Obama and Change

By Antonio C. Abaya
Nov. 05, 2008

At 11:45 am of November 05, based on partial returns from most of the states, CNN projected 89 state electoral votes for John McCain, and 206 for Barack Obama. The BBC has a more updated score card: 135 for McCain, 207 for Obama.

With California the only big state still not tabulated in, with its 55 electoral votes conceded to Obama, it looked hopeless for McCain.

The CIA had failed to wipe out Osama bin Laden and Ayman al_Zwahiri in Pakistan, in time to save McCain. The white supremacist neo-Nazi skinheads had failed to terminate Obama. The US military had failed to bomb Iran before Nov. 04 and present Obama with a fait accompli from which he would not have been able to walk away.

At 12 noon of Nov. 05 (Manila time), CNN projected that Obama has been elected the 44th president of the USA.

What an historic day this has been. America has re-invented itself, without a civil war, without a violent and bloody revolution. And the whole world rejoices at this rebirth of “unyielding hope.”

Obama is a burst of sunshine that pierces an enveloping darkness, a radiant spring that pushes back the gloom of winter. Would that this spirit of renewal will persist and give eminence again to the innate goodness of the American people.

Personally, I can now revisit the country where I spent four and a half happy years – from September 1956 to April 1961 - first as a student and then, after graduation, as an industrial chemist. I was back in the US more than 15 times after that for occasional visits. But the last time I visited was in May 2001, for the wedding of my daughter Gina in scenic Carmel in California.

As George W. Bush and his neo-con government led the US to war in Iraq, premised on a pack of lies, I vowed to myself that I would never set foot on the US again as long as Bush was president.

And I was not alone in my family to make that pledge. My late wife’s brother-in-law (my bala-e) Helmut - an American of German descent and a card-carrying member of the Republican Party – also vowed not to return to the land of his birth as long as Bush was in the White House.

(At this point, my computer broke down, apparently overwhelmed by the news of Obama’s electoral victory, and had to be rushed to the ICU of the computer hospital. Which is the reason why this column failed to appear in print, as scheduled, on Thursday, Nov. 6.)

When I resumed writing this piece, I received information that George W. Bush had bought a 98,842-acre (about 40,000 hectares) farm in Acuifero Guarani in northern Paraguay, between Brazil and Bolivia. This was apparently first reported on October 16, 2006 by Prensa Latina of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Unconfirmed, however, is the scuttlebutt that George W and family had been prevented recently by a US Delta Force detachment from leaving for Paraguay and was allegedly confined to Camp David. Supposedly, Mr. Bush is seeking to avoid facing charges of crimes against humanity being filed against him and Vice-President Dick Cheney at the United Nations for the war in Iraq.

If true – and there are any number of American anti-war protest groups which have demanded such a recourse – this could well be Barack Obama’s baptism of fire in messy foreign policy disputes.

Then Senator Obama opposed the Iraq war right from the start, as he liked to remind the war-weary American electorate during the primaries and the electoral campaign. But if he were to support a war crimes trial against Bush and Cheney, he would antagonize the 46 percent of the American voters who had voted for John McCain, thus dividing all over again the public so soon after receiving a solid mandate to unify it.

On the other hand, if he were to allow Bush and Cheney to escape accountability for their “crimes against humanity,” he would disappoint many among the 52 percent who voted for him who expect some punitive action against the neo-con war mongers who wasted some two trillion dollars in taxpayers’ money and caused the death of more than 4,000 American servicemen and women, not to mention hundreds of thousands of Iraqis..

During the primaries and electoral campaign, Obama promised that, if elected, he would pull out US troops from Iraq in 16 months after he takes office. But he has since amended that position and accepted the idea of allowing 50,000 US troops to remain in Iraq in “non-combat” roles. This would not be much different from McCain’s position of staying in Iraq “even up to 100 years,” citing US troops in Germany, Japan and South Korea who have kept their garrisons for 63 years and still counting.

Actually, Iraq as an issue was cited by only ten percent of voters surveyed as their number one concern. Sixty two percent said the economy was their chief concern.

As well it should be. On the day Obama was elected president, the Dow Jones index dropped almost 450 points, as if to mock him and dare him to come and fix it up. Since Jan. 1, almost 800,000 American have lost their jobs. Some four million Americans are expected lose their homes in the next two years because they will no longer be able to afford the monthly amortizations. Car sales are down at least 30 percent compared to last year. Home values continue to fall, whittling down the equities of millions of Americans.

