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1. MORAL RECOVERY PROGRAM – It is about time that our political and religious leaders work hand in hand to bring about moral order in Philippine society. Freedom of worship and religion must be guaranteed. The family must be strengthened as the basic unit of society. Promote the values of integrity, excellence and service starting from the home, school, church and communities. There must be zero tolerance against violence, corruption and exploitation. Bring back the BAYANIHAN SPIRIT in order to instill civic consciousness and sense of patriotism among citizenry.

2. QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL – National Development is always anchored on the education of the citizenry. The government must invest in the development of the human capital. After all, the greatest resource of the nation are the people themselves. We need to provide the people with the right knowledge, skills and values to make them productive. Some concrete programs are: increase the per capita cost for education; increase the number of years of basic education to 12 years; promote the trilingual policy in schools, government and business; strengthen the Professional Education according to world standards; make reading as the national past time; extensive pre-service and in-training for teachers; etc.

3. SOUND FISCAL MANAGEMENT – Work on a Balanced National Budget. Review or audit the National Debts and to refuse to service onerous or fraudulent loans. Simplify the taxation system to make collection efficient. Strict compliance of the capital market. Impose strict regulations among financial, banking and pre-need companies. Maximize the use of government resources for sustainable development. Minimize wastage of limited government resources.

4. PEACE AND ORDER – Order is the first requisite of democracy. Respect the rule of the law. In order for the country to move forward, there must be peace in the land. Strike peace and agreements with the revolutionary groups and at the same time pursue cases against criminals and terrorists. Overhaul the entire justice system to make it free from corruption and inefficiencies. Adhere to the protection of basic human rights. Implement an Integrated National ID System. Promote international understanding with the other countries and states. Aim for a zero crime rate in every barangay through citizen’s involvement. Professionalize the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

5. FRIENDLY BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT – Improve frontline services of the government by minimizing red tape and eradicating corruption. Grant incentives to SME’s and local entrepreneurs. Provide a good working relation between labor and management to ensure greater productivity and harmony.

6. ADEQUATE SOCIAL SERVICES – Provide access to primary health care from the Barangay to Provincial levels. Strengthen the Philhealth Program. Expand the program of PAG-IBIG to make housing affordable. Subject the GSIS and SSS to an independent and transparent actuarial valuation to ensure their viability. Develop vocation and technical programs for the Out-of-School youth. More budget for the DSWD to serve the needs of street children, elderly, indigent members of society, etc.

7. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT – Give incentives to scientists and researchers in terms of study grants, scholarships and employment opportunities. Strengthen the math and science curriculum. Establish science and technology centers in every region. Linkages with international agencies, universities and companies in relation to research development.

8. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT – The government must invest in utilities such as power generation, water supply, proper garbage disposal, sewerage system, mass transport system, traffic management, irrigation system, farm to market roads, bridges, post-service facilities and clearing of waterways from garbage and informal dwellers.

9. ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION – Full implementation of RA 9003 and the Clean Air Act. There must be a massive tree planting program initiated by government and private sectors. Declare a moratorium on the issuance of logging permits. Criminalize the cutting of trees in national parks, watershed areas, etc. Review the Mining Act and revoke all mining permits that do not comply with the international safety standards.

10. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT – Make the Philippines as one of the top tourist destinations of the world considering the beautiful SMILES, bright SUNNY days, fine SAND, blue SEA, clean SOURROUNDINGS, and the SAFETY/SECURITY of the visitors. Restore and protect all historical heritage places and national treasures. Criminalize Sex Tours and other decadent activities. Promote the “DON’T BE A STRANGER TO YOUR OWN COUNTRY PROJECT.” Develop tge “THIS IS MY HOMETOWN” concept of Eco Tourism. Identify a “scenic highways” from Sarangani to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte to be sponsored by the DPWH and the Local Government Units with the Private Sectors.

11. CULTURE AND ARTS – Promote the rich Philippine Culture and Arts including its history, folklore, music, literature, dances, etc.

12. RE-STRUCTURING THE POLITICAL SYSTEM – In order for the Philippine Politics to mature, it must transform itself from patronage politics to program oriented governance. It is high time to organize a political party from the grassroots with a vision and specific program of government. Young leaders must be recruited, given the orientation and training towards a kind of leadership that is based on stewardship and service.
Among the most urgent things that need to be done are the appointment of persons of integrity in the COMELEC, cleansing of the Voters’ List and the Computerization of the Electoral Process.

Once a new President and Vice President are elected, there is a need to call for a Constitutional Convention to review or revise the Constitution to make it attuned to the modern times especially on the issues of the form of government and the economic provisions.

In the revision of the Constitution, it should tilt towards transparency and accountability in governance; empowerment of the local government units by ensuring a bigger share in the retention of the revenue allocation; streamlining of the bureaucracy; upgrading of the compensation package of the government officials; abolition of the “pork barrel” fund; channeling of “intelligence fund” to more meaningful activities such as sports, livelihood, environmental protection, skills training, etc.

The new government should focus on the ethics of hard work and wholesome entertainment rather than the culture of instant gratification such as gambling, drugs, alcoholism, illicit sex and other promiscuous activities.

