Alex Lacson
Encyclopedia
Alexander L. Lacson is a Filipino
lawyer, author, lecturer, philanthropist and politician best known as the author of "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country.", and for having run in the 2010 Philippine Senatorial Election
.
Because of the significance of Lacson's advocacies in a country faced with as the Philippines', one biographer has noted that "Alexander Lacson is more than just an author – he is a nation-builder."
. He studied there for three years, but then transferred to the University of the Philippines Diliman to earn a bachelor's degree in political science. In order to finance his studies at UP, he worked as a Professor's Assistant by day, and as a telemarketer by night. He also received help from his sister, who was working in Japan.
After graduating with a Bachelor's degree, he enrolled in night classes at the University of the Philippines College of Law
, and worked full time during the day. He graduated 1996. In 2002, he undertook postgraduate studies at the Harvard Law School
.
In 1990, Lacson discovered that he had an illegitimate brother whom his father was refusing to recognize as a son. In 1995, he went out in search of that brother, and found him - a subsistence fisherman with three kids. He helped his brother find a new job and is now paying for the education of his brother's children.
, since the two share the same family name. Panfilo Lacson has been sought by authorities as a suspect in the Dacer-Corbito Murder case.
Earlier in the campaign, Alex Lacson was not certain whether a distant family tie did exist, because the two had never met and thus had never been able to compare their family line. However, after doing some research, Alex Lacson found out that he and Panfilo Lacson shared the same great-great-grandfather, which makes them very distant relatives, even if the two Lacsons have yet to ever meet. In addition to saying the two of them had never had any association, Alex Lacson also pointed out that their life-stories were vastly different.
When asked whether he thought the association with the Lacson family name was an advantage or disadvantage for him, Lacson said that he considered it an advantage, citing the long history of Lacsons who have been involved in public service in the Philippines, including former Manila
mayor Arsenio Lacson
, Philippine Revolutionary War hero Aniceto Lacson
, and the numerous Lacsons who have served in various capacities in Negros Occidental
.
Alex Lacson also founded Team Pinoy, Inc. - a social enterprise that is committed to creating an empowered Filipino nation. Team Pinoy, Inc. specializes in creating school-based and company-based leadership training and consultancy programs that aim to empower Filipino citizens and companies to become active partners in nation-building efforts.
Previously worked for the Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro and Leaño Law Offices. Currently a lawyer and a partner at the Malcolm Law Office in Makati, he served for seven years as legal counsel of the United Nations Development Programme
in the Philippines. He is also a columnist for the BusinessWorld
, but is currently on leave from that post. He serves on the board of trustees of World Vision
(Philippines), Dilaab Foundation and Alay Buhay Foundation, and was former Lord Chancellor of Alpha Phi Beta at the U.P. College of Law. He is also a member of Philippine Haggai, Couples For Christ
, and the Rotary Club of the Philippines. He is a champion debater and a sharpshooter.
, his hometown.
To further that advocacy, Lacson wrote the 108-page booklet "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country," and had it published at the Alay Pinoy Publishing House in Quezon City
.
The twelve little things mentioned in the book title are:
The book's first printing sold out in spite of the fact that Lacson did not initially sell in major bookstores because their markup price was too high.
, 2010 Presidential campaign manager for the Liberal Party of the Philippines announced that Lacson had been alloted the tenth slot on the party's slate of candidates for the Philippine Senate. Abad also noted that Lacson was instrumental in convincing Liberal Party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino to run for the presidency.
Lacson's chosen core message for the campaign was "Bayani ang Bawat Pilipino. Tayo ang mga Bayaning Kailangan ng Ating Bansa." ("Each Filipino is a Hero. We[ourselves] are the Heroes our Nation needs.") Issues he has identified as priority campaign concerns include: honest (government) service, employment, education, environmental protection
, support to Overseas Filipino Workers, and the development of a Filipino culture that would spur national development ("Kulturang Pilipino na magpapaunlad sa ating bansa").
Agenda: Educational Support
Agenda: Scholarships
Agenda: Faith in the Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
lawyer, author, lecturer, philanthropist and politician best known as the author of "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country.", and for having run in the 2010 Philippine Senatorial Election
Philippine Senate election, 2010
Election to the Senate of the Philippines was held on Monday, May 10, 2010. This is to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. Together with those elected in 2007, they will comprise the 15th Congress. The senators elected in 2007 will serve until June 30, 2013, while the senators elected in this...
.