Can Obama fix the broken US economy? He has promised to create five million jobs in the next two years, “five million jobs that cannot be outsourced.” That sounds like a stab at protectionism. And why not? Free trade and globalization have boomeranged on Bush’s America, even as he tried to protect American jobs and American producers by putting up numerical quotas against lumber from Canada, prawns and catfish from Vietnam, steel from South Korea and Brazil, in addition to existing quotas on imported sugar, garments, shoes, motorcycles, etc.

Obama may be honest enough to admit that free trade and globalization have robbed American workers of millions of jobs, which have migrated to China, India and other points east. In which case, the solution he has in mind may likely work against the economic interests of current hosts of outsourced jobs, including the Philippines.

Those who are skeptical of the accuracy of scientific public opinion surveys should take note that on the day before Election Day, the CNN Poll of Polls, which averaged several concurrent polls, put Obama ahead of McCain by seven percentage points, with another seven percent still undecided.

The actual nationwide election results gave Obama 52 percent of the popular vote, compared to 46 for McCain, or a margin of six points. If there was a Bradley Effect, it was not enough to materially affect the outcome.

The defining mantra in this campaign was Change. Obama early on realized that the American people were aching for genuine, meaningful change. Change in Iraq. Change in economic relations. Change in social services, especially in health care. Obama hinged his whole campaign on Change We Need, and the American public responded positively.

McCain’s belated attempt to present himself also as an agent of change was not credible. Many voters rightly saw him as merely a clone of George W. When voters were asked which candidate represented Change, 92 percent said Obama. Only five percent said McCain.

We in the Philippines also ache for Change. But do we have a visionary Obama in our future? Or do we have nothing but tiresome and predictable McCains? *****

Reactions to tonyabaya@gmail.com. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com.

Dawn of a New Era

PerryScope
by Perry Diaz

At 11:00 PM Eastern Time on November 4, 2008, Barack Obama made history when he was elected President of the United States, a feat that no African-American has achieved before. After enduring a negative campaign by his opponent, Obama convinced the American people that he is the man whom they can trust in changing the way the government works. With a vision of hope, Obama's victory ushers in a new era.

Obama's election amidst some of the sleaziest campaign tactics against him proved once again that the American people will not fall prey to negativism. But it was Obama's positive outlook and determination to stay on course that finally convinced the electorate that he could bring real change to America.

In his victory speech in Chicago attended by 125,000 enthusiastic supporters, Obama gave a stirring call to all Americans to come together and help him bring change to the nation. He set the tone of his administration when he prefaced his speech by saying, "The greatest of a lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century."

He told them, "This is our moment, this is our time" and declared: "Change has come to America." But he reminded the people that he alone cannot make that change. "So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder," he said. The response was spontaneous and brought many to tears of joy. In the crowd was the fiery Rev. Jesse Jackson -- who once ran for President -- with tears falling from his eyes.

The diversity of the crowd was a testament to the wide support for Obama's message, "Yes, we can," which the crowd chanted as Obama outlined the tasks that lie ahead: ending the Iraq War, fix the economy, health care, education…

It is not going to be easy. It would take a man of great courage to achieve the change he wanted. But he is not a man lacking in courage. His courage to seek the presidency without a precedence was like charting the unknown seas. He didn't have the stars to go by, only the instinct and determination of a person whose only fear is fear itself.

Looking back at the 21 months of his steep climb to the pinnacle of political power in America, Obama's success may have been attributed to "Mandela Effect," to wit: "When you can create enduring success not because you are perfect or lucky but because you have the courage to do what matters to you." Indeed, he proclaimed oftentimes during his campaign that he was not perfect. And lucky? Well, as someone once said, "The harder you work, the luckier you get." And work harder he did to achieve what he courageously sought: the presidency of the United States of America.

Obama had broken the racial barrier to the presidency. The trail that he blazed to the White House will be studied and charted by political scientists for others to use. Henceforth, it would be easier for people of color to pursue the highest position in the land. And no longer do they have to fear the "Bradley Effect." In 1982, Tom Bradley, an African-American, lost the California gubernatorial contest although he was ahead in the polls prior to the election. The theory suggests that white voters would tell pollsters that they are undecided or would vote for a black candidate; however, on election day they would vote for the white candidate.

