To Do List for 2005

Happy New Year! Every year, I make up a list of things that need to be done for the year, an action plan rather than a list of resolutions. At the beginning of 2004, I wanted to push through with my migration plans and went about ticking off my list of requirements.

For 2005, I hope to complete the following:

1. Send an application to Country B which will serve as my other option should my application for Country A have a negative response

2. Renovate room, which involves
2.a. repainting of walls
2.b. buying ready-to-install shelves for closet
2.c. getting a new carpet
2.d. fixing lamp
2.e. rearranging furniture

3. Save up (again!) for insurance and pension plan payment

4. Continue exercising

5. Open new time deposit to serve as funds for possible out-of-town trip later in the year

As a responsible citizen, I also made up a list for GMA and the rest of the government officials (so this is unsolicited advice, sue me!) to help them with their action plan for 2005:

1. Help rebuild homes and lives of victims of flashfloods in Central Luzon
More than the old clothes and canned goods that are certainly needed by the victims, the government should find a way to help them get back on their feet by providing low-cost housing and opportunities to make a living.

2. Ban noontime shows
This will definitely help in re-educating the youth. I seriously doubt noontime shows have any educational value in them, what with the incessant off-key singing and irritating games shown. Some shows even teach the young to be rude or to follow trends [clothing fashion, more specifically] inappropriate for their age. Please, please get rid of these shows!

3. Minimize police reports on the evening news
Every night, while people are winding down their day, they turn on the tv only to find reports on gruesome deaths due to police abuse, drunk driving, petty crimes and the like. Personally, I can only take so much sensationalized news reports. Just give me what's important to know, i.e., crime patterns, and spare me the drama.

4. Create more jobs by encouraging the setup of businesses
The brain drain problem is becoming more serious. I think that the government should prioritize creating better, well-paying jobs to court the new grads and old professionals to stay here instead of migrating elsewhere [myself included]. For those in the medical profession, the additional years of community service should be implemented so that the country will still benefit from their expertise before they are recruited by first-world countries.

5. Prosecute government officials found to have gained ill-gotten wealth
From the exposès of 2004, the next step for government is to prosecute these people. Make them pay for their crimes and set an example for the rest.

I guess with the problems the country is facing, these five will at least make visible improvements that will hopefully restore the faith of Pinoys in government. Good luck to all of us then.