Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Leila de Lima analyses the country?s human rights situation. She discusses this as a reminder that the platforms of candidates for national elections must center on what does not change: freedom. Freedom is about the protection of human rights. While there is no country that protects all human rights, there are some that are closer than others. Unfortunately, the Philippines is not one of those nations. She therefore proposes two areas where a solution from the next administration is needed.

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The second part of our program on the appointment of the next chief justice has Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, Manuel Quezon III, discuss the political aspects behind this issue. He first talks about the legal ping pong that happened between President Garcia and President Macapagal over Garcia?s last minute appointments. He also explains the immediate ramifications that resulted because of this.

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Chief Justice Reynato Puno reaches mandatory retirement on 17 May 2010. Two conflicting concerns arise because of this: a vacancy in a critical position in the Supreme Court vs. the constitutional ban on midnight appointments. Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J., a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, explores these constitutional issues. On one hand, the constitution bans midnight appointments. Thus, the president cannot make any appointments after March 10. The only exception would be temporary appointments to the executive department in cases where this is absolutely necessary.

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Attorney Ferdinand Rafanan, director of the law department of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), discusses how COMELEC is preparing to conduct the country?s first nationwide fully automated elections. He explains the new voting process and the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines. Atty. Rafanan also talks about the different contingency measures in place should the automated systems malfunction.

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Bantay Balota lawyer, Ronald Solis, questions the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)'s capability of executing a nationwide automated election. He points out several administrative and technical issues that COMELEC should tackle. Attorney Solis focuses on eight critical areas: source code review, printing of ballots, education and training, testing and sealing of machines, transmission concerns, access to the server, manual audit and a continuity plan. He discuses each point extensively, examines possible scenarios and offers recommendations to address deficiencies.

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Critics of liberalism would like to blame the onset of the global financial crisis on it. However, Dr. Felipe Medalla, Foundation for Economic Freedom chairman, argues otherwise. He points to the weakening of the rule of law in the United States as one of the main factors for the crisis. He talks about how the corruption in its financial system and regulatory failures led to the meltdown.

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In the Philippines, the problems of property rights are complex. Dr. Arturo Corpuz, vice president for Urban and Regional Planning of Ayala Land, draws from personal experience and speaks about land acquisition problems. He discusses how property rights are meaningful only to the extent that you can utilize the land and extract value from it. Unfortunately difficulties with ownership, documentation and process, zoning and access hamper the realization of property's full potential.

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Dr. Emmanuel de Dios, dean of the University of the Philippines School of Economics, examines the development of the idea of property rights in western philosophy. He explains that the rationale for property rights can be summed up into two opposing thoughts: the natural rights view and the welfare or utilitarian view. The natural rights notion is that property rights are absolute. They are intrinsically linked to the individual?s aim for liberty, well-being and progress, and they cannot be tampered with.

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Drawing from John Nye's talk on elites and reform, Noel Maurer, associate professor of Harvard Business School, talks about a time in our history when dominant interests found it beneficial to allow reforms in the country.

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Professor John Nye of George Mason University discusses the importance of New Institutional Economics to developing countries. He talks about how reforms are best understood from the default position of poverty. In fact it is the prosperity of some nations that is a rare and recent event. The real issue is how countries can rise out of destitution, and why it is particularly difficult to do so.

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Joe Hansen, U.S. Democratic Party political consultant, shares anecdotes form the Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign. He attributes its success to its "standing the traditional campaign structure on its head." He talks about how it was run on the basis of respect, inclusion and empowerment. Hansen mentions how there were no preconditions; anybody who wanted to work in the campaign was welcomed. He also contrasted Obama's campaign style with that of Clinton's and McCain's and discussed their mistakes.

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Liberal Party Director General Jose Luis Martin Gascon questions the motives behind the administration?s push for constitutional change. As a 1987 constitutional commissioner, he agrees that perhaps it is time to revisit it as it is the longest serving charter without any amendments. However, he cautions that now is not an appropriate time as present initiatives look to be designed chiefly to benefit those currently in power.

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Siegfried Herzog analyzes Germany?s ingredients for competitiveness as well as its disadvantages. He weighs the benefits of its dual system of education, the relationship between its trade unions and employers, its financing system and its efficient bureaucracy against the weaknesses of its high labor costs and greatly regulated labor market.

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Excerpts from the speech of Senator Manual "MAR" Roxas II, Liberal Party president, at the September launch of the Philippine edition of the Economic Freedom of the World (EFW): 2008 Report. He explains that economic freedom is based on property rights. When these are protected by law, Filipinos are free to produce and trade goods. Unfortunately, the country's ungainly laws and inefficient judicial system restrain it from moving forward.

