Gov’t TV network expands in Bongbong Marcos turf

By John Michael Mugas

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—The state-owned People’s Television Network Inc. (PTNI) has set its sight on expanding in Ilocos Norte, hometown of incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., with a P39.5-million transmitter station which will soon rise in the province.
    The transmitter station, which would be built at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), would include a four-legged, 250-foot television broadcast tower and a building. Construction is set to begin in September and it will be fully operational by December this year.
    Officials from MMSU and PTNI held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site on Tuesday (June 14).
    The station “will broadcast relevant information and updates about national and regional development projects, especially highlighting that of Ilocos Norte,” according to MMSU.
    Last May 2021 plans to build a transmitter station were finalized after PTV and MMSU signed an agreement to install a 1 kilowatt digital and 1 kilowatt analog transmitter on university grounds.
    PTV would set up the transmitter in exchange for a 500-square meter property in MMSU, according to the deal.
Bottom of Form
    Speaking to reporters, PTNI general manager Katherine Chloe De Castro said that having a PTV station in the provinces would allow the public to know more about the programs of the government and what it does, especially in times of disasters.
    With the station, De Castro said government information dissemination would be enhanced, calling it “timely,” especially with the transition from President Rodrigo Duterte and his successor, Marcos Jr., who hails from Ilocos Norte.
    The transmitter station would also become a training ground for university students enrolled in BA in Communication, BS in Development Communication, and BS in Electronics and Communications Engineering, among others, according to MMSU president Dr. Shirley Agrupis.

Read more...

Village chiefs told: Give active contact details

By Pamela Mariz T. Geminiano 

BAGUIO CITY— Cordillera barangay chiefs and barangay health emergency response teams (BHERT) were urged Tuesday to provide their active contact details to their constituents in cases of health emergencies.
    "The Department Interior and Local Government still receives complaints involving unavailable contact details of barangays, the absence of BHERT members, and a lack of awareness of how critical the BHERT roles are, particularly during pandemic," said DILG Cordillera director Araceli San Jose San Jose said while much progress had been made in recent months, and some provinces in the region have been placed on Covid-19 Alert Level 1, the threat of Covid-19 continues that is why local folks provided with contact details of barangays, punong barangays, and BHERT as primary frontliners in the fight against the virus.
    “We are urging our punong barangays to create their barangay’s official Facebook account or other social media accounts if not yet available and to ensure the creation of BHERT page within the Barangay's FB account or any social media account that includes the active information on BHERT and other related information," she said.
    Punong barangays should also make sure that their BHERT members are listed in their barangay directory for easier communication.
    “They can also post tarpaulins in conspicuous public places within their barangay jurisdiction with active telephone numbers and other contact details of punong barangays and BHERT members for maximum dissemination,” she said.
    "In our respective communities, BHERTs are our first-line responders. Let us all contribute to our community's response. Let us be proactive and make an effort to identify our BHERTs so that we know who to listen to and who to seek assistance from if necessary,” she said.
    BHERTs or community organizations tasked in managing Covid-19 related healthcare needs are also tasked to make sure that residents within their jurisdiction are all accounted for and are fully informed about the disease.
    The DILG mandates the creation of the BHERT for every 5,000 population, composed of an executive officer, a barangay tanod, and two barangay health workers, one is preferably a nurse or a midwife to be appointed by the punong barangay.
    "The DILG urges city and municipal mayors to provide  assistance and support to all punong barangays, BHERTs and other barangay functionaries who provide health care services in the barangay in bouncing back to a better new normal,” she said.
    “The DILG also directs all city and municipal field officers to ensure and monitor compliance with memorandum circular 2022-046 and submit monitoring reports to provincial offices in the case of city/municipal field offices and to the regional office in the case of provincial, HUC, and ICC offices, by June 15, 2022.”

Read more...

Ilocos Norte hotlines to offer free calls

By Freddie Lazaro

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Local emergency hotlines in Ilocos Norte will soon be offering free calls to the residents in case of emergencies.

The Ilocos Norte Provincial Incident Response Management (PIRM) 911 launched in December 2016 as a centralized hotline ensuring rapid response to accidents and other emergencies.

