Reader-friends of this blog were somewhat concerned with the maudlin tone of the preceding entry. I want to assure one and all that everything is fine. San Juan de la Cruz described the three stages of great human endeavor: great faith, great doubt and finally great effort.

This is what I mean when all I claim is that I am a physician with above-average intelligence who is applying to the Filipino people for a chance to contribute to national development. I surely do not want to misrepresent myself.

A photographer for CNN was assigned to cover southern California's wildfires last year. He wanted pictures of the heroic work the firefighters were doing as they battled the blazes.

When the photographer arrived on the scene, he realized that the smoke was so thick it would seriously impede, or even make impossible, his getting good photographs from the ground level. He requested permission from his boss to rent a plane and take photos from the air.

His request was approved and he used his cell phone to call the local county airport to charter a flight. He was told a single engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.

Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger. He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut, and shouted, "Let's go!"

The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind and roared down the runway. Once in the air, the photographer instructed the pilot, "Fly over the valley and make two or three low passes so I can take some pictures of the fires on the hillsides."

"Why?" asked the pilot.

"Because I'm a photographer for CNN," he responded. "And I need to get some close-up shots."

The pilot was strangely silent for a moment, finally he stammered, "So, you're telling me you're not the flight instructor?

Woke up at 3 am today, totally convinced that I was just going to play golf daily and spend as much time as I could with my growing daughters. At that hour, it was crystal clear to me that the time, money, security concerns, loss of privacy was simply not worth it considering the votes would not be properly counted anyway. At the break of dawn, my apprehensions became somewhat manageable. Makes me admire all these professional pols even more. They seem to flourish in this evil environment. What is humbling about all this is that everybody seems to be praying for guidance and everybody appears to be sincere in wanting to help the poor and the weak.

There must be some study out there that tracks the descent of good intentions. Where in the parabola is the break point? When do heroes capable of great sacrifice become the problem? I will report to you as a neophyte that the decision is not an easy one. Much as I'd like to stipulate that my involvement will consist of a limited period of time, I really do not know. It would be a mark of hubris to be making such declarations.

The latest vote by both houses of congress to increase the minimum wage is a fine example of political expediency. It was easier to just get over the issue and look good in front of the voting masses and focus on the coming elections. What is lost is the potential drop in productivity that will result in a give-away that is not supported by the economy.

We are so far behind because the investment climate in the Philippines is not friendly. I am not suggesting that we all work for next to nothing, only that we try to emulate the millions of Filipinos working overseas in difficult conditions. In order to compete, we need to sacrifice and high labor costs will certainly not help lure more investors to our shores.

What we need to do is lower energy prices: gasoline, diesel, electricity which will directly lower the price of food and transportation. We need to lower healthcare costs by raising taxes on tobacco. We need to plant more fruit-bearing plants and vegetables by giving outright subsidies towards communities who organize themselves into planting cooperatives.

By reducing cost of living, we will allow citizens to extend buying power. Lower labor costs will also invite more opportunities for increased production.

Idealism, intelligence, integrity, fire in the belly, good looks will get you lot of political mileage if the political highway is smooth and cemented. If instead of a highway you have a muddy farm access road pockmarked with deep holes, you will require an entirely different type of vehicle that will be appropriate for such conditions.

Without money there is no media exposure. Without money, access to politicians who control votes is severely curtailed. Without money, there will be no poll watchers to guard your votes. These are the passive drawbacks that will seriously slow down a campaign without big money.

On the other hand, money will buy election officials, powerful political bosses, unscrupulous members of mass media, fear-inducing characters, "poll watchers" (a euphemism for vote-buying). These are just a few of the active advantages that big money can buy.

The eerie phenomenon is everyone seems to know about these realities. These have become accepted realities of life in the Philippines. Whose responsibility is it to institute reform? Can we expect the powerful and comfortable few to change their ways? Have we become so complacent and happy in our own small ways that we just as well accept the lot that has been given to us? This last question is not simply a rhetorical one. Am I being arrogant in thinking that I can change a world that does not mind its current state?

While we have a provision in our constitution that prohibits political dynasties, there is a strong chance that fully a quarter of our 24-member senate may be composed of father-son, brother-sister, brother-brother tandems. Mind you, there are many other permutations possible.

There's nothing being done about this. Just another of those things that we, the disengaged, out-of-the-loop majority have been patiently tolerating from the beginning of our history. But also another reason why a total unknown like me with no money, no connections, no stake in the corrupt, fraud-ridden election apparatus is spoiling for an opportunity to fight.