Mar Roxas for President in 2010

Roxas: Japan leaders back need for a constitutional JPEPA

kevinraychua — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:26:00 +0000

LP President Senator Mar Roxas stressed before leaders of the Japanese government how important it is for the Philippines to preserve and protect its Constitution in relation to the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), and said that the Japanese officials agreed to this.

Roxas travelled to Japan this week to discuss vital regional issues, particularly the JPEPA and the ongoing food and oil price crisis, with former and incumbent members of the Japanese Cabinet.

“For the sake of Japan-Philippine relations, I told them that it’s important for us to have a meeting of minds on this issue, and put this in writing in an official exchange of letters. They understand how important this issue to us, and I’m glad to report that they assured us that they will certainly respect our Constitution,” he said.

While in Tokyo, Roxas met with Nobutaka Machimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Masahiko Komura, Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) ; Yasuhisa Shiozaki Member of Parliament (MP) and former Chief Cabinet Secretary; and Taro Aso, MP and former Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“We need to strengthen ties with our key economic partners at this time when world food and oil prices are going through the roof. These adversely impact upon our people’s interest in terms of incomes, jobs and livelihoods as well as our country’s competitiveness and geopolitical strategies,” Roxas, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce said.

At the same time, he stressed that “in all trade agreements, our national sovereignty and interest must be paramount.“

JPEPA is now pending plenary deliberations in the Senate for its concurrence. It was signed and ratified by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former Japanese Primer Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2006. The landmark treaty encountered a major stumbling block in the Senate when questions as to its Constitutionality were raised by legal experts and various stakeholder groups.

Plenary discussions on the treaty have not yet begun, after Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo requested for time to discuss the concerns about the constitution with his Japanese counterparts.

Roxas earlier disclosed his findings on the economic provisions of the treaty. In sum, he determined that while the treaty provides marginal potential benefits, its rejection by the Philippines would result in real and wide-ranging losses in terms of jobs and incomes. “Our country will get left behind because the rest of ASEAN already have EPAs with Japan.”

“Ang mga pagkakataon na nakapaloob dito sa JPEPA ay hawak natin. Hamon sa gobyerno na itong mga ‘potential gains’ ay maipatupad sang-ayon sa ating pambansang interes,” Roxas said.

Click here to read the statement of Senator Roxas on the Supreme Court’s decision about JPEPA.

Roxas: More kids out of school dulls RP competitiveness

kevinraychua — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:10:00 +0000

Senator Mar Roxas warned that the increasing number of children deprived of education puts the country’s competitiveness and long-term future in jeopardy. This, as he called on the government to review and reform the education system and revamp the “business-as-usual” way of spending education funds.

“If we want to improve our youth’s education outcomes and give them a better chance to progress, we can’t be in ‘business-as-usual’ mode anymore,” he said.

“Ngayong may krisis, pinaka-kawawa ang mga bata. Ang lalong masakit, kung hindi natin maibigay sa kanila ang sapat na nutrisyon at kaalaman, baka mag-‘dropout’ din ang bansa natin sa kalaunan (Whenever there’s a crisis, the children are most affected. What’s more painful, if we fail to give our kids enough nutrition and knowledge, our country might ‘drop out’ sooner),” he added.

The National Statistical Coordination Board recently reported that more children do not have access to primary education now than five years ago-16.8% in 2007 compared to 9.7% in 2003-due to the rising cost of living and prices of basic needs. The International Finance Corp. also recently reported that the country’s business competitiveness ranking slid down to 133rd, from 130th.

Roxas, the Liberal Party President, earlier filed Senate Bill No. 2294, the Omnibus Education Reform Act, that seeks to fix the defects of the educational system, establish reforms on spending education funds, and set measurable targets.

“We can’t raise our education standards by doing just more of the same. We can’t drop a larger lump sum in the lap of DepEd and expect things to get better,” he said, noting that the Palace is set to submit its proposed 2009 national budget next month.

Roxas noted that most kids drop out from school young: 22% of children who enter Grade 1 will have dropped out by Grade 3. Studies show a strong correlation between poor nutrition and high dropout rates. Furthermore, of all Grade 6 students, only 26%, 15% and 31% of students gain the required mastery of English, Science and Math, respectively.

The bill proposes the institutionalization of a long-term planning process for education, through rolling five-year budget plans that are consistent with quantitative and qualitative targets.

To help identify and focus on students that require special learning assistance, the bill seeks to impose performance standards through diagnostic tests at the end of Grades 3 and 6, key junction points of the students’ learning of core competencies.

Meanwhile, to help teachers arm their students with the right competencies and knowledge, the bill seeks intensive training and upgrading programs for teachers. These include training programs on teaching methods using the mother language for teachers in Grades 1 to 3, and upgrading courses for English, Science and Math teachers who are not majors in these subjects.

