another one out of a million reasons to smile

"Got to go,

on my way to the library.

Free books,

it's a good day to be alive."

-John Go

i find it amazing how joy can be found in the littlest of things.

today, i "basked in the glory of johnsygo's photography", as he puts it. he's no ordinary photographer; he passionately captures beauty in everything and adds a dash of awesome and a handful of love to it. i think he's one of the greatest photographers i've ever known. i just thought the world should know, too. :)

visit his site, so you'll see what i'm talking about.

on staining hands for hope

In the past months, I have been firm with my presidential choice, but I kept my opinions at a minimal. Noy, I would say, because I believe in him. That was I, then, trying to avoid stressing myself in heated arguments and political debates. Some thought I just chose to climb aboard the bandwagon; I kept quiet. Some bashed him in front of me, saying he’s retarded, and he uses his parents’ name to win the Filipinos; I chose not to say a thing. I’ve always hated politics (let alone talking about it) for the mere reason that it has been dirty since the moment I knew what it meant. And I didn’t want to stain my hands, so I kept a distance.

But this is more than politics. This is hope for the Philippines despite certain selfish politicians who run it. After 21 years of being indifferent, this is, for once, doing something that might just make things right for the country. For my country. For our country.

I am not here to convince anyone to switch colors; persuasion isn’t my forte. But this is I, letting my voice be heard. Mine may seem insignificant among the other millions of Filipinos’, but it is one, like the rest, that make up those millions. It is one that counts.

I will vote for Noynoy Aquino because I believe in him.

I believe in his competence. His years of service and a clean track record only prove that he is effective in his field. If he were incompetent and insincere, he would not have gained the trust of his people as to keep him in office. While it is true that he has not authored any law yet, he has passed 9 significant bills that are now pending. By significant, I mean those that matter to and are clearly made for the Filipinos, not merely for someone’s benefit. (click the link to know more about these bills http://www.noynoy.ph/v3/credentials.php)

I believe in his vision. Having read the platforms of the running presidentiables, I believe that the Aquino Platform has the most promise. With poverty as one of the most alarming problems in the country, I have in mind two important concerns that I believe should be addressed, and I’ve clearly found it in Noy’s platform. The first is on education. Noy has laid down, point by point, ways as to how to fix the country’s education system. When implemented, I believe it would mold competent Filipinos for sustainable jobs. But I think the problem on poverty isn’t only grounded on the fact that these people don’t have jobs to feed them. That leads to my second concern:

Corruption, and I believe in his fight against it. He has been firm in saying that he will make the current administration accountable for its corruption, and I trust that he will be true to his word. Punishing the corrupt may not instantly eliminate corruption in the country, but it assures us that such action will never be tolerated under his administration. Let’s face it; there will always be greedy people with big sounding names who want and have the power to take what isn’t theirs. What we need is someone who is not afraid to stand against them despite the possibility of losing support from existing and potential allies. I see that in Noy. (click on this link to know more about his platform http://www.thepoc.net/blogwatch-features/5049-noynoy-aquino-platform.html)

So to the people who have constantly asked me about my stand, tonight I finally stain my hands. I stain them where it matters. And I stain them yellow.

I ask for you to stain yours, too. It doesn’t matter what color you choose, stain them because you believe.

***ma, this is the reason why i'm still awake. sorreh :P