After reading the papers, I did some reflection on what I had read about what’s going on in the country. In Facebook, I posted what was on my mind—“God, family, country. In that order.”

My Facebook contacts posted their own reactions, which varied although most agreed with my statement. Some posted their own beliefs, such as “God, Country, Family” and one even included his “Fraternity” after “God, Country, Family”. A true fratman, if I may say so.

With the varying responses, I wouldn’t dare to say who is right or who is wrong. I cannot be the judge of that. We all have our own value systems and I don’t think we are in a position to judge each other on that.

But I do believe that we should be accountable for those value systems we have and in my case, my accountability may be seen from the statement I made. Above anything or anyone else in this world, I am first accountable to God. Everything else comes and follows after that. Judging by the responses of those who reacted to what I posted, it seems that that is one thing everybody agrees on.

So why did I say that it’s “God, Family, Country. In that order”? Why doesn’t Country come ahead of Family?

As stated, I first hold myself accountable to God because as a believer, that is the direct offshoot of my faith in Him. As my creator, I believe that my purpose is live my life according to His desire and standards.

Anyone who has read that best-seller “A Purpose Driven Life” knows the logic of the Creator’s Purpose— that a thing is created with a specific reason and purpose, therefore it is necessary for that creation to fulfill its purpose. For myself, believing in my Creator necessitates that I know His purpose for my life and for me to pursue that purpose.

Why does the family come before country?

As a public official, I am guided by the purpose set out by God for me, as stated in the Creator’s Manual for Life, the Bible. In that reference, it is clearly stated that before one leads over others in the community (or country), one must first be able to show leadership and good governance over one’s family.

1 Timothy 3:1-5 says: “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”

The importance of the family is emphasized even in our own Constitution which recognizes that “the family is a basic autonomous social institution” and the State “shall protect and strengthen” it.

It is my belief that the obligation to govern over one’s family first is not just an obligation of those who lead the community or country but of each and every person who considers himself a faithful believer and loyal citizen. The foundation of the country is the family, therefore, it is imperative that we all take part in firming up and strengthening that foundation on which we will build up our country.

To illustrate, which is preferred, a good leader with a bad family life or a good leader with a good family life?

As far as I am concerned, it is incumbent upon me to strive to be a good father and husband in order for me to be a worthy public official. It is definitely a difficult challenge given all the obstructions and temptations along the way, but acknowledging that obligation is the first step towards fulfilling that commitment to God and family.

Perhaps some see it as self-serving or an unpatriotic act to put family first before country. One who reacted to my post raised a question: “Sir, if I may ask. What if what’s good for your family isn’t good for your country? Or what’s good for your country wouldn’t be good for your family?”

A good point, indeed. But he left out one aspect—God. The three should be taken together, not singly. Above everything else, living according to God’s laws and principles. It doesn’t matter if what one does is good for his family and not good for the country or one does good for the country and not for his family if what one is doing is not right in the eyes of God.

For example, if a person steals from the country for his family, it doesn’t make it right in the eyes of God. Or if one devotes all his time in the service of the people but he does not even have time to raise his child as an obedient and respectful son or daughter, it doesn’t make it right in the eyes of God.

Therefore, all three aspects—God, Family, Country—must all be taken together and not separately.

Living your life to be an ideal believer, family member or citizen is not an easy task. There are many obstacles and challenges that pull us down or block our ways, but that’s what makes it more precious and fulfilling to achieve. If it were that easy, then it wouldn’t be an accomplishment at all.

Ruffy Biazon is a senatorial candidate under the Liberal Party. The original blog entry of this post can be found here.

Maraming salamat. Sa sobrang init na dinaramdam ninyo, ayan, umapoy na bigla ang ating confetti. Palakapan ninyo ngayon ang sarili ninyo!

Mga kababayan, nandito tayo ngayon—di malayo sa kung saan milyung-milyun ng ating mga kababayan ay nagtipon para manindigan laban sa pang-aapi; para harapang hamunin ang diktaturya: “gawin na ninyo ang gagawin ninyo, pero hindi kami aatras sa inyo!”

“Give us back our freedom! Give us back our dignity as free men, and leave us to make the best we can of our country!”

Nandito tayo ngayon, naka dilaw: kulay ng tapang at pag-asa. Kulay ni Tita Cory. Palakpakan ninyo ang EDSA!

Nandito tayo ngayon, handang tapusin ang minsang sinimulan ng EDSA.

Malaya na tayo ngayon. Ngayon, gagawin natin ang tunay na dapat gawin para ang mamamayang Pilipino ang siyang manaig dito sa ating sariling bansa. Ito ay para sa inyo at sa ating lahat: mahirap at may-kaya, bata at matanda, ang OFW at ang na-iwan niyang pamilya rito.

This is our country and we will get it back.