Because of the significance of Lacson's advocacies in a country faced with as the Philippines', one biographer has noted that "Alexander Lacson is more than just an author – he is a nation-builder."
Early life
Lacson was born in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, the sixth of 8 children. His mother was a second grade elementary school teacher, serving "mostly poor children living in the mountains." His father, a businessman, abandoned his family when Lacson was only 14, leaving them in a dire financial state, and with the shame that such an abandonment brings upon a family in a small rural town. Lacson would later credit that shame for planting a desire, specifically to rebuild his family, and more broadly to rebuild "his bigger family – the Filipino nation."Education
Lacson graduated from high school in 1982, and was then granted a scholarship at the Philippine Military AcademyPhilippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy or PMA, is the Philippine military school for the Armed Forces of the Philippines . PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 . PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province...
. He studied there for three years, but then transferred to the University of the Philippines Diliman to earn a bachelor's degree in political science. In order to finance his studies at UP, he worked as a Professor's Assistant by day, and as a telemarketer by night. He also received help from his sister, who was working in Japan.
After graduating with a Bachelor's degree, he enrolled in night classes at the University of the Philippines College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law or UP Law is the law school of the University of the Philippines. Since 1948, it has been located at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, the flagship campus of UP's seven constituent universities. Until the 1970s, night classes of...
, and worked full time during the day. He graduated 1996. In 2002, he undertook postgraduate studies at the Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Family
Lacson eventually married fellow lawyer Pia Peña and the couple now have 4 children, Theo, Angeli, Ally, and John.In 1990, Lacson discovered that he had an illegitimate brother whom his father was refusing to recognize as a son. In 1995, he went out in search of that brother, and found him - a subsistence fisherman with three kids. He helped his brother find a new job and is now paying for the education of his brother's children.
Distance of Blood Relation to Panfilo Lacson
Among the questions most often asked of Lacson during the senatorial campaign was whether he was related to the incumbent Senator Panfilo LacsonPanfilo Lacson
Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson, Sr. is a Filipino politician. He was Director-General of the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001 and has been a member of the Philippine Senate since 2001.-Early life and education:...
, since the two share the same family name. Panfilo Lacson has been sought by authorities as a suspect in the Dacer-Corbito Murder case.
Earlier in the campaign, Alex Lacson was not certain whether a distant family tie did exist, because the two had never met and thus had never been able to compare their family line. However, after doing some research, Alex Lacson found out that he and Panfilo Lacson shared the same great-great-grandfather, which makes them very distant relatives, even if the two Lacsons have yet to ever meet. In addition to saying the two of them had never had any association, Alex Lacson also pointed out that their life-stories were vastly different.
When asked whether he thought the association with the Lacson family name was an advantage or disadvantage for him, Lacson said that he considered it an advantage, citing the long history of Lacsons who have been involved in public service in the Philippines, including former Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
mayor Arsenio Lacson
Arsenio Lacson
Arsenio H. Lacson was a Filipino journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as Mayor of Manila from 1952 to 1962. An active executive likened by Time and The New York Times to New York's Fiorello La Guardia, he was the first Manila mayor to be reelected to three terms...
, Philippine Revolutionary War hero Aniceto Lacson
Aniceto Lacson
Aniceto Lacson y Ledesma was a sugar farmer, revolutionary general and businessman in the Philippines. He was the fifth son of seven children of Lucio Lacson y Petronila and Clara Ledesma of Iloilo, Philippines who migrated to Negros when Aniceto was still young...
, and the numerous Lacsons who have served in various capacities in Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
.
Law practice, opinion column, and other activities
He is the founder and currently the chairman emeritus of Kabayanihan Foundation (KF) that seeks to promote the greatness of the Filipino and our Philippines through cultural transformation. KF believes that what our country needs today is a Cultural Revolution, a revolution of patriotism among our people, even through small acts of patriotism everyday.Alex Lacson also founded Team Pinoy, Inc. - a social enterprise that is committed to creating an empowered Filipino nation. Team Pinoy, Inc. specializes in creating school-based and company-based leadership training and consultancy programs that aim to empower Filipino citizens and companies to become active partners in nation-building efforts.
Previously worked for the Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro and Leaño Law Offices. Currently a lawyer and a partner at the Malcolm Law Office in Makati, he served for seven years as legal counsel of the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
in the Philippines. He is also a columnist for the BusinessWorld
BusinessWorld
BusinessWorld is a business newspaper in the Philippines. Its forerunner, BusinessDay, whose maiden issue came out on February 27,1967, was Southeast Asia’s first business daily. As of September 2011, it has a daily circulation of 65,000....
