australia have signed but have not ratified up to this day. Russia finally ratified last 2004.

I applaud France's prime minister for proposing to tax imports from non-signers of the Kyoto plan.

As for us in the Philippines, in fairness to our legislators, have been trying to do what we can to ease global warming. We signed the protocol on April 15, 1998 and ratified on November 20, 2003. The Biofuels Act , as of last Wednesday, has been ratified by the HOUSE and by evening was ratified by the Senate. Please read it. If the implementation will go as planned, it will change so much of our everday lives. And in even more "in fairness", the main author of this bill is Bukidnon 3rd District Rep. Miguel Zubiri.

I am also very proud that the Environmental champion in the House is Bukidnon 1st District Rep. Neric Acosta. He authored the The Philippines Clean Air Act of 1999 and tirelessly addresses environmental issues. He is also against the dividing of Bukidnon into two provinces, butting heads with Gov. Jose Zubiri, who ironically is the father of Miguel. Miguel was the one who passed the bill for the division in Congress. The wonderful ironies of Philippine politics. Let's just say I am happy that Bukidnon Representatives have authored important environmental policies and leave it at that. For 'nao.

And that is it for early morning news. Go now and check out "An Inconvenient Truth" and may you have a new lease on life.

Vote Selling

It's elections in the Philippines again next year. I think this time we should make a change.

VOTE BUYING is so outdated.

this time:

VOTE SELLING.

Yeah. Isn't it about time Filipinos realize that their vote is so important that politicians want to buy it? Raise your price people! Have some pride! Sure, sell it! They are so willing to buy it.

Yeah. Ask for a scholarship for your children! Ask for free lunch in public schools for the whole year! Ask for a trip to see the sea. Ask for a trip to Jollibee for your whole clan. Raise your price! Advertise what your selling your vote for! Place signs outside your house! Write it on your shirt when you go meet a politician. Yeah! Be honest! Let's all be honest! So even if there is whatever anomaly, no one will complain it was a dishonest election!

And be smart. You know how politicians won't give you the money for your vote unless their local mole in your purok has proven (thru carbon voting, or whatever crazy means) that you did vote for them? Well, don't even go to the polls until you see a contract of some sort for what was promised. Carbon copied, filed a hundred times and signed ten times.

Yeah. If you must buy. Then allow the people to sell.

It's a free market in May. Come one. Come all.