Category Archives: Politics

The Self-respect of Nations: The Philippines and China

by W. Scott Thompson and Oliver Geronilla   Somewhere in the first of Trollope’s 6-volume set Palliser Novels, “the Prime Minister,”  the Duke of Omnium, also the premier, tells his usually silly wife that—and we paraphrase—nations are like people:  they elicit (the) respect from outside … Continue reading

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Filed under Oliver Geronilla's Column, Politics, Scott Thompson's Column, Views and Concern

President Noynoy Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2011 (English translation)

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.; Vice President Jejomar Binay; former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Chief Justice Renato Corona and the honorable Justices of the Supreme Court; honorable members of the diplomatic corps; members of … Continue reading

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Presentation of the Executive Agenda 2010-2013

Note: The following is the Executive Agenda presented by Hon. Mayor Helen C. De Castro before the Sangguniang Bayan of Bulan during its Inaugural Session on July 5, 2010 at the Sangguniang Bayan Session Hall. (PIO Bulan) Inaugural Session Presentation of … Continue reading

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Inaugural Message delivered by Helen C. De Castro

PIO- Bulan July 2, 2010 at 6:54 am The following is the Inaugural Message delivered by Helen C. De Castro, Re-elected Mayor of Bulan, on the occasion of her Oath taking on June 30, 2010. We shall be posting pictures and … Continue reading

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Filed under Bulan Municipal, Mayor Helen De Castro - LGU Bulan, PIO- Bulan, Politics

Change or Keep The Change?

 by jun asuncion  Part I: Notes of a silent traveller. It seems that I was not alone who went home  to capture the election “fever” in the Philippines. I was in Bulan for actually just two full days (May 4-5) … Continue reading

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Sports and Politics

 By Oliver Geronilla I join BO in congratulating Mayor Helen De Castro for winning another term as Bulan’s chief executive. This “resounding mandate,” as Mr. Gilana astutely phrased it, will give her ample time to collaborate with Bulan’s crème de … Continue reading

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Mayor De Castro Wins By Landslide

by Tonyboy Gilana- PIO Bulan   Bulan Town has new Vice-mayor! It’s a resounding mandate by the People of Bulan to allow Mayor Helen De Castro another term, her third and last, as she easily defeated perennial candidate Attorney Redentor Guyala. … Continue reading

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Filed under Announcement, Bulan Municipal, Mayor Helen De Castro - LGU Bulan, News, PIO- Bulan, Politics

Yasmin Busran-LAO: Walking Her Talk By Running

By Elena Masilungan   Yasmin Buran-Lao, peace activist, women’s rights advocate, community organizer, is walking her talk by running — that is, running for senator in this year’s election as a candidate of the Liberal party. The 48-year old Lao … Continue reading

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COVENANT FOR PEACE, ORDER, FAIR, CLEAN AND HONEST LOCAL ELECTIONS IN THE PROVINCE OF SORSOGON

The campaign period for local election has started last 26 March 2010, In today’s local politics, the only way by which candidates will assure victory is to engage in wholesale vote-buying or any act of bribing voters, ”umpisa ng mamulat ako sa … Continue reading

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Filed under Announcement, Atty. Benji's Column, Legal Corner, Politics, Views and Concern

Still Tongue Makes a Wise Head

  By Oliver Geronilla   Politicians and their apologists have never failed to amaze me. From their empty rhetoric to their convoluted orchestration of truth down to their infuriating chutzpah, everything seems to bring me to a fleeting rapture of … Continue reading

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Yasmin Busran-Lao

  by jun asuncion     Yasmin Busran was a good classmate of mine  in college and we both majored in clinical psychology. That was  in the early 80′s in FEU.  There we founded the FEU Psychological Society together with … Continue reading

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Playing Politics

  By Oliver Geronilla   Ask the children around you what they know about Bulan politics. I’m dead certain that you’d get the same answer that my childhood friends and I used to give: it’s all about the bigwigs plus … Continue reading

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Ex-Governor Raul Lee Substitutes For Wife (Sally Lee) As Sorsogon Gubernatorial Candidate

