Corruption is a hindrance to the people’s right to development. It diverts valuable public resources away from many front line services such as education, infrastructure, and health, delaying the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and as a result impacts adversely on the human rights of the poor and marginalized most profoundly. Corruption has both eroded and deprived people particularly of their economic, social and cultural rights as well as their right to development. Though certainly not a unique problem to the Philippines, corruption has persisted at high levels for years. This has to change.

As the world celebrates International Anti-­Corruption Day 2011 today, the Philippines has much to be hopeful about. Winning on a platform of anti-­?corruption and poverty reduction, the administration of President Benigno Aquino III has ushered in a fresh wind of optimism in the fight against corruption. His good governance efforts are being led by known good governance advocates in the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Interior and Local Governments, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Justice, and Department of Agriculture among others. His commitment to remove an obstructionist leader at the office of the Ombudsman has resulted in the appointment of a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court with a reputation of independence and integrity. President Aquino’s appointments to the Supreme Court have likewise been well received by judicial reform advocates.

From the starting gun of his “no wang-­wang” policy in his inaugural address, President Aquino has set the tone about public service. He has shown a determination and commitment to hold public officials accountable. In this area, we support his efforts to put closure to the unanswered controversies of the past by pursuing cases of corruption or criminality, at all levels of government, but most especially at the highest level. We expect that he will hold his own people to the same high standard of accountability with the same vigor and commitment.

The collective drive towards rights-­based good governance and anti-­corruption can be best supported by securing the people’s constitutionally guaranteed right to information, as contained in Article 3, Section 7 of the Philippine Constitution, through proper legislation – The Freedom of Information Act. Without clear, unequivocal and urgent support for the passage of the Freedom of Information Act, President Aquino undermines his own efforts at institutionalizing good governance. We look to the president to immediately declare the Freedom of Information bill as a priority legislative measure, and to call on his legislative allies to enact the bill within the 15th Congress. There are no credible excuses why this cannot be done. As a member of the Steering Committee of the US-­led Open Government Partnership, the Philippines now embarrassingly stands out as the only country in the committee that does not have Freedom of Information legislation in place.

More importantly, we call on all citizens to adopt a zero-­tolerance attitude towards corruption -­ in interacting with government and in the people we vote to represent us. Fighting corruption is not only the government’s responsibility. It is all of ours.

Today, on International Anti-­Corruption Day 2011, we reaffirm our commitment to the fight against corruption.

Civil Society Advisory Committee Members:

1. Action for Economic Reforms
2. Agri-­? Aqua Development Coalition (AADC)-­? Mindanao
3. Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL)
4. Association of Founfations (AF)
5. Association of Schools of Public Administration in the Philippines (ASPAP)
6. Consortium for the Advancement of People’s participation in Sustainable
Integrated Area Development (CAPP-­?SIAD)
7. CEDAW Watch
8. Center for Community Transformation
9. Civil Society Counterpart Council for Sustainable Development (CSCCSD)
10. Civil Society Network for Education Reforms (E-­?Net Phil)
11. Civil Society Resource Institute (CSRI)
12. Coalition for Bicol Development (CBD)
13. Caucus for Development NGO Networks (CODE-­?NGO)
14. Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society Organizations (CBCS)
15. Consuelo Zobel Alger Foundation
16. Cordillera Network of NGOs and Pos (CORDNet)
17. Cullion Foundation, Inc.
18. Eastern Visayas Network of Development NGOs (EVNET)
19. Framework Convention Tobacco Control Alliance, Philippines (FCAP)
20. Fair Trade Alliance
21. Family Planning Organization of the Philiippines (FPOP)
22. Federation of Free Workers (FFW)
23. Foundation for Sustainable Societies, Inc. (FSSI)
24. Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE)
25. Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)
26. Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute (GZO-­?PI)
27. Generation Peace Network (Gen Peace)
28. Green Convergence
29. Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)
30. Haribon
31. Health Action Information Network (HAIN)
32. Health Development Network (HDN)
33.International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in
Governance (INCITEGov)
34. Institute for Political and Electoral Reform (IPER)
35. Institute for Popular Democracy (IPD)
36. Koalisyon ng Katutubong Samahan ng Pilipinas (KASAPI)
37. League of Corporate Foundations (LCF)
38. Medical Action Group (MAG)
39. Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MinCODE)
40.Miriam-­? PEACE (Public Education and Awareness Campaign for the
Environment)
41. NAPC-­? Basic Sectors
42. National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCC)
43. National Council for Social Development (NCSD)
44. NGOs for Fisheries Reform (NFR)
45. Network Opposed to Genetically Modified Organisms (NO2GMOs)
46. Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA)
47. Pamabansang Koalisyon ng mga Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK)
48. Partnership for Clean Air (PCA)
49. Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA)
50.Pambansang Katipunan Ng Mga Manggagawang Impormal sa Pilipinas
(PATAMABA), Inc.
51. Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF)
52. Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
53. Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)
54. Philippine Children’s Ministries Network, Inc. (PCMN)
55. Philippine Legislators Committee for Population and Development (PLCPD)
56. Philippine Network for Rural Development Institutes (PhilNet-­?RDI), Inc.
57. Philippine NGO Council on Population. Health and Welfare (PNGOC)
58. Philippine NGO Support Program, Inc. (PHANSuP)
59. Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural
Areas (PHILDHRRA)
60. Philippie Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)
61. PILIPINA
62. Social Watch Philippines
63. Sulong CARIHI
64. Sustainability Watch
65. Task Force Participatory Local Governance (TF-­?PLG)
66. Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)
67. Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN)
68. Urban Poor Alliance
69. Visayan Forum Foundation
70. Western Visayas Network of Social Development of NGOs (WEVNet)
71. Women’s Action Network for Development (WAND)
72. Young Public Servants (YPS)

