3 ordained as deacons in Bontoc-Lagawe vicariate

By Gwncel Kay Bacwaden

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Three candidates were recently ordained here at Sta. Rita Cathedral to the Order of Deacons in the Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe by Bishop Rodolfo Beltran bringing to five the number of deacons.

Ordained were Ferdie Lumase Fulatao, Jeason Anoyan Cabacab and Harry James Mombael Gawongna.

Ferdie Lumase Fulatao is from Brangay Talubin of this capital town. Born on April 24, 1972, he studied at Lepanto Elementary School and Lepanto National High School.

He attended college at the University of Baguio but the call to vocation was strong so he opted to enter St. Peter’s Seminary, then to San Pablo Major Seminary in Baguio City.

He took classes at the Adamson University after graduation in San Pablo. Still, the call to priesthood was knocking on him so he decided to enter the Saint Vincent School of Theology.

For his apostolate, Rev. Ferdie was immersed at Fisherfolks, Talim Island, Antipolo, Rizal, with the Dumagat Community, Antipolo Rizal, Payatas Dump Site in Quezon City and Sierra Bullones, Talibon, Bohol.

He also had his summer apostolate in Lagawe Catholic Mission, Asipulo Catholic Mission, Tadian Catholic Mission and Paracelis Catholic Mission.

Jeason Anoyan Cabacab was born in Bauko town also of this province on Sept. 23, 1983.
He studied at Capinitan Elementary School, Pingad National High School for his first year before he went to Bauko Catholic School where he stayed with Father Samuel Maximo as convent boy.
According to Rev. Jeason, it was Fr. Sammie who inspired him to enter the seminary. Upon graduation in high school, he was among the first batch of orientees who enrolled at Saint Peter’s Seminary in Bontoc.

After that, he completed his Philosophy at Saint Dominic Seminary in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya and went on to complete his Theology at the Immaculate Conception School of Theology at Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

He had his summer apostolate at the mission stations of Asipulo, Hungduan, Lagawe and Bauko.

Harry James Mobael Gawongna was born Sept. 5, 1976 at Bato, Mayoyao, Ifugao.
He studied at Mayoyao Elementary School then to Assumption Academy.

According to Rev. Harry, it was Fr. Samuel Maximo who inspired him to enter the seminary when he was parish priest then of Mayoyao Catholic Mission.

It was Fr. Sammie who brought him to Saint Francis Xavier Seminary for his orientation year.
He later enrolled at San Pablo Major Seminary where he completed his Philosophical Studies and then at Saint Vincent School of Theology for his Theology.

For his apostolate, he had sectoral exposure at the Task Force on Urban Conscientiation in Quezon City and BEC Organizing in Payatas Quezon City.

Suring summer apostolate Rev. Harry was assigned in the catholic missions of Hungduan, Sadanga, Natonin and Barlig.

The assignment of the newly ordained deacons will still be announced by Bishop Rodolfo Beltran, the Apostolic Vicar of Bontoc-Lagawe.

Deacons are those who receive the “Imposition of Hands by the Bishop strengthened by the sacramental grace through diaconate ordination.”

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Imelda, Bongbong take oath at Supreme Court

LAOAG CITY -- Twenty-four years after their family was toppled from power, former first lady Imelda Marcos and son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. made a political comeback and took their oath of office at the Supreme Court Wednesday.

Mrs. Marcos, incoming congresswoman of Ilocos Norte’s second district, and her senator-elect son took their oaths before Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta.

The inauguration was held at the SC dignitary’s lounge at 2:45 p.m., said Sol Vanzi, spokesperson for the former first lady.

Vanzi said the Marcoses chose Peralta because “he is an Ilocano.”

A member of the special division of Sandiganbayan that convicted deposed President Joseph Estrada of plunder, Peralta hails from Laoag City.

Another Marcos scion, Imee, who won the gubernatorial race in Ilocos Norte, did not join her mother and brother in the oath-taking ceremony.

“Imee took her oath in the province because she led local provincial winners in Ilocos,” Vanzi said.

The election of Bongbong to the Senate gave the Marcos family their highest nationally elected post since Ferdinand Sr. was elected president in 1965 and ruled for two decades, half of that under martial law.

The Marcos patriarch was ousted in a military-backed uprising in 1986.

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OWWA allots P500,000 for repatriation of OFW

By Gina Dizon

QUEZON CITY - The month-old frozen body of Overseas Filipino Worker Benjamin Yango, English teacher in Harbin, China was flown to the Philippines on June 25.

Yango traces his roots from Bontoc, Mountain Province and Benguet.

This, as Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration chief of advocacy and information division, overseas operations coordinating service director Ed Bellido, speaking in behalf of OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon, said “OWWA shall assume the repatriation cost amounting to US$12,260.00.”

Bellido added Yango, as an active OWWA member at the time of his death, is also entitled to P120,000.00 representing death and burial benefits from the government agency.

Benjamin Yango, 33, was found dead in his apartment on May 21, 2010. He is believed to have died of heart attack two to three days before he was found by police. There was no autopsy done on his body.

It was learned that Benjamin’s wife, Fely Yango, decided to forgo autopsy of the body to prevent further delay of the body’s repatriation.

Yango’s remains was finally flown home to Baguio after a month of processing repatriation papers and sourcing funds to answer excessive repatriation costs which ballooned up RMB 86,000 or P596,000.

This led friends, relatives, and kailyans of Yango to solicit from friends and kailyans worldwide to defray the repatriation cost.

An online petition signed by nearly 200 signatories worldwide also called on the Philippine government particularly OWWA, the Philippine Embassy in China and the Undersecretary on Migrant Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines to provide monetary assistance for the repatriation of the body.

It was learned that DFA’s undersecretary for migrant workers affairs Esteban Conejos Jr said that the costs and procedural work for the repatriation of a deceased Filipino worker is the responsibility of either the worker’s employer or recruitment agency.

Yango did not go through a recruitment process.

It was also learned that Yango’s employer paid the equivalent of P14,600 for the cost of freezing of the body for 23 days.

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2 pushers get life terms for selling illegal drugs

BAGUIO CITY -- The assistant leader of a drug group in Cordillera composed of jail breakers and a female member of another narcotics group in the Ilocos Region who is also one of the suppliers of another group in the Cordillera both get life terms recently.

Rommel Viduya Aguho alias “Romeo Aguho,” assistant leader of the Manfoforong local drug group, was found guilty for transporting marijuana and sentenced to life imprisonment.

He was ordered to pay P500,000 by the First Judicial Region’s Regional Trial Court Branch 35 in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

Aguho was last apprehended on Dec. 8, 2007 at Bulanao, Tabuk, Kalinga by joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera and Bulanao police.

This brought about the dismantling of the Manfoforong Group, under Case Operation Plan “Golden Dried Leaves” of the PDEA.

The group was engaged in transporting dangerous drugs in Mountain Province and Kalinga.
“Manfoforong” means “jail escapee” in the local dialect and the group was named as such since it was composed of jail breakers.