By Bro. Manuel V. de Leon, FMS; the Provincial Superior of the Marist Brothers in East Asia. He is also the Founding President of Sagip Ka 2000 Foundation, Inc. promoting PINOY, MARANGAL KA by GOING BACK TO THE BASIC. He is a TOYM ’91 Awardee for Education.

Congratulations for having been part of SAGIP KA 2000 Foundation, Inc. through these years. July 7, 2010 is our 10th Anniversary and are proud to inform you of what we have achieved as of December 31, 2009.

• Lifetime Membership: 3,636 volunteer-members
• Annual Membership: 8,302 volunteer-members
• Student Affiliation: 58, 562 students
• Members with Dugtong Buhay: 4,187 volunteer-members
• Members with Comprehensive Health Assistance Program (CHAP): 365 volunteer-members
• Number of Beneficiaries:
  • a. Hospitalization Assistance:
  • b. Burial Assistance
• Other Projects: Adopt-a-Barangay Cleanliness Program, Tree Planting, Savings Mobilization, Scholaships, Livelihood Programs, Home for Street Children, etc.

We just want to keep in touch with you hoping that you continue to share in the vision of the Foundation.

Sagip Ka 2000 Foundation, Inc. is here to fulfill its mission of giving hope to everyone. For as long as we keep our ideals and faith in God, we will succeed in spite the many challenges that face our way.

Keep the fire burning in your hearts. Be proud to be a SAGIP KA 2000 Volunteer.

Sincerely,

BRO. MANUEL V. DE LEON, FMS

Founding President

One member simply pays the right taxes on time and monitors how they’re spent in her community.
A second one patrols the streets of Obando as a volunteer village watcher.

A third, a firefighter, did his share in a more dramatic fashion. He helped save children trapped in a burning   Quezon City building and lost his life   in the process.

These acts of heroism, big or small, were their way of returning favor for the benefits they reaped from their membership in Sagip Ka 2000 Foundation.

With a token contribution of at least P200 yearly, members get substantial hospitalization and burial benefits.
It’s one concrete way of uplifting the Filipino spirit, especially that of the poor, say Bro. Manuel V. de Leon,  FMS head of the Marist Brothers of the Philippines and the group’s founding president. “It means a lot when people don’t have to worry so much about money when he gets sick or when a relatives  die,” he told the Inquirer. “It brings back their dignity.”

The foundation has around 17,000 members scattered around the country, farmers, tribesmen and fisher folk.
There are also soldiers, policemen, teachers, office workers, students,small businessmen and priests.

The requirement is not at all Herculeen, according to Bro. Manny.  One simply has to live by the group’s core principles centered on bringing back dignity among Filipinos.

They’re spelled out in a 15-point advice encouraging members to go back to basic principles, such as honest labor, respect for the human person, orderliness, beauty, truth and fairness.

In more concrete terms, Bro. Manny says, they’re urged to assist a neighbor in need, clean their backyard,vote for deserving politicians, reject any form of violence, and develop personal relationship with God.

In essence, Sagip Ka promotes values expected of any well-meaning individual, he explains.

Bro. Manny got the idea during a renewal trip to the Vatican in 1999. Walking down a street leading to St. Peter’s Square, he chanced upon a nice shirt bearing a print of a Michelangelo painting. When he decided against   buying it, the Italian vendor shouted at him: “Filipinos, no good!”

How it began

“It hit me hard”, he recalls, “I kept asking myself if Filipinos were really ‘no good’ in the eyes of foreigners.”
The following year, he organized Sagip Ka whose theoretical backbone was his dissertation at the University of the Philippines in 1998 on the “influence of family, school, and society on student values.”

Members can avail of two benefit packages shouldered largely by the insurance premiums collected from individual contributions, Bro Manny says.

Medical, death assistance

For the first package, which is for members aged between 5 and 75 years old, a yearly contribution of P200 is equivalent to an ambulance service worth P1,000 and medical reimbursement worth P3,000.

If member dies of natural cause,    the beneficiary gets a maximum P10,000 burial assistance. Death due   to an accident means P15,000.

The second package, available to those within 5-to-65 age bracket, raises the amounts of benefits with only an additional P800 annual contribution.

Contagious Values

A member needing a heart by pass  or kidney transplant, for instance, can receive P50,000 inclusive of a P1,200 daily hospitalization assistance. Death benefit assistance is raised up to a maximum of P25,000.

At least 3,500 members have received assistance, mostly in the form of hospital benefits, from the second package, Bro. Manny says.

The values the group has been  trying to promote have been  contagious, he says.
In Marikina, there are around 200 volunteers devoted to clean the streets with a very minimal salary from the local government. Their main objective is cleanliness and orderliness.

Teaching in the mountains

In Antipolo, a government  employee spends her weekends teaching Dumagat children in the mountains of Sierra Madre.

One pilot came up with a new way of producing organic fertilizer and is now teaching it among farmers in his community.

In Bro. Manny’s case, he has built two machines: a mechanical shredder for organic waste and a compactor for residuals garbage in an effort to    reduce the volume of solid waste at Marist School in Marikina City where he was a President for 15 years.

Elsewhere, someone is probably walking an old lady across a busy  street. Or a vendor is chasing after a buyer who has forgotten his change.

Multiply these simple acts of heroism, says Bro. Manny, and the Filipino will get back his dignity.