FROM THE MAILBAG...

My friend Paula has guest blogged on this site before. The last time, during the Gibo campaign period. Today, she writes about her support for the RH Bill. I rather agree with her.

WHY I SUPPORT THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL
by Paula Nocon

In September 2010, Carlos Celdran was thrown in jail by members of the Filipino Catholic clergy for a very public demonstration of his support for the passage of the Reproductive Health bill as he plead to the Church to stop interfering in politics. Out on bail, he now faces charges of "offending religious feelings" and may face up to five years imprisonment.
A few more months before that the country of Finland declared access to broadband internet a legal right for every single Finn, an affirmation of its bold commitment to the information society that the modern world has evolved into.
These two events may be disparate, but upon closer inspection their juxtaposition reveals much. Access to information has been enshrined as a legal right in one of the most progressive countries in the world, while the RH bill has been opposed by the Roman Catholic hegemony in the Philippines for its purpose of educating Filipinos on the responsibilities and options that come with reproduction. One is pushing forward knowledge, the other is pushing back knowledge. One is creating a new right for its citizens, the other is depriving a right that is as old as the human being itself. While one is celebrating the fruits of information, the other is demonizing information so vital to one's identity and self-realization.
Even before I will fight for my right to a 1 Mbps broadband connection, I would first assert my right to awareness. I believe that the whole impetus of human evolution is the increase of awareness, that the whole struggle of civilization has been towards spiritual progress, and that what drives this whole engine is the desire for knowledge, especially, self-knowledge. Knowledge about my own body, my own sexuality, the responsibilities of reproduction and raising a family, is only the beginning, albeit a necessary beginning that leads to greater awareness of my role in the community, in the country, in the global village. You cannot tell a person to be a responsible citizen until he first knows how to be responsible over his own self, body, mind and soul.
Poverty and ignorance go together. When you perpetuate poverty, you are perpetuating ignorance, which in turn perpetuates poverty. The cycle is vicious, tenacious, and overpopulation is only one of the glaring symptoms of it, apart from disease, social and economic disparity, and deterioration. The RH bill has the catalytic potential for the country to finally break out of its crippling cycles, where other social revolutions have failed, because it confronts the status quo on both the individual and social levels. Failure to pass the RH Bill because of pressure from the Catholic Church will not be the failure of its proponents, it will be the failure of the State itself.
In this day and age, ignorance bears more dire consequences than ever before. Any enemy of awareness is an enemy of human growth and evolution. Those who use their power and influence to keep people ignorant must be stopped; those who promote information and knowledge as a stepping stone to greater awareness and wisdom must be encouraged. It is for this reason that I fully support the Reproductive Health bill.

PAULA NOCON GUESTS AGAIN...

MANIFESTO FOR POSITIVE CAMPAIGNING

We, the supporters, volunteers and friends of former Defense Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro, vow to uphold the principles of POSITIVE CAMPAIGNING this election season. These principles shall unite us and guide us through this adventure that has brought us all together, inspire us throughout this journey, and lead us to victory.

We recognize, we believe, we affirm:

- that we have chosen our CANDIDATE because he represents what is best and excellent in all of us, because he champions our greatness rather than our mediocrity, because he is a visionary of means and not just a dreamer of ends, because we recognize the potential in him just as we recognize the potential in ourselves;

- that our VOTE is sacred. We do not take our vote for granted, for we are aware that millions around the world do not enjoy the privilege of electing their own leaders, and therefore do not have a say in mapping out their own destiny. Our vote ennobles us, reminds us that we can choose, we can decide and we can exercise our freedom to evolve our democracy to greater heights, as we give our full support to leaders who can serve the highest ideals of democracy;

- that this is a CAMPAIGN that does not stop with our candidate, nor does it end on Election Day. It is a deeper movement, a paradigm shift, that calls for the raising of awareness of every Filipino, the enlightenment of our entire race, so that we may pull ourselves out of a culture seeped in negativity and divisiveness, and enjoy the benefits of higher consciousness;