Aguho was first nabbed by policemen for attempted rape, but escaped while in custody at the Benguet Provincial Jail.

He was surrendered later by his mother, but he again got away from detention.

While at large, he was caught with 472 kilos of dried marijuana fruiting tops in blocks, worth P11,800,000 on March 20, 2006 in Bontoc by drug law enforcers of PDEA.

Nine days later, he again fled from prison with three others, until his last capture.

Meanwhile, Phil Cayabyab Sanchez alias “Tikka”, a member of Andrada Group, which deals on shabu and operates in the Ilocos Region, was convicted to life imprisonment and to pay P5000,000 fine, as ordered by the First Judicial Region’s RTC Branch 61 in Baguio City.

Eight months earlier, on August 4, 2009, Sanchez was arrested after she sold sachets of shabu to an agent of PDEA posing as buyer at Lower Magsaysay, Baguio City.

Sanchez is a native and resident of Dagupan City in Pangasinan.

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Cosalan wants review of trade agreements

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — A legislator wants concerned national government agencies and the House of Representatives to review all bilateral trade agreements entered into by the previous administrations with other developed countries so that appropriate safety nets will be introduced for the protection of thousands of vegetable farmers from the different parts of the province.

Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan, a senior member of the Liberal Party, said agriculture stakeholders from different parts of the country have been questioning the wisdom of numerous bilateral agreements entered by the Arroyo administration with other countries, saying local farmers felt serious negative impact of the influx of imported and smuggled agricultural crops in the country the past years.

According to Cosalan, the implementation of the bilateral agreements is part of the full implementation of the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade–World Trade Organization (GATT-WTO).

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Jueteng still rampant : Baguio, Benguet execs urged: Stop gambling

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – With the pronouncement of Interior and Local Government Secretary in waiting Jessie Robredo to stop jueteng nationwide, multisectoral groups in the city and nearby Benguet challenged new officials to prioritize the stoppage of all forms of gambling in their jurisdiction.

Based on the recent inaugural speeches of city, provincial and municipal officials, anti-gambling campaign, particularly against jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling, was never mentioned despite evident jueteng bet collections in Baguio and Benguet the past years.

Religious, women, youth and other civic organizations joined hands in trying to bring to the attention of the new sect of Baguio and Benguet officials the unabated jueteng operations which are even done right in front of the noses of the police, who are supposed to be the implementors of the Anti-Gambling Law.

In Baguio alone, a notice which states “Jueteng Bet Collection is Not Allowed Here” is posted in a conspicuous place in a famous restaurant along Session road, which clearly indicates the existence of jueteng operations that were never attended by previous local and police officials.

Jueteng, the so-called poor man’s game, is drawn thrice daily after collections have been made in various designated stations that are even located near public structures in Baguio and Benguet.
The multi-sectoral groups challenged moralist leaders and dedicated police officers to have the political will in ordering the stoppage of jueteng operations in Baguio and Benguet so that people will be encouraged to work hard to earn income to sustain the living of their families rather than rely on the game of chance for their livelihood.

According to the various organizations, the overused reason that if no one will place their bets, jueteng operations will not exist should not be again used as an alibi by local and police officials since it has been time and again proven that jueteng proliferates in areas where local chief executives and regional, provincial and city police chiefs give their blessings.

While there are some local officials who are not accepting the so-called jueteng payola, the illegal form of gambling still exists in such places because unscrupulous aides of politicians are the ones benefitting from the lucrative business which are often operated by well-known gambling lords in the country.

The multi-sectoral groups claimed they will closely guard the upcoming actions of Baguio and Benguet officials regarding the illegal gambling operations in their respective areas of jurisdiction in order to help restore the morals of the people in the community, thus, they will not hesitate to consistently remind them of their failure to do so to put an end to the rampant corruption considering that the jueteng money goes a long way in the public and police service as well as in the media.

Baguio and Benguet are known juicy areas for jueteng operations because the daily gross collections amount to over P3 million.

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Sellers back to old ways: FDA seizes steroid-lazed slimming pills in Baguio

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY — Elements of the Food and Drug Administration here recently seized multi-million pesos worth of alleged steroid-laced slimming pills and mercury-tainted cosmetic products from various establishments in different parts of the city.

But then, unscrupulous sellers are back to their old ways selling the banned items.

Based on a report from the FDA, its operatives confiscated 426 boxes of Zhen De Zhou capsules and 29 boxes of Zhen De Zhou tea from various stalls at the Maharlika Livelihood Complex, Session Road, Mabini Street, Pine Arcade, Baguio Center Mall and on Rajah Soliman Street.

The FDA said seizure of the alleged steroid-laced slimming products is to protect the public from being affected with negative effects of steroids.

The confiscation of the products was in response to a warning issued by the Department of Health based on a laboratory examination that the said products and other cosmetic items are allegedly with high mercury content and that slimming products are steroid-laced.

Zhen De Zhou’s fat loss capsules and tea products are not reportedly registered products with the FDA, the DOH said.

The confiscated products are still in the custody of the FDA in the city, awaiting further instructions from the DOH central office for possible condemnation and disposal so that they will no longer be sold to the public that could compromise their health condition.

Because of the damaging results of the laboratory examination on the Chinese slimming products, the FDA reportedly ordered the manufacturer of Zhen De Zhou fat loss capsules and tea to immediately recall the products from the market.

Health authorities advised people wanting weight loss programs to refrain from using slimming capsules and other chemicals being offered by companies but instead undergo usual regular exercise to burn excess fat in one’s body.

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Beneficial tobacco products cited

By Teddy Molina

CANDON, Ilocos Sur– Anti-smoking advocates have been on the warpath against tobacco portraying it as an evil plant but, unknown to many people, several useful products have been reportedly developed and commercialized from the controversial plant.

Tobacco began to be revolutionized in 2001, records of the National Tobacco Administration showed.

It was not known if the new tack was made to pre-empt the adverse effects of the anti-smoking lobby to the growing of the plant.

According to NTA Administrator Carlitos Encarnacion, the plant’s evolution as raw material for beneficial products was triggered by the “relentless and persistent” research and development activities of the agency which he said had resulted in the discovery of the new industrial products.

He said that NTA has its hands full making sure its trailblazing efforts do not go to waste so that, in turn, they would benefit the farmers and consumers as well as help boost the national economy.

He identified these pioneering tobacco products as: Tobacco dust which was reportedly discovered as an efficient organic molluscicide cum fish nutrient fertilizer for use in brackish and freshwater fishponds. tobacco virgin pulp for the manufacture of paper, handmade paper and handicrafts, tobacco extract in natural and decolorized formulations suitable as organic pesticide for mango, vegetables and ornamentals, Ethanol/alcohol; and pharmaceutical/veterinary products that allegedly include liniments, pediculicide, and animal soap and shampoo.

