Manolo Quezon is #TheExplainer Newsletter -Proyekto Pilipino Omnibus

Catching up on our episodes of Proyekto Pilipino, our landmark effort to bring civics to a new generation.

“Napakaimportante ng SONA sa pangulo dahil kailangan niyang i-justify sa taumbayan ang pagkapangulo niya at kumbinsihin tayo sa kung anong gagawin niya sa susunod na taon.”

This Monday, we will be witnessing the first State Of The Nation Address (SONA) of the newly elected president. And like all the other presidents before him, the SONA will give us a glimpse of how the president plans to lead the country, which legislations will take priority, and how the upper and lower house of the Congress will work hand-in-hand with his executive power.

In this episode, Fr. Tito Caluag and his trio of distinguished thinkers — Manolo Quezon, Leloy Claudio, and Carlo Santiago — will talk about the importance of the SONA, how it is made and orchestrated, and what should we expect as we go into it. A word of reminder: while it’s entertaining to focus on the pomp and pageantry that usually goes with the event, it’s more important to understand that the SONA is a good accountability tool that we should hold the president against as he completes his term.

“Kung sisingilin mo ang pangulo, dito dapat ’yun. SONA is not just a speech; gumagawa ng reyalidad ang SONA dahil ’yan ang nagiging basehan ng mga bagay na bumabago sa ating bansa.

Paano nga ba sinusulat at napapasa ang mga batas?

The newly elected president has outlined a lot of priority bills and legislations for his term in office during his State of the Nation Address. Now, it’s up to the Senate and the House of Representatives to start working on the budget and the bills to make sure the presidents’ words translate into action.

The legislative process is complicated and can sometimes be confusing. So in this episode, Fr. Tito Caluag and his trio of distinguished thinkers — Manolo Quezon, Leloy Claudio, and Carlo Santiago — talk to Wimpy Fuentebella, former representative of the 4th district of Camarines Sur and the Department of Energy undersecretary, to demystify the law-making process that goes on inside the two chambers.

“A judge must have a listening heart.”

The Judicial branch is one of the most important branches of the government, as judges are perceived to be the guardians of liberty. They do not answer to the electorate and have the authority to interpret laws. But how well do we really understand the powers of the judicial branch? What are courts? Why are they necessary? And how do they do their work?

To answer these, Fr. Tito Caluag and his trio of distinguished thinkers — Manolo Quezon, Leloy Claudio, and Carlo Santiago — talk to Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Adolf Azcuna. During the conversation, we will try to understand why judges are chosen and not elected, how important are the decisions they make, and how their verdicts affect future cases.

“How do we provide opportunities for young people to better their lives and their families’? How can we build a society of equality, justice, and compassion?”

After 27 episodes, Fr. Tito Caluag and his trio of distinguished thinkers — Manolo Quezon, Leloy Claudio, and Carlo Santiago — look back at their favorite episodes and most memorable lessons and learnings: from the importance of being involved in the project of our society, and understanding how macro policies affect our daily lives, to having the humility to accept that we don’t know everything so we must keep learning. From these, we now try to reflect on what we must do moving forward for our country.