The hotlines, answered by trained personnel stationed at the provincial government hall, facilitate coordination with the Ilocos Norte Provincial Police Office (INPPO) and other public safety agencies such as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and provincial hospitals.

Wilfredo Lorenzo Jr., the officer-in-charge of the Ilocos Norte’s Information Technology Office, said that soon, calls to the hotlines – 077-600-0948, 077-772-1772, 0999-999-7707, and 0917-109-9911 – will be free.

However, Lorenzo warned that fraudulent, hoax, and prank callers are punishable by law.

“Although it is good news that we will be having free calls in our hotline, it is not yet controlled the occurrence of prank and fraudulent callers,” said Lorenzo, who oversees the operations of PIRM 911.

He lamented that during the first three months of operation of the 24/7 emergency call service, about “80-90 percent of the calls were fraudulent.”

“I am appealing to the public to be serious in using the emergency hotlines in the province so that the residents in need of emergency assistance are truly served immediately,” Lorenzo said.

Read more...

Baguio digital television mess

EDITORIAL

The entry of a digital terrestrial television broadcast station in Baguio should be a welcome development to improve services and lower consumer monthly billing rates.

However, the city council approved a resolution opposing the application of Baycomms Broadcasting Corporation for a certificate of public convenience to install, operate and maintain their television broadcast station in the city. The council also opposed issuance of a provisional authority pending final determination of the merits of the application.

 The local legislative body decided to file the resolution of protest after the applicant repeatedly failed to appear during its regular sessions the past weeks for it to substantiate its application and explain to local legislators benefits of having the television broadcast station.

 Earlier, National Telecommunication Commission Cordillera regional officials appeared before the regular session of the city council but they were not able to update the local legislators on status of pending application of Baycomms.

Thus, it was decided to reset inquiry on the matter and invite company officials to explain merits of their applications to local officials for them to understand the matter.

Among those invited in last Monday’s regular session of the local legislative body but failed to appear included Elmer V. Catulpos, president of Baycomms Broadcasting Corporation and lawyer Bobby John B. Gaytos, legal counsel of the same company.

The city council said the repeated failure of the company officials to appear during its regular sessions after a series of invitation illustrated their lack of interest in pursuing the project.

NTC-CAR officials told local legislators in previous meetings that the local government had the right to file their opposition to the applications of telecommunications companies applying for the issuance of certificates of public convenience so that local officials could impose additional conditions to make sure the environment and health and safety of the people would be guaranteed by the applicants.

Under the terrestrial television broadcast set up, the applicant could split one channel into six sub-channels wherein two of the channels could be designated for pay per view, one channel for disaster response while it could apportion the three remaining channels for whatever purposes they want to operate the same.

The council wanted to inquire from the television company proposed site for its facilities, detailed plans for the broadcast station, among other issues and concerns.

The city council was earlier furnished by the NTC central office with a copy of its notice of hearing earlier scheduled to deliberate the application of Baycomms for the operation of the terrestrial television broadcast station in the city for its appropriate action and information.

The entry of Baycomms in Baguio should have been a catalyst to improving television services. What made Baycomms officials or representatives not to appear during council hearings to explain their side? Is there a deeper reason for them not to do so like “operational fees?”    

Read more...

‘Nation-building’ under Duterte administration

EDITORIAL

The government would like to reach out to all sectors of society and be transparent in government transactions, Presidential Communications Office(PCO) Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping  said as he urged the public to be partners “meaningful for change” during the 107th  Baguio City Charter Day program  at the Baguio Convention Center here, Monday.

Cualoping, who represented PCO Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar as event’s guest of honor,   expressed  appreciation for the city’s support to President Rodrigo  Duterte the last election  as  he called for continuing partnership in moving the country forward towards a meaningful change.

“Nowadays, communication is not telling about the glory of the past or an important part of history but to inspire all Filipinos, in taking a role in moving us forward as one nation to create a new history that will bring forth a better, meaningful and peaceful life for all the citizenry, regardless of economic status, and show the world that we are ready to compete or even be at par with other nations,” he said.