It was learned that the tobacco agency had established a tobacco dust processing factory in July last year. The plant, located in Sto. Tomas, La Union, has been producing shipments of dust materials, with poor grade tobacco leaves called ‘reject’ and sweepings from tobacco trading centers as raw materials for delivery to fishpond operators in Central Luzon.

The NTA is also set to put up a tobacco pulp processing plant in Santa, Ilocos Sur.

“NTA is in earnest pursuit of these pioneering products to maximize the tobacco industry’s contribution to the country’s economy, being one of its strongest pillars generating more than P30 billion revenue for the government every year and providing income and sustenance to more than two million people that include more than 600 thousand farmers and their families,” NTA corporate planning chief Rex Antonio Teoxon said.

He said the new tobacco products, when commercialized simultaneously, would generate 11,500 new jobs and an income of P230 million in the initial year of operation which he said would translate to 76,000 jobs and P1.56 billion in income during a four-year period.

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Japan not buying World War II soldiers' remains

MABALACAT, Pampanga– The Japanese embassy has debunked reports that skeletal remains of Filipinos dug up from local graves are being passed off as those of Japanese soldiers who died in the country during World War II.

Motohiko Kato, minister and deputy chief of mission of the Japanese embassy, said the Japanese government is not paying for the remains of the Japanese soldiers, contrary to reports that an alleged Tokyo-based syndicate has been shelling out P1,000 per set of bones.

“For the collected remains of Japanese soldiers in the Philippines, we respect the legal procedure in the Philippines,” Kato said.

Kato said officials of the National Museum have been actively participating in locating and identifying the remains of Japanese soldiers.

Kato was reacting to an allegation of Japanese businessman Koji Nakamura who informed Mabalacat, Pampanga tourism officer Guy Hilbero that a group that he identified as “Ken Tai” has allegedly been buying skeletal remains, including those supposedly belonging to deceased Filipinos, for P1,000 per set of bones.

Hilbero was one of the founders of the Kamikaze shrine in Mabalacat town where the Kamikaze suicide squad of the Japanese imperial forces was founded during World War II.

Nakamura expressed doubts on the authenticity of the skeletal remains reportedly forwarded by the group to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Kato, however, said, “In our understanding, Kuentai, whose activities are under the guidance of the Japanese government, has never bought the collected bones.”

Kato said Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has requested Kuentai, a non-profit organization, to assist in the retrieval of the skeletal remains of Japanese soldiers in the Philippines “in the Japanese fiscal year 2009 and 2010, from April 2009 to March 2010.”

“The Japanese government has undertaken the verification of bones in the most careful manner in close cooperation with the Philippine government,” Kato said.

“Please note that the procedures have been developed as a result of various collected remains from collectors or informants duly notarized. Comments or advices are requested as necessary from local residents living in the area for a long time,” Kato added.

After such procedures, Kato said authorized representatives of the National Museum, which is under the Office of the President, and representatives of Japanese government missions “review and examine the remains.”

“Thereafter, the National Museum representative issues a certification recognizing the collected remains as the Japanese soldiers’ remains. Finally we send the said remains back to Japan with the certification,” Kato said.

“The Japanese government has never bought the collected remains from anyone,” Kato said.

“It should be recognized by the Filipino public that the Japanese government received the cooperation of the National Museum in searching for the remains of Japanese soldiers in the country,” he added.

At this time of the year, the Japanese people are preparing for their annual ancestral ceremony called Bon held either in July or August, which, along with the New Year’s celebration, is considered to be one of the two most important observances in Japan.

During the Bon ceremony, family members go back to their parental homes to honor their dead who are believed to return there at this time.

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ADB, JICA set P1.6 billion for rehab of Cordillera watersheds

BAGUIO CITY – At least P1.6 billion will be made available by two prestigious foreign lending institutions to rehabilitate the rapidly deteriorating watersheds in the Cordillera particularly in Mountain Province and Ifugao, starting third quarter of this year.

Out of the said amount, P900 million from the Asian Development Bank in the form of a loan will be utilized for the rehabilitation of the Chico River watershed basin that strands from Mountain province and Kalinga while P800 will come from the Japan International Cooperating Agency and will be spent for the massive reforestation of the Ifugao watersheds.

Clarence Baguilat, regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Cordillera, said the agency will make sure that the funds will be utilized for its purpose so that the denuded forests will be able to regain its beauty in the next five to ten years once the trees to be planted grown.

The influx of international support will lessen rapid deterioration of watersheds and forests after the onslaught of strong typhoons that resulted in numerous deaths and damaged many properties.

The ADB assistance is intended for the agency’s integrated natural resources and environmental management project within the jurisdiction of the Chico river basin while the JICA funds will be for the reforestation of the Ifugao watersheds for a three-year period.

According to Baguilat, the funding agencies gave importance to the reforestation of the Ifugao watersheds because it serves as the watershed basin for the 360-megawatt Magat dam that generates power for the Luzon grid and provides irrigation water for vast tracks of agricultural lands in the Cagayan Valley .

On the other hand, he explained the ADB project is focused within the Chico river to slowly return the rich volume of water flowing into the river system to sustain the irrigation of thousands of hectares of farms in Kalinga, Isabela and parts of Cagayan since the same river system connects with the Cagayan river, the longest river in Northern Luzon.

Aside from reforestation, the two vital watershed management projects are aimed at empowering host communities to be the stewards of their environment through agro-forestry whereby the fruits that will be produced by the trees will be part of their compensation so that they will not be tempted to cut the trees for domestic and commercial purposes. -- Dexter A. See

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Cachero designated as acting Ilocos PNP chief

By Mar T. Supnad

CAMP GEN. OSCAR FLORENDO, La Union- Police Chief Supt. Manuel H. Cachero, formerly the Deputy Regional Director for Administration of Police Regional Office 1, was named last week to the PRO1 top post while waiting for a regular one to be designated by President Aquino.

Cachero replaced Chief Supt. Constante D. Azares, Jr. who retired from the police service on June 22 upon reaching the compulsory retirement age of 56.

Cachero’s designation as PRO1 acting regional director effective June 23 was by virtue of General Orders Number 1408 issued on the same date by the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame , Quezon City .

Unless he can impress the new president, Cachero's post maybe for the time being only since Pres. Aquino may appoint his own man to the highest top PNP post here.

Married with two children, Cachero, 53, is a native of La Union, having been born in Naguilian town where he also finished his elementary and secondary education.

He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1978, has a master’s degree in government management, and also holds the rank of Career Executive Officer VI.

Then a senior superintendent, he became deputy director of the PNP finance service prior to his assignment to PRO1 in December 2008 as deputy for operations.

He later served as the deputy for administration during which he was promoted to the star rank of police chief superintendent.

The position of regional director here remains vacant since Azares, retired in the service last June 22, leaving the highest and sensitive position to a mere "caretaker" while the PNP leadership is awaiting President Aquino’s appointment of a regular RD.

