I have been going around the country for close to 4 months now. In many ways, this time has been a continuation of my 17 year exile in the US. Preparation. Preparation. The time is drawing closer towards the implementation phase of my plans. Right now, the country is waiting for the Supreme Court to render a decision on whether or not to change the constitution. Whatever the outcome will certainly influence any future plans.

I remain committed to casting my lot in what appears to be an arid, dynasty-dominated political landscape. After much soul-searching, my biggest conclusion remains: We need to take our country back. We need to start speaking for ourselves lest we allow other old voices to continue speaking for us largely out of our own apathy and persistent willingness to default on our social responsibilities.

We need to wrest ourselves from this pervasive mentality of "election-cycle politics". Notice how many long-term projects are accomplished in our nation. There are no pyramids, giant dams, inter-island bridges and highways, intensive teacher-training courses because most politicians go after projects that are completed before each election cycle. Hardly anyone is interested in long-term investments and plans that will produce dividends long after political lives are spent. As a result we have become transformed into a nation that is strong on fluff.

We insist upon a subsistence-based economy. We are not worried that we are not a sufficiently-productive nation. We are so way behind.

It has never been because of a lack of ideas. It has never been because we lacked committed and dedicated people. It has never been due to indolence. I know, from seeing some of the millions of Filipinos forced to go abroad that whenever we are transplanted elsewhere we become more industrious and independent, more creative and concerned, more law-abiding and disciplined. I know that we have an abundance of creative energy and raw talent that is untapped because we have no effective leaders who will unite and inspire this demoralized and blighted land.

I would never have gone back if I felt that the Philippines was a hopeless case. It is obviously sick. But the people need to know that the Doctor is in the house.

The first profile will not be about Churchill or Gandhi or Roosevelt. It will be about the manager of the cable franchise in Guymon, OK. Someone who didn't go to college, claims never to have finished reading a book and devours the Enquirer and World News for current events.

But if I were to identify the people I admire most, this person whom we fondly refer to as "Doctor Paul" would be on top of the list. Not because he is truly a doctor of good times but because he completely embodies the Greek concept of Kenosis, self-emptying. You cannot find a more selfless person, someone prepared to help at all times, someone who is willing and without reservation to part with his coat on one of those frigid panhandle mornings.

This is a person with pure joie de vivre. He does not have a doctorate on good times for nothing. Yet you can be assured of his very best effort whenever he works.

This person is not at all the spiritual type but he must do a lot of reflection whenever he is on top of those cable towers or whenever he tends his garden because the equanimity that he possesses can only come with a firm and grounded understanding that you will only discover meaning and find happiness when you dedicate your life to serving other people and doing good to everyone.

Truly salt of the earth.

Today is the last day that I will be 43. I haven't really celebrated any birthdays for the past 20 years because I was always busy studying, training, working or taking care of young children. Now that I am in the Philippines, I find myself able to pause and reflect about the Middle Ages. All in all, a great time to live.

Tomorrow is the 34th year anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines. Congress was dissolved, press freedom was curtailed, guns were confiscated, curfew was instituted and political opponents were arrested. There was real fear palpable in the nation at that time. Marcos exercised absolute power.

Too bad such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do good was squandered. Remember Lord Acton's warning regarding absolute power? Or did an adventure rooted in greed and avarice really have a chance to justify its means?

I was not yet 10 years old when martial law was declared. I remember hitting the jackpot at a slot machine a few hours before gambling became illegal. For my generation, that fateful day 34 years ago changed everything. Suddenly, the study of law seemed irrelevant unless one was fully prepared to co-opt with the dictatorship. I still muse every so often what I could have done differently then. It was at that period that I resolved to become a physician and prepare myself to fight another day.

"Time is long," and we continue to find ourselves in our personal daily struggles. So many people have been born since and many of the major characters of that time have died. We have had our little share of progress and yet it seems that most of our problems remain. We have nobody to blame. Seems like the enemy is truly us.

Many politicians have healthy egos. This does not necessarily have to be a bad deal. On the contrary, politicians need to be aware of their talents and gifts as well as their limitations. Only after you have a clear idea of who you are will you be able to work on and fight for something bigger than yourself. This is the reason why preparation is essential in the life of anyone aspiring to enter the political arena. Preparation in becoming acquainted with historical precedent and political lessons as well as becoming financially independent on your own in order to appreciate the daily struggle that most people have to endure. And to avoid being overawed by other politicians with more stature, great wealth as well as the ever-ephemeral trappings of power.

To illustrate this point, the Philippines has a debt service (principal and interest) of $800 billion. Every single day, the nation pays $34 million for this "service". Each Congressman receives a discretionary fund to the tune of $1.5 million, each Senator $4 million, a euphemism for pork barrel. These people are supposed to write laws. They should not have any business in contributing public funds to basketball uniforms, golf tournaments, wedding gifts, baptismal parties. Legislating needs to become a part-time job with minimal remuneration.

The temptation to remain in politics to exclusively nourish this ego is a bad deal. How can one cause become a great one if it isn't even larger than one life?