Because of the "Bradley Effect," political pollsters and pundits would not dare predict the victory of Obama prior to the November 4 elections. It has never happened in a presidential election before; thus, making "Bradley Effect" a huge variable in the polls. Some say that for Obama to win, he had to have at least a 10-percent lead over McCain in the polls. In most polls, Obama led by 5 to 6 percent -- not enough to offset the "Bradley Effect." The initial results of the popular vote were 52% for Obama to 47% for McCain with 84% of all precincts reported. Most of the polls were pretty close to these figures. In other words, "Bradley Effect" did not materialize in the 2008 elections.

The first task of Obama is to start the unification of the American people who were polarized by the negative campaign tactics. McCain, in his concession speech in Phoenix, Arizona, congratulated and complimented Obama. He urged his followers to "come together and bridge the separations and put aside differences." And he promised that he "will get behind his president, President Obama."

Thus started the healing process. If the two erstwhile rivals could work together -- McCain is still a senator -- it would certainly bode well for the Obama administration. And as Obama promised, he will reach across the aisle in the spirit of bipartisanship.

As the Bush presidency comes to an end, let's give President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden best wishes as they usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. God bless both of them. God bless America.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

President-elect Barack Obama’s Victory Speech

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Chicago, Illinois

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Obama In America, Hunger In The Philippines

GLIMPSES
Jose Ma. Montelibano

Of course, I was watching the television set all morning and early afternoon. By tomorrow morning, I have to submit this article which comes out every Friday. There seemed nothing more important than the Barack Obama victory and what it represents to America and the world. For so long, I had often refrained from commenting publicly about America’s presidential contest since I am not an American. What both stood for is of utmost relevance even to Filipinos, but I tried to avoid provoking all the more the heated partisanship that accompanied the campaign.

Very early this year, when a young American asked me about the Obama and Hillary rivalry for the Democratic nomination for president, I told him that it was a struggle of what was dominant that did not yet realize a new emerging force was challenging that dominance. Obama was seen as more reflective of meaning of “change” even though Hillary would have been the first woman president of the United States. And he was younger. But what is dominant does not simply disappear. It takes decades to ease it from its dominance and for another force to take over. And the difficulty of the primaries and the difficulty of the campaign for president mirror the difficulty of a new force taking over another that has been in place for a long, long time.

Anyway, it did not need an Obama victory to allow evolution to unfold. It would have done so even with a McCain presidency. Barack Obama, though, will be a more cooperative ally of change and evolution, and a most welcome one. The world is greatly hurt by the violence and conflict of the many wars and rebellions leaving trails of blood and misery. Obama cannot stop it, not right away, but he will not aggravate it and will reduce it either unless the terrorists reach the American people directly and cause massive destruction like 9/11.

While shaking my head at the impact of an Obama victory and the hopes that America can be a better country for the world, I was forming thoughts and words for this article around the just concluded elections in America. Then, a phone call jarred my musings and hurled me back to a reality much closer to home. It was a friend who wanted to coordinate a feeding session in a depressed area this Sunday and wanted to confirm certain details. But it was a news report that he alerted me to that shook me even though I have known it and have been trying to do what I can about it. It was an article in a major newspaper that reported the Philippines as the 5th most hungry country in the world.

I have been writing about hunger ever since the latest SWS survey results had been published. In one recent article, I even attached the website where the hunger incidence statistics were posted. It is a great risk for an opinion writer to write about the same topic, to give the same opinion, over and over again. But I have no choice. Or, more accurately, if I choose otherwise, I would not be able to live with myself in peace, in honor.

If there has been an outcry, a loud scream of anger or frustration, if the high officials of the State, of the Church and other religious groups, of Industry, of Civic Organizations, of the Academe, then there is no need for an Internet writer like me to dedicate extra articles to the issue of hunger. But there is hardly any. There was one statement I read which I think came from the CBCP. It admitted some fault and also pointed to government. One statement that I hoped would lead to a massive appeal to feed the hungry, but did not.

How, then, can a Filipino be silent? How, then, can a Christian be silent? Who will speak for the hungry, who will speak for the poor from where the hungry come from? A deafening message is being communicated by the sheer presence of beggars, of street children, of scavengers, of squatters who sleep on sidewalks, under bridges and along canals. But they have been with us almost forever, and their message has been unheard, not listened to, their presence shooed away, repulsed, even denied by our souls.

They say that the sun shines in a new America. They say that a new leadership is welcomed not only by Americans tired of war, bankruptcy, and increasing joblessness, but also by a world that had feared and resented an America seen as an arrogant bully. Obama ushers in a fresh gust of wind we call change and we are happy for America because millions of American citizens with Filipino blood will be part of that change.