"It is a matter of courtesy to the incoming president and for the meantime, the PNP designated my deputy Chief Supt. Manuel Cachero as officer in charge while we are waiting for the regular RD to be designated by the new president ," said Azares.

Meanwhile, several police officers here appealed to the PNP leadership not to violate Republic Act 8551 by not designated retiring officers to a sensitive positions.

The police officers' action came in the wake of reported imminent designation of a retiring police general who is reportedly moving heaven and earth to get the RD position following the retirement of Azares last June 22, after reaching the mandatory age of 56.

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New beginning, new hope, old dream

EDITORIAL

At high noon last June 30, President Benign “Noynoy” Aquino III was sworn in as the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines. Swept to victory on a campaign for “Pagbabago” (Change) and a message of “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” (If there is no corruption, there is no poverty), Noynoy garnered the highest percentage of votes since the end of the Marcos dictatorship. Indeed, it was a clear mandate for change and rejection of the culture of corruption spawned during the nine and a half years of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s tumultuous presidency.

In a symbolic demonstration of change, Noynoy made changes to the way he was inaugurated as the country’s leader for the next six years. Gone are the long speeches, inaugural parades and pompous inaugurals balls. Instead there was a “street party” at the Quezon Memorial Circle in the evening. It was a people’s celebration of the dawn of a new era of Pagbabago. The austere cost of the inauguration signified the frugal tone of his presidency. He shunned the glamour of regal living in Malacañang Palace and settled for a simple place of abode near the palace.

The recently announced cabinet lineup includes new faces that emote the spirit of Pagbabago as well as experienced and proven executives who would see to it that this government would hit the ground running on Day One. After his swearing-in, Noynoy gave a stirring 20-minute speech where he crystallized his fight against corruption.

He said, “Ang sinumang nagkamali ay kailangang humarap sa hustisya” (Those who erred must face justice). And to make his point clear, he said: “To those who are talking about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no reconciliation without justice.” Yes, indeed.

He promised to review the “midnight appointments” of former president Arroyo and to clean up the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs of corruption to increase revenues.

After leading the “Pamata ng Pagbabago” (Pledge of Change) with the people, Noynoy was honored by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as their new Commander-in- Chief. After that he motored to Malacañang to preside over his first cabinet meeting. Noynoy’s ascendancy manifests a new beginning for a country beset with crises and whose constitution has been changed so many times that nothing seems to work anymore.

Since 1987 when the constitution was changed last in the aftermath of the first “people power” revolution of 1986, several attempts were made to amend it but failed. Noynoy doesn’t have to change the constitution to implement the changes he wants. All he needs is the will power that would give him the strength and determination to withstand the resistance from the defenders of status quo.

He promised to fight corruption and end poverty. The human being, we believe, is inherently honest; however, the temptation to commit corruption is always present. And if undeterred, corruption becomes a way of life, particularly for those who hold positions of authority. Then it becomes the standard for doing business, not only in the public sector but also in the private sector.”

Noynoy plans to create an independent commission to investigate and prosecute corruption cases during the Arroyo administration. He calls it the “Truth Commission” and it will be headed by retiredSupreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. Ironically, it was Davide who swore in Gloria as president after Joseph Estrada was deposed in January 2001. Would he remain impartial and fair as the “Grand Inquirer” investigating Gloria’s alleged corruption?

So far, the people like what Noynoy said about fighting corruption and ending poverty. Indeed, there is sense of “new hope” that, finally, things are going to change… for the better. It’s a Herculean task for Noynoy, but it is doable.

A study made by Management Systems International in Washington, DC, in 2003, has concluded: “Corruption has direct consequences on economic and government factors, intermediaries that in turn produce poverty.” The study produced two models.

On the one hand, the “economic model” postulates that corruption affects poverty by first impacting economic growth factors, which, in turn, impact poverty levels. In other words, “Increased corruption reduces economic growth which would increase poverty.” On the other hand, the “government model” asserts that corruption affects poverty by first influencing governance factors, which, in turn, impact poverty levels. In other words, “Increased corruption reduces governance capacity which would increase poverty.”

What is needed is a sustained effort to prosecute corrupt officials -- ruthlessly, expeditiously, and judiciously. Ruthlessly it must -- take no prisoners. Expeditiously it must -- justice delayed is justice denied. And judiciously it must -- the court must be free of interference, from within and without. It should be incorruptible and “untouchable.”

Can Noynoy do it? Would the Supreme Court cooperate? With the Chief Justice and nine associate justices perceived to be indebted -- “utang na loob” -- and partial to Arroyo, it remains to be seen if Noynoy could put a closure to corruption cases involving the Arroyos and others. The High Court could be the Arroyos’ “Court of Final Redemption.”

Noynoy should set the tone of his presidency in the first 100 days. The fight against corruption must start on Day One. If he is truly keen about eradicating corruption and poverty, as he promised, then there must be discipline at all levels of the government. He must relentlessly pursue the real truth -- not the “manufactured” truth -- and prosecute those who have stolen from the people.

Noynoy concluded his inaugural speech by saying: “The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality.” Indeed, it’s a dream as old as the First Republic when Filipinos declared their independence from Spain in 1896. That dream has eluded us as we fall prey to the dominion of corrupt governments.

Noynoy’s presidency ushers in a new beginning of Pagbabago and ignites hope that our dream would soon become a reality. After hearing his inaugural speech, Noynoy may have what it takes to fight corruption.

“My parents sought nothing less and died for nothing less than democracy, peace and prosperity. I am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward,” he said.

Carry on Noynoy, lead and the people would be right behind you.

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Sex education sparks conflicting cultural values

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon

(This week’s column is written by veteran journalist Hilarion ‘Abe’ Pawid who is now staying in the US. One of my mentors in writing, he used to write for different local and national publications while in the Philippines before and after he became mayor of La Trinidad, Benguet among other positions. I hope we could convince him to write a column in this paper from a perspective of a journalist living outside the country considering his busy schedule. He sent this article saying he still has the “itch to write” so here goes):

Talking about sex in public in the fastnesses of the Cordillera region is culturally taboo.

Even the utterance of reproductive private parts is not condoned by elders who hold true to traditions of decency. Even the natural Ilocano expression: “Uki’n nam”has yet to be generally accepted among Cordillerans despite the fact that they have adopted the Ilocano dialect as a natural communication language among themselves.

Starting this school year, pupils in elementary to high school years in Ifugao and Mt. Province will be taught sex education in Pilipino. Both are among eleven local government units targeted to pilot the sex education program funded by the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA).

Despite cultural conservative stance, grade school pupils from grades IV onwards can start talking freely of “kantutan”, “iyut”, “buto” “oki” etc. and how babies are made and born. Sad to note that this setting was allowed to evolve during the watch of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Ironically, it could be dubbed as one of her legacies in the Cordillera mountain villages.

