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PORK YOU!

WHAT IS PORK? HOW TO SOLVE IT HOW IT CHANGES YOU!

THE SOCIAL SCIENCE MAG

THE SPECIAL PORK BARREL EDITION

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Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you have probably heard of the Pork Barrel System, and all the controversy brought on by it. You may also have heard that particular senators and members of the House of Representatives were abusing this system in secrecy for quite a long time already. This revelation has brought on a wave of outrage from the people and has reawakened the "people power mentality" in an

otherwise peaceful society. Millions of people have already gathered in protest to abolish this flawed system and to deliver the accused to justice. But before you decide what to do, you must first understand the system itself....

PORK BARREL: WHAT IS IT?

THE EFFECTS

POLITICS, PAGE 8

SOCIETY, PAGE 10

ECONOMICS, PAGE 11

CULTURAL, PAGE

PORK BARREL: AN OVERVIEW

The Priority Development and Assistance Fund (PDAF) more commonly known as the "pork barrel system" is a innovative yet flawed system, that involves members of congress financially supporting NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) for the benefit of society. These funds that are allocated to each member of congress comes directly from the people's own pockets, these come from tax revenues. Each member of congress receives a specific amount of monetary funds from the government. These funds are supposed to be used to pay NGOs so that they may provide a specific, requested service to the people. If used properly, it may actually benefit the general population, as the service given by this

NGO would support the people. However, our current legislative "lineup" is not very "clean" and is quite tainted by the mark of power. They are being pulled in and manipulated by the black hole that is greed. They are hungry for wealth, and will do anything possible to get that wealth. These politicians abuse the pork barrel system by funding a bogus NGO that provides fake services to the people. This "NGO" instead returns half of the money to the politician for their own personal use, while the rest goes to the bogus owner(s) of the NGO. As a result of this, a large amount of funds which could have been used for the benefit of society has been wasted and instead goes into the pockets of these nefarious politicians. This has produced a number of effects on the society, the economy, our culture and our politics....

PORK BARREL: WHAT IS IT?

THE EFFECTS

POLITICS, PAGE 8

SOCIETY, PAGE 10

ECONOMICS, PAGE 11

CULTURAL, PAGE

PORK BARREL: AN OVERVIEW

The Pork Barrel Scam has rocked the Philippine Government to the very core. It exposed the weaknesses of it's system, and has revealed the nefarious and mischievous ways of it's people. It shows that the current Philippine system and it's officials are flawed, and for the latter twisted, it shows that the power of greed for one can at times overcome the needs of others. There are a number of effects brought on by this ideal

First, on the positive side, I do believe that this flawed system will be abolished by the government. Due to the huge backlash brought on by protests of the people, the politicians will be pushed to abolish it to preserve their

credibility. They will not abolish it because they think it is right, but instead they would abolish it because if they don't, their image will be tainted, and the people would support them no more. Secondly, it would raise the political significance of corruption in our government. Our government will be forced to take measures to fight corruption, as to prevent more backlash by the people. They will be forced to take a stand, so that their image would be fixed for them to regain the people's trust. But also, another thing I believe, is that these positive effects are only in the short term....

The Pork of Politics

THE EFFECTS

OVERVIEW, PAGE 6

SOCIETY, PAGE 10

ECONOMICS, PAGE 11

CULTURAL, PAGE

BY JUAN CARLOS ROSCA

In the long run, the future would be plagued with even more problems brought on by the PDAF scam. Because of the large amount of politicians who are known to be involved in the Pork Barrel Scam, the politicians would be more cautious in delving in their nefarious ways. This would, unfortunately, make them harder to detect and trace, leaving their ways untouched. Also, because of this, the politicians would find new and more ingenious ways too satisfy their greed. As their former main "modus operandi" has been revealed, they would try to be more cautious in creating new methods, leading to a possibly more sinister way of gathering money for their own benefit. They would have to adapt to the situation, and they would

end up thinking of methods with an even more profound effect on our society, all while being even harder to detect than the PDAF Scam. This drives these sinister politicians to develop new systems and laws that seem to be beneficial to the public, but in actuality, they are just like the PDAF system, and will end up purely for their own personal benefit.