What about the Philippines? I am not asking that corruption be eliminated, that inefficiency be reformed, that liars and thieves be imprisoned. I am only asking that we should not tolerate hunger, that we cannot pretend it is not there, that we sleep peacefully in the midst of it.

Struggling to maintain objectivity, the following still flowed from my heart to my pen in a message of pain I sent to friends, to elders of some Christian communities and leaders of the the advocacy which drives my life today. I said about the hunger of our people:

This is a collective and public sin, a rejection of the mission and life of Jesus, a failure of government, a failure of religion, an indictment of our societal values and behavior, a curse that will haunt us and our culture.

All claims at being faithful to our religious beliefs have suddenly become hollow, perhaps even false. Christians and Muslims in the Philippines must move quickly to succor the hungry, whisper our humble apologies to them, and then feed a hungry people proportionate to the massiveness of the hunger afflicting them.
Will the poor and the hungry ever have their Obama? So the poor and hungry even have to need an Obama? Are we who are not poor and hungry not enough for fellow Filipinos who are? Is not being one people created by one God in a beautiful and bountiful land more than enough to make us remember the pain of many and evoke human compassion to rescue them?

– “In bayanihan, we will be our brother’s keeper and forever shut the door to hunger among ourselves.”

Responses may be sent to jlmglimpses@gmail.com

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“In bayanihan, we will be our brother’s keeper and forever shut the door to hunger among ourselves.”

President Barack Obama and the 1st Family

Yes We Can! Kaya Natin!

by: Harvey S. Keh

As the United States of America’s President-elect Barack Obama was delivering his victory speech in Chicago, a sense of inspiration and hope began to fill me up. Here was a young African-American, first-term Senator who has defied all odds to become the first Black President of the most powerful country in the world.

Obama campaigned on the message of Change, a Change that every American could believe in, a Change that resonated with so many American voters most especially those aged between 18-29 years old. In CNN’s analysis, one of the major factors for Obama’s victory was his charismatic appeal to young voters. This appeal along with his very inspiring words would rally millions of young and previously apathetic American voters to register and take part in the elections.

Obama also showed the world a new way of campaigning, earning hundreds of millions of dollars not by getting big donations from businessmen but by appealing to ordinary people to donate small amounts of $5 to $10 to his campaign.

More importantly, Obama’s campaign team was a master of using the power of the internet and social networking sites such as Twitter, My Space and Facebook thereby being able to relate to the more the younger, tech-savvy generation. He ended his speech with the words Yes We Can and he showed the world that despite having not enough financial resources or political clout compared to Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain when he launched his bid for the Presidency more than 2 years ago, he was able to win decisively because he was able to rally ordinary people to his cause.

Indeed, change has come to America and Filipinos can learn much from the experience of Barack Obama since as we draw near to our own Presidential elections in 2010, will we have to content ourselves again with choosing from the same faces or worse, choosing between the lesser evil among the candidates? I hope not. I look forward to the day that we can also find a true Filipino leader that will also inspire millions of Filipinos to rally for change, a change that millions of Filipinos have been longing for and a change that will hopefully, put an end to the growing poverty cycle that majority of Filipinos have to face each day.

Many Filipinos have begun to lose hope in finding that leader but I think that we have our own little Obamas in our country today such as the likes of Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City and Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela, Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and Gov. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. of Ifugao. These local government leaders have defied the odds in their respective areas to win against well-entrenched political dynasties and at the same time, deliver proper basic services to their constituents. Being with them in our group which is aptly named Kaya Natin, we go around to different colleges and universities to share their stories of hope and change towards inspiring more Filipinos to work for good governance.

Obama was not entirely correct when he said it is only in the United States of America where someone can defy the odds and win, our own Kaya Natin! leaders have shown that Filipinos can also say, “Yes We Can! Kaya Natin!”.

For more information about Kaya Natin!, you can contact Kai Pastores at kayanatin@yahoo.com or at (02) 426-5657.

*Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. He is also part of Kaya Natin!
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http://twitter.com/harveykeh

JokeTime

Misis : Darling, ano ang tawag sa isang asawa na sexy, maganda, hindi selosa, mapagmahal, masipag, mapagkalinga, masarap magluto?

Mister: Guni-guni!

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TANONG: Paano mo sasabihin sa isang babae na mataba siya nang hindi siya mababastos?

SAGOT: "Uhm, excuse me, miss...Mang Tomas ba ang lotion mo?"

