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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Ang Sanang SONA
By Antonio C. Abata Written on July 21, 2008 For the Standard Today, July 22 issue Following the lead of my friend and colleague Peter Wallace, I have drafted a State of the Nation Address (SONA), which I hope will be the thrust and the gist of the speech that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will read before the joint session of Congress on July 28. Of course, I am being presumptuous, na�ve and unrealistic to think that the President's speech will be anything like the following paragraphs. But at this stage in our nation's history, I am so desperate for a rebirth of hope, a renewal of moral values, a recovery of a sense of dignity in our public life, that I am willing to try almost anything, including putting words into the President's mouth. ***** Mahal kong mga kababayan, I stand before you humbled and chastised. I have just read the results of the latest Social Weather Stations survey on my popularity, conducted nationwide from June 27 to June 30. With a heavy heart, I accept the results of this survey that showed the unprecedented levels of your dissatisfaction with my governance. It seems that for the first time ever, or at least since 1986, your dissatisfaction with your President now percolates at "majority levels," meaning that in all geographical regions, in all socio-economic classes, and in both the rural and urban areas, a clear majority of you, the people, are dissatisfied with my leadership. . I accept your judgment with a wounded heart, and I beg for your forgiveness for the lapses in my governance, for my sins of omission as well as for my sins of commission, for the unintended errors in my decisions as well as for my deliberate acts that, I now admit, sprang from arrogance, lust for power, and, yes, greed. I assumed power in 2001, fully convinced that God had put me here. I have always followed the advice of my late father: "Do your best and God will do the rest." But it seems that my best was not good enough, and God did the rest by letting your voices be heard through the democratic mechanism of a public opinion survey. The voice of the people is truly the voice of God, and I hear you and Him loud and clear. I disagree with my Executive Secretary, Eduardo Ermita, that "the people, not the surveys, should judge the President." The people, through the surveys, have rendered judgment and I humbly accept their verdict. I beg for your forgiveness. And I pray that you will give me the chance, during the last 22 months of my term, to redeem myself as best I can so that I can leave a positive legacy in our history, one from which your children and mine, your grandchildren and mine can draw sustenance to build a better country than the one we are bequeathing to them. I would like to declare here and now that I will not seek another term in office after June 30, 2010, either as prime minister or as president without term limits, as Tony Abaya has been repeatedly imputing.. Paraphrasing Lyndon Johnson, I now say categorically that if offered, I will not accept; if nominated, I will not run.. This means Governor Joey Salceda must now immediately stop his road show pushing for a shift to a parliamentary system of government. This means Senator Nene Pimentel must now immediately stop his road show pushing for a shift to a federal form of government, which � for reasons of his own from which I distance myself - he wants to engineer before the end of my term and through the spurious and self-serving mechanism of a constituent assembly. I welcome the apparent initiative of former President Fidel Ramos to break up the nascent merger of the Kampi and Lakas parties, the purpose of which is to railroad through Congress my (and their) prolonged stay in power beyond 2010 by locking down an absolute majority. Let all sycophants be put on notice that I will block all their efforts to amend the Constitution before the end of my term. ChaCha should be programmed AFTER 2010, and, if my opinion were solicited, only through the democratic mechanism of a Constitutional Convention. To help restore the credibility of the Commission on Elections preparatory to the 2010 presidential elections, I am withdrawing my nomination of two unknown judges as commissioners, who have not yet been confirmed by Congress, and will instead choose their replacements from a short list that includes Persida Acosta, Howard Calleja, Rufus Rodriguez, Rene Saguisag, Amado Valdez and Jovencito Zuno. I am also ordering the immediate arrest and investigation of Lintang Bedol, whom the Comelec pretends it cannot find.. I am urging the Lower House to resume its investigation of Virgilio Garcillano, so that his guilt or innocence, and that of other bureaucrats involved in 2004, are finally established. I am submitting to Congress a bill certified as urgent that would dismantle political dynasties as called for by the 1987 Constitution. To set an example, I am meeting with my two sons, Congressman Mikey and Congressman Dato, as well as my brother-in-law Congressman Iggy, so that they can decide who among them will stay in the present Congress. I will ask the other two to resign. I beg for your forgiveness that during my presidency our beloved country was adjudged the most corrupt in Asia, not only by the Political and Economic Risks Consultancy Ltd. of Hong Kong, but also by the World Bank. I accept full responsibility for this ignominy and I offer no alibi. To set our country on a new tack and give some impetus to the present and future campaigns against corruption, I am meeting