, but is currently on leave from that post. He serves on the board of trustees of World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
(Philippines), Dilaab Foundation and Alay Buhay Foundation, and was former Lord Chancellor of Alpha Phi Beta at the U.P. College of Law. He is also a member of Philippine Haggai, Couples For Christ
Couples for Christ
The Couples for Christ is an international Catholic lay ecclesial movement whose goal is to renew and strengthen Christian family life and values. It is one of 122 International Associations of the Faithful The organization was affiliated with the Vatican recognition from the Pontifical Council...
, and the Rotary Club of the Philippines. He is a champion debater and a sharpshooter.
Awards
Rewards Lacson has received over the years include:- the Galing Pilipino Award for 2005,
- the Young Filipino Achiever’s Award for 2006, given by Global Pinoy.
- the Model Filipino award given by the Edsa People Power Commission in February 2009, and
- the Best in Filipino award, an award in Linguistics given by M.I. International School in 2009.
Philanthropy
The Lacsons have established a foundation to help unprivileged children through school, and are now subsidizing 27 scholars in different public schools in Negros OccidentalNegros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
, his hometown.
12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country
When Lacson and his wife Pia made a conscious decision to remain in the Philippines instead of searching for greener pastures abroad, they also decided to advocate the idea that conditions in the Philippines could be improved if individual Filipinos took action to improve matters, rather than move to another country. Lacson reasoned: “The answer is in us as a people; that hope is in us as a people.”To further that advocacy, Lacson wrote the 108-page booklet "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country," and had it published at the Alay Pinoy Publishing House in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
.
The twelve little things mentioned in the book title are:
- Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.
- Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.
- Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino. (Or, if you read the book, he suggests: 50-50).
- When you talk to others, especially foreigners speak positively about us and our country.
- Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.
- Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
- Support your church.
- During elections, do your solemn duty.
- Pay your employees well.
- Pay your taxes.
- Adopt a scholar or a poor child.
- Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.
The book's first printing sold out in spite of the fact that Lacson did not initially sell in major bookstores because their markup price was too high.
Meeting Maximo Soliven, and "12 Little Things" goes viral
The popularity of "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country" increased greatly because of a column by Philippine Star founder Maximo Soliven. In it, Soliven described how his car had broken down on his way to an important appointment at Malacañang palace, and Lacson, not knowing who Soliven was, offered him assistance. When Lacson found out who Soliven was, the two started discussing Lacson's advocacies and his book, which Soliven also described in detail in his column. That column later became a viral e-mail hit, leading to an increased interest in the book.2010 Senatorial Candidacy
On November 28, 2009, Florencio AbadFlorencio Abad
Florencio "Butch" Barsana Abad is the current Philippine Secretary of Budget and Management. On June 29, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III picked him as his Secretary of Budget and Management...
, 2010 Presidential campaign manager for the Liberal Party of the Philippines announced that Lacson had been alloted the tenth slot on the party's slate of candidates for the Philippine Senate. Abad also noted that Lacson was instrumental in convincing Liberal Party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino to run for the presidency.
Lacson's chosen core message for the campaign was "Bayani ang Bawat Pilipino. Tayo ang mga Bayaning Kailangan ng Ating Bansa." ("Each Filipino is a Hero. We
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
, support to Overseas Filipino Workers, and the development of a Filipino culture that would spur national development ("Kulturang Pilipino na magpapaunlad sa ating bansa").
"3-Point Agenda to Optimize Opportunities"
While Lacson has not yet published a single document presenting his proposed legislative agenda in bullet points, his campaign speeches have championed a consistent plan of action. Writer Lester Cavestany summed up Lacson's points after one meeting, dubbing the resulting bullet points "Alex Lacson’s 3-Point Agenda to Optimize Opportunities":Agenda: Educational Support
- Plan of Action in the Senate:
-
- Community Learning Centers in the barangayBarangayA barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s - Increase cooperation between private/nonprofit sector and government in providing education support (such as feeding programs, computers, etc)
- Community Learning Centers in the barangay
-
Agenda: Scholarships
- Plan of Action in the Senate:
-
- Focus on the Committee on Education in the Senate and initiate policies that would increase the number of scholars nationwide
- Bring the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to the rural areas and institutionalize study-and-work tie-ups with the business sector
-
Agenda: Faith in the Filipino
- Plan of Action in the Senate:
-
- Push for more socio-civic education in schools to teach the next generation about responsible citizenship
-