Cualoping said just like the roads going in and out of Baguio  where aside from the long journey there are many turns and twists that the mountainous road trail gives anyone a challenge, under Duterte’s leadership, the Filipino people are also embarking on a big challenge in bringing in meaningful and positive change for the country.

In two months, the President’s peace and order campaign already gained ground, he said.“Aside from significantly lowering crime rates, there are already around 600 thousands persons involved in illegal drugs who already submitted themselves to law enforcement authorities.”

Aside from law and order, the President also has socio- economic programs that aim to expedite the lowering of poverty level among the Filipino people, Cualoping added.

All directives and actions of the President will reportedly be communicated down to the  grassroots while people’s concerns will  be heard by the  President  through the presidential  communications networksaid Cualoping and PCO undersecretary Anna Marie Banaag bared during a press conference in Baguio.

Cualoping disclosed that PCO is preparing a new government portal (www.gov.ph) that will be one-stop-shop for the Filipino people to get information on what is happening in executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and  other government e-services they can avail of including request for information. 

The portal is expected to be operational   later this year.

Cualoping said “under the Duterte Administration, it will be participatory governance with communication going to be a two-way thing. This will be done primarily through PCO bureaus and their networks.”

Banaag  meanwhile said the PCO under Sec. Martin Andanar,  will utilize all  its attached agencies  including the Philippine Information Agency, News and Information Bureau- Philippine News Agency, People’s Television (PTV) and Radyo ng Bayan,   to bring down  government  information  to  and  gather feedback from  countryside.

A government tabloid called Mula Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa, a   bi-monthly publication will also be distributed for free.

‘We need to get in touch on the ground, as it is better if we can see on the ground for the government and the people to feel the participatory governance’, Cualoping said.

Banaag said for any concern or problem on how citizens are served by the government, they can always call on the President’s hotline 8888 so that proper response or action can be done.

The  government will continue to report  to the public the  accomplishments and plans of the Duterte administration every 50 days, just as  it did during the  50 first days  last August 18,  Cualoping said.  

Read more...

SSB radio still ‘best’ in Kalinga calamities

By Larry T. Lopez

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Advanced technology and top-of-the-line gadgets are now being used to address disasters, but for Kalinga officials, the single side band (SSB) radio system is still the best during calamities.    

In a bid to boost communication system especially during disasters in the province, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council moved to restore the SSB radio system.

PDRRM officer Richard Anniban said this stemmed from the recent disaster council meeting when the problem on poor telecommunication signal in certain areas of the province was raised.

We see the crucial role of communication in making accurate assessments on affected areas and therefore we should establish reliable system, Anniban said. 

Through the SSB, problem in feeding of reports and information from these sites in times of calamities could be lessened if not addressed, he said.

In line with this, the province will get initial two SSB units from the Office of Civil Defense as part of its disaster preparedness.

One will be based in the municipality of Tanudan and the other at the Provincial Action Center at the PDRRMO.

Based on specifications, the OCD SSB units could access direct connection with NDRRMC, the government’s disaster main office.  

Under this project, recipient towns will provide the cost for the antennae as counterpart.

To cover wider reach, the SSB radio based at the PAC shall be tuned with the radio band of municipal police stations and other private volunteer communication groups.  

Read more...

No cellphone use while driving in Ifugao town

By Marcelo Lihgawon

LAMUT, Ifugao -- Local officials here led by mayor Mariano Buyagawan, Jr. and vice mayor Victomar Bunnol approved recently an ordinance regulating use of communication devices while driving.

The law prohibits use of cell phones or similar communication gadgets by any person while driving any motorized vehicle within the municipality.

The ordinance stated it is relevant to consider preventive measures especially those that are causing harm, accidents or inconvenience to motorists, passengers and pedestrians.

While the officials recognized  importance of communication gadgets in business and personal life,  they noted that  this is  being abused by some motorists/drivers to the extent that road safety is neglected  thus the need to regulate it.

This ordinance shall be implemented and monitored by the local chief executive, Philippine National Police, barangay officials, Public Order and Safety Aid and other persons authorized by the municipal mayor.

A sole driver/motorist who needs emergency help and or responding to  emergency  maybe exempted from the prohibition and penalty required in this ordinance.