The proposed reforms in the bill also include mandating the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction for Grades 1 to 3, as studies have shown that early education in the local language tends to be more effective; and electives for High School, to equip students with the competencies needed as they decide to pursue College or to join the workforce after graduation.

Mar Roxas places 2nd on PUP’s mock election

kevinraychua — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:00:00 +0000

It’s OK! At least we can prove that we have a strong candidate here. Being second on the mock election doesn’t necessarily mean that you will eventually lose in the general election. Instead, it would suggest that you are a strong contender for the post, it’s just that there are still things needed to be done.

In The 7th Magnum Blog, I read about the Polytechnic University of the Philippines‘ mock election conducted by the PUP College of Economics, Finance and Politics from July 9-10, 2008. According to the blog post, Senate President Manny Villar had an edge of 226 votes against Senator Mar Roxas. Below is the breakdown of votes:

Senate President Manny Villar – 800 votes
Senator Mar Roxas – 534 votes
Vice President Noli de Castro – 330 votes
Eddie Gil – 65 votes

One year and a half to go and voters would be going to the polls to choose a new President. I hope mock elections like this would also be held on different colleges so that they would be able to gain the pulse of their students on who deserves to be the next President in 2010.

Mar Roxas places 2nd on PUP’s mock election

kevinraychua — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Senate President Manny Villar – 800 votes
Senator Mar Roxas – 534 votes
Vice President Noli de Castro – 330 votes
Eddie Gil – 65 votes

Mar Roxas 2010 Blogger interviewed by the Pakistani Spectator

kevinraychua — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:02:00 +0000

First of all, I’m humbled to be interviewed by blogger Ghazala Khan of The Pakistani Spectator (TPS) in his aim of fostering peace, progress and harmony with passion in the blogosphere. TPS is a blog about politics and entertainment related to Pakistan. The blog is carrying out a new series of interviews with the notable and passionate bloggers, writers, and webmasters and I am glad to be one of those.

Being the first Filipino blogger to be interviewed in their blog, I talked about the impact of blogging here in the Philippines and how it has changed the society. I also talked about my blog and how it has made an impact in the blogosphere.

Here’s an excerpt of the interview:

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?

It’s the internet. In this world that everyone seems to shift focus from the traditional media to the new ones, politics also has to adopt. We have seen how internet presence translate to awareness just like the success of Barack Obama’s campaign.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?

Yes, and I have seen it personally. I thought I was alone with my advocacy at first, but the number of people who have e-mailed me and texted me disproved my thinking. If I can just have one day to mobilize everybody to my advocacy, I believe it would be very productive.

Read more…

One Blog, One Goal, One Year PART III

kevinraychua — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:45:00 +0000

BALANCING MY EDUCATION & BLOGGING

After I launched my blog, I was in a situation on how to properly balance my college education and my online blogging. It was prioritizing two priorities. Indeed, it changed my life. It’s like having a committment online and having another committment also offline.

I must tell you that it’s hard. There are days that I am not able to post blog articles due to my class schedule. Sometimes, using Blogger Draft, I create a blog post in advance and it will automatically post on my specified time and date.

I’m quite busy now that I’m running as College of Computer Studies (CCS) Representative for the Supreme Student Government of our college and one of my proposals is to bring our organization to the blogosphere. In this way, we can be able to bridge the online presence of the college students. Then there’s our monthly major exams (prelim, midterm, pre-final, and final) which really makes everyone of us study hard in the entire semester. I also avoid being addicted too much on internet especially the pleasure it brings. With just one click, you can do almost everything. There are times that I think of not going to class just to respond to my pleasure. At the end, I always choose to choose the right one.

My cellphone has also a lot of contact numbers of Mar Roxas 2010 supporters and fellow bloggers. I am in contact with them and I am glad to have expanded my circle of friends. These and other things have really changed my life. My classmates would even tease me that I am now an extraordinary student! C’mon, are they joking? What do you think?

Never did it crossed my mind that time will come and I will be in this position. I never realized before that blogging would be the one that would bridge me to different people and express my advocacy to the farthest reach of the internet. Indeed, times have changed and someday, I would be the one running in the position of the Presidency.

In my next blog post, I will be talking about the praises and criticisms that I received because of this. That’s one thing the also changed my life.

To be continued this July 15, 2008…

Roxas: Education reform requires not just more of the same

kevinraychua — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:31:00 +0000

Senator Mar Roxas stressed that the road to world-class education in the Philippines would require spending on focused and effective programs, as well as a change in outlook on what the Philippine education system needs.

“If we want to improve our youth’s education outcomes and give them a better chance to progress, we can’t be in ‘business-as-usual’ mode anymore.”

“We can’t raise our education standards by doing just more of the same. We can’t drop a larger lump sum in the lap of DepEd and expect things to get better,” he said, noting that the Palace is set to submit its proposed 2009 national budget next month.