  From PIO- LGU Bulan Mr. Tonyboy Gilana   Sorsogon City, December 15, 2009: In a sudden twist of events, incumbent Sorsogon Governor Sally A. Lee (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), gave up her bid to run for another term, when she filed yesterday … Continue reading

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POLITICAL UPDATES ON THE TOWN OF GUBAT, SORSOGON

From PIO- Bulan (Excerpts from Sorsogon Newsweek, JLG, November 29-December 5, 2009 issue) Three strong contenders are expected to slug it out in the forthcoming May 10, 2010 mayoralty race here. These personalities include businessman Ronnel Uy Lim (Nacionalista Party), incumbent Vice-Mayor Danilo … Continue reading

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Update: SORSOGON PROVINCIAL CANDIDATES FOR 2010 ELECTION

  From: Tonyboy Gilana, Bulan PIO Bulan, Sorsogon, December 11, 2009: We are here furnishing our internet readers, particularly Bulanenos and Sorsoguenos, of the complete list of provincial/congressional candidates who filed with the Provincial Comelec Office to run in the … Continue reading

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Does A Politician Or A Political Clan Need To Cheat Or Kill In Order To Serve The People?

by  jun asuncion   We are greatly thankful to the Press Information Office Of Bulan for providing Bulan Observer with the COMELEC”s (Commission On Election) List of Local Candidates For The 2010 Election. The Month Of May: A Long List May … Continue reading

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Wise Guys Vs. Wise Men

  By Oliver Geronilla   Times have indeed changed! Gone were the days when rumor-mongering, yellow journalism, and character assassination were confined to the walls of beauty salons, roadside eateries, and other similar places where rancor and candor filled the bucolic … Continue reading

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The Town Of Bulan Is Different

Or, Reprisal-Free Bulan Politics  by jun asuncion Linking Bulan Observer to Bulan-LGU Website is a sign of maturity-  for both. Maturity because it is all about constructive dialogue, maturity because it is about public service and transparency, maturity because it … Continue reading

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What Moved The Con-grAssmen To Dance The Cha(os)-Cha(os)

Two articles I found today which I consider must be shared throughout the country, namely those who signed the “death sentence”  to  the 1987 Constitution and Loren Legarda’s assailing  Gloria for JBC Directive. – Congressmen Who Signed Con Ass- and perhaps … Continue reading

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The Death Of A Political Dynasty

(Or, Rediscovering Apolinario Mabini) by jun asuncion   “…  Political dynasty  is also subject to natural death as history has shown us: it dies due to lack of next generation that will continue it or the shift in interest or lack of energy … Continue reading

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The Final Insult To The Filipino Mind

by jun asuncion This SONA 2009 sounds like a desperate appeal to the public of one of the most unpopular presidents of the Philippines- Gloria Arroyo- to change their perception of her for the better before she steps down the … Continue reading

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President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo SONA 2009

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo SONA 2009 Full Text Thank you, Speaker Nograles, Senate President Enrile, Senators, Representatives, Vice President de Castro, President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, Ambassadors, friends… The past twelve months have been a year for the history books. … Continue reading

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Part I: The Mayor Behind The Mayor

Or, Democracy Is About The People, Not About A Family Or Clan Nine Plus Nine Plus Nine Plus… A tongue twister, mental arithmetic or a case of obsession ? It could be a mixture of all these if we are referring … Continue reading

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LGU Bulan Joins the Earth Hour Movement

Submitted on 2009/03/26 at 8:37am  By: PIO-LGU Bulan Bulan, Sorsogon, March 26, 2009.    Bulan Town in the Province of Sorsogon, in the Philippines is joining the Earth Hour movement! Mayor Helen C. De Castro of the Local Government Unit … Continue reading

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Filed under Bulan Developments, Environment, Mayor Helen De Castro - LGU Bulan, Politics, Town Agenda

The Woman Warrior Of The Philippines

by: jun asuncion   It’s astonishing that Senator Loren Legarda and Jing Magsaysay still manage to write me personally in spite of their very tight schedules. These are small gestures that tell  a lot about the character and professionalism of … Continue reading

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Filed under Environment, Politics, Views and Concern