...Meaningful Connections...

I’ve always been terrified of death.

The uncertainty of what happens after it shakes me to my core. Do we get reincarnated? Do we stay to haunt houses? Do we watch over our loved ones? Do we go to heaven? What happens in hell? Do we become cows or mosquitoes?

How much would this suck?

I never got over this fear, and I probably never would, but the thought of it always made me want to maximize every living day of my life.

When I was single, it meant being everywhere every time – I’d be the guy who would probably show up if you needed a drinking buddy at the shortest of notices. When I moved away, that turned into multiple chat groups on social media to stay in the loop of things happening in my friends’ lives.

I would stay up late and wake up at the earliest possible time my body would allow me to, because I felt that I’d have all the time in the world to sleep when I’m dead.

I could be playing games, staying up late to talk to people, or drinking until there’s no more alcohol left to consume – I probably wouldn’t sleep until my body tells me to.

I’ve lost so many people in my life, and in remembering their lives in their wakes, I always get reminded that material gains mean nothing when you’re gone.

All that people are left with are memories with you, the connections you made with them, and the conversations you left them with.

It made me value how I connected with people. It made it easier for me to filter out those who I didn’t need in my life.

Here’s how I made changes to make more meaningful connections in my life:

1. Accepting What I'm Not

There was a trend that came up recently where people post their achievements with captions like "22 and bought my first car, how about you?"

As a houseband, there are a lot of things that I can't achieve that my peers are working towards. I've  beaten myself up thinking "I should be doing this, I should be earning this much, I should already have that, etc."

Some people around me feel like I could be capable of greater things, or that I am wasting my life away by not living up to the conventional standards of success.

Upon reflection, I realized that I have no reason to live by anyone's standards. 

If I get a high-paying job or run a successful business, will they be satisfied with my achievements? Will it make their lives better knowing that I'm living up to what they think my potential is? Will my life be full knowing that I fulfilled their expectations of me?

And then I realized there was only one question that mattered: does their happiness have to matter more than mine?

We should find our own happiness.

Life shouldn't be a competition. 

We chase different goals, so who should define what a successful life is? If a capable engineering student decides to become a priest, does he fail in life because he can't utilize his talents properly?

We live on different paces, so who's to say that we're lagging behind in terms of milestones? Susan Boyle was 40 when she introduced herself to the world and started her career as a singer. 

I'm happy when my friends achieve their goals, and congratulate them with sincerity instead of jealousy. I've learned to not ask for favors, treats, or freebies for every success of my peers, because they don't owe me anything, and they worked hard to get to where they did. 

Meanwhile, I learned to live with those who are disappointed with how I am living my life - I stopped giving a fuck. 

By accepting my reality, I no longer felt the need to justify my situation to anyone and just swept away any judgmental opinion that came my way. 

It helped me spend less time with people who won't contribute positively in my life, and more time with people who matter to me. 

2. Filtering the Negative

My social media feed is my source of news about the world as well as my connection with my friends from past to present.

I can’t do anything about depressing or disappointing events happening, but friends who are constantly sharing negativity have no place in my feed or my life.

I don’t expect to be surrounded exclusively by people who share the same views that I do - I actually appreciate people who have a different perspective than mine, as they educate me.

However, if after a while, this friend continues to share nothing but his or her anger for the world, I either mute or unfriend them.

On top of my head, I can’t think of particular posts that they did, but I know that I’ve disconnected from people who I think are unreasonable when they argue, take fake news sites as bible truth, post 20 different versions of the same selfie, constantly flex things they clearly can’t afford, and are literal keyboard warriors, among others.

Your selfies aren't the problem - it's the effect on me that's negative.

I’d probably still talk to them when we bump into each other, but I most definitely won’t be spending too much time on that conversation.

In the finite time that I have in this world, I don’t want to spend a bulk of it stressing about negativity either by their posts or the effect their posts have on me.

3. Reaching Out

I usually comment on a friend’s post when it’s funny or relatable, but when it’s about something serious, I tend to reach out through a direct message.

Once, a college acquaintance posted about losing her unborn child.

I don’t remember us talking back in college, but as part of the student council back then, I made myself known to a lot of people so I probably added her on Facebook as she was one of the more recognizable faces of her major.

She left her heart out in her post, and I felt her sadness.

I sent her a message, admitting how I understood that we’re not really close or anything, but I just wanted to tell her how I admired her courage for sharing her tragedy, and how I hoped and will pray that she would stay strong despite it.