It would become a moral dilemma if the parents in Ifugao and Mt. Province will be consulted. As one parent stated: “as a rule of thumb, one starts thinking about sex until after reaching the age of puberty.” She went on to say that no Parents-Teachers-Association meeting was ever called to discuss whether to accept the UNFPA program.

Presently the program has definitely sparked conflicting cultural values where sex talk is not permissive. How prepared, comfortable and effective are school teachers in imparting the value of sex education is another critical concern. The program may do more bad than good.

In published reports however, the regional director Josefina Tamondong of the Dept. of Education, say that parents “had not objected to sex education lessons incorporated in the Home Education subject of Grades IV, V and VI, as well as the Biology subject in high school”.

She went on to add that the program “may be less controversial because of their (Ifugao and Mt. Province ) predominantly Protestant residents”. Although others disagree with her assessment.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) earlier raised objections to the program and sought for dialogue with the authorities in the Dept. of Education. However, time has caught up with the changing of the guards as the next administration of President Noynoy Aquino is taking over starting July l. On the other hand, CBCP lawyers have assisted a number of parents in filing a case against the implementation of the program in a court of law in Quezon City .

According to Miriam Baguidudul, provincial population officer, the program was already pilot tested in Ifugao last school year. She says it is a joint program of both the provincial government and the UNFPA. “Sex education will minimize teenage and unplanned pregnancies and, at the same time reduce the increasing number of abortion cases,” Baguidudul was quoted.

DepEd authorities also said that “the selected schools where sex education has been introduced are mostly found in rural areas with incidents of sexually transmitted diseases, among other factors.”

On his part, provincial UNFPA officer Hector Follosco also said that the program may establish teen centers “… to divert the young from engaging in other activities that result to early marriage, unwanted pregnancies and the possibility of acquiring the dreaded sexually transmitted diseases”. – abepawid@yahoo.com

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Gloria’s ‘My Last Farewell’

PERRYSCOPE
Perry Diaz

After lame duck prez Gloria Macapagal Arroyo left Malacanang Palace, my investigative reporter James Macaquecquec visited the vacated First Family’s quarters and found a document under the mattress of the First Couple’s bed. A note was attached to it saying: “To be published after I step down.”

My Last Farewell
by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Farewell, my Inang Bayan, land of the morning sun,
Pearl of the Orient Sea, Paradise lost.
With gladness I gave you my life,
With sadness I leave you now.

I made a lot of promises,
Some of which I kept.
I promised to end poverty,
But in the end, the poor end up eating pagpag.

I promised to stop corruption,
But in the end, power corrupted me.
I promised to end the communist insurgency,
But in the end, Gen. Delfin Bangit failed to end it.

I promised to create jobs,
But in the end, 3,000 Filipinos leave everyday to look for jobs abroad.
I promised to end the deficit,
But in the end, I left Noynoy with a P400 billion deficit.

I wish I was more honest,
But instead I became too greedy.
I wish I had served the interest of the people better,
But instead I served my own best interests.

I wish I listened to my critics,
But instead I listened to my husband, Mike.
I tried to improve the economy,
But instead only the oligarchs and my friends benefited from it.

I tried to govern with integrity, credibility, and accountability,
But instead the people called me the “Most Corrupt President in Philippine History.”
I asked the people what they want,
And they said, “Return the money you stole.”

I asked the people to give me another chance to make good my promises,
But they said, “Alis dyan!”
I dreamed of transforming the country into an enchanted kingdom in 20 years,
But the people said, “No way, that’s too long for you to stay in power. Go away!”

I wanted to amend the constitution by way of a people’s initiative to stay in power,
But Justice Antonio Carpio penned a ruling rejecting the people’s initiative petition.
I wanted to change the constitution by way of a Constituent Assembly,
But Cory Aquino passed away and nobody would dare change her constitution.

I planned to stay in power by other means,
But Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales bungled the job.
I put up my own candidate for president,
But my “kiss of death” killed Gibo Teodoro’s candidacy.

When Gibo appeared to be losing I supported another candidate secretly,
But the media discovered it and exposed my “secret candidate,” Villarroyo.
I appointed 250 midnight appointees,
Hoping that they’ll be there when I needed them.

I appointed a Midnight Chief Justice,
Hoping that he’ll be kind to me when my plunder cases reach the Supreme Court.
I promoted the government lawyers and made their jobs permanent and secure,
Hoping that they’d be indebted to me and kinder when they’re prosecuting me.

I got all the bases covered,
Including a castle in Portugal where I can go to exile if I have to.
And now the end is near,
With heavy heart I leave thee, my Inang Bayan.

I lived a life that’s full,
I had fun spending P3 billion in 107 foreign junkets.
Regrets I’ve had a few,
But my biggest regret is that I failed to stay in power longer.

I bit off more than I could chew,
However, I enjoyed every bit of it.
I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried,
And I’ll miss all the games I played with the generals.

And now as tears subside,
I’m glad I survived it all.
The record shows I took the blows,
But I hit back with all my strength.

For what is a woman what has she got,
If not her moolah then she has none.
And so I face the final curtain,
I say this to all my enemies -- to hell with you all!
Yes! I did it my way.
(PerryDiaz@gmail. com)

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Planting, singing hope

BENCHWARMER
Ramon Dacawi

It was show and tell, in that order, for them to start teaching the children well. That’s how local folksingers marked their reunion last Arbor Day, with kids and teachers of the Longlong Elementary School in La Trinidad, Benguet.

They first asked retired agriculture teacher Ben Dimas to show them and the kids how to plant coffee seedlings on the sloping ground behind the school. Mr. Dimas, of the Benguet State University, proved that coffee can grow beside resinous pine trees. Together, they planted 300 of the Arabica variety. They then washed up, tuned their guitars and, in an instant concert, told in song the substance of what they did with the kids.

“You, who’re on the road, must have a code that you can live by,” chorused expatriates Conrad Marzan and Bryan Aliping with incoming La Trinidad mayor Greg Abalos, Benguet provincial health officer Steve Piok, lawyer Bubut Olarte, farmer Dick Oakes, journalists March Fianza and Alfred Dizon.

The kids took the drift, clapping to the rhythm of CSNY’s “Teach Your Children” with their teachers led by school principal Carmel Meris. With them were incoming Baguio councilors Peter Fianza and Phylian Weygan, forester Emil Damogo, nursery foreman Nestor de Guzman, former folk house managers Pok and Jimmy Chan, teacher Paeng Marzan, “balikbayan” John Allan Jr. and other guests helped the kids dig the plant holes.

Conrad, who continues to mount concerts with other expats in Northern California for the sick here, arrived home recently with wife Pilar and son Nicolas. They came to visit his daughter Soliel and to meet, for the first time, Wolfgang, his 10-month old grandson.

“Let’s plant trees and then sing,” he said on his arrival. As he and Bryan used to with kids under the Eco-walk program at the Busol Watershed.

Alumni of the University of Baguio Science High had the same thing in mind. They wanted to help the kids of Longlong grow a coffee plantation. The project offered the alumni a way to honor Emmett Brown Asuncion, their former school director they swear taught them what they needed to know to be what they are now.

