Fire Hits QC Hall

(source: Inquirer.net)

An hour-long fire hit the annex building of the Quezon City Hall yesterday morning, destroying hundreds of government accounting records and forcing operations in all departments to grind to a halt.

Asked if he thought there was foul play in the incident, Belmonte said, “I don’t think so. It’s a good thing this happened in the morning when all people were awake, instead of at night.”

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I suddenly remember noong nakausap ko yung isang tindero ng buko diyan sa may Arlegui sa Quiapo. Sabi niya habang tinitipak niya yung binibili kong buko,

"Yung isang hall diyan sa Palasyo? Ay! Madalas masunog iyon. Balita ko accounting department daw iyong nandoon. Basta! Kapag magpapalit na ng administrasyon, nasusunog yun! Ewan ko lang kung bakit."

Who Is The Most Corrupt?

Walang Ku-corrupt!!!

Pulse Asia's recent Ulat ng Bayan (February 2009) survey presents the people's view on who they think is the most/least corrupt government agency. And the top rankers are:

For the Most Corrupt Government Agency: Department of Public Works and Highways (32%)

For the Least Corrupt Government Agency: Department of Education (20%)

(What makes the survey interesting, though, is that 20% identified DepEd as the least corrupt, while 15% also identified it as the most corrupt agency).

The nationwide survey has a sample of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above). For every question, each respondent is allowed to name a maximum of five (5) government agencies.

To get a comprehensive result of the survey, click >>>>>here.

Hope In Our Midst

Let's admit it.

We are at a point in our history where graft, corruption and deceit are prevailant in our midst. We see, hear, and listen about it in the news- people pointing fingers, accusing each other with this and that, all going towards irregularities on governance.


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Jonel Dignadisi, an Overseas Filipino Worker has been given appreciation by the Philippine Embassy in Dubai when he returned 470,000 dirhams (P6.2 million) left by a tourist passenger on a public bus that Dignadisi was driving.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Jonel Dignadisi personally returned the money to the owner. Dignadisi discovered the money inside a bag, together with the owner's passport.

source: Philstar.com

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The story might sound like an old tune, considering that we have already heard similar stories before, however, I believe there is a need to give emphasis on this act of heroism especially in these times of dishonesty and distrust in our country.

As we wait for change to happen in our government, may we also, as Filipinos, bear in mind that we can also be agents of change.

There is hope. And hope is found in each and everyone of us.

News Tidbits 2009

(Medyo) Tahimik ang Pilipinas ngayon. Walang masyadong ingay, maliban sa Right of Reply Bill ni Senator Nene Pimentel (na hindi ko masyadong naiintindihan at hindi ko na rin pinagtiyagaang intindihin) at sa pagkapasa ng Automation Budget para sa 2010 elections (na patuloy pa ring pag-aawayan dahil kabi-kabila ang siguradong magsasabing may dayaang mangyayari. Tingnan natin, kung magagamit na ang automation sa 2010 elections, panigurado na yung matatalong kandidato eh magsasabing "nadaya ako!").

Sikat si Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. Aba'y big-time siya! Kung dati-rati eh Pangulo lang ng Pilipinas ang gustong i-impeach, ngayon, naka-file na ang impeachment complaint niya sa Kamara. Ang problema lang, katulad din ng complaints laban kay GMA, may pag-asa ba namang umusad ang kaso? Kilalang kaalyado ng First Couple si Gutierrez, dahil classmate siya ni FG Mike Arroyo sa Ateneo De Manila College of Law. In fact, hindi pa nga napag-aaralan ang kaso eh nagsabi na si Mikey Arroyo na hindi siya tututulan niya ang Impeachment. Pati si DOJ Secretary Raul Gonsalez eh nagpahiwatig na mahirap lumusot ang kaso.

Other than the above news, wala nang masyadong matunog. Magtataka ka na lang, ano na ang nangyari doon sa mga naunang issues, katulad nang Alabang Boys Drug Case, WB Corruption Charges, Euro Generals (sabi sa news, hindi na raw kakasuhan si General Dela Paz kasi ibabalik na daw yung kinuhang pera-pwede pala yun?), Fertilizer Scam, etc.

Para tuloy gusto kong sabihin sa sarili ko: "Hindi ka pa ba nasanay?".

Kung nasusulusyonan lang ang mga nakikitang iregularidad. Kung napaparusahan lang sana ang mga dapat maparusahan. Kung kahit paano sana ay nagkakaroon ng pagbabago at kaunti mang pag-unlad ng bansa. Siguro ay tataas kahit paano ang Trust Rating ng Pangulo. Subalit dahil dito, patuloy na hindi maganda ang resulta ng surveys. Ayon sa pinakahuling tala ng Pulse Asia, halos kalahati ng mga Pinoy ang walang tiwala kay Pangulong Arroyo.

Kung wala na talagang pag-asang magbago ang patakbo ng gobyerno, sana naman ay magkaroon ng pagbabago sa susunod na mga lider ng bansa.

Excuse Letter

First Gentleman Mike Arroyo has once again 'excused' himself from going to the Senate hearing concerning another controversy linking him to an 'anomalous' construction company, the E.C. de Luna Construction Corporation, blacklisted by the World Bank due to corruption charges.




