WANTED: Volunteers (for a Radio Program)

Everyday, we complain about graft and corruption in our country. We know people die because government resources do not reach them but instead fill the pockets of many of those in power. Little children are left begging in the streets while many of our politicians are quarrelling over what is left of the country. What then does our future hold?

We know change we must, and 2010 presents an opportunity. However, with a little over a year from elections, we still do not know who or where our real leaders are. We do not even have a glimpse of what the real issues are. With more than 90 Million Filipinos, why can’t we find even a few among us who can lead the country to the clamored change?

Now, Lead Philippines (www.leadphil.blogspot.com) has teamed up with Di Duwag ang Pilipino (www.diduwagangpilipino.com) to produce a weekly radio program that will:

• Discuss in pressing details poverty brought about by graft and corruption
• Interview potential leaders on their ideas on solutions to poverty and how to stop graft and corruption
• Expose fake leaders from real leaders by challenging their ideas in an open dialogue

We are now calling on volunteer writers, interviewers, field and/or online researchers and all those who can help us produce this radio program in whatever capacity.

If you:

• are a Filipino citizen, 18 years of age or above,
• have high level of intelligence and maturity,
• speak/write fluently and confidently both in English and Filipino,
• are aware and concerned of national issues,
• have an open, independent and critical mind,
• believe that you can do a better interview than most in the mass media, and
• have an extreme desire to see a better Philippines.

We call on you to be part of our mass media campaign to help educate the people about our own problems and the solutions to them, and in the process help find real leaders of our country.

Stop complaining about your country now… Join us and be part of positive change!

Send us an email with your resume and contact information:
lead.philippines@yahoo.com

Survey Says

Recently, Lead Philippines sent out a small survey which asks: What is the country’s biggest problem?

In a short time, there were about 40 responses by email and text…

Majority of the responses were (more than 50%), mostly in big bold letters, GRAFT AND CORRUPTION.

The next leading response is POVERTY (10%). However, it could be argued that Poverty is the biggest problem, for among those whom I reach on this survey, many feel that poverty is the result of all the other problems (especially the result of Graft and corruption). More than 60% of the respondents said so.

There are a lot of other answers too. A number of people answered somewhat similarly though when they say Bad Attitude, Moral Bankruptcy (both of the people and the leaders), Moral Decay, Apathy, Political Immaturity, Cultural Shortsightedness, etc. and/or even Godlessness as our biggest problem. It seems to me that these responses are pointing directly at the people themselves as part of the problem… If we group these answers together, then we have about 18% of the answers.

Meanwhile, a number of people also directly pointed at our leaders by saying Lack of Moral Leadership, The Filipino Leader (even suggesting we can just import leaders), and Bad politics. Two people directly said that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is our biggest problem! If leadership problems are grouped together, it would account for about 12% of the responses.

To think that the leaders and its people could be tied together (we elect our leaders and we are being led by them), then that response account for about 30% of the answers.

One e-mailed uniquely, by saying that Delays in our Justice System is the biggest problem the country has. Another texted that our Laws are Flawed, protecting the politicians rather than the helpless.

So, if we would like to draw some conclusions from this small survey, perhaps we can say that most of us thought that GRAFT AND CORRUPTION is the biggest problem of the country. Next problems are the people themselves (apathy, moral decay, etc), and then our leaders (bad politics, GMA, etc.). Next problem is the system (our laws and our Justice system). But in the end, many thought that all problems lead to POVERTY.

The next question therefore is how to solve these problems. This should be the subject of our next surveys.

Lead Philippines Survey #2: What is our biggest problem?

Lead Philippines is now conducting a small survey and asking the following question:

What is the country's biggest problem?
a. The Economy
b. Poverty
c. Graft and Corruption
d. Peace and Order
e. Others (please specify)

To answer, please send an email to lead.philippines@yahoo.com or post a comment on this article. Thank you very much for participating.