Every generation has its EDSA, just as every pasyon and Calvary has its Easter Redemption. In our grandparents’ time, our countrymen, in the millions, gathered in smaller groups to fight the Japanese invader. It took lots of courage. They faced much bigger risks. But their spirit and their sacrifice laid the groundwork for our country’s liberation.

In our parents’ time, our countrymen tried to build a progressive nation, raising it up from the wreckage of war to the heights of progress. The Philippines—our beloved country—was better off than all our neighbours combined.

Muntik na silang magtagumpay. Ngunit parang kandilang hinipan at namatay, ang mga pangarap nila’y nag-laho nung nagka Martial Law.  Naging baril at dahas ang sukatan ng tama at mali.

Both our parents and we, our generation, jointly had its own EDSA.

Oh, it was something out of legend. With a cast of millions, our country played out a drama never seen in history – a battle between good and evil; giving and taking; between guns, goons and gold on the one hand, and plain guts on the other.

Hindi na kailangang ilista ang mga nangyari. Nakaukit na ito sa alaala ng ating lahi.

Hindi na kailangang idetalye ang kabayanihan ng mga nagtipon upang humarang sa tangke at harapin ang pang-aapi. No need to recall the countless, selfless deeds, big and small, of so many unknown, ordinary people who together achieved the extraordinary!

Together, we declared and we made happen the words first uttered by Moses to Pharoah, and Cory to Marcos: LET MY PEOPLE GO!!!

Ngayon, nandito tayo sa EDSA natin at ng ating mga anak. Ngayon, nandito tayo, upang sabihin sa mga desperadong maluklok sa puwesto; sa mga nagpupumilit na manahin ang trono para sa sarili nilang interes: Tama na! Sobra na! Hindi kami papayak! Lalaban kami!

Huwag laging kayo na lang: pagbigyan niyo naman ang tao.

Hindi natin ipinaglalaban na tayo naman. Ang ipinaglalaban natin: ang TAO naman. Let every Filipino taste the Filipino dream: Harinawa’y matikman ng bawat isa sa atin ang inaasam na pangarap ng bawat Pilipino.

Eto ang eksena sa aking isipan: sa loob ng isang bahay na gawa sa materiales Fuertes, si tatay, kakauwi lang galing sa trabaho. Si kuya at si ate, naka-uniporme, galing sa eskwela. Si lola/ masiglang nilalaro si baby. Buong pamilya, magkasama, masayang magkasalo sa mesang sagana sa pagkain, at sa tahanang puno ng pag-asa.

Basic to this is a government that is really of the people, by the people; and NOT for the cronies of the people in power. To them, we say: “give our country a chance, to be all that it can be, all that it was, and all it deserves to be – prosperous, proud and truly free.

Some people think they have the right to take power and run this country to the ground. Well, there is no such right. The only right is the right of the Filipino-people to a better life.

May mga gustong ituloy ang kanilang ligaya, ang ligayang naggagapos sa atin sa kahirapan. Ang sigaw natin : Hindi kami papayag! LALABAN KAMI!!!

Ito ang ating pagkakataon. Ito ang pagkakataon ng ating henerasyon.

Hindi ito magiging madali. Hindi ito i-aabot sa atin. Kailangan nating ipaglaban ito. Ngayon ang simula ng ating EDSA. Ang EDSA ng ating henerasyon.

Iilang tulog na lang, maitatama na natin ang mali. Ma-i-tuituwid na natin ang baluktot, Mailalagay na natin sa ayos ang ating landas. It is time. It is our time. Our time to make a difference. It is our time to show what we are made of, to SHOW what being a Filipino is all about.

It is our time to prove: WE ARE WORTH DYING FOR.

May 10 is more than an election. It is our Revolution. Ito ang Rebolusyun natin: para sa totoong kalayaan, sa totoong katarungan, sa totoong kaunlaran.

It is our People Power Revolution for everything that our great country can be. Ito ang ating People Power para sa kadakilaan na karapat-dapat-lang para sa ating lahi.

Mga minamahal na kababayan, lalaban po tayo! Maraming salamat, magandang hapon, mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino.

My dad, Bingo Altavas was, for the longest time in his 46 years, singularly and openly critical of the Roxases. In my memory, there was no one more passionate about Capiz politics, as knowledgeable of its history and dynamics, nor as dead sure about the shape it was to take this 2010.  I grew up breathing local politics and I have known of no one more rabid an anti-Roxas than Daddy was.

He wrote regularly at the Capiz Times. I do not remember the why’s and wherefore’s of the things he said about the Roxases. Nor do I truly care to recall them now. What I choose to remember is his fire. And equally important, I choose to remember this crucial and incontrovertible fact: that somewhere along the way, Bingo Altavas had a radical change of heart.

Allow a cherished memory by this son of his father: no one was more possessed of greater humility than Bingo Altavas. He was a man who owned up to his mistakes. And as he gained the maturity that came from the frustrating years he spent engaged in local politics, and ever the circumspect man that he was, he must have reviewed his premises and realized he was wrong. With these realizations, he sought out Mar Roxas.