Whether he is fit to testify in the senate on Thursday (Feb 12) will be determined by his doctors at the St. Luke's Medical Center where he is undergoing a regular check-up.





FG's spokesperson says FG Mike is physically stable and well enough to play golf; but the latest news on early Thursday morning states that he would not come to the Senate to testify but instead send his lawyer Ruy Rondain to represent him (dahil baka nga naman mapagod).

Pero malay naman natin, baka mamaya, gulatin tayo at biglang sumipot din si FG sa Senate Inquiry. We never know, sabi nga eh, life's full of surprises.

Or; bigla-bigla, baka ang mangyari eh, 'Oo, totoong me koneksiyon si E.C. de Luna, pero hindi si FG, kundi si Jose Pidal, este, si Iggy.

Lalo nang gumulo.

The Gentleman

Wikipedia illustrates "Gentleman" as:

...."gentleman" signifies a man with an income derived from property, a legacy or some other source, and was thus independently wealthy and did not need to work.

Ay ang saya! patok na patok! Mismo!

Anyway, involved na naman daw si FG sa bagong kontrobersiya ng korupsiyon, sabi ni Sen. Ping Lacson.

Eh, what else is new?!!!!

Para yatang dapat eh laging may hobby/collection ang asawa ng mga pangulo natin. Let's look at the parallelisms.

Sikat si Makoy sa korupsiyon, sa mahabang term na pagiging pangulo, sa martial law.

Sikat si GMA sa korupsiyon, sa more than one term na pagiging pangulo, at naakusahan na nag a ala-martial law.

Asawa ni Makoy si First Lady Imelda na sikat sa pangongolekta ng sapatos.

Asawa ni GMA si First Gentleman Mike na sikat sa pangongolekta ng mga corruption charges.

(Interesado ka ba sa mga charges against FG? Here's the link on gma's special report)

Hit: My NBI Experience

'Nag-hit ka!'

'Po?'

'Yung pangalan mo, may hit. Ibig sabihin, may kapangalan ka.'

Such was what transcribed when I went to the Quezon City Hall to apply for an NBI Clearance.

I am in desperate and urgent need for an NBI clearance due to my pending application for passport so I proceeded to the QC Hall to apply for one. As expected, I have encountered long lines on the following procedures:

• getting an application form
• having my fingerprints printed on the application form (where you are REQUIRED to pay Php 5.00 for the wet tissue-panglinis daw ng kamay after the fingerprint)
• picture-taking
• data verification

It was almost 5:00pm and I was still on the Data Verification line. As was in the DFA, there are also "fixers" who are coming to you to propose a "fast" way to get your clearance. 'Wala nang pila, 450 Php lang.'

But since the NBI has said that Clearances will be released on the day you applied for, people are patiently going thru the long line process. By 'on the day' means that you do not have HIT on your name.

I would never understand and care more for that HIT word when after going thru that long line process, the woman assisting on the Data Verification window informed me that 'Nag-HIT ka!'

The woman said that I have a namesake that's why they will not release the clearance within the day. Instead, she told me to return 10 days after and that's when they will release my clearance. (I would later on find out from the NBI website that those with 'HIT' remarks can claim their clerance 48 hours after- 2 days after, that is.)

Going home (and even today), I am contemplating on how in the world will I ever have a namesake considering that I have two names, the second of which, is spelled 'uniquely', the common of which normally uses C but my name uses K. And besides, if ever I have my namesake, can they not easily check the Middle Name?

The second thing is, if ever I have my namesake, why spend 10 days to verify if you do not have any criminal records? Does it matter to NBI when we have our namesake? Does having a namesake suggest that we might have committed any crime at all?

I'll give my fair sentiment- While I do respect that the NBI is keen to trying to issue NBI clearance, I do believe that there should be a lot of changes in the System. For many, taking those long queue of lines following the procedures is a hassle. Much more when you find out that you can't have your clearance issued within the day just because you have you namesake.

Ten days, for me must be very long enough. In this age when computer networks and internet are widely used by various offices, it is surprising that we can't keep up and provide the people with a fast service.

Ten days after, my NBI clearance is finally released. With no criminal record. But with another extra cost: An additional 5php to pay for another wet tissue because again, I still have to have my fingerprint posted in my clerance.

5 php, to some, may be insignificant. To some, that would mean additional deduction to their budget.

Kaya nga kumukuha nang NBI clearance para makapagtrabaho eh. Eh hindi pa nakakapagtrabaho, gumagastos na ng 'hindi naman talaga kailangan'.

A Nation In Poverty

Wikipedia defines Poverty as the deprivation of those things that determine the quality of life, including food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, but also "intangibles" such as the opportunity to learn and to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens.

With the way the Philippine Economy is doing right now, one could not help but ask, "Are we really a Nation in Poverty"?

Thus, there is always the issue of Rice Shortage, the weekly shoot up of Gas Prices, Fare hikes, and the never-ending increase in the price of various commodities.

How this picture depicts what is happening, not only in our country, but in some other nations, as well.

Are we in any way deprived on the basic necessities of life? Or are we just not contended with what we have right now?

And the question still lies ahed- Are we A Nation in Poverty?

Please, please, help me find the answer.