with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Ombudsman, and the Secretary of Justice, to discuss ways and means � such as possibly 90-day continuous trials � to expedite the hearing of high-profile corruption cases, starting with plunder and unexplained wealth cases that have been pending with the Ombudsman for years, such as those of Gen. Carlos Garcia, Gen. Jacinto Ligot, Col. George Rabusa, Jejomar Binay, and Hernando Perez, and others. It is necessary to expedite the hearing of these cases so that the guilt or innocence of indicted individuals can finally be established, and so that the message is adequately broadcast that corruption, especially at the highest level, will no longer be tolerated I am also releasing Romulo Neri from all his current government positions as well as from the restrictions of Executive Privilege so that he will be able to reply with candor and without reservation to the questions which the Senate may want to ask him about the ZTE broadband contract. I know there are dozens of other issues that need to be resolved, but in the time left to me in office, I would like to concentrate on these ones, hopefully to set the tone Once again, I beg for your forgiveness for having failed you. Let us rebuild our country together in the next 22 months, for the sake of our children and our grandchildren.. Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino! ***** Reactions to [email protected]. More articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. . To subscribe, send as blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to "Ang Sanang SONA" Response to E. J. Tirona 'Wild Pigs and Subsidy Dole-Outs' 'Wanted: A President-Social Entrepreneur' Tony, If only it were true....... R. Stager, (by email), Quezon City, July 22, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, if only leopards can change their spots, so to speak. The DNA unfortunately excludes the sincerity gene, the selflessness gene, the integrity gene, the honor gene, the credibility gene, the wisdom gene, etc, ad nauseam. Regards, Raffy Alunan, (by email), July 22, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Nice try, but no President will admit his or her shortcomings publicly and privately. If ever circumstances force a President to admit his or her mistakes, it will never be said in active voice but in passive voice. There is a legacy to protect and preserve. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email), New York City, July 22, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Bravo Tony, although it's more like wishful thinking on your part and for the majority of us Filipinos. It would take greater courage and resolve for GMA to deliver this address and I doubt it very much if she will be able to finish it before she breaks down in tears. On the other hand, this sentiment which is shared by millions of Filipinos clearly mirrors the frustration and the desperation of an ailing nation and the best we can do so far is to just hope and pray that something better is going to turn out. There is no guarantee that this is going to happen but stranger things have happened in the past. Keep it up, Tony, and best regards. Noe Castanos, (by email), Toronto, Ont, Canada, July 22, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Bravo, Tony. We can all dream, can't we? Dan Jimenez, (by email), July 22, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Bravo Tony.. However, IN YOUR DREAMS... Hindi aamin si GMA. This woman is plastered with evil around her, even justifying the wrong things.. This woman has also destroyed every inch of credibility in the governance of Pinoys. I doubt it. Palalabasin pa nga nila na me utang tayo ng loob because she has made the country " economic wonders." Mike Delgado, (by email), July 22, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, What? No resignation? Sir, mangangarap ka na rin lang, sana isinagad mo na. Hehehe! Cheers, E. Hidalgo, (by email), July 22, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww My problem with "Ang Sanang Sona" Mr Abaya, is that even if I heard it with my own ears, coming from PGMA, I would not be able to believe any of its pretentions and promises. Though that has also become part of my current fantasies. God bless Grace Ri�oza-Plazo, (by email), July 22, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Nice speech by the president. Incidentally, did you that pig that just flew by? Gus Cosio, (by email), July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Magaling! Revolution. Revolution. Revolution of the mind. Her advisers who are as guilty maybe; will scuttle for cover. Ernie Dellosa, (by email), Santo Tomas, Batangas, July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You WISH. This is like Gloria walking into the gallows and putting the rope around her neck all by herself. It's like betting your one peso to win the whole on Marcos wealth. GOOD LUCK Art Cordero, (by email), July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Wow Mr. Abaya! Sana nga po ay ganito ang magiging mensahe niya. Sana hindi po malabo mangyari ito. If something like this happens, just imagine the transformation that will take place in our country and in our society. Others will follow suit and our nation will rise again. No more empty motherhood and ambitious statements. This will also be a good start in purging the bureaucracy of people with no integrity. I hope this draft reaches her and makes her change her mind about the contents of her speech. Nicole Paterno, (by email), July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hahahha.... Sana yan ang sasabihin ni madam gloria sa kanyang sona... then I will hung