The parents, teachers and community association of Longlong approved the project early this year. The annual harvest – and sale – of coffee beans, starting four to five years from now, would hopefully build a trust fund for the college education of their children.

That collective hope blends with what Asuncion did – using his teachers’ pay for student scholarships. It left him almost with nothing when he suffered a stroke, prompting his former students and university officials to foot his hospital bills and the funeral expenses after died early last September..

At the wake, Jan Bugante of Class ’97, recalled Emmett telling his batch that if they needed to remember him, it might as well be through a plant that grows.

A week before Conrad and Bryan came home, a handful from UBSHS’s Class ’68 soft-launched the project, planting 100 seedlings with the kids. When he heard, incoming mayor Abalos, of Class ’76, followed it up, with his batch teaming up with Conrad’s group for Arbor Day.

Below the rows of seedlings, the group added a pine sapling that Nicolas hugged and carried down to serve like a sentinel tree watching over the coffee trees. It’s in memory of Alicia Castro, a Baguio girl who recently succumbed to cancer while raising her kids in Aruba . Her husband, folk musician Tom Castro, brought her home late May for the wake and burial.

Freddie de Guzman, a Baguio boy living in Canada , heard of the initial effort. With dispatch, he sent P15,000 with the advice: “Please. allot P5,000.00 to open a bank account for the project you mentioned (to start the ball rolling), P10,000 to patients needing treatment and medications and the remaining P487 for your coffee.”

Word on the fund’s arrival came as the lyrics wafted into the air: “Teach your children well/Their father’s hell did slowly go by/And feed them on your dreams/The one they pick, the one you’ll know by/ Don’t you ever ask them why/If they told you, you would cry/So just look at them and sigh/ And know they love you…”

The musicians then repaired to the home economics room for lunch, courtesy of a friend of Conrad. “He helps each time he hears of a good cause,” Conrad said.

Over coffee, the band agreed on an encore performance on July 10 at the Kalei’s Bar in La Trinidad. It will be for Longlong fourth grader Delson Lipawen, a farmer’s son afflicted with congenital heart defect.

Delson couldn’t plant but was thrilled hearing them belt out nursery rhymes. The sign of what’s wrong showed on his bluish lips and fingernails, like he had just munched a bowl of mulberries.
Outside the mess hall, forester Damogo and De Guzman studied a slope they found ideal for terracing into a tree nursery, so the kids can later sell seedlings while waiting for their plantation to bear red berries. (e-mail: mondaxbench@yahoo.com for comments).

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P-Noy’s wang-wang speech equalizes La Trinidad pinoys

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

On July 10, volunteer-musicians will perform in a “concert for a cause” for nine-year old Delson Lipawen at the Kalei’s Grille and Restaurant, Caoili Bldg., Km.4, La Trinidad, Benguet.

Dubbed “Saturday Night: Live at Kalei’s,” all proceeds of the benefit concert will be donated to Delson, a fourth grader at Longlong Elementary School who has a heart problem.

In last week’s tree planting activity behind the school, Principal Carmen Meris informed me, Ramon Dacawi and Alfred Dizon that Delson often skips his classes as he easily gets tired due to his heart disease.

The show is being supported by Mayor Greg Abalos, Congressman Ronald Cosalan, Felipe Caoili Jr. and Claudio Corpuz Jr. of Kalei’s Grille, Engineer Joey Marrero of the Benguet Electric Cooperative, Binhi, Blugraz composed of singing lawyers Bubut Olarte, Rolly Vergara, Angie Cabrera, Alma Sarah, Nes Mondok; homecoming musicians Conrad Marzan, Bryan Aliping and Felix Tayaotao; Bow, Pedals and Necks; Propagandia, Trance Mission, 13th Issue, former councilor Tommy Chamos, Dr. Steve Piok and Band and other surprise guests.

The concert will be Conrad’s latest appearance and performance to the Baguio-Benguet crowd that he used to sing to, before he leaves again for the US .
***
It is not as simple as apprehending people who violate Presidential Decree 96. President Noy’s statement in his inaugural speech outlawing the use of sirens tells us about an awakening of the Pinoy discipline that has been sleeping for too long in the past so many years because a government has forced it to be so.

In his speech, P-Noy said “walang lamangan, walang padrino at walang pagnanakaw, walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong.” (no more influence-peddling, no more patronage politics, no more stealing, no more sirens, no more short cuts, no more bribes).

Noynoy further said that it is not the Pinoy’s fault that the government is now what it is today.“Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin.” (Have you ever been ignored by the very government you helped install in power? I have).

“Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin.” (Have you endured being rudely shoved aside by siren-blaring escorts of people who boast about their position and power over you? I have).

“Kayo ba ay sawang-sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin.” (Have you become tired of a government that, instead of serving the people, needs to be endured by you? I have).

On Sept. 21, 1972; then President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Proclamation 1081, placing the entire country under Martial Law. Of course, the military arrested criminal elements, opposition leaders including Benigno Aquino, journalists, student and labor activists.

With the single stroke of a pen, Marcos shut down Congress and assumed its legislative functions. During that period, hundreds of presidential decrees were issued and one of them was PD 96 which took effect January 1973.

This Martial Law decree declares the “unlawful use of motor vehicle attachments such as sirens, bells, horns, whistles, or similar gadgets that emit exceptionally loud or startling sounds, including domelights and other flashing devices.”

With Noynoy’s statement against the wang-wang, PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa immediately deployed cops to confiscate the gadgets from private motorists and government vehicles, including those attached in motor vehicles privately owned by policemen.

“Director General Verzosa also relayed the order to all police commanders nationwide after the use of the gadget was mentioned in the inaugural speech of President Noynoy,” said Police Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman.

"The Philippine National Police will align and follow all the programs and policies of President Benigno C. Aquino III regarding the use of sirens. The PNP will immediately coordinate with the Land Transportation Office, the primary implementing office of PD 96, for the immediate implementation of this Presidential directive," he said.

Despite all these updates relative to P-Noy’s statement, many police commanders stare blankly as if they do not know what to do with Verzosa’s order.

During the first-ever presscon conducted by Mayor Greg Abalos Jr. as La Trinidad chief executive, together with VM Romy Salda, Admin. Charles Canuto and municipal lawyer Mauricio Cating Jr., it was not clear if Police Chief Insp. Freddie Lazona who was also present, was up to obeying the order.

To give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe Lazona has not received the order from his superiors, knows nothing about the illegality of wang-wangs attached to private cars, or even if he knows that it is illegal, he has to await for the order to act accordingly from his immediate boss – the PD and RD.

Well that is the kind of government many of our officials and people have gotten used to – wait for orders to act even if a crime is ongoing in front of their noses.

Take the case of Jueteng. It is rampant in Baguio , La Trinidad and in many parts of the Cordillera. The police know where the pagbolaans are but they are apprehending no one.

