"Barangay Utakan" - A good tv show

I think we should appreciate efforts of tv networks to come up with intelligent and decent shows that engage the people and foster community spirit.

One of these kind of show is "Barangay Utakan" on Channel 5 which airs I think every Sunday.

The show combine mind and fun games pitting residents of one barangay from another.

The winning barangay gets for a prize something that the entire barangay residents can enjoy. In the episode that I saw by chance while channel surfing, it was a the improvement of the barangay basketball court.

More power to the people behind this show.

What happened to the sanggumay?

sanggumay last year around February

I am disappointed that this year, the sanggumay in our backyard did not produce any flower. It looked very healthy and I assumed that once the leaves die off, flowers will automatically follow.

But not for this one.

What happened?

Was it because it was suddenly exposed to intense bright light when the mango tree shading it was cut down?

Or was it because it we continued to water it even late into the year when watering should have stopped to hasten the dying off of the leaves and induce flowering?

But I only learned this too late.

Oh well. I like gardening but gardening does not seem to like me.

this year's sanggumay

Flores de Pusher

photo from PDI

Sa Batangas may isang mayor na nagpapa uso ng bagong tradisyon - Flores de Pusher.

Sa mata ng ibang tao, ayos lang ito. Salot naman talaga ang mga pusher at adik sa lipunan.

Ang problema ko lang dito, panay maliliit lamang ang mapaparusahan ng ganito pero ang mga malalaki at makakapangyarihan, ewan kung maisama dito. Lalong lalo na ang mga politikong sangkot sa narco-politics.

Isa pang isyu ko sa ganitong hakbang, sa simula ay maaaring mga pusher nga ang ipaparada. Pero sa kalaunan baka maabuso ito at kahit na sino na lang na hindi gusto ng may kapangyarihan ang padaanin sa ganitong panghihiya.

Ang unti unting paglabag sa karapatang pantao ay parang maliliit na bitak sa isang gusali na pag hindi inayos ay balang araw na mauuwi sa malaking bitak at pagkawasak mismo ng gusaali.

And the winner is.... Democracy!

Even before the May 9, 2016 Presidential election, it was already evident who would most likely win the election.

But win or lose, I stood by my candidate. I was not voting for a person. I was voting for honesty, integrity and a genuine desire to do what is right for the people. Unfortunately for me and my candidate, majority of the voters had a different a view.

This election had a huge voter turnout at 81%. For the most part, it was clean and honest. Voters went for different candidates, but in the end, with a clean and honest election, the winner is democracy and for that, we can say that we all won.

It is far far better to lose in a fair fight than to win by dirty means.

This thing called suffrage

Today millions of Filipinos will vote for a new leader. The generally good turnout of voters during elections make me believe that Filipinos are aware of the power of their vote.

What I wonder though is that when Filipinos vote, do they vote as equal where they believe they can hold the person they support accountable or do they vote as minions and underlings ceding their right to their bet?