DUTERTE: A Master Communicator

Duterte's high approval rating of more than 80% of the Philippine population three years into his term is partly due to his good communication skills.

Duterte is a communicator. 

He is a good case study for all future and aspiring public speakers.

People love him because when he gives speeches, they feel involved in his speech.

Some of his very effective techniques are:

1.  When he talks, he always keep in mind that the majority of common people are listening to him and not just his immediate audience.

2.  He abhors prepared speeches by his speech writers.

3.  He does not devote his time on on notes or teleprompters.

4.  He speaks extemporaneously (no script;  rambling, as described by mainstream media).

5.  He talks about topics the majority of people are concerned or interested with.

6.  He does not talk about alien topics nor highly technical things or technocrat speak.

7.  He starts with an anecdote that puts his audience at ease.

8.  He usually does away the mentioning of VIPs in the audience at the top of the speech, that is not usually listened to anyway.

9.  He uses common expressions and language that the majority understands.

10.  He also uses some words that are not commonly used which reflects his being a wide reader.

11.  He speaks from the heart.

12.  He speaks with humility.

13.  He speaks with authority at certain points - a tough guy at times.

14.  His voice inflects, changes pace at certain parts for emphasis.

15.  His blocking is impeccable.

16.  His gestures assist delivery of his message but is not overdone that it distracts the audience.

17.  He uses facial expressions to convey his emotion.

18.  He interjects anecdotes that sustains the interest of his audience.

19.  He weaves in and out of English and Filipino to sustain the ideas and pace of his speech.

20.  He uses stories - interesting historical background, eye-opening ideas and more funny anecdotes.

21.  He uses several short punchlines throughout his speech.

22.  He engages and elicits reaction from the audience.

23.  He is a good storyteller.

We are presenting five speeches by Aquino and Duterte to highlight Duterte's effective style of communication.

SPEED READER

SPEED READER

COMMUNICATOR

COMMUNICATOR

COMMUNICATOR

A Rebuttal to Joe America

Joeam is correct in his opening statement in one article he recently wrote.

The rest is a collection of personal observations with some very important facts deliberately and seriously omitted.

A FEW REBUTTALS

Then Pres. Aquino thanked China for funding the second phase of this P5.2 billion La Mesa project called the Angat Water Utilization and Aqueduct Improvement of the MWSS through a preferential buyer credit loan agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China.

Duterte Series - The Marvin Marcos Gambit

This article is fake news.

Wesley So is a former child prodigy.  He is a Filipino chess grand master representing the United States.  He relies on taking advantage of opponent's mistakes.

He became only the 11th player to break 2800 Elo.  From no. 15 in 2014, he is now second in the world rankings as of March 2017 (See FIDE rankings here).

Sierra Madre Sings: "When Floods and Fault Collide"

Mayor Gatchalian expressed the most honest assessment of Habagat's devastation...

 “Natatandaan ko noong tumama ang Ondoy, sabi ng weather forecasters 50 years bago maulit. Naghanda naman kami pero hindi natin inakala na ganoon kabilis. Wala pa ngang 4 years. Kung magiging regular na ganito, sabi ko, ‘Safe pa ba tumira sa Metro Manila?'”

                                        -- Sherwin Gatchalian, Valenzuela Mayor via DZMM, Aug. 2012

Funny!  Sarcastic but funny!  Helpless but still funny!

If that will not wake us from the stupor, nothing will.

So OK. Who's Next? Please Raise Your Right Hand!

Illegal Logging in Mindanao
(Source:  Bicol Today)

The Philippines is in the World's 10 Most Threatened Forest Hotspots.

The Philippines is not the only country experiencing deforestation.  However, it is one of the countries experiencing massive deforestation at around 180,000 hectares per year based on a report by the World Wildlife Fund.

The same report said that many  logging  concessionaires effectively dictated forest policies in our government.

The loss of life and damage to property related to flooding from deforestation have been steadily mounting through the years.

Sendong: Anatomy of a Disaster

Warnings in the Philippines are often left unheeded by government officials.


Conservation International identified the Philippines as 4th in the 10 most threatened forest in the world.  It further said that 100 years ago, the forest cover of the Philippine was 97% of the country's total land area.


When the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos assumed office in 1965, it was still almost 80%.  When he was toppled down after 20 years, the forest cover was estimated to be only 27%.


Through the administrations of Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, or, a total of 24 year later, the forest cover is now down to only 7%.  The World Wildlife Fund puts it at a pitiful 3%.

In 2009, a baby is led to safety by her father
in a plastic basin in Cagayan de Oro.
(Source: Digital Photographer Philippines)

Way back on January 3, 2009, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan already experienced one of their worst flash floods.

Mark Anthony Ermac had a few details of the 2009 Iligan flash flood in his blog.

The disaster was well analyzed by another blogger named BenCyrus G. Ellorin.  He is a member of Task Force Macajalar, an anti-illegal logging group based in Cagayan de Oro.

The huge volumes of water from the Kalatungan Mountain Range in Lanao del Sur and Mt. Kitanglad Mountain Range in Bukidnon were the main sources of the swell in the Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Rivers.

That was only three (3) years ago.

The Lions at the Gate

(Click on the links for more details)

Until what point in the future can the world sustain a regime of"
1.)  A strong population increase;
2.)  Steady price escalations, and;
3.)  Declining incomes?

In eastern philosophy, Lions represent nobleness and dignity.  They are thought to protect the truth and keep off evils.  For the Chinese, the lion has become a symbol of bravery, power and good luck.  Thus, stone sculptures of a male and a female lion are mounted at the gates of family homes of Chinese, business establishments and government buildings.

In the Red

When output exceeds input;

The economist says demand has exceeded supply.

The engineer talks about overload.

The banker calls it overdraft.

The politician exclaims, "What problem?"

TeeVee

Mr. Nestor U. Torre of the Philippine Daily Inquirer recently made comments at the quality of primetime news (TV Newscast in the News) and Star Circle quest.

I agree with him that indeed the quality of these programs are sub-par. However, the problem is not with the producers and, no, the viewers will not "wise up," as he suggested, not in the foreseeable future.

The rich have cable TV. The masses ride the mainstream TV airwaves and it is their multitude that has skewed TV programming.

Power of the Purse: What People Do To Get Elected And Why

What do Nic Garces, Gaudencio Bueno, Alfredo Abcede, Segundo Baldovi, Nic V. Garces and German F. Villanueva all have in common?

They gained notoriety in Philippine history by running for president every time there was an election for president. They ran and ran for the same position but in the end, their quixotic ambitions turned to failures.