And that precisely is the reason for Noynoy’s speech where he said that it is not him who found a way. “You are the reason why the silent suffering of the nation is about to end. This is the beginning of my burden, but if many of us will bear the cross we will lift it, no matter how heavy it is.”

It simply means that all of us, including Mayor Abalos, VM Salda, Admin. Canuto, Atty. Cating and Chief Insp. Lazona, will have to do his role in order to realize the changes that the rest of the Pinoys dream of. In that presscon, Abalos said “anything that is illegal should be stopped.” I do not know if Lazona understood that or will he still have to wait for an order?

By the way, I still clearly remember things that happened some 20 years ago when a team of policemen raided a jueteng den in Baguio. The policemen who conducted the raid were sacked from their posts.

Again, somewhere around 2001-2004, a misunderstanding between some elected officials and the local chief of police of La Trinidad were mired in a misunderstanding over shares in “finances.” What happened next? Of course, the chief of police was sacked by the mayor.

I believe that is not what we still want after P-Noy said “kayo ang boss ko,” referring to all Filipinos “kaya’t hindi maaaring hindi ako makinig sa mga utos ninyo. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to the people’s needs and aspirations.”

Hence, when Mayor Abalos, a true-blue La Trinidad boy who grew up with the valley’s clean rivers and green mountains said in his speech last June 29 that his administration will come up with a comprehensive development plan, he said it thinking that it will be a plan that everyone will agree to undertake.

I, too expect that many changes will happen in La Trinidad, Baguio , Benguet or anywhere, but only if the wang-wangs, the icon of anti-discipline and arrogance will be removed. –marchfianza777@yahoo.com

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Development planning in provinces

NO HOLDS BARRED
Ike Señeres

With a new batch of provincial governors either elected or reelected, the provinces now have a fresh opportunity to plan or re-plan the course of their local development, as the case may be. As they face this new or renewed challenge, they also have to reckon with the additional tasks of dealing with both climate change and global warming.

In theory, the provincial governments are supposed to organize and work with the so-called Provincial Development Councils (PDCs), but in actual practice, it is unfortunate to note that many PDCs are not operational, and even if they are, they seem to be lagging behind in their work. It is now up to the local people to demand for the activation of their own PDCs, that is if they want any development to happen in their own provinces.

I believe that there is something that is fundamentally wrong in the present structure of the PDCs. The mayors of component cities and towns are supposed to be members, but there seems to be no apparent consciousness that they are attending the meetings (if they do) not as individual persons, but as heads of their official city or town delegations.

In the Local Government Code (LGC), the “towns” are referred to as the “municipalities”, but I will write here again, as I have always written, that we need to use “municipalities” as the collective term to refer to both the cities and the towns. There is also trouble in the use of the term technical “component”, because it excludes the so-called “chartered” cities, even if they are physically located within the province.

For all intents and purposes, the PDC is supposed to be the clearing house of all municipal development plans (hence the need for a collective term), prior to the integration of the provincial development plans, in preparation for submission to the Regional Development Councils (RDCs). In turn, the RDCs are supposed to prepare their own regional development plans.

How in the world could the PDC prepare a real comprehensive and a fully integrated provincial development plan if the chartered cities are not part of their rounds of meetings? Even if the legal fiction exists that the chartered cities are technically not part of the provinces, how could they deny the fact that the chartered cities are economically, biologically and geographically part of their physical province?

The LGC stipulates that the Congressman or his representative is supposed to be a member of the PDC. It is unbelievable, but the law actually gives the Congressman the built-in excuse not to attend the PDC meetings, leaving him out of any substantive discussions that are directly related to the integrated development planning of his own constituency.

In theory, the Countryside Development Fund (CDF) is supposed to a remedial fund that will address the local needs of a congressional constituency that could not be “seen” or “appreciated” by Congress as a whole. If that is really the case, then why not subject the CDF to the disposition of the PDC, instead of the subjective determination of the Congressman?

By design, the municipal development plans are supposed to be funded by the Internal Revenue Allocations (IRAs) of the municipalities (this being my suggested collective term). In reality however, the IRAs are almost always not enough to fund the local needs, hence the suggestion that it should be beefed up by the CDF.

Also by design, the LGC allows the municipalities to enter into creative financing options in order to finance the components of their municipal development plans that could not be funded by their own revenue collections, and by their IRAs. These options include joint venture agreements (JVAs) with the private sector, and the build-operate-transfer (BOT) schemes (there are several such schemes).

By now, it should be known to all municipal and provincial officials that the business process outsourcing (BPO) approach is working very well for the private sector. Since for all intents and purposes the BPO scheme is allowed under the LGC, they should now look into this additional option. The BPO approach makes good sense for them, because it would free them from the need to buy their own equipment and to hire their own additional staff.

Watch KA IKING LIVE! Saturdays 8 pm to 9 pm in Global News Network (GNN), Channel 21 in Destiny Cable. Email iseneres@yahoo.com or text +639293605140 for local cable listings. Visit www.senseneres.blogspot.com

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A hopeful administration

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

As President Benigno Aquino III vows to set up systems to curb if not stop corruption, it remains a big challenge on how this gargantuan task can be worked out.

Considering the seemingly cancerous nerves of corruption which has ingrained in Philippine politics along with dishonest attitude among corrupt government officials and officers, corruption remains the biggest plague that remains in Philippine politics eating people’s hearts and impoverishing them.

Amnesty International lists the Philippines number 139th with a high perception rate of 2.4 ranked in the same level with Pakistan and Bangladesh in its 2009 Worldwide Corruption Perception.Among 180 countries worldwide, the developed countries of New Zealand, Singapore, Denmark,Netherlands, Australia and Canada are among the top countries with low perception rates at 94.

Also, the 2006 World Competitiveness Survey by the Switzerland-based Institute for Management Development ranked the Philippines 60th on bribery and corruption among 61 countries surveyed. In the 2007 report of the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy PERC), the Philippines ranked the worst corrupt country in Asia, worsening sharply in 2006.

In September 2006, a World Bank Report on Worldwide Governance Indicators showed a sharp decline in the Philippines’ ranking in the control of corruption, from 50.5 percent in 1998 to 37.4 percent in 2005.

The public is familiar with these: the allegedly overpriced P1.2-billion Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, the Commission on Elections’ P1.3-billion poll computerization program, the P728-million fertilizer scam and the $329-million national broadband network deal with ZTE Corp. Apart from these are scores of other “minor’’ cases that have not been given publicity.

Start with elections where money literally flows from candidates to the electorate buy votes. Where the money comes from is common knowledge that such may have been sourced from commissions from government contracts or funds technically released and tainted with questions of fund diversion. Such is common knowledge again that another round of corruption will follow.

