Are you sure you want to vote for Duterte?

Are you sure you want to vote for Duterte?

For those of you who are are shouting for Duterte to be president, I urge you to re-consider. Think it over 10 times. Then 10 times more.

I'm not insulting your intelligence, or mocking your decision. I just want you to be sure it's really what you want. I see a lot of citizens calling out for Duterte, for change. But it's not Duterte alone, who will change this nation. The big part will fall on us, the citizens.

I moved to Davao over a year ago and it's different here. I follow a 40kph speed limit in most of the places I go, even 30kph when I go into the city center. Smoking really is limited to designated smoking area. Imagine having to walk not just out to the street, but all the way to the corner to get to the smoking area while your beer starts to get cold on the table in the club. When we go out to drink, we're done by 11 or 12 because no one is serving beer anymore. And yes, you can buy beer at the stores, but only until 1am. It's not Duterte who's going to change this nation, it's you. Are you willing to change yourself to change the nation?

You want Duterte because you want change. And there will be changes. Are you ready for those changes? Once the law starts to apply to you, will you still be wanting those changes. My greatest fear is if Duterte becomes president and the law starts to apply to you, will you embrace it or will you be joining the next EDSA revolution?

If you are going to vote for Duterte, please be sure that you can make the change. Be sure that you really want this change.

And if you really do want this change, and you're will to make the change, then go and vote for Duterte... And let's make this nation great again!

(But regardless of who wins, let's still try to make the nation great again. On our own.)

Warming Up To Big School

Warming Up To Big School

I have been pretty vocal about my comparisons between the warm close knit Globe Academy and big school. 

Here are some concerns that I've brought to to co-parents from one or both schools.

• I was concerned that the teachers might not be able to attend to Monch's needs.
• I was concerned that Monch might get lost in the big school. (Never happened. Big school was diligent about it.)
• I was concerned that Monch would get released to the wrong person. (Again, never happened. Authorized individuals had to have an ID.)
• I was concerned Monch would have trouble fitting in. (He didn't :) Seems to me he was a hit with his classmates, cause they always call to him in a crowd. He, however, was bad with names.)
• With all the students, will the teacher get to know Monch? (She did!)

One year later... I'm glad I got Monch to start in big school. He adjusted well. He was pushed by his teachers. His grades were beyond my expectations, even with his Filipino which is slightly lower than the other subjects. The best part is that even if he was in big school, the pre-schoolers were still treated like babies for the first part of the school year. By the third quarter, they were already told that they would be in first grade the next year. And by the fourth quarter, they were treated almost like first graders. It was a great way to ease the children into first grade.