myself in the coconut tree... I swear! Tony Aristoque, (by email), July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Much as majority of Filipinos are with your wishes of what GMA will say on her SONA this month, GMA and her military cohorts will mockingly say: "Nice Try' and "In your dreams". If one will simply observe GMA's political body language and behavior, it appears to be identical with what went on very recently in Zimbabwe. GMA like Mugabe is caught up riding the military tiger. GMA may not have the option of dismounting the tiger. "When you're riding the tiger, the only way you're going to get off is when you land in the tiger's belly. Below is a news items from The Washington Post dated July 7, 2008 referring to Mugabe and Zimbabwe military's political embrace: "HARARE, Zimbabwe � President Robert Mugabe summoned his top security officials to a government training center near his home in central Zimbabwe on March 30. He informed the leaders of the state security apparatus that had enforced his rule for 28 years that he had lost the presidential vote held the previous day. Then Mugabe told them he planned to give up power in a televised speech to the nation the next day, according to the written notes of one participant that were corroborated by two other people with direct knowledge of the meeting. But Zimbabwe's military chief, Gen. Constantine Chiwenga, said the choice was not Mugabe's alone to make. According to two firsthand accounts of the meeting, Chiwenga told Mugabe his military would take control of the country to keep him in office or the president could contest a runoff, directed in the field by senior army officers supervising a military-style campaign against the opposition. Mugabe agreed to remain in the race and rely on the army to ensure his victory. During an April 8 military planning meeting, according to written notes and the accounts of participants, the plan was called CIBD : Coercion. Intimidation. Beating. Displacement. Between the March 29 vote and the June 27 runoff election, ruling-party militias under the guidance of 200 senior army officers battered the Movement f,or Democratic Change. By Election Day, more than 80 opposition supporters were dead, hundreds were missing, thousands were injured and hundreds of thousands were homeless. Morgan Tsvangirai, the party's leader, dropped out of the contest." GMA and the military's immediate dilemma now as before is to set the stage where GMA can legally(?) run for another term. Since her last questionable election in 2004, several attemps to change the constitution under all imaginable pretext were unsuccessfully tried (Cha-Cha, Con-Con, Con-Ass, the latest of which Federalism). The questions are: will she still ride the tiger beyond 2010 like Mugabe? or will the Filipinos let it happen? If this time, GMA and the military shall be successful again, it might as well be a long night of political darkness and another open struggle for freedom in the country such as in Myanmar and the Marcos dictatorship. Mark Enriquez, (by email), Los Angeles, CA, July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Thanks for your SONA . Incisive insights. The systems are being put in place. Neri at SSS, in charge of funds from private workers. Also head (cabinet-level, to ensure that he will continue to be able to avail of executive privilege) of the new National Social Welfare Council, with a fund of P45B! Winston Garcia at GSIS, in charge of funds from government workers. A move to make Winston's GSIS be in charge of ALL issuances of compulsory TPL insurance coverage for all vehicle registrations. SSS and GSIS will surely provide a massive source of funds for buying public support (among other imaginable purchases) through dole-outs similar to the P500 "lifeline subsidy". In the meantime, of course, EVAT cannot be removed because that's what keeps prices high and the poor people desperate---and, hopefully, properly grateful for the "lifeline" dole-outs from the merciful President, whose stay beyond 2010 they will be thankful for. And let's not forget this stroke of genius: the peace deal being brokered by Esperon with the MILF being dependent on charter change! (see http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storyPage.aspx?storyId=125525 and related stories). Wow! May God have mercy on the Philippines. [email protected], July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww To Tony Abaya, Tremendous! Beautiful! Congratulations for the SONA the whole nation now awaits with baited breath! We should all storm the gates of heaven with our prayers that our President will indeed deliver such a SONA, or perhaps even improve on it. Congratulations, Tony. I have never commented on your earlier pieces, however much I enjoyed them or agreed with them. But this one stands out, and it bears being commented on. God bless you! Rene Valdes, (by email), Baguio City, July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Nice speech. It could help redeem the obiterated honor of PGMA from the abyss. By unshackling people like Neri, however, to divulge everything before the Senate and the Court, PGMA would incriminate herself to jail after she steps down as President in 2010. Mortz Ortigoza, (by email), Dagupan City, July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sana ito ang SONA. pero hindi rin ito. Na sa trash bin na itong copy ito in Malacanan, in the inodoro na! and flushed to the Pasig River and Manila Bay! Tony Oposa, MD, (by email), July 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, you mean Precy Acosta for COMELEC? You must be kidding! Otherwise, it's another of your masterpieces and will belong to the genre of "could-have-been-delivered-but-never-were"! Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino, (by email), July 23, 2008 (The short list of recommendees for the Comelec was prepared, not by me, but by a group of concerned organizations including, I believe, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voters. If you have anything against Ms. Acosta, you may want to spell it out in public. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony: Nice try but 'no thanks' is presumably GMA's response. You were asking too much from a scoundrel. It would take a miracle for her to even consider half of your speech. It's a shame because you have captured the whole gamut of the miserable situation in the Philippines. Anyway, thanks for your effort. Martin C. Celemin, (by email), Las Vegas, Nevada, July 24, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww HOW I WISH! Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, July 24, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, On reading your "Ang Sanang Sona", I am not sure if I was dreaming. But then, I remember one of the series of the "Mission Impossible" episode shown many years ago, wherein they kidnap the President and somebody takes his place that looks like him and make his speech complete with TV coverage that stunned the country on the complete turn-around of their President. Who knows. Miracle happens. Probably this is why the madame President's smile is limited nowadays. Thanks and more power! Bert Celera, (by email), July 24, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony I think the SONA sana of GMA should be: "I resign!" Amado Cabaero, (by email), July 24, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Mr. Abaya! How can the Filipino people believe Gloria Arroyo who at the very start of her speech was already lying to her teeth? What is funny is that the longest and loudest applause was on The .50 centavos reduction of the text charges which was really a promo by the carriers that would expire on October 2008. I hope the Filipinos would not be con into believing that just because she mentioned about a next president that she will no longer be in power. She can be the Prime Minister in a Parliamentary government who will wield the real power with a ceremonial President. She has already in a double speak sent the message to her puppets who are in control of the House of Represntathieves. Narciso Limsiaco Ner, (by email), Davao City, July 29, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Response to E. J. Tirona Hi Mang Tony, I could not help but react in Mr. Tirona's remarks in RX to 'She's not Smiling! So, that is the attitude of people around Arroyo. Don't take life too seriously! No one comes out of it alive anyway. So, Gloria and her dwarves are not taking life seriously, are they? No question why the country is in such in a state. Siguro sa Malacanang, pinagtatawanan lang nila ang problem ng Pilipino. Lilipas din yan! Hello Garci!, Fertilizer scam! ZTE! Sulpicio tragedy! Let Ermita and Bunye fool the people. Ang galeeng�.. May araw din sila! #$&$%$##$$!!!! ANG PIKON LAGING TALO! OPO PIKON NA ANG MGA PILIPINO AT LAGING TALO DAHIL SA KANILA! SILA LAGING PANALO DAHIL DI SILA NAPIPIKON! PINAGTATAWANAN LANG NILA LAGI ANG MGA PILIPINO!!! SABI MO NGA, DI NA SYA MAKATAWA, DRAMA LANG SIGURO, NAG I-EMOTE, PERO HALATA PARIN ANG HIPOCRISY. DAGDAGAN NATIN. IF YOU CANNOT BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM! KAYA NASA KANILA NA SI MIRRIAM, ENRILE, NGAYON SI PIMENTEL (Belat sa kanya, akala nya si Gloria para kay Koko, water is thicker than alcohol yata) ANG MGA TAONG GIPIT, KAKAPIT NA SA PATALIM, KAYA MAGINGAT SILA!!! WAG NILANG PUNUIN ANG SALOP DAHIL LINTIK LANG WALANG GANTI!!! Regards, ANG PANDOY, Edilberto Anit, (by email), July 21, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Fil Juntereal) Wild Pigs and Subsidy Dole-Outs 'There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living within your means.' Calvin Coolidge There was a Chemistry professor in La Salle who had some Bicol students in the graduate class. One day while the class was in the lab, the Prof noticed one young man (a Bicol student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting NPAs in his region. In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?' The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke.. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn a gain and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity. The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to the Philippines. The government keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credits, fertilizer subsidies, swine subsidies, Meralco subsidies, NFA rice subsidies, etc. While we continually lose our freedoms - just a little at a time. One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free Lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself. Hope you see that all of this wonderful government's 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in Filipinas. Hope you do not think the free ride is essential to the Filipino way of life, otherwise God help us when the gate slams shut! Please listen closely to what the politicians are promising you - just maybe you will be able to tell who is about to slam the gate on the Philippines. 