Sweet Victory for Noy, and could be a Heartbreaking Defeat for Mar

I never denied that I am supporting Ninoy Aquino for President, and basing from the results which by the way came out impressively faster than we expected, I am happy that Noy is not far from finally taking the seat of the next President of the Philippines.

On the other hand, Mar Roxas' stand for vice-presidency is still uncertain for he is neck to neck with his rival Jejomar Binay. Although Binay is confident that he will come out the winner of this race, he should not be too sure of his place (he leads by 800,000 votes over Roxas) because until the last votes are counted, only then shall we be certain who the next vice-president is.

If Mar doesn't win, it will surely be a heartbreaking defeat for him because he has already given up the race for presidency for Noy and he has been consistently on top in every surveys conducted prior to the election. Maybe if he had given more effort and tried harder with his campaign during the final leg, he might have a bigger chance of winning over Binay. But for now let's just wait for the last 4-5 Million votes not yet counted which could either make or break his dreams.

Worth the Wait

Today marked a very important event in the history of Philippines, it's the first automated national election - Halalan 2010. We headed early to our voting precincts so eager and excited to cast our votes hoping to make a difference in our government system. We came prepared with our lists of candidates but we did not anticipate the long hours of waiting on the line. We arrived 9:30 am and excruciatingly waited for 5 hours and 30 minutes before we were finally able to cast our votes using the PCOS machines.

indelible ink placed over the point finger after voting
photo c/o my friend, Marie

It took me just about 10 minutes to finish filling up the ballot form, and when it was time to feed the ballot form in the machine (PCOS) to validate my vote, I never thought that waiting for the word "congratulations" would be so nerve wracking. Thankfully, the word came out and I felt so relieved that my vote was officially read by the machine. Whew! We came home tired and hungry but I'd say, the long hours of waiting was worth it. Now, all we have to do is wait and be vigilant for the counting and canvassing of our votes.

In The Midst of Tragedy, Bayanihan Spirit Reigns

It was totally heartbreaking and haunting to witness the cries and pleas of the victims of typhoon Ondoy. Seeing them fight for own their lives in order to survive, you can't help but feel almost helpless. The disastrous typhoon has immensely ravaged the people in Manila and left everyone a traumatic experience which knows no status in life may they be rich or poor, famous or ordinary men.

Despite the devastating calamity which has befallen in our country, some good things do still exist. And this is the "Bayanihan Spirit". Unity reigned and led everyone to lend their hands and gave a piece of them all for helping the poor victims. Filipinos here and abroad, and even foreigners, reached out and did their share in answering the call for help. Donations continuously poured in and prayers were offered. Well-known celebrities like Gerald Anderson , Cesar Montano and other personalities didn't mind diving into the deep and dangerous flood water in order to rescue and save lives. This is truly an inspiration and a valuable trait, we Filipinos should all be proud of.

Farewell to a Great Leader

President Corazon C. Aquino

Jan. 25, 1933 - Aug. 01, 2009

A woman of great courage, a source of inspiration, an icon of democracy, a mother, a painter, Tita Cory, President Corazon Aquino, our beloved former President... Goodbye and thank you for all the great things you've done to each and every Filipino. She's no doubt a great leader who has sacrificed and given so much all for the love her country. Despite her greatness, she has remained simple, humble and served as a true and compassionate leader of our country. Even after her term of presidency ended, her dedication for pursuing democracy and good governance continued to reign and influenced a lot of people. It's no wonder that from the moment her battle against colon cancer has been known, the love and admiration of every Filipino here and all over the world have continuously been pouring in all united in praying for her recovery. But today at exactly 3:18 am, her time has finally been ended. I myself, had been hoping for a miracle but I think she's now in a better place. And although she's not with us anymore her memories will continue to live on.

27th of July

Tomorrow, Monday, July 27, 2009, major things are going to happen. First, the President is having her State of the Nation Address (SONA). There's been a lot of negative comments and write-ups going on that now, it makes one wonder - Is there something good that's going to happen after this event? I just don't know. But like the majority of the Filipino people, all I want is for Pres. Gloria Arroyo to publicly announce to the whole nation that this will be her last term of presidency and that she is not planning to extend her term by pushing through with "Cha-cha"(Charter Change) or "Con-Ass"(Constitutional Assembly).

It's also going to be the Iglesia ni Cristo Day. This is the 95th Anniversary of Inglesia Ni Cristo. And here in Davao, Mayor Duterte granted their request for some roads to be temporarily closed in order to give way to their big celebration. I just wished GMA declared this day as a non-working holiday. I'm sure a lot of us will definitely welcome an extended weekend rest.

Lastly, this day marks my 30th birthday! Happy birthday to me. This is a special day for me so I'm celebrating it together with the special people in my life, my Family :) And what does my birth date mean? Here it is...very tame and spiritual. lol

You Are a Sage

You are a spiritual soul - a person who tries to find meaning in everything. You spend a good amount of time meditating, trying to figure out life. Helping others is also important to you. You enjoy social activities with that goal. You are very generous and giving. Yet you expect very little in return. Your strength: Getting along with anyone and everyone Your weakness: Needing a good amount of downtime to recharge Your power color: Cobalt blue Your power symbol: Dove Your power month: September