CITY
OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines (28 January)
-- Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in
the United States have been donating dollars
to support the drive against graft and
corruption in the Philippines. They made
a civil society group in Pampanga as the
first recipient of their donations.
Started in December 2007,
the "$1 Moral Crusade against Graft
and Corruption" has pooled $9,000,
according to Dr. Philip Chua, chair of
the Filipino United Network (Fun), which
began the online drive.
At least 1,000 Filipinos
and Filipino-Americans gave $1, $25 or
$50 each. Among the donors were four Americans.
The names of the donors
and details of the campaign are posted
on www.filipinounitednetwork.com.
Chua arrived from the
US on Sunday and handed a check for a
partial amount to the Kapampangan Marangal
Inc. (Kami).
Kami, formed by election
campaign volunteers of Governor Eddie
Panlilio, intends to use the support of
Fun for organizing and training activities
in its good citizenship program in Pampanga,
said Averyll Laquindanum, Kami director.
Pampanga has been chosen
as one of the recipients because the "moral
leadership" of Panlilio, a Catholic
priest on leave, provided a "catalyst"
for new initiatives in anti-corruption
efforts, Chua said.
Panlilio has changed the
collection and regulatory systems in the
quarry industry, transforming it into
a multimillion-peso revenue source. In
almost seven months, revenues reached
P136.5 million.
The governor has also
removed the kickbacks in public projects
by complying with the national bidding
law and policies.
"The Pampanga experiment
can be a new dawn in our nation,"
said Chua during Sunday's gathering here
of US-based Filipino leaders.
Part of the donations
that Fun would gather would go to the
housing and education programs of Gawad
Kalinga, Chua said.
"Overseas Filipinos
really love their country but we are disappointed
with our leaders because of pervasive
graft and corruption. We want to see the
transformation of our country as a nation
and people," he said.
Several US-based organizations
of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans have
been gravitating toward Pampanga after
the May 14, 2007 elections.
That was due in part to
the Pampangan Crusaders USA (Pamagcusa),
which has been helping civil society groups
in Pampanga establish networks abroad
and lend help to what San Fernando Archbishop
Paciano Aniceto called the "birthing
of a new Pampanga."
By that, Aniceto meant
"uplifting the lives of poor Kapampangan."
"Our thrust is advancing
good citizenship through volunteerism,"
Pamagcusa's Josie Castro said. "Our
hearts belong to Pampanga and we want
to contribute our bit in helping our people
progress."
At Pamagcusa's invitation,
Dr. Charlie Capati of Gawad Kalinga-US,
Chiera Cruza of Ayala Foundation-US, Elsa
Bayani of Initiative 2010 and Dr. Primo
Andres of the Filipino-American Leadership
Council arrived here to establish ties
with civil society leaders, Panlilio and
City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez.
"To be able to say
you're proud of being Filipino, you have
to help back home and help bring about
good changes in the lives of your fellow
Filipinos," said Capati.
Cruza said Panlilio and
the Kapampangan's show of unity in the
last elections have "inspired us."
"You have become
the symbol of hope to many," she
said. Her group offers a "way of
giving back to the country."
Bayani, a retired nurse,
has promised to help in pushing issues
involving children in conflict with the
law.
"We are excited to
help in Pampanga. We don't want child
below 15 years old to be in jail,"
she said.
Andres, whose group was
the prime mover in the protests against
a racial slur aired in the sitcom "Desperate
Housewives," looked at the Pampanga
experience as a "shining example"
in the Philippines.
Panlilio said good governance,
as a program and goal, was not entirely
new since several local officials have
been trying to prove it could be done
in the last 20 years.
"What
is important is the participation of the
people. They have to partake and contribute
to peace and progress-building,"
he said.
