Political pot now boiling

The barangay elections scheduled on the last Monday of October 2013 is still months away but one can already feel the heat. Here in our barangay in Mandaue City, prospective candidates are now visible. They are now roaming and making themselves known.

Non-performing barangay official are starting to hide their dirty linens, the once kuripot officials have suddenly become good Samaritans and greeting people they do not even know.

The forthcoming barangay political exercise is judgment day. Let choose candidates well. Let's go for candidates who are not great pretenders. Let's choose candidates who are sincere and have a direction to steer the barangay into greater heights. Let's vote for candidates with brains and who possess vision to propel the barangay to prosperity and uplift the welfare of its citizens. Let's throw away into oblivion those power hungry candidates.

The three-year term of barangay officials is too short for those who are performing well but too long for non-performing and inefficient barangay officials.

Let's throw into garbage cans those who boastfully claim that they have the support of bigtime politicians and that their victory is at hand because, for them, money moves and talks.

Let us prove and show to this kind of politicians that this time, the people are now aware of issues and their inefficiency and lack of vision may cost them their political dreams.

True Philippine independence

Center P. Jumao-as

USP Law Executive Class

We Filipinos celebrate Independence Day every 12th of June. But are we truly independent?

Bluntly, I'd say we are not truthfully free because we are chained to colonial mentality. We are not yet truly independent because we are not monetarily and economically independent. We usually loan from the US or the World Bank. We borrow money from other countries just to make our bridges, roads, etc. That doesn't' look like independence to me.Third, and the most important of all, we are not truly free because we are still in the bondage of POVERTY, CRIME, and IMMORALITY. I can only say that we are already truly independent if I cannot anymore see shanties and squatters.

If poverty is not chaining us down and we have a dominantly high quality of life with peace-loving citizens and moral people who live with the ideals of love, justice and serenity, it is only then we are truly independent. But this is a challenge that I pose to all of us. In any way we can, let us strive and work hard for true independence.

Thank you, Dad

Henry L. Yu, M.D.

In celebration of Father's Day and in loving memory of the man who brought me into this world and gave me my life...

Dad, I used to fear the time when you would leave this world. That time has come. Everything happened so fast. I cried not because I couldn't accept your leaving us but because I know that from thereon we shall no longer have your physical presence each time we share life's ups and downs or celebrate a special occasion.

When I knew that yours was a cancer case, I prepared myself for the eventualities. It was definitely not easy on my part. I have to stand strong when everyone else has fallen. I have to lend support to the rest in the family.

Everything happened within a month's time - from that night when I carried you in my arms up to noontime, a month after, when you breathe your last. I was practically with you all those times, and I hope, somehow, you'd realize my worth as a son - the son that you brought up into this world.

God knows how much I love you, Dad. You have been such a great father all throughout my metamorphosis and growing up years. Without you, I wouldn't have found my place in the sun and become what I am today.

With you gone, life was, is and will never the same again. But life has to go on. I will forever treasure the teachings and the virtues that you have imparted to me. I will try to live a good life that you once had. I know someday we will be together again.

Dad, wherever you are, please remember that I love you very much. Today and always...