12 little things

If you notice the "Hindi Ako Papayag" video on my sidebar, most of the personalities there are politicians. Except for Cooky Chua (singer, Color It Red) and Alex Lacson, writer. You probably know Cooky but who is Alex Lacson?

Alex Lacson is a UP/Harvard bred lawyer. Alex’s claim to fame is a simple 108-page book called “12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country.” He believes that a great part of the solution to our country’s problems will come from our people – from us, the ordinary citizens of our country.

Here are the 12 commandments in his list.

1. Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.
2. Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.
3. Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.
4. When you talk to others, especially foreigners speak positively about us and our country.
5. Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.
6. Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
7. Support your church.
8. During elections, do your solemn duty.
9. Pay your employees well.
10. Pay your taxes.
11. Adopt a scholar or a poor child.
12. Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.

Simple and doable, isn't it?

He also has 10 tips for our Overseas Filipinos:

1. Spend your vacation, your dollars and other foreign currencies, in our Philippines. Visit other countries, too, but do spend time and your money n the Philippines.
2. Encourage and teach your relatives back home to be good citizens and good Filipinos.
3. All OFW’s, Balikbayans and Pinoy Expats should do more during elections in RP. Tell your relatives back home who you think is best for the country.
4. Buy Pilipino, wherever you are in the world.
5. Adopt a poor child as a scholar back home.
6. Support a charitable organization. There are many good charitable organizations that truly help build our Philippines to become a better place for all of us. (He recommends: Gawad Kalinga, Pondo ng Pinoy, Caritas Manila and World Vision, among others.)
7. Teach your children about the Philippines, and to love it and its people.
8. Speak positively about our Philippines and our people.
9. If you are remitting funds to your relatives in the Philippines, teach them to save 15% or 20% of the funds.
10. Invest in the Philippines.

For more information go to the 12 little things website.