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Isabela Governor Grace Padaca talks about how her Ramon Magsaysay award reaffirms her efforts to empower people to use their democratic right to elect leaders of their own choosing. Four years after bringing down the ?Dy-nasty? in Isabela, she believes that this recognition symbolizes that change is possible. Gov. Padaca discuses her continued work for change through the Kaya Natin movement. They make the rounds of schools and meet with different polling groups and civil society organizations. Kaya Natin encourages people to make the necessary preparations for better elections now instead of waiting for the last minute.

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Former Senator Jovito Salonga recalls vividly the Liberal Party's proclamation rally in Plaza Miranda on 21 August 1971. He recounts how before he was about to speak, unknown assailants hurled two grenades on stage. He remembers being rushed to the hospital more "dead than alive," and how his doctors only gave him a 5 percent chance to live. The former senator speaks of the mystery of his return to life and of his painful road to recovery. Now at 88, he looks back on his years of service at the Presidential Commission on Good Governance and his three terms in the Senate.

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Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo explains that his Ramon Magsaysay award is his people's affirmation of their continuing quest for meaningful politics and governance. He describes the city?s history of active citizen participation and their tradition of seeking out new ideas through debates and discourse. Some of their ideas such as the peace zone, i-governance and tripartite partnership for social housing have been hailed among the world's best practices.

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Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, Ph.D., spoke on the evolution of ASEAN 41 years ago out of a shared vision for peace, stability, security and prosperity in the region. He describes how it gave rise to other architectures of cooperation such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Asia-Europe Meeting. These have led to greater collaboration with the international community.

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Senator Manuel "MAR" Roxas II talks about how freedom, the rule of law and democracy are essential to nation building. Without them, a society's development will be stunted and poverty will deepen. However as necessary as these are, it is not enough. A change of mindset is also needed.

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Siegfried Herzog discusses the objectives of a liberal education: acquisition of basic skills, development of a critical mindset and a passion to learn and the instruction of values and sensibilities. He then examines how open education, the growing worldwide movement to develop free educational content, fulfils these.

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1993 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics laureate Douglass C. North speaks on the formation of human societies. Restricted social orders continue to be the norm in most of the contemporary world. These limited access societies are ruled by elites through monopolies or rents. These coalitions are based on personal ties, hence he calls such societies ?natural? states. However, a number of countries have developed into open access societies where competition in economic and political markets, instead of rent-creation, sustains civil order.

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National Institute for Policy Studies President Mario Taguiwalo explains the economic and social background that gives birth to Philippine civil society. He expounds on its rise during the Marcos dictatorship and its continued flourishing in restored democracy. He speaks of civil society as the central channel of engaging politicians due to the lack of ideologically based political parties in the country.

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The final part of this installment has Fr. Robert Sirico touching upon the correlation between business ethics and corruption. He explains that personal corruption is one reality, but that it is institutional corruption which forces the lack of business ethics. This occurs when the political apparatus extends into the private sphere.

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In the fourth installment of this series, Fr. Robert Sirico asserts that reconciling Christian values and free market principles begins with giving importance to profit. Profit is the result of an activity planned well and the fruit of human labor. However, the solution to poverty is not redistribution. It is creating mechanisms for superfluous wealth production that let people share.

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Fr. Robert Sirico discusses how economics, liberty and morality center on the human person. A free environment creates opportunities that allow him to choose and harness resources. Criticism against economics arises because many choices are based on subjective values. However, it is a misconception to understand morality as relativistic. Virtue is something consistent across all humanity. Morality underlines the responsibility to create a flourishing society that is worthy of human dignity.

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The second instalment of this series features Fr. Robert Sirico's commentary on the film: The Call of the Entrepreneur as well as portions of the open forum that followed. Fr. Sirico discusses the value that business brings to a society. He explains that it is through entrepreneurship that the poor's hopes are met and their needs are addressed. He stresses that in order to have this, liberty is required. Without freedom, the human spirit and its creativity are discouraged.

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In this first episode of a five-part series, Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Siegfried Herzog introduce Fr. Robert Sirico and Kris A. Mauren, founders of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. Fr. Sirico and Kris explain the reasons behind establishing the institute and its mission of reconciling liberalism and morality. They also talk about their Asian visit and their impressions of the Philippines.

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The final part of the education podcast series takes a look at liberal solutions. Dr. Chito Salazar, head of the Philippine Investment Management Education Network, proposes reforms: deregulating the education industry, rationalizing state universities and colleges and pursuing quality oriented reforms.

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From the perspective of a globalized world, Juan Miguel "Mike" Luz, International Institute of Rural Reconstruction president, explores whether the Philippines is educating for competitiveness or is barely trying to educate for competence. He discusses five disconnects in Philippine education: the two-types of Philippine basic education, the low pay of teachers, the school age of children, the male drop-out rate and the isolation of Muslim Filipino children.

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In the second-part of this education podcast, former Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad outlines the crisis in Philippine education: poor competency and the meaninglessness of diplomas and professional licenses. He also talks about the DepEd's reform initiatives such as the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda.