The Pork Barrel Scam revelation has a profound effect on our country. It unveiled cracks in our government and politics, which leave crevices that would not wash away for a very long time...

The Pork of Politics

THE EFFECTS

OVERVIEW, PAGE 6

SOCIETY, PAGE 10

ECONOMICS, PAGE 11

CULTURAL, PAGE

BY JUAN CARLOS ROSCA

The recent news over the possible misuse of some Senatorʼs Pork Barrels which has ended up in the pockets of unscrupulous politicians and a very greedy businesswoman, Janet Lim-Napoles. This news, however, has taken on a new dimension with the revelation of Ms. Napolesʼ childrenʼs extravagant lifestyles. How can one have this kind of lavish lifestyle, without any legitimate business to explain it? Even the Top Businessmen would not have a lifestyle like this.

This scandal has pushed the society to the breaking point. The people are outraged because of this. The Society pushed for the abolition of this flawed system. This is exemplified by the "Million People Marches" held in Rizal

Park and more recently in Ayala Avenue.

The event has already burned it's mark on the society. Because of this, the society is now aware of the government's flawed and outdated systems. They are now aware that the very people they chose to lead them to progress are the very ones who are too burn the nation to the ground out of pure selfish greed. Because of this new found awareness, the society is now very angry, and the scars from the days of revolutions burns brightly once again. The Society is now fighting for change, they are fighting for justice, they are fighting for progress, and to end corruption, once and for all.

It's the society who must carry the burden of the mistakes of the men who lead them.....yet it's also up to them to mend these wounds

The Society, Scammed?

THE EFFECTS

OVERVIEW, PAGE 6

POLITICS, PAGE 8

ECONOMICS, PAGE 11

CULTURAL, PAGE

BY JOHN RAINIEL LATO

As a grade 9 student who studies at a private school, a part of me doesn't really care much about the pork barrel scam. However, as a Filipino citizen, the other part of me is pretty concerned.

The Pork Barrel or PDAF(Priority Development Assisstant Fund) is a special fund that is included in the government annual budget used for building schools, roads and the likes which the members of Congress chose. Every year, a Representative receives php 70 million, while a Senator gets php 200 million. With 289 representative sand 24 senators, that's about php 250 billion. With this much money under the discretion of the congress, there is a big temptation to commit corruption, and this might have happened in the case of Janet Lim-Napoles

and other Senators and Representatives who conspired with her. She took advantage of the system and created a fake

Non-Government Organization (NGO) for her own, and her conspirator's own profit.

When the people at the government are being corrupt, there will obviously be effects to our economy. Since the pork barrel will only go to projects and NGO chosen by congressmen, there is less money available for what is more important, such as health care, education and social security. P250 billion could have been used to acquire better equipment for typhoons and to rebuild the damages cause by the crises such as in Zamboanga.

It will also affect the confidence of business men and tax payers because they expect a clean government. If the people think the government is wasting valuable money, they will not invest in the Philippines and people will refuse to pay their taxes.

It's the ordinary people who pay the biggest price in corruption and the pork barrel is one of the biggest corruption cases in the Philippines. The congress must focus on making laws, not on making money

Economic Effects : Pork You Mr. Senator!

THE EFFECTS

OVERVIEW, PAGE 6

POLITICS, PAGE 8

SOCIETY, PAGE 10

CULTURAL, PAGE 12

BY LUIS DELA VEGA

The Pork barrel has surely affected our entire country, and our culture is not to be excluded.

What do you think of the words "people power"? How about "EDSA"? If you recognize these words, then you are a true Filipino. These words are embedded in our very culture. For three Filipino generations, there as been an occurrence of "people power" in their lives. And for today's generation, there is another "people power event". It is the case of the Pork Barrel Scam.