Any person, motorist or driver who violates  this ordinance shall be subjected to penalties as follows: first offense –   P1,000.00  fine or render community service for 32 hours; second offense – P1,500 fine  or render community service for 46 hours and third offense – P2,500  and imprisonment upon discretion of the court.

Read more...

No postman in town; folks not aware mails, packages are piling up

By Jennelyn Mondejar

BINMALEY, Pangasinan – This municipality could get the record as the only town in the country which has no postman.

The postal office here has yet to hire a replacement for its two postmen, who retired in October last year.

Merlita Valerio, postmaster of the Binmaley Postal Office said mails and packages are piling up and many Binmaleynians are not aware of the situation.

Valerio said only three chairmen of the town’s 33 barangays volunteered to get their constituents’ mails and deliver them to their houses.

Valerio said she hired an assistant, whose salary she pays from her own pocket, and asked her male household helper to run errands for her at the office.

She said a municipal employee was detailed at the post office but only temporarily.

Read more...

Clark ICT/BPO sector needs more workers

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga— Of the 3,008 job vacancies inside this freeport, jobs related to Information Communication Technology/Business Process Outsourcing (ICT/BPO) have been ranked number one among sectors needing to fill up vacancies during the last quarter of this year.

In a report sent by the Customer Services Department (CSD) to Clark Development Corporation (CDC) CEO-President Felipe Antonio B. Remollo, of the number of vacancies submitted to CSD, some 2,222 workers, or 75 percent of the total number of job vacancies, are needed by the ICT/BPO firms in Clark.

According to the report by CSD Manager Rodem Perez to Remollo, ICT/BPO related services include web designers and developers, programmers, technical support operators, Linux and Windows Systems administrators, English online teachers, and call center agents.

The CSD report said both Cyber City Teleservices, Inc. and Sutherland Global Services each has vacancies of 500, Nozomi Fortune Services has openings for 400 jobs while Ivonline Contents Center, Inc, is in need of 200 new workers. Others with significant job openings are Advanpoint (90), Clark On Line It Hub (50), Mepcon Phils., Inc (170), Services Resources, Inc (55), GFL System Clark Inc. (105), and Global Standard English Learning Center (75), among others.

Far second is the industrial (electronic) or the semiconductor sector which is in need of 340 workers, or 10.2 percent of the total job vacancies, to be filled up before the end of the year.

Among the firms needing to fill up vacancies is Texas Instruments Clark, which is in need of 300 personnel before end of the year. NanoxPhils., Inc., Phoenix Semiconductor Phils. Corporation, Poongsan Microtec Phils., Corporation, and SMK Electronics (Phils.)Corporation also have several openings for this year.

Moreover, there is a noticeable shift in locators’ preferences for applicants who have college credits at the very least. CSD’s latest report reflects a preference for college level applicants (53 percent or almost 1,600), and college graduates (20 percent or more than 600). In the previous months, job vacancies for high school graduates accounted for more than 50 percent of total workforce requirements for the Clark Freeport.

Perez explained that the shift in locators’ preferences can be attributed to CSD’s continuous advertisement of job vacancies, and broadcast media such as the “Jobs Fair on the Air” at GVFM 99.1, and the twice-annual Jobs Fair that his department coordinates with all stakeholders.

These efforts have allowed labor-intensive sectors to almost fill up their vacancies and they are now in the process of filling up positions for supervisory and managerial positions, the report said. -- FGR

Read more...

Banks urged: Tap services of telecom providers

By Vency D. Bulayungan

LAGAWE, Ifugao - -The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council here requested two banks in the province to tap other cell sites as service providers in order not to paralyze operations during disasters.

Gov. Eugene Balitang, who chairs the PDRRMC, said that the council will pass a resolution requesting the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine National Bank to make use of the services of Globe and Smart telecom so that in case one bogs down, the other one can still provide the necessary services needed in order that the banks will not go offline to the detriment of the clients.

Both banks have Globe as service provider and they went offline for more than a week because the cell site of Globe bogged down at the height of Typhoon Pedring.

In an earlier interview with Normandy Salagubang, LBP-Lagawe Branch Manager, he said that their computers are linked to their main office through Globe as the service provider.

