All About Amelioration

On Amelioration

There is a man  obsessed with change
On the plight of his dear nation

Of a long-range idea;

All about amelioration.

This he did try his best version 

Giving the people what they need

Amidst the storms of objection

He destroyed the grafts of their greed.

He was questioned about his promises

On corruption and fatal drugs

As dooms loom when the sun rises

And tears cascade instead of hugs.

Blends his words and actions with love

This man's heart is for his people;

He's brave and hale and fears the Above.

Yet these oligarchs want his fall.

His watching sun is soon to set

Again a dream of another day

With vim and vigor, he tries to get

While hubris is out of his way.

He needs the terrorists' hills down

And the valley of the honest be raised

So then expect a lovely crown

That all nations will be amazed.

Dedicated to the "down to the masses" president who calls himself "mayor and just an employee of the government". He doesn't banner his name on projects done as they are the money of the people, according to him.  John  F. Kennedy historically said, " Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

Rodrigo Roa Duterte was asked what will he say in his State of the Nation Address, about his accomplishments during his watch. He nonchalantly replied,  "Nothing, just look around." He is the epitome of the good, the bad, and the beautiful story! He is Build, Build, Build!

(In hindsight) Presidents of the Philippines

(1) (Cavite.)  Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, President of the Philippine Republic (1899-1901). Andres Bonifacio sparked the revolution of 1896, described as the revolt of the masses. Emilio Aguinaldo was exiled in 1898 to Hongkong with Filipino exiles and Spanish hostages. 

Apolinario Mabini, President Aguinaldo's factotum and the "Conscience and Brains of the Revolution. Members of the First Philippine Assembly were elected in 1907. Speaker Sergio Osmen'a presided over the First Philippine Assembly.

(2) (Aurora) Manuel L. Quezon - the first Filipino to head a government of the entire Philippines ( as opposed to the government of previous Philippine states, and is considered to have been the second president of the Philippines after Emilio Aguinaldo (1899 - 1901), whom Quezon defeated in the 1935 presidential election.

 Manuel L. Quezon took the oath of office as the first President of the Commonwealth on Nov 15, 1935.

(3)  Batangas) Dr. Jose' P. Laurel, President of the Second Philippines Republic, 1943-1945.

Senators Jose' P. Laurel and Claro N. Recto great Filipino nationalists, jurists, and scholars who fought for national dignity and the preservation of national patrimony. ( History of the Filipino People, 5th edition by  Agoncillo and Guerrero)

(4) Cebu) Sergio Osme'na - Aug. 1, 1944- May 28, 1946.  He is commonly associated with the Philippine fifty-peso bill bearing his image and is popularly known as the "Grand Old Man of Cebu". Osmen'a rose from being a newspaper reporter to the Presidency of the Philippine Republic in 1944-1946.

Statesman, founder of the Nacionalista Party (Partido Nacionalista). He took the examination for aspiring lawyers and placed second in the overall ranking with an average of 95.66, and got 100 percent in Penal Code and Civil Procedure. With the support of Governor Jun Climaco, Osmen'a initially became involved in politics. He was appointed as acting provincial governor by Gov. Climaco in 1904 and won as governor in 1905. In  1907, he won a seat in the Philippine Assembly and was easily proclaimed as the first speaker at 29.  At that time, speakership was the highest position that a Filipino could aspire to be second only to the American Governor-General. The1946 election, Osmen'a lost to Manuel A. Roxas but his character as a Nationalist and Statesman never vanished from the memory of the Filipinos until now. His descendants are very visible and active in politics, a manifestation, that the Filipino people have trusted the Osmen'as through the decades. Truly, it is worth paying tribute to a man who fought for the liberty we enjoy today. 

(5) (Capiz) Manuel Acun'a Roxas- May 28, 1946 - April 5, 1948 

Manuel A. Roxas broke with President Osmen'a and formed the Liberal Party, which he led to victory as a Presidential candidate on April 23, 1946. Roxas thus became the last president of the Commonwealth and the first president of the Republic of the Philippines. President Manuel A. Roxas signed the Independence Documents on July 4, 1946, with American Commissioner Paul V. McNutt who read the Independence Proclamation for Harry Truman. 

(6) Ilocos Sur) Elpidio Quirino - April 19, 1948 - Dec. 30, 1953. President Elpidio Quirino continued the task of rebuilding the war-torn Philippines. He is one of the architects of contemporary Philippine progress.

(7) Zambales) Ramon Magsaysay - Dec. 30, 1953 - March 17, 1957

Secretary of National Defense Ramon Magsaysay launched numerous rural area inspection trips during the campaign against the Huks. His "common touch" paved the path to his election to the Presidency in 1951.

(8) Bohol) Carlos P. Garcia - March 13, 1957 - Dec. 30, 1961

President Carlos P. Garcia was noted for his enunciation of the Filipino First Policy. He was the Architect of Economic Nationalism.

(9) Pampanga) Diosdado Macapagal - Dec. 30, 1961 - Dec. 30, 1965.

President Diosdado Macapagal launched land reform and made it the cornerstone of his policy on Central Luzon.

(10) Ilocos Norte) Ferdinand Edralin Marcos - Dec. 30, 1965 - Feb. 25, 1986.

On October 24, 1966, University students demonstrated against Philippine participation in the Vietnam War.

Marcos - was one of the most controversial leaders of the 20th century. His rule was infamous for its corruption, extravagance, and brutalities. Throughout his political career, Marcos claimed to have been the "most decorated war hero" in the Philippines. However, Marcos assisted 107 institutions in undertaking nuclear energy work by sending scientists to study nuclear science and technology abroad and providing basic training to 482 scientists, doctors, engineers, and technicians.

(Ferdinand Marcos - Wikipedia)

(11) Tarlac) Corazon Aquino - Feb. 25, 1986 - June 30, 1992.

(12) Pangasinan)  Fidel V. Ramos - June 30, 1992 - June 30, 1998

(13) Metro Manila) Joseph Estrada - June 30, 1998 - Jan. 20, 2001.

(14) Pampanga) Gloria Macapagal Arroyo - Jan 20, 2001 - June 30, 2010

(15) Tarlac) Benigno Simeon Aquino 111 - June 30, 2010 - June 30, 2016.

(16) Davao del Sur) Rodrigo Roa Duterte - June 30, 2016 - June 30, 2022

(17) Ilocos Norte) Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos - June 30, 2022 -

(Greg Intas Caponong Trabanca)