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is welcomed by US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Leaders’ Dinner at the Hale Koa Maile Garden in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America Sunday November 13, 2011. The dinner with theme “Taste of American Reception” is hosted by Microsoft Chairman Craig Mundie. The APEC CEO Summit is the Asia-Pacific’s premier business event, drawing thousands of economic and business leaders from around the region and beyond. The 2011 CEO Summit will provide unparalleled opportunities for business executives to engage in dialogue with global leaders and ministers of foreign affairs and trade, and discover business
opportunities through networking with CEOs from hundreds of top Asia-Pacific companies from around the region and the world. (Photo by: Jay Morales / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report – The State of World Population 2011 – notes that the record population size of 7 billion can be viewed in many ways as a success for humanity because it means people are living longer and more children are surviving worldwide. But not everyone has benefited from this achievement or the higher quality of life that this implies.

Great disparities exist among and within countries and in rights and opportunities between men and women, girls and boys, as evidenced by the fact that that 215 million women of child-bearing age in developing countries lack access to voluntary family planning, while millions of adolescent girls and boys there have little access to sex education and information on how to prevent pregnancies or protect themselves from HIV.

The Reproductive Health Bill

Family planning—whether using natural or artificial methods—can reduce maternal deaths by promoting safer timing of pregnancies or enabling mothers who do not want to get pregnant anymore to fulfill their wishes. A non-pregnant woman has zero risk of complications and maternal death. Skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric and neonatal care can reduce maternal deaths by providing proper, life-saving interventions to women who do want to get pregnant, or those who get pregnant unintentionally. Humane treatment and counseling for women with post-abortion complications will enable health practitioners to promote and provide natural or artificial family planning so that abortions—which cause a significant proportion of maternal deaths—are minimized if not eliminated. Sexuality education in schools will reduce or delay sexual experimentation among young people, thereby reducing unintended pregnancies and the risk of maternal complications and death.

Combining available National Statistics Office (NSO) data on fertility rates and the female population of reproductive age with the new National Statistical Coordination Board ( NSCB ) estimate, the number of maternal deaths in 2010 falls within the range of 2,370 to 4,067 or an average of 6.5 to 11.1 deaths per day (see statistics tables for details).

Whether the exact figure is at the lower, central or upper part of the estimate, the important point is to responsibly create policies that would eliminate preventable maternal deaths. Low to high income countries have shown this to be doable. Falsely accusing RH advocates of using outdated data, quibbling about the numbers or callously asking for death certificates as proof will only obstruct the crafting of workable solutions to maternal deaths.

What does the future hold for the globe’s newest citizens as we reach another milestone?

