My home country, the Philippines, finally has a President-elect. I did write a letter addressed to him a few days after polls show that he is the President-apparent, but since I redirected my namesake domain to my posterous account, that letter has gone to digital oblivion. I'm certain it can be recovered but 12:42 AM and am sleepy.

Leadership change usually brings with it a euphoria filled with the air of hope. Many, especially the supporters of the new leader, will proclaim all the motherhood statements, vague promises and overused cliches that will allow to believe that utopia is coming soon. Of course, after 21 years living in my Motherland, witnessing three Administrations along the way (not since the time I was born, since the time I knew what was happening out there) and hearing all the rhetoric and lofty ambitions and promises of political, social and spiritual leaders, all these sentiments is usually deemed useless. Useless in the sense that emotions and all the good feelings attached to a transition will not guarantee genuine action.

Anything in life requires action, and the divide between vision and reality has to be bridged not only with a sense of optimism, but genuine discipline in carrying out what needs to be done.

This new President my country will have now looks boring and I mean, really boring. But I don't need an inspiring President (Marcos was inspiring), I don't need one with a great charisma (Estrada is Charismatic) and I don't really want another intellectual (the incumbent has been), but I need a leader who will be willing enough to be boring. Dealing with a nation's problem is a boring matter, something that's not fun to do at all. If he can, however, produce the results he desires, then it may just be good for him. If he truly is what we think he is, one whose resolved is geared towards actions and results, then he may just derived nirvana from making the Philippines a better state and might let go of his awful habit.