Senator Mar Roxas, Mr. Palengke has also started blogging. If you ask me, it’s a cost-effective channel for him to be closer to Filipinos. His blog will be a good venue for him to push his advocacy, present his programs and his stand on issues and for us ordinary Filipinos to share our views.

This early I can say that the Internet will play a big part in the race to 2010 Philippine Presidential Elections. If we only base the number of Filipinos who are online on the number of Friendster users, that’s 10.7 million. Most of these users, if not all, are young, tech savvy and most are probably voters. The OFWs likewise often spend more time online as their way of keeping in touch with their relatives and with what’s happening in the country. What better way to reach them than be online?

On our part as voters, I think it’s a good way to be in touch with our leaders. We used to know of the candidate’s platform only during campaign periods and caucuses which we often cannot attend. The more we know, the more we can make our choice.

Are we going to have another Ilonggo as President? The Philippines already had two Visayan presidents, Carlos Garcia of Bohol and Manuel Roxas (Mar’s grandfather) of Capiz. It’s still two years to go and I haven’t made up my mind yet. If ever I will vote for Mar Roxas it will be beacuse I believe in what he can do for the country and not because he’s an Ilonggo.

There were two programs he started as Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry that I commend him for - ‘Presyong Tama, Gamot Pampamilya’ and ‘PCs for Public Schools‘. Presyong Tama is the precursor of the Botika ng Bayan which increased access of the poor to cheaper medicines. The PCPS, now on its Phase 3, provided computers to public high schools and LGUs nationwide. So as of now, he’s leading in my scorecard.

Image Credit: marroxasblog.com