Monday, August 31, 2009

Why Nicanor Perlas' Candidacy Excites Me

Everything about Nicanor Perlas' bid for the Presidency of the Philippines in 2010 excites me. Nick's New Politics is refreshing as it signifies a real Change that is integrative,sustainable and participative."Tayong lahat ang kailangan upang mabago ang ating bansa."  Nick embodies my own vision of a New Philippines that is spiritually enthused with a participative governance that truly lives up to the meaning of democracy as a  government of the people , for the people and by the people.

Nick's platform for a New Philippines has six pillars that is the emerging light behind the curtain of darkness that shrouds our beloved Philippines now. 

1-Eradicate Poverty and Enhance Quality of Life-Ginhawa is the operative word here.The ginhawa,the hope  that we crave and want. 
2-Advance Moral and Effective Governance-put a stop to corruption.
3-Uphold the Integrity of Creation-our ecology, our environment is our source of life so lets nurture not destroy.
4-Build Partnerships for Social Justice- "tayong lahat ang sagot" as the government works together with civil society and the business sector to provide solutions to the challenges the country faces in a participatory form of governance.
5-Promote Creative Education and Inner Change- the change from within of each individual translates to the change in others and the transformation of our environment, our society  because we are all interconnected. "Ang lahat ng bagay ay magkaugnay."
6-Mainstream Visionary Initiatives- replicate and multiply the success of innovative and excellent initiatives in all fields and areas of endeavor.

This curtain of shadows is lifting to reveal a bright tomorrow that we are working on now,in the present.The Filipino people want Change.I want Change. The US electorate voted for Change in the last election and installed President Obama in the White House. Today, the Japanese electorate voted for Change and kicked out the ruling LDP political party after 5 decades

Nicanor Perlas embodies the genuine Change I want in governance. I will hold steadfast that vision of a New Philippines that Nicanor Perlas embodies and will vote for Nick in 2010.

To learn more about Nicanor Perlas, please visit 
 www.nicanorperlas.com

Perlas Tayong Lahat. Tayo Lahat ang Sagot.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Nicanor Perlas is a Global Awardee

August 18,2009

NICANOR PERLAS IS RECIPIENT OF THE MANUEL L. QUEZON GOVERNANCE  AWARD FOR CIVIL SOCIETY


Nicanor Perlas, who has expressed his intention to run for the Presidential elections in 2010 will be awarded the Manuel L. Quezon Governance award for Civil Society by the Good Citizenship Movement (GCM) and the Federation of Catholic Schools' Alumni/ae Associations (FECASAA) on August 21,2009 at the 4th National Conference on Good Citizenship at the De La Salle University.


Perlas is a renowned civil society leader, an advocate of integral sustainable development, environmentalist, farmer, microfinance expert, global speaker, scientest, author,activist and educator. He is the recipient of several national and global awards including the prestigious Right Livelihood Award or Alternative Nobel Prize (2003) “for his outstanding efforts in educating civil society about the effects of corporate globalisation , and how alternatives to it can be implemented.” Perlas won the Global 500 Award from the UN Environmental Program (UNEP), and was one of the TOFIL Awardees for outstanding Filipinos, both in 1994 for his campaign against the abuse of pesticides and founding of the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. His other awards include the William F.Masterson,S.J. Agriculture Award(1995) and the Public Service Award, Municipal Government, Maasim, Iloilo(1972).


In his book “Shaping Globalization : Civil Society, Cultural Power and Threefolding”, Perlas detailed an approach to governance that involves the people in the process of change and transformation of the country through which the government will really become transparent and accountable. This approach of participatory governance resonances with Perlas' battle cry of “Tayong Lahat ang Sagot” The book is a global bestseller and has influenced diverse institutions, global thinkers and local governments in the Philippines. The United Nations has adapted a similar approach in implementing its Millennium Development Goals.



Nicanor Perlas, as civil society Co-chair of the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), helped formulate the Philippine Agenda 21, the nation's blueprint for sustainable development that provides an action plan for concretizing the vision of a truly participative form of governance for the Philippines. The agenda stresses dialogue with the people and meaningful partnerships among the different sectors of society for genuine development. He is a founder of the Centre for Alternative Development Initiatives (CADI) that has helped farmers shift from chemical intensive farming to bio dynamic farming. As board member of the Life Bank Foundation, Perlas has helped extend micro credit financing to jump start livelihood programs for thousands of families in remote barangays. Perlas was Co-Chair of the Green Forum of environmental groups, and a technical consultant to the Presidential Commission on the Philippine Nuclear Power Plant during the administration of President Cory Aquino,that found the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant defective. He has participated in peace negotiations with the MILF through his prior work with the GOP-United Nations Development Program in Mindanao. Perlas is prioritizing the resolution of social injustice in the Christian-Muslim conflict in his systemic strategic agenda that provides a wholistic and integrative approach to solving the ills of the nation.


Other awardees at the conference are Bishop Soc Villegas who will receive the Benigno S. Aquino award for Nationalism, Civil Society and John Gokongwei for Governance in Business.

Pls. visit www.nicanorperlas.com