Of the world’s 7 billion, 1.8 billion are young people between the ages of 10 and 24, he noted. “Young people hold the key to the future, with the potential to transform the global political landscape and to propel economies through their creativity and capacities for innovation.

“But the opportunity to realize youth’s great potential must be seized now. We should be investing in the health and education of our youth. This would yield enormous returns in economic growth and development for generations to come.”

One of the report’s authors, Barbara Crossette, who carried out field reporting from the slums of India to the barren steppes of Ethiopia, discounted the birth of the world’s 7 billionth inhabitant as symbolic.

“The figure of 7 billion is really irrelevant to many people, and most of all to women in the developing world where seven pregnancies is a much more significant number… They [women] have really been let down in many ways by the world,” she told a news conference in New York, stressing that some governments are not supporting of family planning and other efforts.

Senator Sotto’s manner of belittling maternal deaths contributes nothing and is a grave insult to the millions of mothers who yearly face risks to give new life.

Ensure every child is wanted and every birth is safe.

The clock is ticking.
1 day to 7 billion.

The news of Col. Gadhafi’s death sparked widespread celebration in Tripoli. News readers on Libyan State Television repeated the earlier claim of his capture and announced the full liberation of the country.

Moammar Gadhafi’s last moments. Badly injured but still alive. Full raw video including the last frames cut by Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabyia

There was initial confusion on the veracity of the reports of his death. Some tweets found his death quite suspicious.

The photos and videos taken by a cellphone camera were quite disturbing. Someone said it was inhumane to show it on TV.

While others celebrated, a tweet said , “I’ll never celebrate someone’s death, U.S & Europe have done so so many deals with Gaddafi.” Another tweet cited that it was “Disturbing to hear GOP leaders like John McCain celebrate Gaddafi’s death, considering they have funded killing of Arabs & Muslims”. This tweet says it best “I won’t take delight in #Gadhafi’s death but I will in our Libyan brothers’ and sisters’ freedom. Congratulations.”

Then there is a matter of the spelling of his name. I noticed it myself. Wall Street Journal spelled it “Gadhafi” and BBC News as “Gaddafi”. The confusion remains ” I’ve used 3 styles to spell this dead Lybia dude, wats d correct spelling sef” as shown in one tweet. Twitter is trending because of the clamor for the correct spelling. “Khaddafi/Gaddafi? I don’t want to disrespect my Muslim brothers by using wrong spelling. Someone verify the correct way plz”. Another tweet asked to see the death certificate just to settle the spelling.

After 42 years of Gaddafi’s terrorist rule, what’s next for Libya? What does Gadhafi’s death mean for the future of the country?

I don’t think of I’ve done as “heroic” or “brave.” I told the truth, which is what we must finally do with immigration – Jose Antonio Vargas (@joseiswriting)

Jose Antonio Vargas, who wrote “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant”, launched Define American, an initiative to bring “new voices into the immigration conversation, shining a light on a growing 21st century Underground Railroad: American citizens who are forced to fill in where our broken immigration system fails.”

Define American is dedicated to changing the conversation about immigrants in America who are an inexorable part of our communities and our society. Founded by award-winning multimedia journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, Define American harnesses the power of storytelling and social media to bring about greater awareness of and support for immigration reform.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (Naffaa) said it commends Vargas and completely supports his personal advocacy to get the DREAM Act passed. Vargas’ story is both “compelling and inspiring and just the kind of catalyst needed in getting the DREAM Act passed.

“The case of Jose Antonio Vargas and thousands of fellow DREAMers like him is no longer a mere legal issue; it has become a compelling moral issue which needs to be addressed,” declares J.T. Mallonga, NaFFAA”s national vice chair and a New York immigration attorney. He heads the Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund (FALDEF), which is advising Vargas on his legal options.

Rory Connor in the Huffington Post says “Jose Antonio Vargas is incredibly brave to risk everything he has accomplished in this country in order to tell the truth and to shine, yet another but still much-needed, light on the pressing need for comprehensive immigration reform in this country. He, and millions like him, have much to contribute to America — and without people like them, our country will be far poorer.”