- that we align with POSITIVITY rather than negativity. We focus on our country's innate wealth, rather than endemic poverty; we choose to be balanced, rather than extreme; we see opportunities in every problem; we are constructive and not destructive; we would rather defend than attack; we do not manipulate or persuade, but we educate; we do not struggle, but we strive; we see the long view rather than the immediate. We choose our words carefully, because through thought, act, deed and speech we convey our compassion, our sincerity and our tolerance, and our capacity to heal our wounded nation;

- that we are in this endeavor because we love our COUNTRY, and we are eager to find our true place in the world. Our sense of country is not limited to just our islands, but to the Filipinos found in every corner of the globe, for the influence of the Filipino is actually planetary. Our sense of "what is Filipino" goes beyond region, dialect and citizenship, and deeper into what we can do for our country, more than what it can do for us, what we can do for the world, than what the world can do for us;

- that the ENVIRONMENT is the most pressing underlying factor behind the exigency of our present cause; that we are the Green Team; that we support Life and never exploit Life; that we shall always consider the preservation of our natural resources, the cleanliness of our surroundings, and the love of Nature in every exercise of our campaign, for it is our positive mindset which is needed to save our planet from irreversible destruction;

- that GOD, or a Higher Power, inspires us in all these things; that the victory of a President is not just prescribed by the number of votes garnered or the efficiency of his campaign, but by the guiding hand of destiny and invisible forces we cannot fully explain; and so we fully align ourselves with this Power, which is embodied in Truth, in Justice, and in Peace, because this is what prevails, and we shall, absolutely, prevail.

SO HELP US GOD

PAULA MAKES A POINT...

Let's start with 'WHAT IS A VOTE?'

A vote is a decision. It is first and foremost a privilege to exercise one's right to choose. And let it be said that since a democratic election is won by capturing the majority number of votes, it is, in essence, a RATIONAL DECISION.

We can vote for many different things. Yes or no. This party or that party. This person or that person. Voting is supposed to be all about rationality.

In this case, we are voting for a PERSON. We are voting for a PERSON who is POTENTIALLY PRESIDENTIAL.

When voting for a presidential person you are voting for the POTENTIAL of that person to lead an entire country. We don't know yet if that person will be the greatest president ever or the worst, or if he/she will be a mediocre one. So a vote in a way is a gamble. You're placing your bet on somebody.

Presidential candidates are job applicants. They are vying for the highest, most powerful and also the most complicated job in the land. As presidentiables present themselves, they are opening themselves up to our judgment, our instincts, and our REASON. They are asking us, "Who do you think is potentially the most presidential among us?"

That is the essence of a presidential election. NOT who is the most popular, who is the most powerful, but who is the most presidential. It is a matter of fulfilling human potential.

To be presidential is to have the inherent, innate talents and capabilities to preside over governing 90 million people. To be presidential is to have statesmanship, courage, vision, and a deep, unerring sense of justice. To be presidential is possess leadership qualities that not just your countrymen, but people from all over the world, can look up to.

According to our constitution nearly anybody can be a PRESIDENTIABLE. But not everybody is truly PRESIDENTIAL.

And it GOES BOTH WAYS. If you look for certain qualities in a president, then YOU, as a voter, must have the QUALITIES OF A GOOD VOTER. You vote using your mind, your heart, and your love for your country. You vote upholding the sacred principles of democracy. You vote with reason and with passion. You vote because you want to take things to the next level, as every change of government should. And a good voter is one who CAN RECOGNIZE TRUE POTENTIAL IN OTHERS BECAUSE HE HAS SEEN THE TRUE POTENTIAL IN HIMSELF.

As a citizen of a democratic country YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FULFILL YOUR HIGHEST POTENTIAL, just as you have the privilege of helping others fulfill THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL. And yes, that includes the President. We are all in this together!

Take a step back and immerse yourself in the essence of a democracy and the sanctity of the vote. Quiet the noise and wipe away the mudslinging that mar most political campaigns. Think. Reflect. Ponder. Research. Ask questions. And hold in your mind the highest vision you can possibly have for your country, your president, and yourself.

And then... choose wisely.

- Paula Nocon