She appreciated my message, and even dismissed my claim that she may not know me and even referred to me as “Kuya Voltaire.”

It didn’t make us best buddies who comment or react on each other’s posts, but that was never the intention.

I just really wanted to reach out to let her know that she’s an inspiration instead of just posting “condolence” on her comment section with a sad face emoji. I wouldn’t even be offended if she didn’t reply, but the subsequent conversation we had was a welcome bonus.

Maybe she needed my message, maybe she didn’t. However, I sympathized with her as a parent, and would probably welcome any words of encouragement if I were in her situation.  

People are often hesitant to read messages from obscure people from their past because they might be selling something or are asking to borrow money.

I dream of a world where my son and those who will come after him could care for each other genuinely, where they could help those who really need it without the fear of being taken advantage of.

I remember a prayer I learned while my uncle was housed in La Salle that said “let me be the change I want to see,” and so I act with the hope that this could be the norm of at least the people around me.

I'm not a La Sallian, but my uncle was housed in their community for quite a while,
and this was one of the prayers that stuck with me

4. Disconnecting

Whenever I have visitors or I go out, I make it a point to put my phone face-down.

It’s led to a lot of arguments with my wife, because she gets worried when I don’t answer for long stretches, since she knows that I’m constantly on my phone when I’m at home.

However, I understand that it diminishes the presence of people around me if I’m more interested looking at my phone than talking to them.

I know, because I feel so small when I can’t even pry my friend’s attention away from his or her phone when we’re together.

How many times have you sat on a table with friends, but no one is talking because everyone’s looking for the perfect filter for their post?

How many dishes went cold because you had to take a hundred shots of your spread before you dug in?

A lot of us live different lives online as opposed to reality.

What social gatherings looks like most of the time these days.

It’s easy to shape a personality online – angles make you look thinner or taller, you can choose from multiple shots so that you can post your perfect pose, and you can always share your smiles and happiness so that people will see that you’re doing ok.

But reality can’t always be fixed by a filter or an angle.

I’m not saying you should post as much “aww, I’m miserable” posts on your page as much as you post “wow look at how much fun I’m having today.”

Rather, I want to encourage making connections by disconnecting.

Engage in real conversations – those with emotions, with unfiltered smiles, and unedited words, and not just sentences that end with emojis.

People actually once lived without social media, so it’s really not a mortal sin if you don’t post every little thing happening in your life.

Some of the best moments and conversations I had with friends are those that end with us going our separate ways and later realizing that we weren’t able to capture the moment with a photo. 

These small changes I made in my life have not eliminated my fear of death completely.

However, with these changes, I feel more fulfilled in how I am leading my life, and somehow lessens my worries about what comes after for the people I will leave behind.  

I'm sharing this for anyone who needs it, but I'm more than willing to learn how you deal with the same fear, if you have it as well. 

...Houseband Chronicles vol. 2: Realizations From Real Conversations...

At this day and age, I still haven't figured out if I'm an introvert or an extrovert.

I enjoy the company of people. I like to meet new friends, I like to stay connected with old ones, and you can easily leave me alone in a room full of strangers and I'd leave with a crew at the end of the day. 

However, I also love to keep to myself. I can spend an entire day walking around the city with my earphones plugged in, listening to music or podcasts and not care about anyone else. I hate calling on the phone to set up appointments or place orders.

Given these facts, life as a houseband has been pretty neutral for me. I don't have to deal with a lot of people, which is a plus for my introvert side, but the extrovert me is bored to his wits. 

My phone, then, has become an essential tool for me to stay connected with others. Unfortunately, it is also a main source of distraction.

Cellphones have become such a norm now that not having one seems like a foreign concept.
(image source: https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/m/modern_society.asp)

I've been to gatherings with friends where five people are staring at their phones on the same table. I've been to dinners where the hungry couldn't eat because the perfect photo hasn't been snapped. The most physical interaction people have sometimes is when they share the phone watching a single video. 

I'm guilty of it too. The introvert in me enjoys the extrovert things because the phone becomes my avatar to interact with others.

That said, when I get a chance to meet with people, I try to make it a point to detach myself from my phone in order to have amazing conversations. 

Here are some of the things that I realized from my recent interactions with friends and family:

The Social Media Connection

Didn't see each other at all through college and years after that, and I still became a client.

In July, I had a high school friend do our baby's birthday cake.