You can follow Jose Antonio Vargas in Twitter- @joseiswriting

The story is complicated but let me give you the short news as written by my other sister Lorna Lardizabal-Dietz :

Our sister, Myrna Lardizabal de Vera, was elected Mayor of Hercules, CA tonight, June 21, 2011. She was elected as a Council member last November 2010, then was elected as Vice-Mayor in January 2011. Prior to becoming a Council Member, Myrna was a Planning Commissioner of the City of Hercules for five years. Together with Vice-Mayor John Delgado (who is, by the way, one-quarter Filipino, and Myrna and John won in the same election without splitting the “Filipino vote”), they are the most experienced Council members to-date since the three newly sworn-in Council members came from the Recall Movement that successfully removed two council members (including the former mayor) from office… Myrna says: “Thank you, everyone, for your congratulations! There’s a lot of work to do!”

Now the complicated part. I went to San Francisco sometime October 2010, to help Myrna campaign for a council seat position. In Hercules, the mayor is appointed by council members through votes. Myrna told me if she wins a council seat and tops it, she will be appointed Mayor in 2012. Council members take turns being mayor every year.

The good news is my sister won a seat in the council but didn’t get the top spot. She was linked to the old administration which had issues with the citizenry. Winning the second spot would make her by tradition the mayor by 2014. I thought no big deal.

By a twist of fate, the appointed mayor resigned before he could be charged with impropriety, which then made the seat vacant for mayor. Another appointment for mayor was done on January 28. 2011. Myrna was then appointed the Vice-Mayor of the city of Hercules.

The citizens in Hercules were not happy with the old council members and demanded a recall or another election. So yesterday night, there were three new council members and voting for the new mayor of 2011.

They voted for my sister, Myrna as the new mayor, just barely a year after her election to the city council last November 2010.

Congratulations to Mayor Myrna Lardizabal de Vera! And as @gmanews reported in Twitter:

Myrrna Lardizabal de Vera named 1st ever Pinay mayor of Hercules, CA for 2011; she is the 5th Pinoy to be elected mayor in Hercules.

My sister , Lorna Lardizabal-Dietz curated the controversy of one Council Member’s seat. If you read the links, you will see the history of why the Recall Movement started in the first place.

I was probably 4 years old in the early sixties when I fell ill with whooping cough (Pertussis). It is one story that my father never failed to tell me because it was such a harrowing experience. It is rare that my father is involved with child care since mom took care of us. It is this one whooping cough incident that my father could never ever forget. He thought I would never survive after each coughing spell.

Consider the scenario: ” During a coughing spell, which can last for more than a minute, the child may turn red or purple. At the end of a spell, the child may make a characteristic whooping sound when breathing in or may vomit. ” My dad to get off work just to help around the house because our helpers left, perhaps it was just too much for them to handle.

Whooping cough is preventable now with vaccine.

Whooping cough epidemic in California started as far back as July 2010. The state has “confirmed 1,189 cases for January through April – nearly double the number from the same period last year, and 10 times the number from the first quarter of 2009.”

Today, I received an email from Cristina who helps out with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health (LADPH) seeking help in LADPH public awareness campaign that urges people to protect themselves and their loved ones from preventable disease through proper vaccination. In her email, she added that:

Los Angeles County is currently experiencing the worst epidemic of whooping cough in 60 years, with more than 870 cases last year alone. Effective of July 1, 2011, a new California school immunization law will require all 7th-12th graders in public and private schools to receive a pertussis booster (Tdap) shot, protecting them from whooping cough.

Though you are based in the Philippines, I am humbly requesting your powerful blogging support to reach the Filipino American and Asian American population in Los Angeles, California, and the United States.

If you have relatives in the Los Angeles area, please share this information to them. I have added the Fact sheet given by the LADPH. As a parent, I would not want you to go through the same harrowing experience as my dad.

FACT SHEET

FACT 1: Vaccines are the best protection available against many serious diseases.

The spread of serious diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, measles and polio has greatly decreased thanks to vaccines. Washing our hands with soap and water, covering our coughs and sneezes, and staying home when we’re sick all help to limit the spread of disease. But, these practices alone aren’t as effective as vaccination in stopping the spread of serious disease. In fact, they’re so successful that following the recommended vaccine schedule can prevent children from 14 diseases by the age of two.

FACT 2: Vaccines keep serious diseases from coming back.

