Next to safety, sweating is the most frequently cited barrier to biking in the Philippines I've heard from my friends. "Mainit. Pagpapawisan ako."

Because I use an electric bike, I sweat very little, even in inclines. E-bikes are the best! I invested in an e-bike bec I have a low threshold for switching travel modes.

I wanted to replace the expensive, time-consuming, unpredictable trips I'd take on Grab.

It's been a success so far: I now regularly bike from Makati to Katipunan via EDSA. I'd get there in an hour.

1/ For @lenirobredo to win in the 2022 elections, I propose we all make a #KakampinkyPromise to talk to 20 people to flip from Bongbong to Leni in the next 100 days. Convince 1 person every 5 days.

Leni has a 20% rating (SWS). 13 million of 67 million voters can campaign for her 2/ Even if just 1 million of us 13 million voters do this, we will win.

We will outmobilize Mr. Marcos, the absentee candidate, with time to spare.

Kayang-kaya ito. But we need to do it with love, care, and empathy.

The key principle is: ang tao ay tao, hindi lang boto.

Shocked about Pharmally, the contractor under Senate investigation?

@covidbudgetph flagged items:
3x - 52x typical govt contract prices
9x - 66x typical market prices
P319 M - P550 M savings if items bought at typical prices (Mar-Aug 2020 sample)

Senate, COA, please check.🧵 1/ The sad news is: it's likely not just Pharmally.

As we wrote in this thread, the risks are systemic.

These can only be addressed through a better system of social accountability to proactively monitor national procurement + improve data quality.

https://twitter.com/KenAbante/status/1394523364635545600

PRESIDENT DUTERTE HAS ABANDONED US.

FITCH'S NEGATIVE CREDIT RATING OUTLOOK is the direct result of Duterte's political leadership that has lost touch with the everyday realities of our suffering people. 1/ President Duterte and his top appointed officials have failed to listen and learn from their deadly blunders which caused this negative outlook.

Duterte's deadliest blunder is a 2021 budget that has set us up to fail in managing this pandemic.

I'm turning 29, wow.

The past year has been the hardest time of my life.

Since my loved ones who are front liners could not get their PPEs from the government last year, I have spent almost all of my time working or volunteering with communities on COVID-19 response efforts. We've organized efforts in public budgeting, public transport and mobility, FOI, and in our local COVID-19 prevention, testing, monitoring, and vaccination programs.

I witness everyday the miracle of engaged citizenship: the power of everyday people working for everyday change.

[DOWNLOAD: Philippine Open Covid Contracts Dataset v1]

We (@wesolveph @covidbudgetph @HivosROSEA)
are releasing for public use our study+dataset+code on P20 billion worth of covid-related government contracts in the Philippines.

Grateful for feedback.

wesolve.ph/research/stren… 1/ Our open contracting dataset covers:
- 581 contracts with 120 variables
- 2,832 items with 11 variables
- worth P20 billion (60% of value of publicly available contracts as of 3 Aug 2020)
- internal + market prices
- code for price analysis
- raw files
- data documentation

[THREAD: DO WE HAVE CASH TO FIGHT COVID-19?]

INSIGHT 1: YES, WE HAVE CASH TO FIGHT COVID-19.

As of end-June 2020, gov't raised P3 trillion in cash from revenues (A) and debt (C). Gov't "spent" P2 trillion (B).

Net cash raised (A+C-B) is P988 billion. 2/n

1.1. We should thank our career officials for raising P3 T in cash:
P1.45 T is from tax and non-tax revenues
P1.55 T is financing from domestic (80%) and external (20%) sources

Borrowing cash is okay as long as:
1. We need the money. We do.
2. We can pay it back. We can.

[THREAD: WHAT DOES CHANGING THE SYSTEM MEAN?]

1/ All of us want to "change the system". But my teachers and mentors taught me early on that changing the system is often NOT A GLAMOROUS, FLASHY act.

It's a A SERIES OF BORING DAILY ACTS of citizenship. 2/ First, it means LISTENING to others and knowing who they are and what they need. It means suspending judgment so there is a safe space for dialogue.

Systems change only lasts with the support and inclusion of people. It starts with a genuine desire to LISTEN.

[THREAD: On moving people, not cars]

1/ I recall my own "conversion" from the moving cars to the moving people perspective in public transport.

It was uncomfortable. I had to admit that whenever I rode a private car, I was slowing down other commuters who took public transport. 2/ My riding a car slowed down the poor: 88 percent of households cannot afford a car. My riding a car also slowed down other cars. My riding a car slowed down EVERYONE.