I met Rachelle when our class met theirs in an official school event where an all-boys school has some kind of soiree with an all-girls school. We didn't really hang out, but our class was pretty tight, so my friends' friends are also somehow my friends.

Naturally, we didn't catch up on a regular, but because of social media, I was able to at least know that she makes cakes. 

When I picked up the cake, I realized it was the first time I actually called her on the phone. 

Our brief interaction made me look back at my adolescent life. Back then, life seemed complicated when I was living it. There were too many rules, not enough money to spend, and there was a constant fear of taking examinations in school. I couldn't wait to get older.

After a bit of catching up with her, I realized that there wasn't much to talk about because the issues that bothered us back then were so trivial that we didn't even need to ask about any of it. We could only be amazed that we were still able to reconnect after so many years.

It's one of the wonders that social media does for people - the slightest connection you have with one can lead to a different relationship over time.

The Dad Life

Drink when it's cheap, eat where it's cheap later.

Moshe and I have been friends by association since college. We were dating our significant others then, and they were in the same class.

Years later, we're both married to them, we've been housemates, and we're practically family. While we don't usually drink out, there was a promo where we could drink out and not feel too guilty about it since it's not "Crazy Rich Asian" expensive - a norm here when you drink at bars compared to how much you spend in a bar back in the Philippines.

We live completely different lives. I'm a houseband, while he's the classic father-provider in their family. We don't have much in common, but we do have a passion for basketball and our families, which apparently was enough to last us an entire afternoon of conversations.

We face different challenges, but the beauty of an actual conversation is that you get to understand the other person better. Sharing challenges to each other isn't about who has it worse or better, but rather an opportunity to be with someone who can offer a fresh perspective or empathize with you.

Sharing and alcohol won't solve these problems, but having company while drinking means you get to talk about so much more than just the bad stuff.

Dads Are Still Bros

Mandatory "reporting" pic to send to the wife, a staple in every bro hangout.

In mid September, Nino visited Singapore alone after something came up that didn't allow Tring and baby Oona to join him.

Tring is a good friend of mine that I met in my early college days, while I met Nino a couple of years after we graduated when Tring introduced him as her boyfriend. Being the chummy guy that I am, I didn't want him to feel left out in the new group of people he met, so I talked to him a lot that night.

We eventually ended up being really good friends, to the point where I was hanging out with him more than I would with Tring.

Like Moshe, he's also working to provide for the family.

Instead of a beer session though, we spent the whole afternoon in a semi-tour; walked under the rain in Orchard, ate Chicken Curry, walked in IKEA and popped a bottle of whisky while playing NBA2K til midnight.

In a typical night/day out back then, we'd probably be playing basketball in the afternoon and having drinks later on, or maybe playing NBA2K while drinking, or simply just drinking.

Things dramatically change when we're older and have adult responsibilities.

While it was unfortunate that his family couldn't join him, it was a good reminder that underneath all our dadbod fats, we're still the bros we were back then.

Bridging the Gap

Beers on fancy cups, but there was nothing fancy with the stuff we talked about.

My dad has 12 other siblings in their family.

It shouldn't be a surprise that there are more than 40 of us who are cousins in just this side of the family.

We naturally grouped ourselves through our ages, and it has stuck for the most part.

When Moses, one of the younger ones, visited Singapore on official business, he spared some time to meet with me to catch up.

For years, we've had a hunch of his gender identity, but we never actually confronted him about it. Over the past couple of years, he has been more open to the family about it, and is now one of my most fabulous cousins.

He cooks, he bakes, and he manages his dad's schedule, among other important things in their company.

10 years ago, I never would have imagined myself sitting across a table from him, sharing a beer and stories I wouldn't have asked him.

Growing up, there's a certain generation gap even if it's just a difference of four or five years. However, at some point, we all become adults, and would have to deal with the same adult issues. Age really does become just a number.

Live In The Now

This guy is the shining example of why I can't see alcohol as something to drown out problems,
because it's always fun drinking with him

My cousin Richard has been in Singapore for the longest time, and was instrumental in helping my sister stay in the country while she was still finding a job.

However, since they're living on the other side of the island, we rarely get a chance to meet in my three years of staying here.

One night after we came back to Singapore after Vino's birthday, I asked to meet Richard some time soon so that I could share some Bicol Express I brought from home. Over the course of our conversation, we ended up deciding to meet later that day.