The effectiveness of immunizations makes it easy to forget how many infants, children, and adults were once sick with diseases that we now prevent with just a few shots. However, polio, measles, hepatitis B, and other diseases still devastate many places around the world. International travel and commerce makes spreading diseases from country to country as easy as boarding an airplane. That means we need to continue vaccinating our loved ones to keep the numbers of new infections low. Further, Great Britain, Sweden, and Japan’s efforts to reduce vaccination levels proved only one thing—decreasing vaccinations only causes an increase in serious preventable diseases.

FACT 3: Vaccines are made with ingredients that improve their safety and effectiveness.

Every ingredient used in vaccines helps our bodies respond safely to the vaccine and produce disease-fighting antibodies. For example, aluminum, a naturally occurring metal, creates a better and longer immune response in the body. Thimerosal, a form of ethyl mercury, effectively prevents germs from growing in multi-dose vaccine vials. Further, all the ingredients used in childhood, adult, and travel vaccines are available for you learn more about.

FACT 4: Vaccines don’t cause autism.

Autism is a very serious disease that we still don’t know very much about. Many studies have looked at the link between autism and vaccines, specifically at what’s most frequently called into question—the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine or thimerosal, a preservative that keeps germs from growing in vials of multi-dose vaccines. Study after study do not show any link between vaccines and autism.

FACT 5: Vaccine protection heavily outweighs any vaccine risk.

The number of children who experience side effects is very small compared to the number of children who benefit from vaccines. However, all medical procedures, including vaccinations, have a risk of side effects. The risk of serious side effects is very small compared to the many benefits vaccination provides. Any common vaccine side effects such as soreness or redness at the injection site or body aches and a slight fever, are signs that the body is working hard to produce antibodies that will protect it from the disease.

Vaccines go through rigorous safety testing and monitoring. They’re also studied to assure they effectively work together to protect your health. Any common vaccine side effects are signs that the body is working hard to produce antibodies that will protect it from the disease. The diseases that you are protecting against can be far worse than any of the possible minor side effects of vaccination.

FACT 6: Vaccines schedules recommended by doctors protect people when they’re most at risk of disease.
The CDC recommended childhood, teen, and adult vaccine schedules are designed to provide the best protection at the times when people are at most risk for getting. These schedules also reflect the best combination of vaccines needed to provide the best protection.

FACT 7: Children under 5 years of age and older adults should get vaccinated.

Children under 5 and seniors are most likely to have serious health problems if they get infected with preventable diseases like whooping cough and flu. That’s because their immune systems aren’t ready or strong enough to effectively fight off infection.

“Stay Healthy. Vaccinate”

Call your doctor or clinic, or visit us online at www.vaccinateLA.com for more information. You can also find us on Facebook at Facebook/VaccinateLA.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched a multi-media public education campaign called “Stay Healthy. Vaccinate”, urging parents and caretakers to get their loved ones vaccinated against serious disease like whooping cough and the flu. More information can be accessed through a new website (www.vaccinateLA.com), Facebook and YouTube page.

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/VaccinateLA

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/VaccinateLA

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/vaccinatela

Photo from mercedsunstar

(Image courtesy of osago.tumblr.com)

On May 21, Tweeps were busy talking about the Rupture wondering it Judgment day would really happen.

Today is May 22 in all parts of the world.

Harold Camping, the 89-year-old Oakland preacher who has spent some $100 million — and countless hours on his radio and TV show — announcing May 21 as Judgment Day is bewildered. “He just said, ‘I’m a little bewildered that it didn’t happen, but it’s still May 21 [in the United States],’” his daughter Sue Espinoza said, standing in the doorway of her Alameda home. “It’s going to be May 21 from now until midnight.”

It would appear the end of the world is not so near. Saturday was the day on which Harold Camping, the 89-year-old founder of an independent ministry, predicted that Jesus Christ would return to earth to gather the faithful into heaven.

“Most people jokingly referred to the world ending on Facebook and Twitter but went on with their regular schedules. While some had end of the world parties, while others made end of the world confessions, radio DJs played R.E.M.’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” about a million times.”

“To the majority of us, today has been an event to snicker about and have fun with. So it looks like tomorrow will be back to business as usual. And luckily, no zombie sightings have been reported anywhere!”

