Trixia Eleine R.

Dela Cruz CITIGOV

I've learned a lot of things in CITIGOV. From political terms to the news and how everything we learn can be applied to daily life.

I learned that good governance implies the responsibility of every politician that should be used in order to maintain an effective institution and country. Good governance is very important and if it is not present in any political institution, the whole thing will break down and will be null and void. Dr. Dannug asked us if we think that there is such a thing as good governance in the Philippines. I don't think so seeing that they can't handle things properly. He challenges us to be a Lasallian Achiever for God and for Country and to always practice good governance even in a small-scale level.

I learned about Erap's case and how he shouldn't have been the mayor elect because he was imprisoned for plunder. I know that he shouldn't be allowed to run but this is only my opinion. To my surprise Dr. Dannug said that it is actually stated in the law. That's something you won't learn from anywhere, even the media. Now that's interesting.

I also learned about CSOs and their importance. Before the course, I didn't know that there are a lot of CSOs. I only know a few and I thought that they

were simply there to provide proper representation of minorities, serve as their voices, and do whatever they can to protect them. But little did I know that they are important actors in the society. They provide help when the government cannot. They promote the rights and welfare of each member. In fact they even serve the people more than the government does. I agree with Sir Dannugs answer to the key factors of a successful civil society organization. Its right that CSOs are a big help to a country and that they can do things that the government fails to do. CSOs are more conscious to actually do something wrong because they work with and for the people directly. But of course there are those times that we cannot really take note of all of their transactions. There are a lot of CSOs but there are still a lot of people who are not informed of these CSOs.

Dr. Dannug challenges us to become great Filipino citizens. He even stressed on the word "great" because he explains that we shouldn't just be "good" citizens. It is in this extra push that I realized that it is very difficult to actually become a great citizen and it is not something that should be dismissed. We all have the capacity inside of us. We just need to unlock that capacity and put it to good use. There are actually a lot of things that can help us become a great citizen and a lot of things wherein we can prove that we are great citizens. One of which is actually going out there fighting for the truth.

I learned about citizenship and social media at the same time. With todays technological advancements, people have maximized its full potential to

actually use it as a platform of expressing ones views and commenting on others. If they want to meet up with like-minded people to form a rally, they can easily do so because posts can instantly go viral with the help of shares and hash tags. The idea is pretty simple and everyone can do it in just a few buttons away. Not like the old times where you have to go on from one barangay to another just for the message to reach everyone. With the technology that we have, we generate more active citizens who are always updated about the happenings in the country and are always aware of their surroundings. The greatest thing about social media is that the citizens can comment or give insights on what they think and the government officials take these comments into consideration. In this, we see the true meaning of democracy.

I also learned about Robredos model of transparency. The late Secretary Jesse Robredo is truly a model in every way. He has been one of the humble leaders in the country, only wearing slippers and simple clothes. He was a man ahead of his time because he made a lot of innovative things that has helped the City of Naga. His legacy should live on in his projects. I am sure that he has big plans for the Philippines but sadly he did not live long enough to see them unfold. The problem is that some corrupt officials do not want to replicate Robredos model or even be half a man as Robredo is. The only time they care about any one or anything is during elections, when they want to be re-elected. Sad to say, I think that Robredos model, if ever implemented in the whole Philippines, will

also be taken advantage of and eventually taken for granted.

I also learned that the citizen engagement is weak but in a way there is a lot to improve on. I think that all concerned citizens are doing their part and doing their best to be heard. The major problem is that though there are many people who are educated and engaged, there are still many people, uneducated ones, who serve as puppets of powerful people. Powerful people who run for the government can easily persuade them to participate in illegal vote buying and can you blame these people for just wanting to feed their hunger and get their stomachs full? Its really a difficult situation especially since there are many Filipinos who are below the poverty line. These people remain voiceless for the reason that no one wants to hear their sentiments or what they believe in. Education is really the answer to our problems. But with more and more powerful officials taking advantage of the budget for education, nothing will happen to these people. And maybe the reason why these officials do so is because they want it to stay that way.

What I liked the most in CITIGOV is that we talk about current events and we analyze them. I remember we talked about the huge medical mission conducted by the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Rather than seeing it for what it is, a medical mission, Dr. Dannug explains that this is INCs way of showing their prowess. By getting millions and millions of people to participate, they have shown how powerful they are and how politicians can come to them when they are in need of

extra votes. There are still a lot of things that we discussed regarding current events. These simple discussions give meaning to why were studying CITIGOV and it gives a new insight to whats happening in the Philippines.

Before CITIGOV I only know the different institutions such as government, church, schools etc. In CITIGOV I learned that politics is a key player to the society. Together with business, CSOs and citizens, they could create a big impact to society. If everyone wishes for the betterment of everyone then people and institutions have this understanding of uplifting everyone's conditions. The main significance of politics is that its an initiator because of its power and influence.

I also learned about the meaning of power, its types, and its different sources. Before CITIGOV I only see power as an influence over people. This definition still holds true but in class Dr. Dannug explained that there is always an end goal to something specially when power is involved. You just don't exercise your power just for the heck of it. And the goal shouldn't be something petty nor should it be negative. This goal should lead to the development of the society. I learned in class the two types of power namely hard power and soft power. Hard power is the use of military and political power to influence the behavior of other people/ communities. This type of power is often aggressive and really strives to get what it wants. It describes the power of a nation to make, in whatever means possible, another nation to take a course of action. On the other hand soft power

would rather use cooperation than coercion. Soft power does not force but rather unites with other nations. These different types of power I have never heard before, only in the class of Dr. Dannug. I also learned the different sources of power. These are authority, social class, money, fame, and skills among others.

I also learned about the consumers power. That it is the consumers rights to be informed, to be provided of basic needs, their right to safety, to be represented, their right to live in a healthy environment, and their right to choose. We learn that the smart consumer is a smart producer.

We also learned about Sociological Imagination. I learned that it is connected to the social factors that contribute to people's personal experience of the world around them. I learned that those who only think about filling their stomachs are powerless and does not have the capacity to decide for themselves. It is a sad reality since most of the people in the Philippines are below the poverty line. In Sociological Imagination, it presents that it people to think that the problems they experience in everyday life are their own fault. And that social institutions are creating and maintaining the problems they experience.

The most important thing I learned in Dr. Dannugs class are the 5 As. These are: Alive, Awake, Aware, Active and Alert. I learned that if one exercises all of these, then he or she can become a great citizen of the Philippines. One

must be alive in order to help other people and become a beacon of hope to everyone. One must be awake to see the reality and see beyond the masks. One must be aware to know whats going on around him or her and take necessary actions. One must be active and give his or her full energy to serving the country. And last but not the least, one must be alert in order to take action as soon as possible. For things may go out of hand if one is too late. This is the most important thing I learned above all of the other important things because this is what I learned to apply in my daily life. Because of Dr. Dannugs class I have actually practiced this 5 As and I make sure that I live to it every single day. I also share these 5 As with everyone, hoping that they too follow so that we can all help each other toward the development of the society.

The grade that I want and the grade that I deserve: I firmly believe that I deserve a grade of 4.0 because I have evolved in this class and I have been greatly affected by it to the point that I live by some of the things I learned.