A sincere thanks, from the people of the Philippines

In light of the recent events in the Philippines, I would like to extend the warmest thanks, on behalf of the Filipino people, to the international community for the quick responses. These initiatives you made to reach out to the Philippines warmed the hearts of those in need in the affected regions. Thank you for sending aid to the people in the Visayan region despite your non-affiliation towards us. It may be that some are obligated and some are not, but thank you nonetheless. Your aid will never be forgotten, I promise you that.

I would also like to thank the local international non-government organizations for their initiatives. Lastly, I would like to thank the other private institutions and other local governments for their efforts.

To the foreign aid governments, thank you for filling in the void that our national government seems incapable to do at this time. The amount of relief goods you sent in no doubt will reduce the state of anarchy in these areas. Also, thank you for reducing the task load of the national government in what they needed to provide for in such a state of calamity. At least now they could focus on reconstructing, restoring, and rehabilitating these cities.

To the non-government organizations, other local governments, and institutions, thank you for you relief efforts. Thank you for taking the initiative to help the victims make it through this tough period in their lives.

Now that you have taken care of this angle of the problem resolution, I have to wonder what our national government is doing to rehabilitate the areas destroyed not just by the typhoon, but also by the preceding earthquake. I guess now it is their turn. If only they will respond just as quick.

This is not the kind of Christmas that many of us here wished and hoped to have. But despite our losses, you gave us a glimpse of hope that we can move forward still. 

Thank you and may you have a blessed holiday ahead of you.

Greatfully yours,

Czarina

Medieval Governance

I would like to make a sarcastic note first:
"Want to take a trip back in time and see the middle ages? Oh wait, we're here already."

We are currently caught in the middle of the "pork barrel scandal". For this entry, I would like to recognize my esteemed professor in administrative law for giving our class this assignment because it just made me realize how much immature, or premature our government really is-- even with our glorified president in power right now.

As I write here, the newspapers are scattered with clippings and opinions on these funds. The news currently states that our government plans on abolishing these funds in the next budget allocation and adds that due to the findings of misuse and misappropriation of the funds by legislators, the budget is set to be re-allocated to the branch of government that should be the one to hold the funds for projects. The executive branch being at the forefront of this seems to be appropriate. I would also agree with the budget reform plans that they should be the branch given the funds since they are the ones

Coming fresh from reading medieval history, the excruciating image of the reign of monarchs is still in my head. Because of  this, I realized that there really is not much of a difference in the way they ruled and the way the state of our government is right now. I remember writing a few years ago in my political science essay that our government is still young and underdeveloped despite being in the advent of the age of technological advancements. It is sad to think, but I still hold that opinion today. The horrible part is probably that the whole scheme of it is familiar to that period of state governance when king-militants were necessary. I guess this shows just how much we have progressed in the area of state governance. Or has it?

But what I think is worse of it is that I held out hope for impending development. But to give the President the benefit of the doubt, I do believe and think that he is doing a better job than any of the past administrations-- other than Magsaysay of course.

What is it then with the medieval ages that I found is so familiar still in today's government? The discretion. Back then, the king held all the power subject to what he deemed would be a favorable decision to God's will. He gave grants and gifts to his kinsmen as a form of political alliance. This was to show that the power and resources were being distributed evenly so that they would reach the people, the ultimate beneficiaries of it all. He decides then who gets the royal titles, and the lands and riches that go along with them and who gets the favors from the royal treasury. Evidently, it is up to his good graces. The decision as to who gets what is decided by a single factor, political alliance. As a result, members of the royalty tried their best to be on the king and queen's favor in hopes of being given those titles.

Today those good graces and discretionary powers of the king are apparently still around. History would show us that several treaties and international conventions were signed to strip monarchs of such powers. Thus the formation of other forms of government. The laws were revised and the separation of powers were encoded in what several states today call the constitution. In our country's current state, I slowly realized how much the separation of powers imbibed in the constitution serves only as a reminder, but that it takes no particular effect to the actual exercise of these powers. 

Dani

November 7, 2013- 10:42PM

Take everything with a grain of salt