Alfred North Whitehead says “The Day of Judgment is an important notion: but that Day is always with us”. I treat each day as if it weremy last day.

What did others think?

Despite strong anti-corruption legislation challenges remain with anti-corruption institutions in the Philippines

Via PCIJ.org

As a local partner of Global Integrity, an award-winning international nonprofit organization that tracks governance and corruption trends globally, the PCIJ is pleased to share with you the results of the 2010 Global Integrity survey of 36 countries, including the Philippines, that was launched worldwide today, 4 May 2011.

This latest study of Global Integrity showed that corruption risks have precisely increased in the run-up to the revolutions that are now buffeting a number of countries in the Middle East and Africa

The study noted that, “Egypt’s performance on key anti-corruption and transparency measures fell consistently from 2006 through the end of 2010, putting increased pressure on the country’s already fragile governance environment in the run-up to the January 2011 revolution.” Similar weaknesses were discovered “across a range of other countries in the Middle East and North Africa including Yemen, Morocco, and the West Bank.”

“The findings for a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa, both in our 2010 data and looking back several years, paint a disturbing picture,” said Global Integrity’s Managing Director, Nathaniel Heller.

“Countries in the region universally struggle on implementing even the most basic anti-corruption and transparency safeguards, such as ensuring access to government records, protecting an independent media, debating budgets in a transparent manner, and enforcing conflicts of interest safeguards to ensure that public officials do not benefit financially from their positions in government,” said Heller. “With rare exceptions, the Middle East and North Africa is a black hole when it comes to good governance. Perhaps Egypt should have surprised us only in that the revolution took so long to happen.”

The highlights of the report on the Philippines follow:

• “The overall score of the Philippines has improved, driven by a narrowing implementation gap. The Philippines earned high scores on freedom of speech and media. The country has very solid procurement regulations, which seem to be implemented effectively.”
• “While anti-corruption legislation is very strong, the anti-corruption agency does not have the ability to effectively deliver on its remit.”
• “Political financing is an area of weakness and the disclosure of political finance records is a particular concern.”
• “Even though the country’s supreme audit institution is adequately resourced, citizens cannot access its reports, which brings in to question its transparency and accountability function. The testimonies of recent whistle-blowers reveal that there is a culture of omerta within the supreme audit institution with whistle-blowers risking ostracism or physical harm.”
• “Political interference is rampant in the country’s insufficiently funded law enforcement agency.”

The Global Integrity Report: 2010 covers developed countries such as Canada and Italy as well as dozens of the world’s emerging markets and developing nations, from Albania to Cameroon to Tanzania. Rather than measure perceptions of corruption, the report assesses the accountability mechanisms and transparency measures in place (or not) to prevent corruption through more than 300 “Integrity Indicators” as well as journalistic reporting of corruption. Gaps in those safeguards suggest where corruption is more likely to occur.

To access full results, please visit http://www.globalintegrity.org/report.

2010Global Integrity Report

2010 Report Key Findings Global Integrity Survey of 36 Countries,

RIDGEFIELD, NEW JERSEY, USA, It’s September 11, 2001 at 8:30 in the morning, I am watching MTV but after a couple of minutes or more there’s a breaking news, I thought it’s a new movie and the title is “Breaking News”, who would think it’s really happening?. There’s smoke and the towering World Trade Center is collapsing like the sand without any solid columns and deform bars. I cannot believe it because my husband Andrew is just working three blocks away.

All landline phones, beeper and cell phones are dead to give way to emergency calls. All tunnels and bridges are closed such as the George Washington Bridge, Holland Tunnel and Brooklyn Bridge to prevent further damage for a possible attack. My parents called me from the Philippines to check if we are all alright, my husband then was working at Wall Street in New York City as a consultant and for us we chose to live in a place where everyone is equal, where we thought there’s a greener pasture, where we thought it’s peaceful than any other countries and where Americans thought they were untouchables from terrorist attacks.

The whole Manhattan on TV was covered by dark smoke. I got a call from my husband at around 5 in the afternoon, at last! He asked me to pick them up together with his Filipino officemates living also in New Jersey which is the neighboring state of New York City and just divided by the Hudson River. There was no safer transportation available but the ferries.

