Tag Archives: activism

Online and offline activism

In 1995 I joined a protest action to condemn the decision of the French government to conduct nuclear tests in the Pacific. I was only a high school student at that time. We relied on mainstream journalists to document and report the rally. In 2001 I was part of the historic Edsa Dos uprising which […]

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Misunderestimating The Philippine Left

There are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ leftists. ‘Good’ leftists must belong to a partylist group. They demand the inclusion of civil society groups in government transactions. They participate in tripartite meetings, they attend UN conferences, they hate Joma Sison, and they endorse the candidacies of Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. The ‘bad left’ is always wrong. […]

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Neophyte reflections

How does it feel to be a congressman? Friends, relatives, and even new acquaintances have been asking me this question for the past seven months. I always reply with a joke. I tell them that my carefree activities have been restricted like jaywalking or buying pirated materials. I am somewhat hesitant to answer this question […]

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Handa na tayo

Talumpating binigkas sa 2009 National Convention ng Kabataan Partylist noong Nobyembre 18…. Mga kasama, mga kaibigan, mga pinagpipitagang panauhin, mga kababayan, mainit na pagbati sa inyong lahat! Sa ngalan po ng pamunuan at kasapian ng Kabataan Partylist, kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa inyong pagdalo sa pagtitipong ito. Mga kasama, taong 2007 noong huli tayong nagkasama-sama […]

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Politics: Micro, Small, Medium, Large

We live in a micro nation. We are fond of micro objects, micro concepts, micro activities. National Artist Nick Joaquin once criticized our “heritage of smallness.” He was wrong. What we have is a heritage of micro-ness. In the past, the government encouraged the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Today, the government is […]

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Bayanihan sa 2010

Talumpating binigkas sa Olongapo City Convention Center… Ilang segundong katahimikan para sa mga nasalanta ng bagyong Ondoy at Pepeng…. Ako’y naimbitahang magsalita tungkol sa responsableng papel ng kabataan sa halalan. Napapanahon ang paksang ito dahil sa Pilipinas, may tatlong panahon: Wet Season, Dry Season, at Election Season. Walang duda, ramdam nating lahat ang papalapit na […]

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East-West

North-South refers to the political-economic division between rich and poor nations. This designation is still relevant when analyzing the worsening economic inequality in the globe. The North-South divide is also a North-South conflict. The North exploits the South; the North accumulates its wealth by dominating the South. In the Philippine context the North-South divide refers […]

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Pagbabago para sa Pilipino

Talumpating binigkas sa UPIS kaninang hapon. Maraming change ngayon: Charter Change, Character Change, System Change, Sex Change, Change of Citizenship. Kayo, anong change ang gusto ninyo? Sa pangkalahatan, hangad natin ang pagbabago. Mga emperador at diktador lang ang may ayaw ng pagbabago. Dapat lang na manawagan tayo ng pagbabago; at inaasahan natin na kabataan ang […]

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Hamon sa Kabataan: Nobody Nobody But You

Talumpating binigkas sa University of Makati…. Ayon sa mga ulat, umabot sa 300,000 ang mga dumagsa sa lansangan para makiramay sa yumaong Pangulong Cory. Kung ako ang tatanungin, maliit ang bilang na ito. Ang inaasahan ko ay isang milyong katao. Nasaan ang mga tao? Tiyak ako na karamihan ay nanonood ng mga TV, nakikinig sa […]

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