I am an example of what brain gain is all about. Learn, earn, return. I chose to return on my own terms when I felt I was sufficiently prepared to contribute to my country. That I chose to return after training and working hard to establish a successful practice when I could have simply taken it easy and begin enjoying all the fruits of my labor should be proof enough of the seriousness of my intentions.

To those detractors who view my exile in the US as a selfish period in my life, consider those thousands of nights that I was on call, drawing blood from patients with full-blown AIDS, inserting gastroscopes on patients with bleeding ulcers, intubating unconscious patients, removing foreign bodies from stomachs and other orifices. Consider the many racial slights I received, the verbal abuse I had to tolerate. To those who have never left our country, I want you to understand that the billions in remittances we receive from the millions of Filipinos in other countries is blood money. Since sweat and tears are condensates of blood, remember always that while you sit and whine that there are those of us who simply could not accept the reality that we could not maximize our potential here in our country and we were prepared to pay that price with our own blood.

Next time you appreciate that what is paying off all those debt payments come from overseas workers, make sure you have at least a plan or an idea on how to let our country continue to exist when these remittances dry up because it is only a matter of time. We are foolishly not investing on education and health care and nutrition and we have already begun to witness the emergence of a less-competitive generation. One day soon, our services will no longer be necessary.

I will admit that my first reaction to those who tell me to go back to the US is a mean one. But that would only mean that I actually care about your opinion couched in anonymous cowardice.

Itong pagpupunyaging ito ay mahaba at mahirap. Inumpisahan ko na at hindi ako hihinto hanggang mabawi natin ang ating Bayan. Kung sa Estados Unidos hindi nila ako mapa-alis (at mayroong mga nagsabi sa akin nito), dito pa sa aking Bayan.

I must leave for the Prayer rally at the Quezon Circle. Hope to see many of you out there. We leave for Davao and Cebu tomorrow. I am now campaigning 20 hours each day!

Walter Isaacson wrote a book about Albert Einstein. He said this in an interview: “The whole theme of the last century, and of Einstein’s life, is about people who fled oppression in order to go places to think and express themselves. Einstein runs away from the rote learning and authoritarianism of Germany as a teenager in the 1890s and goes to Italy and Switzerland. And then he flees Hitler to come to America, where he resists both McCarthyism and Stalinism because he believes that the only way to have creativity and imagination is to nurture free thought — rebellious free thought.”

For a political party to remain relevant, we need to continuously think of new ideas. Take for example the untouchability of the debt problem. Most of our political-economic leaders immediately recoil at the mere suggestion of reform as if whatever we have been doing and following for the last 25 years has helped keep our country both productive and competitive. Free thinking must not be stifled just because of the near-unanimity of an “expert community” that is so fearful of the consequences of a pathway diverse from what has been tried and tested and known to fail.

This campaign has taught me that the successful candidates can expertly mouth the same platitudes better than everyone else. Everyone is for God, against poverty, corruption and violence. The voters are simply not nuanced enough to see who among these candidates practice whatsoever they proclaim as manifested by their personal lives and public performance. Voters need to look deeper into whatever ideas these politicians promote and determine if they are able to think critically whenever they are presented with problems.

Survey after survey has shown that the people want to return the same re-electionists and incumbent politicians. Does this mean that people are generally happy with the way things are? I really think we need peaceful revolutionary reform, or am I mistaken? Because unless the people expect metanoia to occur, the coming vote may be summarized in 3 words: Business as Usual.

For the very first time, this blog is making a political endorsement: Martin Donato Bautista for Senator.

1.Uncompromised: Martin D Bautista is not a product of the corrupt political process that forms perfectly compromised candidates who are beholden to a wide variety of wealthy and powerful special interest groups. He can walk away from all this political spectacle in his own time and in his own terms but will not do so on account of the many serious problems of his country that he is willing to help solve.

2.Duty: Martin D Bautista understands that public service is a sacred trust and responsibility, it is not a means of making a living. He promises to serve for only one term of office.

3.Open Mind: While Martin D Bautista has strong opinions and is passionate about defending them, he is willing to listen and discuss and to continuously study all the critical and relevant issues of the day. He does not view an evolving mind as a sign of weakness.

4.Vision and Road Map: Martin D Bautista has a clear vision for the future. He has a clear-cut idea regarding which direction the country should take and more important, he has a realistic course of action that will unite the country towards common goals.

5.Capable: Dr. Martin D Bautista has been preparing for this opportunity to help the country for a long time. 12 years at the Ateneo de Manila, 9 years at the University of the Philippines, 6 years at the State University of New York, 10 years of private medical practice in a rural community, constantly adhering to a rigorous regimen of continued self-learning.

6.Character: Martin D Bautista is familiar with adversity. He welcomes challenges and stays in the struggle knowing that each day spent committed to his principles and ideals makes him a stronger person. He understands the enormity of the challenge but has a deep abiding faith in God and the Filipino people.

7.Conscience: Martin D Bautista has courageously followed his conscience throughout his life even when it entailed personal sacrifice.

Participated in a sparsely-attended debate today. All 3 of us from Kapatiran together with 2 candidates from the opposition joined. The rest did not bother as these are precisely the events that can quickly expose weaknesses in a well-funded candidate’s carefully crafted image. Too bad for the first time voters assembled in the auditorium. They had expected a substantial exchange of ideas and opinions regarding important issues between parties with different philosophies but since we had the place largely to ourselves it actually worked well for the three of us because we were given the opportunity to talk about our various positions with little time pressure.

People, largely have not heard about us. Reality is you need to spend millions on tv, radio and print ads for your message to be made known to the millions of voters out there. This would not be a problem in the US but here in our country, where 40% live on less than a dollar a day, this kind of spending would be immoral. And traditional politicians justify this behavior by claiming that for them to serve as leaders, they need to get elected first. Where these funds originate is plain knowledge to everyone. A giant web of contributor-investors with their own agendas keep the ball rolling. No wonder why we haven’t had considerable change translate into progress all these years.

Quite a few members of the audience asked me about my plans after the elections. I assured them all that I was planning to remain politically active. I also told them I represented the beginning of a wave of Filipinos forced to flee abroad who had had enough. We are going to take our country back.

She was a 40 year old writer who felt “an emptiness” and journeyed all the way to an impoverished area in Bicol where she taught English and helped complete strangers for close to 2 years as a Peace Corps volunteer. She represented everything that is good about America. Her senseless killing put an end to it all. A tragic loss for our country.

I love America because for many years I lived among Americans who were capable of doing so much good and who tried their best each day to live their lives for others. I can think of legions of Americans who would fit this bill just as Julia (http://juliainthephilippines.blogspot.com ) must have seen all the good we Filipinos are capable of rendering.

I mourn for you, Julia. Eternal rest grant unto Julia, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in Peace.