Two bottles became three towers of beer, but we barely noticed it because we were so busy catching up with so many things that we ended up staying way past our curfews.

We talked so much about life, the future, and opportunities, and I learned a lot. And to think that meeting wouldn't have happened if we planned it ahead of time.

Too many times, "something came up" and other random events keep happening that we miss out on catching up with people we want to meet. As we both learned that night, there was no better time than "now" to make things happen.

Keeping It Together

A night out is usually never complete without this litter bugger.

Inspired by the great conversations I had, I took out my wife one Sunday night.

Without much interactions or anything significant happening in my life at home, I don't have much to share to her on a regular basis. On her side, work has kept her busy that even at home, there may be times that she's still working. At times, instead of sharing her frustrations, she would rather get some rest.

I never held it against her, because I did grow up with both my parents working. While they weren't as readily available as other parents, it didn't make me love them less, because I knew that they were away so that they could provide food on the table. Similarly, my wife works to provide for the family, so I give her all the space she needs and just stayed ready when she needs me.

After meaningful moments with friends and family, I thought it was time to do the same with her on a stress-free night.

With our baby tired for the day, we had him tucked to sleep while we slipped out for a quick dinner for two. It was a random date, but it seemed one we needed to have.

We're going into year three of our marriage, but it will actually be 14 years of being together. Being comfortable with each other for this long makes it easy to forget how important these dates and conversations are in making our relationship last.

Never take these simple things for granted, because you'll never know if there are small issues that are piling up.  

...Reflecting on my Next President...

Who's your president?

I am 29 years old, turning 30 in May 2016. In my lifetime, I must have been part of two presidential elections, and five local elections. However, to date, I have only voted once.

In 2004, I wasn't too keen on voting then because I was young and couldn't care less. However, I did wear a Ping Lacson costume to a TV show and a gala dinner during the campaign period. The said costume was a superman-like mascot with "SP" as the emblem and an oversized Ping Lacson head. Though I didn't vote, I liked Ping and what he stood for, and my dad knows him as a person because they worked together in the past. We all know how that election turned out.

Though I lived in Cainta practically my whole life, I never felt local politics. It's probably because I lived inside a village, and didn't feel the government projects growing up. As a result, I didn't register to be a voter in 2007. 

In 2008, one of my uncles was put on the national spotlight because of his involvement in the National Broadband Network deal. It was a crazy time for the family, and though I abandoned my plans of pursuing law and politics at that time, the events helped me become interested to follow politics again. Those events only reinforced my reasons to abandon my plans to pursue law and public office. I met some politicians, I learned, from my uncle, how they are perceived in public and how they are behind the scenes. The craziness may have ended, but the connections he made from that time lived on with him. 

In 2009, former President Cory Aquino, who was a constant presence on my uncle's side during masses, succumbed to a terminal illness. The public's support for Tita Cory was so overwhelming that shortly thereafter, some of my family members were knocking on their family's home in QC, imploring for her son Noynoy to run for president. I believed that though he was not as accomplished politician, he could be the start of something good for our government. There were wiser choices, but I stuck to my belief, and registered for the 2010 elections. I even wrote a lengthy blog post in 2010 about my support for Noynoy. 

Fast forward to 2016. Barely a month away from the national elections, I have yet to have a firm choice. Six years after assuming the presidency, Noynoy has remained Noynoy to me. I feel that calling him "PNoy" is an insult to "Pinoys" all over the world. I don't want to make the same mistake in the next election. 

I don't regret voting for him, because I voted on my own terms. That is not to say I am not disappointed with his performance. For the most part, I think I voted for the right president, based on the reasons I argued with. I hoped that he would be the president that people trusted enough to update the constitution. However, I acknowledge that people were right in saying that he didn't have the competence to lead the country as he surrounded himself with idiots and corrupt officials. I defended him in his first two years of blaming the previous administration, but in his final SONA, he was still able to put some blame on the previous admin. I understand that six years isn't enough to change the country, but come on. 

Social Media and The Presidency

Heading towards election day, I think social media has become more powerful than it was during 2010. I think people are more informed and misinformed now than before. My Multiply blogsite reached new heights during Uncle Jun's episodes back in 2009 until the issue died down. If that happened during these times, I might have been an internet superstar already.  

These are the times when absurd news like a rat in a frappe makes it to international news, and an online automobile magazine is the Batman of Philippine traffic and parking. When before, news about stuff become viral on the internet, these days, local and international news get their news from viral stuff on the internet.  