I brought my only child then. I put her on to the baby car seat then I started to drive going to Edgewater City, New Jersey where the ferries port is located. The only way I know to go there is going to Fort Lee City but there’s a lot of reroutes. Some people told me it’s because some alleged terrorist live in Fort Lee so Investigation is taking place.

The road is like forever. I don’t know any way leading to the port. There’s a red car in front of me and instinctively I just followed it. There are lots of police officers while I am in the driver’s seat and my one year old baby at the back was crying, I don’t know what to do but to focus on that red car I am following. With the help of so many forces I believe, the red car and I are both heading to the port. My husband Andrew and his officemates holding free bottled water from the free ferry ride can’t stop talking about what just happened.

For months, there was no work. The United States of America is in mourning. More than 3000 people are dead and the devastation and the way of life left behind will never be the same again. Everywhere even in the public laundry, people became aware. The patriotism is high with American flags showing in front of their houses. Pictures of Osama Bin Laden, the Al- Queda leader as the most wanted terrorist are pasted to some cars. I heard of harassment from the news to some Muslims communities in the states. Truly the untouchable is not untouchable anymore.

For months New York City is in pain. Employees don’t have work. Mayor Rudy Guilliani is doing his best to calm the city that once never sleeps. Hailed heroes , the firefighters were amazingly brave and sacrificed their lives to go up while telling everyone to go out from the building . Then we waved at the ambulance drivers and all who helped for the rescue and operations.

For months we were waiting for the go signal to start work again. A lot of lives had been lost, a lot of businesses had been closed surrounding the area and a lot of hope perished. Truly democracy has it toll.

With years understanding the Americans and the infrastructure, the terrorist did it easily, with their understanding that they did it for the higher ups. Nobody can do it without believing that what he will do is right and believing that they are the only ones who can decide what is right. I can’t believe that killing innocent people is right through their eyes. Till now the experience and the tragedy is something I will never forget.

Attached is the article published in Manila Bulletin by my husband’s friend and officemate in New York City.

Manila Bulletin, Sept 18, 2001
11-hour nightmare in New York

By ALEXANDER ALAIN R. PRINCIPE (Editor’s Note: The writer is a graduate of dela Salle College in Manila who works as a computer consultant at JP Morgan Chase in New York City. He was only three blocks away when the treacherous assault on the United States happened.)

LOWER MANHATTAN, NEW YORK – It was early Tuesday morning (September 11 US time) and I was already at the office a little after eight o’clock. It was sunny outside and was relatively a very nice day. I was at my desk and as usual was going through my routine of taking my breakfast of coffee and donut and reading through my emails.

One e-mail came from my manager asking me to expedite the report he was asking for since it had to be out early that day. Without much a do, I started working on the report needed by my boss. A little after 9:00 a.m., some of my colleagues were looking outside the window (we were on 16th floor of a 24-floor building of the JP Morgan, which is almost the last building on Wall Street). They noticed that burning papers were flying all around and there was a lot of smoke outside.

I heard someone say that a building must be on fire because a huge smoke can be seen from our vantage point but we really cannot tell which one it was. I went around our floor to get a better position to view the fire but all I saw was smoke.

While some of my colleagues decided to get out from our building to get a better view and probably first hand info on what is happening, I decided to return to my desk to finish my report.
It was also during this time I learned that an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center, which is approximately 3 blocks or 10 minutes walk from our building.

Immediately I logged into CNN.com to confirm the news and there it was, a picture of one of the towers of the World Trade Center with a huge hole in it. It was unbelievable I said to myself.
It was a major tragedy and an accident almost everybody thought (a bomber aircraft slammed through the empire state building decades ago so most of us assumed that it was an accident).
I called my wife to tell her about the accident and watch the TV for news. I assured her that I was fine. I never really place much thought about the incident after that and went back to finish my work.

A few minutes later, I heard a loud explosion and the building reverberated with an aftershock (much like a mild earthquake). Quickly, we learned that another airplane slammed into the other tower. Now this was more than a coincidence and definitely not an accident anymore. This is a terrorist attack!

Things changed from that time on. We were fixated to the news reports and at the same time awaiting information from the top management if we could go home already.
People were apprehensive and uneasy. Our floor was still heavily populated by a number of employees waiting for directives and yet no word from top management.