He explained that with no signal, they are offline and there are transactions which they cannot attend to such as withdrawals because they cannot see the balance in the ATMs.

Those who are still maintaining bank books though can withdraw as they are not affected.
Salagubang said that aside from Globe, they are also maintaining a landline connected with DIGITEL.

However, the lines of said telecommunications were also destroyed by the two typhoons. “The landline should have been used by us to call up our other branches so they can check the balance for us but the lines were also destroyed he said.

Parents were complaining because they can not send thru the bank money of their children studying outside the province and yet it was examination time.

Read more...

Gov’t to study PLDT, Digitel merger impact

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – President Aquino Wednesday expressed concern over the possible impact of the merger of Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) and Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel) on consumers.

Aquino said the government would have to study the effect of the merger of the two telecommunication giants on the consumers.

“That is currently being studied. There are allegations, among them from Globe (Telecoms) and of course, we want to ensure that there is a level playing field,” Aquino told reporters after witnessing the annual Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines and the United States troops here.

Aquino said there is a need to study the merger, particularly the technical aspects.

“I have to admit I am not an expert on these things so it is being studied by people more competent than I as far as the technical aspects are concerned,” Aquino said.

“We will be sitting down soon with the economic team, with the DOJ (Department of Justice), with the technical people of NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) and as of now, we are reviewing the merger of Sun (owned by Digitel) and Smart (owned by PLDT).”

Aquino said he could not make any conclusions regarding the merger.

“It’s difficult to conclude because we’re studying it right now but I am concerned enough to warrant a study,” he said.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said economic managers also raised their concerns over the possible impact of the merger “on the consumers, on prices of the service that consumers pay for their cellphone service.”

“There have been concerns about the impact that it will have on the structure, on the market whether that will become more or less free, there are those kinds of discussions within the economic cluster,” Carandang said.

He said the government has submitted for priority the anti-trust bill before the Legislative-Economic Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

He said the anti-trust bill aims to regulate the ability of the company to engage in monopoly practices.

“I am not saying there was an anti-trust action here. All I’m saying is that the anti-trust legislation that we submitted to Congress may be the framework by which large mergers and acquisitions like this that have a market impact can be considered,” Carandang said.

Carandang added he was not sure what Malacañang could do at this point without an anti-trust law.

“We’re not sure right now what the possible impact would be. There are those saying that the prices of cellphone service might go up but there is no definite conclusion yet,” Carandang said.

He said the Department of Trade is also studying the impact of the merger.

“At this point we’re not in a position to intervene,” Carandang said.

Read more...

Sturdy Isabela cell site enabled folk to get help

PALANAN, Isabela-- A cell site of mobile phone service provider Smart Communications here was bent 30 degrees by typhoon “Juan” but remains operational.

The typhoon, with winds of 260 kilometers per hour, made landfall in the province of Isabela last Monday.

The battered cell site is the sole provider of signal in the town of Palanan.

“The cell site is still working. As of Thursday, our generator set can still provide power to the cell site for several more days. We are working out how to source additional diesel for the genset,” said James Tajon, Smart Network and Platforms Services Division senior supervisor.

Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said that the towns of Palanan, Divilacan, and Maconacon are impassable to heavy vehicles and can only be reached by air and an 18-hour sea travel via Aparri, Cagayan.
Smart engineers are working on transporting equipment for the repair of the cell site.

In preparation for the coming typhoon, Smart had deployed engineers in strategic cell sites and network facilities to repair any damage caused by the typhoon.

Smart has maintained mobile phone signal in Ilagan, Isabela and Southern Tuguegarao.

It has set up Libreng Tawag centers in several affected areas, including Baguio City, Nueva Vizcaya, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Cagayan, Pangasinan, Isabela, Vigan, Candon, Bangued, Abra, Sta. Catalina, Ilocos Sur, Laoag City, and Nancayasan, Urdaneta City.

Read more...

Globe cell sites burned in Pampanga, Tarlac

ANGELES CITY– Heavily armed men believed to be New People’s Army simultaneously attacked and burned two cell sites of Globe Telecommunications at about 8:30 p.m. Sept. 5.