The power of social media is not lost on the candidates and their supporters. The result is rather entertaining:

Grace Poe and "praying"

Mar Roxas, the comic book hero

Digong Duterte and the "Canadian Nurse"

Jojo Binay and the alleged "money distribution"

Those are but a few examples of things that made the news about the candidates. Whether they signed off on it or solely acted on by their supporters, we probably will never know. Information like these make some believe they have a new perspective on the person, but for the diligent, they may uncover some truths that they may or may not like - as in the case of Duterte's nurse and Binay's money distribution. 

These said, I take viral news about candidates as works of fiction unless proven otherwise by the people themselves. 

Change, Then and Now

While social media has evolved, I daresay that the country's needs have not.

The problem with the Philippine electorate is that they think that a change in presidency means a new beginning and instant results. If anyone can point me in the direction of a country that changed over three to six years, please educate me. As far as I know, six years is and will never be enough to change the mess that we have.

That said, I think that this election will not see the president who will be the "savior" of our country. He or she will not instantly end corruption, crime, traffic, or public transport. What we need is to want our country to be better. Change must happen within us, rather than be caused by someone we elected president. Unless our people understand that, I don't think we'll ever move forward as a country.

For all the shit thrown at Noynoy, I believe that his presidential win against Erap Estrada (who, by the way, did not top surveys on the days and months leading to the elections) gave a glimmer of hope that the voting population was getting more informed. While I maintain that Erap didn't steal the people's money (he was tried for his involvement on Jueteng money, not taxes), I didn't think he deserved to run the country again. Noynoy's win prevented Erap from doing just that.

Noynoy's mistake was trusting the wrong people. He may not have had the intellect to steal billions as GMA did in her years as the president, but he allowed people working for him to do so. He gave positions to inadequate individuals that led to an inefficient government that blamed all his failures on a previous administration while claiming the said administration's successes that only came to fruition during his tenure.

Thoughts on the Candidates

All these said, let me share my thoughts on each presidential aspirant, trying as best I can not to be influenced by obvious political stunts. I'm not an expert on politics, but I do care for the future of my country.

Jejomar Binay

Running on the same tag line as he did for VP

Why I Would Probably Vote for Him: I voted for him as Vice President because I thought he had enough national leverage to beat political butterfly Loren Legarda and whatever Mar Roxas wanted to be. Bayani Fernando was the wise choice, but he made a lot of enemies as MMDA chief that made it difficult to believe that he had a chance to win. Binay was the constant name in Makati for the longest time, and I believed that someone who could stay as long as he could in one of the most important cities in the metro says something about his leadership. He made all the right moves in his political career, hanging around with the right people until he was given a chance to make a name for himself. After establishing his name, he went on to pursue the crucial, but mostly useless, Vice Presidential seat. 

Why I Don't Like Him to be the Next President: While I laud him for being the mayor of Makati for as long as he has, I don't think everyone in Makati has a great life. In my years of driving around the metro, I've spent time getting lost in Makati. During these times, I've seen squatters and glorified squatters in Makati. I think there's a reason why the progressive part of Makati is called "Ayala," and for him to claim that it was all because of him is laughable. His tag line "Gaganda and buhay kay Binay" was the same one he used when he ran for VP. In one of the debates, he admitted that the VP doesn't have much function according to the constitution. While I didn't vote for him because of his tag line, I did expect him to act on fulfilling it. Not only did he fail (sino ba gumanda buhay dahil naging VP siya? Please raise your hand that I may be corrected), but he also spent most of his tenure avoiding questions about his wealth and flaunting his power (interestingly, videos on spot.ph and GMA news don't have the videos available). He appeals to the public's sympathy too much that it makes me sick. 

Rodrigo Duterte

After much drama about his candidacy, he declared using the lamest possible reason

Why I Would Probably Vote for Him: The guy seems brilliant and has a penchant for cracking jokes. He's mostly credited for Davao's rise, unlike Binay who needs to claim the rise of Makati. His popularity now makes me believe that Ping Lacson was ahead of his time when he ran in 2010. With his leadership in Davao, people believe that he can emulate that success in the national stage. He doesn't mince words when he speaks, but he looks like he's a guy with a plan moving forward. During the second debate, he said he is offering leadership, and went as far as saying that if he wins, he will probably look at the programs from other candidates and continue them if they are good. He's the president I would have wanted to be.