I stopped my work altogether. My report can wait for another day. Now there was an urgency to get out and go home. Thereafter, World Trade Center towers collapsed.. The whole area around Wall Street was covered with dust.
For a few minutes it looked like day turned into night because of the dust/ashes and smoke. I conferred with my Filipino colleagues Neil Ongoco (from Quezon City) and Andrew Nicolas (from Los Banos,Laguna.)
If we were let to go home, we’ll go altogether, we all decided. Neil was panting as he just came from the World Trade Center and saw the second plane crashed into the other tower. Neil then hurriedly went to the other building of the JP Morgan on the 45th floor. He witnessed the collapse of one of the towers and the sight made him sick to the stomach.

Everybody in the building was being directed now to go to the 4th floor which was being set up as a command center for the JPMorgan Chase entire personnel. Together with my Filipino friends and some other American colleagues, we made our way to the 4th floor. On our way down, we met two of our other Filipino friends Roy Magsino and Alvin Firme.
At the 4th floor, I found myself glued to the radio. My pager was receiving “BREAKING NEWS” one after the other giving me details on the extent of terrorism which was far reaching than anyone could imagine. A woman beside me, partially covered with dust debris, was sobbing. Others in the room was dumb founded on what was happening all around. For all of us, it seemed so surreal.

By this time around, all public and private transportation in Manhattan was put to a hold. All commercial air flights anywhere in the USA was stopped.
There was no way in and out of Manhattan using any kind of vehicle or transportation and the financial district was being evacuated. My four Filipino friends and me live in New Jersey and the only way out of Manhattan was through the George Washington Bridge (GWB), which is approximately eight to 10 miles away from our place .
With great uncertainty as to up to when the public transportation ban will be imposed and the threat of further attacks, we decided to trek to GWB to reach New Jersey. I called my wife, Eloisa and told her I was OK and that I was going home soon.

It was already 11:00 a.m. when the five of us started to leave the office. It was a horrible sight outside much like the one when Mt. Pinatubo erupted. Smoke and ashes made breathing difficult so we needed to cover ourselves with our hankies to be able to breath.
Along the way, Neil and Roy picked-up slightly burned documents as a remembrance. Neil was feeding us news from the radio he had with him. We were handed out masks by New York City’s emergency personnel who seemed to be everywhere.

We now have been walking for 2 hours and yet we were still far from the halfway mark. We were exhausted but each other’s company made it bearable. Resting along the way, a woman pitied us and gave us bottled water. It was really a touching gesture.
Neil then got information that the ferries are now accessible to the public. We were glad when we heard that because we can ride the ferries to cross the Hudson River to New Jersey. Now, we don’t need to trek to GWB.

We had another way out. We took our lunch at one of the opened McDonald’s stores and then passed by the Times Square where a big screen TV was showing the tragedy as it happened.
It was my first sight of the gruesome disaster that took place not far away from where I was this morning. People were in awe and most of them were furious. Some were almost into tears and we could hear people sobbing everywhere.

It was already 1:45 p.m. when we reached the waterway on the west side of Manhattan. There were a lot of people lined up already. Looked like a mass exodus but everything was in order. By 4:15 p.m., we were on the ferry carrying us across the river – to New Jersey.
One could clearly see the New York buildings from thereon where the two mighty towers once stood. All we can see now was a huge smoke rising up from where the towers stood before.
It was a total waste and I felt so sad about it. Upon reaching New Jersey we felt really glad and thankful because finally we made it out of New York safely and now on our way back home. During those time when the tragedy was happening, in some moment of silence, I never did forget to pray for the innocent people who died. I also prayed that God would continuously guide and bless me and take care of my family just in case anything happens to me.

At the ferry dock, we were met by Andrew’s wife with his daughter, who patiently waited for us for almost two hours. I saw a great relief on Andrew’s spouse face when he saw us.

It was already 7:30 p.m. when I came home. Upon entering the door of our rented apartment, my eldest son AJ, who is four (4) years old came running to me, hugged and kissed me. I paid respect to my mother-in-law who happens to be visiting us from the Philippines. I kissed my youngest son Louis and embraced my wife tightly and lovingly with slight tears in my eyes. I was extremely glad I was at home with my family on that “fateful” day.