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *******
Aanhin ko ang napakalaking bahay, mamahaling sasakyan, milyun-milyong kayamanan, at masasarap na pagkain kung ang kapit-bahay ko ang may-ari ng mga iyun?!

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *******
Nanay: Ano 'tong malaking zero sa test paper mo?

Anak : Hindi po 'yan zero, 'Nay. Naubusan lang ng star ang teacher ko kaya binigyan niya ako
ng moon! Moon la ng 'yan, 'Nay, promise!

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Mga sikat na salawikain:

Better late than pregnant.
Kapag may tiyaga, good luck!
Aanhin pa ang damo...kabayo ba ako?
Do unto others, then, run! Run! Run!
Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika ay lumaki sa ibang bansa.
Ang lalaking nagigipit, sa bakla kumakapit.

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Guro: Sino si Jose Rizal?

Juan: Di ko po kilala.

Guro: Ikaw Pepe?
Pepe: Di ko rin po kilala..
Guro: Di nyo kilala si Jose Rizal?
Pedro: Ma'm, baka po sa kabilang section sya!

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *******
Paano humamon ng AWAY ang ... BULAG?
Magpakita kayo mga Duwag!

DULING?
Isa Isa Lang! para patas ang Laban!

PILAY?
Patay kung Patay! Walang Takbuhan!

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Husband: Kung di ako makaligtas sa operasyon ko bukas, ikaw na sana ang bahala sa lahat-lahat. ..
I LOVE YOU!
Wife: Tumigil ka! wala pang namamatay sa TULI!

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Pedro: Pare balita ko bading ka daw. totoo ba?!
Ambo: Pare, Mga chismax lang 'yun galing sa mga chuvanes na walang magawa sa mga chenilyn
nila.... chura nila! hmpf!

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Boy: Di na tuloy ang kasal natin
Girl: Bakit?!
Boy: Kuya mo kasi eh!
Girl: Hindi no! Gusto ka ng Kuya ko!
Boy: Yun nga eh...gusto ko rin ang kuya mo!

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Juan: San ka galing?
Pedro: Sementeryo, libing ng byenan ko.
Juan: E bakit puro kamot ang mukha at braso mo?
Pedro: Mahirap ilibing eh... Lumalaban!!

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BALIW (tumawag sa mental hospital): Hello...
may tao po ba sa Room 168?
Telephone Operator: Wala po, bakit?
Baliw: Check ko lang kung nakatakas talaga ako!

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Misis: Lolokohin ko mister ko, magpapanggap ako na prosti dito sa kanto.
(Timing dumaan ang mister nya...)
Misis: Pogi! available ako ngayon, pwede ka ba?
Mister: Yoko sayo...kamukha mo misis ko!

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Bigo ka ba sa luv? eto mga gud partner...

Kuba: Mapagkumbaba
Pilay: Hindi ka tatakbuhan
Bulag: walang paki sa looks mo
Pipi: Hindi nagbibitiw ng bad words
Duling: Hindi ka hahayaang mag-isa!

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American guy named Paul challenged a Filipino:

American: Use my name 4 times in a sentence!
Pedro: Paul, be carePaul, you might Paul inthe swimming Paul.

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Biyaya na makukuha sa Gulay:
AMPALAYA - pampapula ng dugo
KALABASA - pampalinaw ng mata
TALONG - pampatirik ng mata
MANI - pampatirik ng TALONG. Ay! nalito na ako.

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Quote for the Day...

Ang Buhay ay parang bato...it's Hard.

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Love is a hidden fire, a pleasant sore, a soothing pain, an agreeable torment, a sweet wound, in short - a gentle death!

Ang lalim! Shit! Dati Love is blind lang, eh!

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Mister: Di ko na kaya problema ko!
Misis: Hon, problema natin ito, tayo ang magkasama sa buhay, lahat ng problema mo
problema ko... ano problema natin?
Mister: Nabuntis natin si Inday, tayo ang ama!

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Kapag may kaaway ka, tandaan mo...dito lang ako...
dito lang talaga ako...tapos dyan ka lang, wag kang
pupunta dito! Baka madamay ako.

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Prospective Employer to Applicant: " So why did you leave your previous job?"
Applicant: " The company relocated and they did not tell me where!"

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Juan: Birthday ng asawa ko...
Pedro: Ano regalo mo?
Juan: Tinanong ko kung ano gusto niya.
Pedro: Ano naman sinabi?
Juan: Kahit ano basta may DIAMOND.
Pedro: Ano binigay mo?
Juan: Baraha.