'A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.' - Thomas Jefferson wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Conrado Sanchez) Wanted: A President-Social Entrepreneur Wanted: A president who can run the Philippines like a social enterprise By Ni�a Terol, Team RP Author's note: This is an abridged version of a blog post originally written for the Young Public Servants website. To view the full article, click on http://www.yps.org.ph/blogs/guest/?p=4 I RECENTLY posed this challenge to some like-minded colleagues: draft a want ad for this country's next president, then let's see how we are able to articulate the skills, qualifications, and necessary track record of the Philippines's Chief Executive. After all, we cannot even begin to seriously assess our current crop of presidential hopefuls if we don't know what we are looking for in the first place. I honestly thought that it would be quite easy because the exercise had to be somewhat similar to writing an ad for a CEO of a large corporation. How hard could that be, right? (The power of Google, and cut and paste�) Well, I apparently underestimated the task. While doing some online research on the subject it occurred to me that maybe my entire premise was wrong in the first place. The Philippines is not a large corporation. It is not large geographically, politically, economically, or even diplomatically the way the First World countries, or even China or India, are. It is not even a dark horse the way Russia is often viewed. In the local setting, the Philippines is not like one of those multinationals that are housed in one of the ritzier office spaces along Ayala Avenue. It might not even be located in any of the central business districts. If the Philippines were an enterprise, it could probably be considered a startup, or a relatively young SME at the most. Therefore, the kind of president that we need is not somebody who will saunter into the office in an extremely expensive suit � with an army of executive assistants, senior vice presidents, and consultants in tow � and be a "boardroom executive." We need someone who has the mindset of an entrepreneur and who will be able to dig through the mud (literally, sometimes) to get things done. But because I'm a fan of social enterprises and social enterprises, I'd take it up a notch and venture to say that the Philippines could be likened to a social enterprise, and therefore needs a president who has the mindset of a social entrepreneur. What's in a social entrepreneur? According to the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurs are "unusually courageous men and women that pursue their vision of a better world by applying extraordinary creativity and resourcefulness to some of the world's most challenging issues. They are not just dreamers�They have the rare ability to ground their dreams in reality and translate them into pragmatic, goal-oriented and measurable action. As a result, they have produced some of the most innovative approaches to social, economic and political problems that continue to defy conventional means of action [boldface mine]." On the other hand, Stacey Childress (2006) of the Harvard Business School, talks of the need for a "Theory of Change" � a belief about how actions will contribute to the fulfillment of a larger vision. This "theory" could be focused on either local or systemic change, but it has to define how the social enterprise's activities will contribute to the big picture. Social entrepreneurs, therefore, are visionaries � wild, passionate, big-picture thinkers � first and foremost. They are unafraid of dreaming of WHAT COULD BE; to them, "impossible" means "I'll Make it POSSIBLE." Who in our current crop of presidentiable-wannabes thinks that way? Moreover, social entrepreneurs are able to link current gaps with current givens and future possibilities in ways that are extremely innovative, creative, "out of the universe" and yet very, very logical. They are unafraid of asking the important question � "Why not?" � and going, "What next?" For instance, one of my favorite social enterprises, Rags 2 Riches, linked the existing realities of dismal economic conditions in Payatas and the nanays' current means of livelihood � rag-making � to the big dream of making "designer rags." Throw renowned fashion designer Rajo Laurel into the mix, and you've got a kick-ass concept (which just recently won an international business plan competition) and beautiful bags that even Angelina Jolie will buy because (1) they're great products and (2) they support fair trade. Imagine this: If we could reinvent the Philippines using the social enterprise model, what would it look like? More importantly, are any of our politicians willing to take the risk of painstaking � but powerful � transformation? Or are they simply promising the same old Spartan slippers and simply rebranding them as Havaianas? Social entrepreneurs also know what their goals look like and, therefore, how to know when they've already achieved them. Social enterprises are not just lofty causes filled with empty promises. At the heart of it all, social enterprises are income-generating operations for which metrics, indicators, and impact are very important. At the end of the day, we will know where we stand and what else we need to do to fill in the gaps. Think about it: if we had a president who at the very least was as entrepreneurial, as passionate, as savvy, as creative, and as progressive as some of our country's top (social) entrepreneurs, wouldn't you feel a tad more hopeful about our future and more willing to help make things work? Ni�a Terol, 28, is a writer, editor, communications consultant, and emerging social entrepreneur. She is also the Vice Chairperson for Internal Affairs of Team RP, a youth-led movement for truth, accountability, and reform in Philippine governance. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO All reactions to [email protected]. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |