Effective Revenue Collection: A Liberal's Legacy

The nation owes to the Liberals of the 12^th and 13^th Congresses the present state of revenue collection in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC). During the 12^th Congress, Republic Act 9282 was enacted into law while the 13^th Congress gave birth to Republic Act No. 9335. The enactment of these two sensible and dynamic pieces of legislation came at a time when the government needed them most. As a result, the BIR has reached its target beginning the first quarter of 2005. In 2006, the BIR did the same feat and is headed towards a more effective tax collection effort. BOC, on the other hand, barely missed its goal in 2005 but its performance is a far cry from its dismal achievement in the previous years. In 2006, BOC boasts of exceeding the targets set by the Department of Finance. More

Liberalism and Education

A rough characterization of the liberal spirit might be "live, and let live". A friend would always remind me that it would be illiberal to insist on everyone following Socratic rule to examine and reflect on what is valuable. Liberals must let people live unexamined lives; their concern arises only when such people try to stop others getting on with their own preferred life-style.

If liberals should let people get on with their lives, always, except infringements on the equal liberty of others, it might seem that liberals should let people get on with bringing up their children, pretty much how they like. Unexamined modes of life can be reproduced. Let people get on with it. More

What is it like being a youth supporting liberalism and democracy in Cambodia today?

By Sorn Sarath


Democracy and liberalism in Cambodia is still in an immature phase. That is why youth participation is needed to supporting these, either directly or indirectly.

The youth can promote democracy and liberalism directly by getting involved in educative and participatory programs. The youth can be part of activities which target other youth like themselves. The Students' Movement for Democracy (SMD), for instance, holds workshops which focus on democracy, youth leadership, youth participation in politics and good governance, and the advantages of clean and fair elections. More

My Fave quotes from Emperor's Club

"Ignorance can be educated...but stupidity last forever".

Have you watched 'Emperor's Club? If not, take time to read this entry and some posted comments on it and understand the other side of - 'being educated'.

These are some of my favorite quote from one of my favorite movie of all time:::

“Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance. What will your contribution be? How will history remember you?"

"Aristophanes once wrote, roughly translated; "Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, and drunkenness sobered, but STUPID lasts forever."

"A great teacher has little external history to record. His life goes over into other lives. These men are pillars in the intimate structure of our schools. They are more essential than its stones or beams, and they will continue to be a kindling force and a revealing power in our live"

"The worth of a life is not determined by a single failure or a solitary success."

"However much we stumble, it is a teacher's burden always to hope, that with learning, a boys' character might be changed. And, so, the destiny of a man."

"History will tell us that you may not swim in the same river twice. Because an opportunity lost is lost forever. however, the water I find myself swimming in is very familiar to so many years ago.The waters in which we found ourselves swimming, were precisely as lovely as those we had earlier only imagined. But if time had made concessions for love, it made none for death."

"Socrates: It is not Living that is important, but Living rightly."

"The End Depends upon the Beginning."

A man's character is his fate...for most of us, our stories can be written long before we die.

More for comments

(taken from Prof. Jan Tolentino Blog - jaBlog)