Reports of the regional police headquarters at Camp Olivas in San Fernando, Pampanga said three suspects burned the Globe cell sites in Barangay San Antonio Lote in Mexico, Pampanga.

This happened as another group of 10 armed men in fatigue uniform also strafed and then burned Globe’s cell site in Barangay Estrada in Capas, Tarlac.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, the reports from the two towns’ police headquarters said.

Estimate on cost of damage was not immediately available.

The reports said the rebels first fired their arms at the cell sites apparently to scare off guards, before dousing their targets with gasoline and igniting them.

The reports said the two incidents could be related to the refusal of businesses to pay the so-called “revolutionary tax” demanded by the rebels.

Globe subscribers in Pampanga and Tarlac, however, did not report any disruption of cell phone service despite the burning of the two cell sites.

This, even as the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command reiterated Mondays that Tarlac remains one of the nine provinces in North Luzon which are already free from insurgency.

Nolcom spokesman Maj. Rosendo Armas said Tarlac was declared as such by Nolcom earlier this year, together with Aurora, Apayao, La Union, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Pangasinan.

Armas said that while internal security operations (ISO) were turned over by the military to the local government units and the police forces in these areas, the military would still remain to merely assist them in security concerns.

Armas said that Nolcom commander Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan, who assumed post a month ago, vowed to clear rebel forces in the other areas under Nolcom which has jurisdiction in all provinces north of Metro Manila

Read more...

A tale of three midnight appointees

PERRYSCOPE
Perry Diaz

As she walks down the twilight zone at the end her presidency, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made more than 250 political appointments and 302 military promotions just before the ban on midnight appointments took effect last March 10, 2010. However, there is a great deal of apprehension that these “twilight” appointments were actually made past midnight of March 10 but back-dated before the constitutional ban took effect.

In reaction to the tsunami of “midnight” appointments, President-apparent Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said that he will review all of them. “I intend to exercise that prerogative under Article VII Section 14 of the Constitution where we have up to 90 days to void all of those illegal appointments,” he said. These would include 302 military promotions that were bypassed by the Commission on Appointments(CA), to wit: one four-star general, three lieutenant generals, 10 major generals, one rear admiral, 35brigadier generals, five commodores, and the rest are colonels and captains.
***
The most controversial “midnight” appointment was that of Lt. General Delfin Bangit who was appointed Armed Forces Chief of Staff on March 9. Although Malacanang claimed that Bangit’s appointment was made prior to the midnight ban, the position was not vacated by the retiring Chief of Staff, Gen. Victor Ibrado, until March 10, the first day of the ban. In that case, Bangit’s appointment did not take effect until March 10; thus, making it illegal.

What made Bangit’s appointment more complicated was that his confirmation was bypassed by the CA when it adjourned last June 7; thus, his promotion to four-star general did not get the requisite confirmation. Bangit claimed that although his promotion to four-star general was not confirmed by the CA, his appointment as Chief of Staff was not affected by the bypass.

But the law is crystal clear: the Chief of Staff position can only be taken by a four-star general confirmed by the CA. Therefore, if the CA did not confirm Bangit’s promotion to four-star general, then he couldn’t be appointed Chief of Staff. In other words, the position of Chief of Staff and the rank of four-star general go hand in hand and inseparable.

In my opinion, Bangit’s appointment should be withdrawn or treated as “temporary appointment” in conformance with Section 15, Article VII of the constitution, which states: “two months immediately before the next presidential elections and up to the end of his term, a President or Acting President shall not make appointments, except temporary appointments to Executive positions when continued vacancies therein will prejudice public service or endanger public safety.”

Responding to calls for his resignation, Bangit adamantly refused to quit saying that resignation is a cowardly act. He said, however, that he would relinquish his position if Noynoy appointed another person after assuming the presidency. Noynoy, in a gesture of statesmanship, said that Bangit can stay until June 30. If Bangit has any sense of delicadeza (propriety), he should submit his courtesy resignation to the incoming president and commander-in- chief.
***
Another high-profile “midnight” appointee is Efraim Genuino, the Chairman and CEO of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). Gloria claimed that she signed his appointment for another one-year term -- for the ninth time and ninth year -- last March 9. However, the appointment was wrapped in secrecy until after the elections when it was exposed by the media; thus, forcing Gloria to make a public announcement.

