Six Years. Walk on.

Six Years. Walk on. (Day 50)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the 50th day of 50-day journey of DepEd Undersecretary Rey Laguda as being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account - Blogger/owner)

I made it to my 50th post. I completed a full term – six years. I come to an end. There is so much to be told. There is so much to be done. I hope that my posts have given you at least one reason to believe and hope in government. The work that we have done and will continue to do goes beyond us as individuals. This is about the work of an entire nation.

We often talk about the primary role of government in taking care of its people. But this is not a complete story of development. I keep telling myself and others that a nation cannot also progress when its people is unable to take pride in its government. The symbiotic relationship must flourish.

I am proud to have worked in the Department of Education and I embrace our strengths and weaknesses, our successes and failures. Politics has no place in education and I long to see the day when voters reflect that reality through their votes and through their vigilance afterwards.

Writing posts for the last 50 days is similar to my experience of working in DepEd for six years. I didn't know if I would last but I trusted the process. There were times when I was running short and empty, but people came forward to help me. As work continued, it was important to always look back and take stock of what was being done to keep me on track. Though I gave so much, I feel that I received more than what I gave.

PH Politics: The Change Is Nigh at Hand

The May 9 Philippine Elections are over. The national and local elections in the Philippines have ended. It is generally conducted in the peaceful, clean and orderly manner with the isolated election--related incidences of harassment, killing and cheating. It is almost done in 24-hour.

President-elect Duterte

Unlike previous elections. These elections are worthy and deserving. Election-related incidences like killing, cheating are isolated. They are generally peaceful, clean and orderly.

Call for a Change

The people want a change in the government. And now they have spoken and they have it in this May 9 elections. They give Duterte an overwhelming 15 million votes. The most controversial president-elect Duterte is duty-bound now to effect this change which the people want for they are dismayed by the performance of PNoy Aquino's administration as they aired it over the social media.

Politics In Yolanda

It is a year since the deadly super typhoon Yolanda wiped out some places in Eastern Samar and Leyte, claiming more than 6,000 persons lives and destroying crops and properties in 2013.

Super Typhoon Yolanda

God's wrath was seemed to befall to the region of Leyte in the fateful day of November 8. Is it a curse or whatever? The gruesome scenario of streets filled with dead bodies couldn't be borne seeing them even in the national television and also in the national papers.

That's a year ago.

Survivors All Is Well?

Of course, there are survivors. How do they cope with their trying times of surviving?

Left or right, aids in any form have arrived. Houses have been built. School houses or buildings have been rebuilt. Education has been restored. Business has started to become normal.

Politics haven't failed to intrude. Ordinary Filipino, all walks of life, has seemed to be confused. Anyway, the victims have been able to survive because of their resiliency. In spite of those horrible trials in their life, yet they could still be able to smile.

At last! People's Mandate Prevails in Pimentel's Senatorial Bid

Photo: justice4koko.weebly.com

First time in the Philippine Senate history that an election protest on a contested senatorial race is finally resolved and true people's mandate prevailed.

This is true in the case of Atty. Aquilino Pimentel III who got the 13th place of a Senator in May 2007 senatorial elections against his close rival Senator Jose Miguel Zubiri with more than 20,000 margin of votes.

At long last after contesting the rightful senate seat, Pimentel got it Thursday when Justice Antonio Carpio, head of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) formally proclaimed him as the duly elected Senator and to occupy the contested 12th senatorial seat which for almost 4 years was wrongfully occupied by Senator Jose Miguel Zubiri of Mindanao.

Senator Zubiri's Resignation, Well-Founded?

Sen. Zubiri Speaking at Senate

In a recent outpouring of "alleged witnesses" on election poll fraud which seems tainted Mr. Juan Miguel Zubiri's status as an elected senator with more than 11 million votes in 2007 senatorial election, the Senator spared no time but tendered his resignation this day in his privilege speech before the august body of the Senate.

The senator claimed that those accusations hurled against him by his opponent were "baseless." Thus, he was forced to resign. 

His career as a statesman was affected. His family, his integrity and dignity were also affected for such false accusation "without mercy and compassion" and trial by publicity.

Those things are "unfounded" and "systematically divided the nation"and making the "electoral system" dubious before the Filipino electorate.