In the last three or four years of his life, Dad, in his small capacity, served Senator Mar. And he served the Senator with the utmost passion and loyalty. Mind you, Dad did so, not to make amends, for he believed one need never apologize for one’s political beliefs. He supported Sen. Mar solely because, having seen and heard the man as close as circumstances allowed him, he had come to admire the Senator’s character and believed both in the merits and the promise of Sen. Mar’s leadership. He was so looking forward to 2010, convinced that Sen. Mar would make the only worthy president of the Philippines. And what greater possibilities Dad saw for Capiz, with Sen. Mar as president.

It goes without saying, Senator Mar has his detractors in Capiz.

A certain group has even gone as far as quoting my dad as accusing the Roxases for the loss of our family patrimony, the lands and titles that were passed from generation upon generation of Altavases.

Dad himself, would that he were alive today, will certainly deny such allegations.

Though Bingo Altavas died leaving very little of what he owned, it did not have anything to do with the Roxases. Dad decided to let go of his inherited properties for the one thing he would broach no compromise on: his children’s education. So let it be said categorically that there is absolutely no truth to the accusations, whatever form they take.

In support of this, I wish to share a deeply personal gesture extended by Senator Mar to me, to our family, to the memory of my father and to their friendship. Two years ago, Dad died so suddenly, and our family floundered. Senator Mar quietly visited us at Dad’s wake. And just as quietly, in a remarkable gesture that could have only have been borne out of a compassionate heart and genuine concern, Senator Mar offered to finance the rest of my college education. The Roxases, through Tita Ria and Mrs. Judy, have done so ever since. It was unsolicited, spontaneous and immediate.

Our family needs no greater proof to refute any malice attributed to the Roxases, especially on our account. For us, nothing could be farther from the real truth. I remain at the Ateneo – my every day in school, a continuing testament of Sen. Mar’s good heart. For that gift, I am grateful and from it, I am hopeful for many others.

In a country crowded at all tiers with corrupt and self-serving politicians, Sen. Mar to me represents decency and hope.

His tricycle ad was heavily lampooned because of the public perception of him as a patrician far-removed from the masses. But you people have missed the point. I am the little boy in the tricycle ad: a fatherless young man Mar Roxas is helping get to a future, which, otherwise, he would have lost. Dad was right. On a grand scale, I too have come to believe, Senator Mar will do the same, through many ways and in many forms, for this country.

Originally written as a response to a Facebook posting, I’ve edited the same as a testimonial for the site.

Hi all,

The honeymoon’s come and gone but this being the Christmas season and Christmas being about family… I thought I’d share this story of me and K with everyone. Besides, ang daming tweets asking about these photos, haha. So without further ado, here’s my short photo essay:

This is Day 1 in Tokyo! We spent the night walking around, eventually settling for dinner in the traditional Japanese restaurant I tweeted about. I remember seeing a girl there dressed in beautiful Yukata. Korina looked prettier though, haha. After dinner, we walked around some more. This is near the place where K played pachinko!

We spent a lot of time in Hibiya Park, also in Tokyo. Flowers were in full bloom. Great place to just sit and watch people especially since it was a Saturday. There were food stalls selling Shawarma and burgers with eggs! The place also has an outdoor Japanese opera which we watched later during the day.

The next day we went to Yunishagawa, a town in the mountains that’s two hours north of Tokyo via train and then another hour by car. It’s a small town. We stayed in a ryokan – a traditional Japanese inn – and the picture below is the view from our room. Notice the river in the background. Tiled structures by the river are baths with water from the hot springs! Sarap!

This is the Breakfast Room of the Inn. We had the traditional Japanese breakfast – pickles, tofu, tamago and soup. While everyone else had tea, we were the only ones who asked for coffee. I guess that’s not too surprising since we were the only non-Japanese visitors in the town! We’re wearing our Yukatas here – the ryokan gave us two each – one cotton and another with padding for cold weather.

It was super cold here in the morning! This is me and K in the garden of the ryokan.

We explored the town while covered in five layers of clothing! Because the town only has one road (which followed the river), all we had to was follow it. Though we came across two Japanese temples, the thing that impressed us the most was the scenery. It was absolutely beautiful. Imagine the trees changing colors by the river and then imagine a wild deer passing through… Ganda talaga!

The day before we left, we woke up and the scenery changed completely: everything was suddenly covered in snow! Our view was now like this! This was K’s first time in the snow and I’m actually still looking for the picture when she saw the white-covered gardens and played outside like a little girl.

All in all, K and I enjoyed the experience very much. Not bad for a 50-year old ex-bachelor, I think. All good things come to an end though. The honeymoon, that is, and not the marriage! Hahaha! When I find time, I’ll try to come up with more personal photo essays like this… but until then, from me, Korina, from my son Paolo: a Merry Christmas to everyone.

M.