Eat All You Can

Last night, we celebrated my father's birthday at IMAY's which, coincidentally, was celebrating its 4th year anniversary. The place was packed with people and the motiff was eat-all-you-can. For as much as 180 pesos/adult (half the price if child), you could already enjoy limitless rounds of various dishes: from kaldereta to tinolang manok, to cansi, to squids, lechon baboy, lechon manok, everything. I managed to have at least two rounds at the huge buffet table. Of course, I had my personal serving of my favorite dishes.


During dinner, I was jestering about the possibility of me running for barangay kagawad this October. The barangay elections are set this year in October and I think 8 positions for barangay councilman are up for grabs including of course the barangay captain or punong barangay. My wife of course asked me where I would get my money for campaigning. I told them that campaigning for the barangay elections does not really require a lot of money. Expenses will be alloted only for handbills and a few posters which I think would only amount to 5,000 pesos max. Besides, I told them, I got nothing to lose. If I don't win, then at least I tried. If I do win, then I now have the opportunity to make a difference and practically put my foot where my mouth is. Along with the rest of the passive "silent majority" of our country, I tend to complain and criticize the lack of services from our government. Given the chance to serve in public office, even as a barangay councilman, is enough opportunity to make a difference.

If ever indeed I would run for kagawad, my plans would be:
1)Promote and reinforce the handling of health services in the barangay, particularly establish projects that would promote maternal and child health, breastfeeding programs, programs for single parents, especially single mothers and extensive promotion of preventive health programs of the government.
2)Establish health care facilities in at least 2 other puroks, other than the barangay health center, especially in puroks that are quite distant from the barangay health center. These satellite health care facilities shall be managed by at least a trained midwife and shall cater to primary health care and health education programs, including promotion of family planning and family well being.
3)Establish a surveillance system that would monitor prevalence of diseases in the barangay, especially communicable and preventable diseases such as Dengue, Rabies, etc. and use the data gathered in this system as basis for further development of health policies in the baranggay.

These and other causes such as youth and sports development (such as rehabilitation of sports facilities in every purok) and clean and green programs.

I am not quite fully dedicated to running and I am giving it some time for discernment.