What makes many people leery about the appointment of Genuino is that Pagcor is the third largest revenue generator after the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs. But what makes Pagcor different from BIR and Customs is that its revenue is derived from gaming. Money changes hands at the gaming tables -- all cash, no receipts.

Government auditors would have to rely solely on what the Pagcor “money counters” would disclose. And who can tell if money was skimmed off the top of the humongous amounts of money stacked up in the casinos’ counting rooms? I am not saying that it is being done; I don’t have any evidence to prove it. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s being done. Wasn’t that how it was supposedly done in Las Vegas and other gambling meccas during the heydays of the Mob?

Columnist Lito Banayo, in his recent column, “Midnight,” wrote about Genuino and four other Pagcor board directors appointed by Gloria: “

Why then did she have to re-appoint these characters, likely not in midnight fashion but in ante-dated manner (why announce it only now, if the appointments were made on March 9)? Was it pambabastos? Was it to cover up certain tracks? Was it to give her coven in Pagcor time to urgently clean up the books? Was it to forge some more midnight deals? Or all of the above?” Indeed, these are questions that need to be addressed… soon!
***
When Gloria appointed her loyal and long-time manicurist, Anita Carbon, a lot of people thought of the insane Roman emperor Caligula who appointed his horse as a Roman consul. Not that Carbon was ridiculed to the level of a horse but for the fact that she was appointed to a two-year term on the Board of Trustees of the Pag-ibig housing fund.

My take, however, is that Gloria appointed Cabron to send a subtle message to her critics that she can appoint anyone she wanted to and to hell with public opinion. It was a display of raw power, daring anyone to stop her. She appointed Carbon not because she cared about her future; she saw in her the perfect pawn to use in her endgame.

Carbon could have played her game all along and take all the indignities and insults thrown at her. Why not? At a salary of P130,000 per month -- twice the salary of Gloria -- Carbon could accumulate more than P3 million in earnings over two years. That would guarantee her a nice and comfortable lifestyle when she retires.
***
However, Carbon valued her honor more than all the money that would have come her way from that position. So when it was time to attend her first board meeting, she didn’t show up and notified Malacanang that she’s not taking the job. Indeed, it must have been delicadeza and self-respect that made her forego the “sweetheart deal” of her life.

Manicurist Anita Carbon proved to the whole world that there is more to life than monetary gain and power. How I wish that Gen. Delfin Bangit and Pagcor Chairman Efraim Genuino would learn a lesson from Anita and realize that they too can stand tall in the twilight of their careers. (PerryDiaz@gmail. com)

Read more...

Benguet to use global satellite in case of power failure in May polls

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet– A power outage during the May polls, is no problem for Benguet.
A global satellite will be used to transmit results.

The Broadband Global Area Network is a global Satellite Internet Network with telephony using portable terminals will be used by the Commission on Elections and Smartmatic if transmission signals will get hard to come by.

Smartmatic regional coordinator Mavic Madayag said, “As of now Comelec has not advised us on how many BGAN machines we will use for the province.”

The province has been included in the six most remote areas in the country with a darn need for BGAN machines to transmit election results.

Benguet, along with Abra, Samar, Leyte, Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi have been tagged as areas with weak or zero transmission signals.

However Madayag said during the field test on Jan. 26 in Bakun town was successful even without the BGAN machines. “The BGAN machines will be used only when necessary.”

During the consolidation canvassing system technician protocol field test, mock polls were held at two points in Bakun town transmitting results to the provincial capitol in La Trinidad and then to the Comelec point in Manila.

A laptop box, print kit and BGAN are part of the kits to be used in the actual elections, with the BGAN machines as back up when signal for both Globe and Smart telecommunications companies prove to be hard to get.

Benguet is known for its difficult terrain and fluctuating cellphone signals which may pose as a problem come election day.

Ideally, global positioning system (GPS), which will be used by Smartmatic-TIM for the transmission of the ballot count, is to be utilized but for areas without GPS, the BGAN satellite (BGAN) will be used.

Read more...