Today, we remember that fateful day of August 21, 1983 when NInoy Aquino was assassinated at the tarmac of what was then the Manila International Airport. Twenty-five years had passed, his assassination remain unsolved.
I was too young to remember the events of 1983. What I know of Ninoy are what’s written about him in high school history books, articles and television features. And the fact that an International Airport was named after him, that he is on the 500 peso bill, that Cory Aquino was his wife and Kris and …

Is the Philippines ready for Federalism? Senator Pimentel has introduced Senate Resolution No. 10 which envisioned the creation of 11 federal states. I am personally for federalism but I think all Filipinos should also be consulted as to whether they are in favor of it. It is not a perfect form of government so I think there should be consultations and information dissemination in the community level so that the people can make their choice.

Do you know the different Philippine Provinces? I suggest you familiarize yourself with all the different Philippine Provinces from now on before they cut us up and separate the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity from the Map of the Philippine Archipelago.

Filipino life today is like walking on a tightrope. You don’t know if you’re going to cross to the other side safely or you’re going to fall down to your death. There seem to be a never ending of crises hammering Filipinos – rice crisis, oil crisis, energy crisis, economic crisis, to name the most recent ones. I know we have survived and thrived in worse situations but to be continuously battered by these problems can be very taxing, challenging the limits of the ever resilient Pinoy.

The destruction that typhoon Frank/Fengshen brought to Iloilo is by far the worst the province has ever experienced. The flooding was unprecedented and the extent of the damage was unparalleled. Numerous lives had been claimed and many others became homeless.

Latest data from the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council as of 9am 26 June 2008 show that 124 persons died in Iloilo, 569,142 persons affected, of whom 22,057 were still in evacuation centers. The damages in agriculture and infrastructure in Iloilo was estimated to have reached more than P500M.

Last June 12 we celebrated the 110th Declaration of Philippine Independence. It was also a commemoration of the lives of the many Filipinos who have fought and died in order for this country to be free from colonialism. The Philippines has been colonized for more than three hundred years by Spain, then by the United States. These colonizers have done a great job in brainwashing us such that some FIlipinos doesn’t even want to be free from them. We even wanted to be like them yet they never really treated us as their equal. They have subjected us to be “Indios” and their “Little Brown Brother”.

I want to visit all the provinces in the Philippines. You might think I have a rather simple ambition. Why the Philippines when most Pinoys would want to travel the world? Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to travel the world as much as the next Pinoy. The reason is simple, I believe in the saying ‘Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan’ (Dont’t be a stranger in your own country). Don’t you think you should too? Before packing your bags and leaving this country for good, don’t you think she deserves a second look?

It’s an affirmation of my choice. From among 65 cities that were ranked, Bacolod City topped the list of “Best Places to Live” by MoneySense magazine.