The Pork Barrel Scam revived the Filipino mentality of "people power" and patriotism in this new generation. The older generation already had their fair share of patriotic events, such as with the original EDSA revolution and

with the "EDSA Dos" which ousted president Estrada. For today's generation, we have this. The Pork Barrel Scam ignited the flame of patriotism in the current generations. It reminded the people that they are the ultimate power in their own nation, and that the could, and would get what they wanted and that they would achieve what they thought what was right.

Cultural Calamity?

THE EFFECTS

OVERVIEW, PAGE 6

POLITICS, PAGE 8

SOCIETY, PAGE 10

ECONOMICS, PAGE 11

BY CALEB LEE

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The Pork Barrel Scam is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, controversies our nation has ever faced. It is a problem that cannot simply be solved by abolishing the system. To solve the problem, we must dig deeper, and attack it from the root cause: The greed for money, and the willingness to commit to nefarious deeds.

Drastic changes must be made to our government. Although our problem may not be directly solved by changing the system of our government, it nonetheless may still have an effect on our goals, although it may not be as profound as other solutions. The current governmental system is too susceptible to be manipulated by the politicians. Our current rules and systems, such as the PDAF and DAP systems

turn out to be ineffective in our current countries situation. I believe that budgetary systems similar to this must be abolished: the distribution of funds must instead be centralized. This is so that these funds need not to be spread across and distributed to the individual politicians. If these politicians receive their funds, they may be tempted to use it for their own gains rather than use it for it's intended purpose of helping society. If it is centralized, the funds would instead be distributed to corporations directly so that they may provide their services. By doing this, there will be a smaller chance of these funds being diverted to a politician's own pocket, and instead would be used for the good of the public.

Writer’s Block : A series where the writers write their individual reports and opinions

PORK BARREL

BY JUAN CARLOS ROSCA

Perhaps the most important aspect that needs to be changed is the people of our nation, or, rather, their attitudes and beliefs must be altered. This is perhaps the hardest solution, but it's effects are sure to be positive. It is very difficult to execute, even to the point of it being quite improbable. The people must learn to avoid the pull of greed. If people learn that the needs of the society must overrule the needs of one, then the problems brought on by the Pork Barrel Scam, along with countless other problems in our country, would be solved. once the people's desire for money is eradicated and replaced with compassion for others, then the future politicians will be concerned more about advancing and improving our society, rather than their own, selfish goals. This leads us to our next solution, the future generation.

The focus of our solutions must be centered on the next generation. Those currently in their young ages, including myself. We must learn to be compassionate to our

neighbors, to others. What I can do now is to start exhibiting and following this philosophy. I must be concerned with others, and make their welfare my priority. I must also learn to make them understand and exhibit this philosophy themselves, and once this catches on with the rest of our people, it will bring nothing but progress to our people, our society, and our nation.

As in relation to what we have discussed in class, a nation needs itʼs people and government, not just to be present, but to work together, so that the it may flourish and progress, and so that we may not have a similar fate as that of the pre-colonial Philippines, in which the tribes fell due to a lack of unity between the people and the government (or the lack of an effective government in the first place)

The Pork Barrel Scam has thoroughly shaken our nation to the breaking point. But by eliminating greed and replacing it with compassion, we can bring our country to a new level of progress and prosperity.

Writer’s Block : A series where the writers write their individual reports and opinions

PORK BARREL

BY JUAN CARLOS ROSCA

FIX YOU!

Agitating for the abolition of the Pork Barrel or PDAF is a good start. But it should not end there. Abolishing the Pork Barrel because of the harmful side-effects of corruption it causes upon society will not work if the reasons for why the Pork Barrel was made to exist continue to be present. It is like stealing from your own people. An example is if a mayor would do a project and would ask money from wealth residence.

Do we really want a truly better country? Letʼs seek to truly solve the problems of the country by looking at the bigger picture.

Writer’s Block : A series where the writers write their individual reports and opinions

PORK BARREL

BY JOHN RAINIEL LATO

With the pork barrel scam happening, the Filipino citizens the the PDAF (Priority Development Assistant Fund) to be taken off. However, without this there will be less money for building important infrastructures like roads, schools and hospitals. We must think of ways that we still have money for projects even without the pork barrel.

Filipino citizens should vote wisely on which person they wish to be elected. They shouldn't vote because this certain candidate has a lot of money or famous, they should vote on people who can do good to this country. They should also pay all of their taxes. If every Filipino pays their taxes, the government could probably have enough money for project.

Since Metro Manila has a lot of money while the rest of remains poor, they will ask money from the central government. If the

government evolves federalism, it empowers the rest of the country by making their own policies, promote business and manage their own taxes. With this they can fund their own projects. The government can also attract more investors to our country. With these more investors, our country will prosper with new businesses and more jobs which means less poverty and asking for money from politicians.

As students, we can't do much but that doesn't mean We can't do anything. At this young age we can already think of how to manage our money wisely. We must learn to think on what to buy and not to buy, earning and saving the money we earn. Once we learn this, there will hopefully be no more problems in our country's future.

Writer’s Block : A series where the writers write their individual reports and opinions

PORK BARREL

BY LUIS DE LA VEGA

Today, in our country's current situation the "Pork Barrel" Scandal, has led us to several conflicts.

As Filipinos, I think we can request the report of government projects, in that way the Filipino citizens would be secured that the taxes they pay would be benefiting our nation. The government can agree to our request of revealing the evidence of their financial affairs. As a student one common problem to our generation is that we have to fix what our current leaders have done instead of focusing on the development of our country, and what we can do from that point is to influence the future generations not to commit the same mistake again.

To sum it up, our government needs to improve things in our society to regain our trust again and we should do our best to improve our

next leaders or generation will have a brighter future.

Writer’s Block : A series where the writers write their individual reports and opinions

PORK BARREL

BY CALEB LEE

Editor’s One Liners On: Pork Barrel JUAN C ARLOS ROSC A

“Pork is Unhealthy”

LUIS DE LA VEGA

“PORK YOU!”

JOHN RAINIEL LATO

“PORK IS BAD, ESPECIALLY IF IT’S IN A BARREL”

C ALEB LEE

“PORK IS BEST SERVED COOKED”

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By Juan Carlos Rosca, 9F-27Luis De La Vega, 9F-8John Rainiel Lato, 9F-16Caleb Lee, 9F-18

“An Issue on Pork Barrel”Social Science Assesment2nd QTRPublished 10/16/13Group 5, 9FReferences:http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2013/08/20/2013-pork-barrel-philippines-congress.jpeghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KGFh5DhGf9M/UfW2nm7luzI/AAAAAAABLeU/sqC9Z6kw7W8/s1600/PorkBarrelSpendingGfx.gifhttp://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/cartoon-pig-pork-barrel-15938852.jpghttp://antipinoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pork-barrel.jpghttp://manilamommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/no-to-pork-barrel.jpghttp://runwiththeothers.com/SLS%20AMG.htmlhttp://www.ianmac969.com/Advert/RiskyRolexForWeb.htmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/politics_show/7449042.stmhttp://genrp.hubpages.com/hub/Election-2010-in-the-Philippineshttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/364889/aquino-to-ph-never-againhttp://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/02/nasdaq-stock-market-computers-compromised-repeatedly-during-last-year/http://philippines-islands-lemuria.blogspot.com/2010_06_13_archive.htmlhttp://w3.xs.edu.ph/?p=2699http://imageshack.us/a/img836/3197/b3g.gifhttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B8CqLWhW39o/UhVKRz6_fkI/AAAAAAAADCo/dbvnD19pqfQ/s1600/pork+barrel+pix.jpghttp://antipinoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pork-barrel.jpg