We can only look at our Local Government Units and corrupt government agencies as theBureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Public Works and Highways and take note of examples of corruption. We can see this in substandard infrastructure projects and bloated project costs. It may be your municipal hall or a community gym, a non-existent water project or a road rehabilitation with matching ripraps. Or it may involve a ghost project which never materialized. Or it may involve questionable travel expenses which goes double one’s monthly salary taken in the same month.
***
Comes now come backing governor Leonard Mayaen as Mountain Province’s next governor. What changes will he bring for Mountain Province? And how about congressman-elect Maximo Dalog? As Dalog’s administration rocked with reported cases of corruption, a dark cloud hovers on how much and what he can do for Mountain Province people in his equally rocky way as congressman-elect.

This goes true with other provincial officials, municipal mayors and new members of the legislative board. How genuine will they implement programs to benefit their own constituents who brought them to their seats?

As Mountain Province stands still within the country’s poorest 20 provinces, the challenge of implementing programs honesty and genuinely for the good of the people remains a top call.
Corruption as everybody knows is common knowledge in this corrupt-ridden country. How to get rid of it is a standing question. It can be done if people question.

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Full 20% discount to all senior citizens

SUPPLEMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
Jhunie B. Wahayna

Starting July 06, 2010, all the senior citizens in the country will enjoy additional discounts. The Department of Social Works and Development (DSWD) has signed the implementing rules on the law granting senior citizens exemption from the value-added tax (VAT).

The guideline signed by the DSWD is the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010, which was published on June 21, 2010 on national daily newspapers.

Under the new law, senior citizens are exempted from 12% VAT, thus allowing them to fully enjoy the 20% discount on essential goods and services, including but not limited to food, medicines, and professional fees of doctors. Prior to the implementation of the Expanded Senior Citizen Act, they were only able to enjoy 8% of the supposed 20% discount because of the VAT.

With the implementation of the law, senior citizens will also be able to get discount on fares for land, air and sea travel, as well as hotel stay, admission to theaters and movie houses, concerts and similar leisure activities.

There is also a provision in the law that allows a 5% discount on monthly water and electricity bills as long as the household meters are registered under the senior citizen's name and consumption does not exceed 100 per kilowatt hour for electricity, and 30 cubic meters for water.

Indigent or non-pensioner senior citizens will also be entitled to a monthly pension of P500, free medical insurance and disability insurance through Phil Health, and burial assistance worth P2,000.

Every senior citizen in the world deserves some slack. They have worked so hard and paid their dues to society, it is the society's turn to serve them. However, some businesses, because of low margins and/or greed totally refuse to comply with the law or have drafted internal regulations undermining it.

The senior citizens are like soldiers who refuse to die or fade away. Some of them have united and has started to fight back due to number of establishments have been reported to adamantly refuse to provide the benefits in part or in full. A number of senior citizens have even refused to avail of the Senior Citizens Card claiming that the refusals to provide them with the benefits have caused public spats and embarrassments because it made them look like beggars.

Looking at the provisions of the law, penalties for violations of the law are as follows: P 50,000 to 100,000 and imprisonment of 6 months to 2 years for the first violation. P 100,000 to P200,000 and imprisonment of 2 to 6 years for the succeeding violations.

The measure also expands the penalties for establishments that refuse to grant the benefits. Establishments found violating the law, including their owners, managers and personnel, may be fined a penalty of not less than P10,000 but not more than P50,000, or imprisonment of not less than a month but not more than six months.

The law, right or wrong, is the law. Until it is repealed, there is nothing we can do but give to Ceasar what belongs to him. The law must be applied to all establishments who will violate Republic Act 9994, and who will not respect and give discount to our senior citizens.

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Family business

BUSINESS BITS
Kendrick Go

The conventional wisdom is that one must always separate business matters from personal affairs, but what if personal matters do spill over to the business side?

This is the dilemma many entrepreneurs face in running their businesses, particularly startups that typically rely on family members and friends to run them.

Having family members and friends in a business obviously has its advantages, for they often make for highly motivated, hardworking employees. But running the enterprise without letting personal relations get in the way presents its own set of challenges.

The most pressing problem is that family members and friends in the business may expect and demand special treatment and may think they are above the rules. Very often, this demoralizes members of the workforce who are not related to the owner-entrepreneur.

To avoid that situation, this is what Tess Ngan Tian, whose two children are now working in the family-owned Lots’A Pizza, does: she and her husband, Lots’A Pizza founder and CEO Eduardo Ngan Tian treat their children as if they were ordinary employees of the quick-serve and takeout pizza chain. “As any other employee, they have to fill in the required number of hours and follow company regulations,” she says.

Ngan Tian points out that before taking her children into the business, she had explicitly told them not to expect any special treatment and to follow all company regulations. Also, to formalize their work relations, Ngan Tian drafted a family-business constitution that spells out the rules on what family members can and cannot do in the business.

Implementing the family constitution took some doing, Ngan Tian relates. The children also had to be provided a grace period for getting used to the rules.

She says that in the end, the best way to manage one’s family members is to treat them like the rank and file, and one must be ready to terminate one’s own relatives from the business if they don’t perform to par.

In the same way as managing your relatives, managing friends could be complicated and requires the same level of attention. Ngan Tian says that she experienced this in late 2008 when she invested in Chicharific, a chicharon (pork rinds) retailing business owned by her longtime friend Bards Montanido. Ngan Tian and Montanido are both members and former officers of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI).

In 2008, Montanido’s former business partner decided to sell her stake in the company because she was about to migrate to another country. Montanido then started shopping around for buyers and asked Ngan Tian, a trained accountant, to look at Chicharific’s financial statement that Montanido planned to present to a prospective buyer.

For both Ngan Tian and Montanido, the deal had obvious benefits because it would allow them to do cross-marketing and share resources to speed up expansion. Upon close examination of Chicharific’s financial statement, Ngan Tian and her husband saw that the company was a very good investment and Ngan Tian offered to buy the shares of Montanido’s sister.

At the time, the Ngan Tians happened to be considering making other investments to diversify their business. When Ngan Tian made her offer, Montanido asked the opinions of friends and colleagues before accepting it. Among the people he consulted was franchise guru Butch Bartolome. “Butch said this was the best thing to do, and that there was no better person to get as partner than Ms. Ngan Tian,” Montanido recalls.

Since the merger, Ngan Tian and Montanido have realized that trust is the most important thing in managing friends. Their having been together in AFFI for years had helped foster trust and familiarity between them, and this led them to share resources such as contacts, resources, and suppliers. “Openness is very important,” Ngan Tian adds.

Montanido says that another factor in the successful management of friends is not being greedy and jealous of one another. To this, Ngan Tian adds that to avoid conflicts, friends should avoid being makuwenta or having the habit of counting costs or profits. Trust is built, the two say, when the partners have shared values that in turn lead to having a shared mission and common goals.

“We make it a point that everything is done professionally even though we are friends,” Ngan Tian says, adding that they keep each other informed on their respective decisions and that all of their expectations from the business are clarified. “It should be win-win all the time, with each partner allowed to do her thing in peace.”

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