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Alexandra Cuyegkeng, Siegfried Herzog and Jojo Antonio, International Academy for Leadership alumnus, reflect on the Friedrich Naumann Foundation?s first IAF replication seminar on education.

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Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Siegfried Herzog discuss the Foundation's, the Foundation for Economic Freedom's (FEF) and Center for Research and Communication (CRC)' s launch of the first Philippine edition of the Economic Freedom of the World 2007 report. This is an annual report that discusses the degree of economic freedom around the world based on a composite Index that includes: size of government, legal structure and security of property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade internationally and regulation of credit, labor and business in 141 nations.

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Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Siegfried Herzog take you with them to Panglao Island, Bohol where the Foundation conducted the offline part of its online seminar on globalization from 22-26 April 2007.

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In this episode, Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Siegfried Herzog discuss the Foundation's regional partner, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD)'s recent political party management workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Foundation sponsored the workshop which was designed to strengthen CALD's member parties - young, liberal Asian democracies.

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Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Siegfried Herzog take a closer look at two of the Foundation's regional partners: the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group) and the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia (YLDA).

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In this episode, Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Siegfried Herzog review the Foundation's projects in the latter part of the year: the second Liberal Leadership Training seminar, the book launch of Notes from the Academy, a compilation of International Academy for Leadership (IAF) reports, the Kapihan (coffee forum) on the Human Rights Situation, and the book launch of Beyond Borders.

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Alexandra Cuyegkeng welcomes her new co-host, new Resident Representative Siegfried Herzog. Together they pay tribute to Dr. Ronald Meinardus and talk about his contributions to the Foundation?s Philippine project. They discuss his last two programs in the Philippines and in the region: the first Liberal Leadership Training seminar on local government and the fourth Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats communication workshop.

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Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Ronald Meinardus talk about human rights advocacy as a vital cause to the liberal Foundation. They discuss the Foundation?s support for the Ateneo Human Rights Center's (AHRC) human rights field work program, and the AHRC and the Foundation?s joint launch of the book Remembering Still: Interns? Reflections on Alternative Lawyering in the Philippines. This book is a compilation of essays on lessons learned from law students? immersions in the fringe sectors of society. Remembering Still shows a glimpse of how the AHRC internship program has profoundly shaped the lives of law students.

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Lord Alderdice is the President of Liberal International, the global network of liberal political parties. He hails from Northern Ireland, where he was at the helm of the Alliance Party for many years. He also served as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and on the independent Monitoring Commission charged with looking after paramilitary activities and security normalization in Northern Ireland. As Lord Alderdice explains in his speech, terrorism in the various parts of the world has similar roots and causes. Therefore, also from a liberal vantage point, the answers to this global challenge should be similar. Once more, the program is hosted by Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Ronald Meinardus.

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In this episode, Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Ronald Meinardus present comments and excerpts of speeches presented at the CALD-ALDE-LI conference in the Philippines last 21-24 June 2006. What made this conference special was its partisan character: All of the more than 100 participating politicians from various parts of the world belong to liberal parties. They assembled in Manila to discuss common liberal approaches to important global issues their societies in Asia and Europe are confronted with.

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The final part in the three part series of special episodes focuses on professional blogging. The Liberal Times Manila podcast discusses how blogs have changed the media landscape. It features interviews with Mike Abundo on the social aspects of Philippine blogging and how to blog for the world community, and Abe Olandres on how to earn from your blog. It also includes a personal account from Angelo Racoma on how he moved from full-time employee to full-time blogger.

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The Liberal Times Manila podcast co-host Ronald Meinardus shares his views on podcasting (and blogging) in civic education. Manuel Viloria talks about podcasting trends in the Philippines. Finally Brian Ligsay shares his experiences on how to set up a podcast and also how to make money with it.

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The Liberal Times Manila podcast highlights speeches and interviews with Internet personalities of the 2nd Philippine Blogging Summit on 18 April 2006 at the UP College of Law, Quezon City in a series of three special episodes. Following the summit?s format of dividing topics into tracks, The Liberal Times Manila podcast will also divide the special episodes into three themes: political blogging and the politics of blogging, podcasts and problogging.

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A closer look at the international and regional activities of the liberal Foundation and a short preview of the 2nd Philippine Blogging Summit on April 18, 2006 of which The Liberal Times Manila Podcast is a co-sponsor

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A portrait of the International Academy for Leadership (IAF) in Gummersbach, Germany and participants from the Philippines. A review of a successful hands-on workshop on blogging and podcasting in the context of Philippine politics.

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In the second episode of The Liberal Times Manila Podcast, Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Ronald Meinardus review the various activities held on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Liberal Party of the Philippines.

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In the maiden issue of The Liberal Times Manila Podcast, Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Ronald Meinardus explain why the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's Philippine Office (create link to our homepage) has joined the growing community of podcasters. They share some thoughts on the possible relevance and the potential of podcasting in the Philippines.

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