Roxas has filed Senate Bill No. 2294, the Omnibus Education Reform Act, which is based on a continuing study on the defects of our educational system. It seeks to initiate the promoting of higher standards in our country’s education system.

“We need to have a focused approach in improving Philippine education. We have to get to the root of the problem of poor student performance, insufficient aptitude of teachers, and the overall resources provided to our youth,” he said.

The bill proposes the institutionalization of a long-term planning process for education, through rolling five-year budget plans that are consistent with quantitative and qualitative targets.

“Kung sa aritmetik lang, pinakamalaki na nga ang nakukuha ng edukasyon sa budget. Ang tanong, bukod sa ‘sapat ba ito,’ ay ‘tama ba ang paggamit dito?’ (Arithmetically, education gets the largest chunk of the budget. But the question, aside from ‘is it sufficient,’ is ‘is it spent the right way?)” he added.

The bill also seeks that ten years after reforms have been implemented, improvements in key metrics must have already been achieved, such as:

Grade school cohort survival rate, to 83% (now 68%);
Transition rate from Grade 6 to 1st year High School, to 99% (now 87%);
High School cohort survival rate, to 85% (now 72%);
Overall completion rate, to 70% (now 43%);

Meanwhile, to help teachers arm their students with the right competencies and knowledge, the bill seeks intensive training and upgrading programs for teachers. These include training programs on teaching methods using the mother language for teachers in Grades 1 to 3; and upgrading courses for English, Science and Math teachers who are not majors in these subjects.

Late birthday post: Senator Roxas’ email to me

kevinraychua — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:48:00 +0000

I was not able to post this e-mail from Senator Mar Roxas in this blog during my 18th birthday last July 7 because of my hectic schedule (it was my prelim examinations and I was studying). But no worries! Here’s his e-mail greeting me a “Happy Birthday!”

Hey Kevin!

Happy, happy birthday!

I’d like to thank you for all the support you’ve shown to me via your blog and in your other endeavors. I feel very lucky and immensely proud to have someone as idealistic, enthusiastic, and techno-savvy like you rooting for me from now till 2010 and hopefully, even beyond that.

It’s young people like you who inspire me to focus on my work and do the best I can for God and country. Give my best to your parents and the rest of the family. Study hard and have a good birthday.

God bless!

Your friend & palangga,
Mar

You’re welcome too Senator! I’m doing this not because I was pushed by someone; I’m doing this for our country. My support for you is strong and I intend to do all my best, together with your other supporters, to put you in Malacañang by 2010 despite the odds. We face an uphill battle with the mindset that there would be not elections in 2010, but we are determined to make that happen and Charter Change would not be an excuse for that.

ORAS NA!

Late birthday post: Senator Roxas’ email to me

kevinraychua — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:48:00 +0000

Hey Kevin!

Happy, happy birthday!

I’d like to thank you for all the support you’ve shown to me via your blog and in your other endeavors. I feel very lucky and immensely proud to have someone as idealistic, enthusiastic, and techno-savvy like you rooting for me from now till 2010 and hopefully, even beyond that.

It’s young people like you who inspire me to focus on my work and do the best I can for God and country. Give my best to your parents and the rest of the family. Study hard and have a good birthday.

God bless!

Your friend & palangga,
Mar

ORAS NA!

Roxas: Neri as new SSS President bad for 30 million members

kevinraychua — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:08:00 +0000

Senator Mar Roxas issued a statement yesterday criticizing the appointment of former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and former Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Romulo Neri as the next Social Security System (SSS) President after its outgoing head Corazon dela Paz resigned yesterday.

In his short statement, he said:

“It is unwise. I would not have made that appointment. These are turbulent times for the country. The stock market is volatile. The peso is losing steam. We are beset with global uncertainties.

“It is not the time to appoint someone with minimal, real life work experience in the marketplace to sit atop the SSS which has nearly 30 million members. Besides, this appointment will just drive unneeded political controversy.”

This administration has been very generous to its pups. After Neri refused to elaborate on what he and Mrs. Gloria Arroyo talked about before the signing of the ZTE deal, now he’s in SSS! Mrs. Arroyo, is this what you call public service or private service?

After Neri’s stint in NEDA, he was transferred to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). When then Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya was appointed to head DBM, Neri was returned to NEDA. Then, CHED Chairman Carlito Puno who reportedly earned the ire of the President due to lack of cooperation with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) over the implementation of the government’s ladderized education program was removed and was replaced by Neri as acting Chairman of the body. And now, as SSS President!

Senator Roxas is right! We need a qualified person to lead SSS, not just because that person goes along with Ms. Arroyo. It’s an imperative that we should deserve a leader that knows what’s best for our people not what’s best for herself.

In that, we say NO to Romulo Neri in SSS!