Why I Don't Like Him to be the Next President: His claim of eradicating crime in 3-6 months upon assuming the presidency is ridiculous. Detractors will not stop finding ways to make crimes happen in the first year of his presidency should he win. While he established an empire in Davao, he may not have enough influence on the national stage to lead an effective government. While he speaks his mind, he sometimes forgets to filter his mouth, cursing and arguing like a child sometimes, especially when up against someone who seems to throw tantrums at times. Ironically, some of his supporters are not only liking his brash demeanor, but are also actually emulating it. It almost feels like he's running a Donald Trump-like campaign with his effect on people. 

Grace Poe

FPJ walked to Antipolo Church during Holy Thursdays, I wonder why Grace hasn't continued that

Why I Would Probably Vote for Her: Like her VP, she speaks eloquently. She seems like the person who could study up and to be ready for any question. She knows how to handle herself in front of the public, and doesn't lose her cool too quickly. She can be a very down to earth person if she wants to. 

Why I Don't Like Her to be the Next President: I'm not sure how Fernando Poe Jr. helped the Philippines apart from making blockbuster movies. He may have been cheated out of the presidency, but would the Philippines have been better off with FPJ than GMA? Given these, I don't understand what Grace is fighting for. She may be the Noynoy Aquino of this presidential elections. For a relative newbie in Philippine politics, she's very much a TraPo with her manner of speech and her actions. She may very well be a good person, but she lacks the political clout to effectively lead the country. She's also running with a very manipulative VP, who I think will have no hesitations on overthrowing her the first chance that he gets.

Mar Roxas

One of the oldest names in politics, claiming a "new" Philippines under his watch

Why I Would Probably Vote for Him: He's from one of the oldest political families in the country, and has a business degree to boot. He's been in the national scene since the Estrada administration, and had excellent projects during his time as the Department of Trade and Industry Secretary. He is an accomplished senator and made the gallant sacrifice of stepping down from the presidential nomination in 2010 to give way to Noynoy Aquino. 

Why I Don't Like Him to be the Next President: I don't think I can vote for someone who can't even be trusted by the very same people he sacrificed his political ambitions for. When he lost his VP bid to Jojo Binay, people expected him to be the secretary for the DILG in order to maintain his presence on the national level. However, they gave the job to Jesse Robredo until he met a fatal accident in 2012. Upon assuming the position, he botched handling two tragedies in typhoon Yolanda and the Mamasapano operation. While his past speaks volumes of his capabilities, his most recent exploits seem to show that he crumbles when it matters. Nobody talks about his past accomplishments precisely because he did it in the background. However, when all eyes are on him as the DOTC and DILG secretary, he didn't seem equipped for the challenges. Additionally, if he can't keep his cool on a presidential debate, what kind of president would we have if he won? For a guy who has the most exposure in the national government second only to Miriam Defensor-Santiago, it's disappointing that he doesn't have a firm grasp on his political clout. 

Miriam Defensor-Santiago

She's come a long way from being the crazy lady of the senate

Why I Would Probably Vote for Her: She's intelligent, she has grace, she has political clout, she's an excellent speaker, she knows the law, she has no known corruption issues, and she's been here before. She's funny and lovable, far from the crazy person she was painted out to be some years back. 

Why I Don't Like Her to be the Next President: During the first presidential debate, there were moments when it felt like she was crying. Her health makes me doubt that she can finish the whole six years of her term. I'd like to be proven wrong, because I think we need people like her in the government, more than the Tito Sottos and the Lito Lapids. 

Who Will You Vote For?

All the candidates have legitimate reasons why they should be there, and I don't think voting for any of them would be a waste. As I mentioned previously, what our country needs is change from its people more than a new leader. 

I think that I'm leaning towards voting for Duterte, because he seems to be the only one open enough to let his fellow candidates serve the country in a different capacity where they could be effective. He knows what he's good at, and makes claims based on what he's already done. Granted that it is magnified a hundredfold on the national stage, he doesn't seem like the person who would be rattled easily. He knows the law, and doesn't have a record of corruption. He has some shit he needs to get together, just like everyone else. Apart from his zero-crime claim, I think I can live with his flaws more than the other candidates. Miriam is the wise choice, but a vote for her must mean I must be very confident of my vice president, which needs a much harder deliberation. 

Six years will not transform the Philippines, but choosing the right president could be a good step towards the right direction. Who do you think deserves the position?