Ipinaglaban
Ipinanindigan
Paalam, aking Pangulo, paalam.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A SIGHT MOST DEPRESSING
At least twice each week, in Quezon City, I pass by the government offices along BIR Road and cross Quezon Boulevard to Agham Road. These are the streets of my youth, the streets I know really well when I was in High School. But that was thirty years ago, and here we are, thousands of informal settlers later.
Allow me to discuss how I feel about the situation of what once was the primary government center of our country.
The rows and rows of shanties are a heart rending sight. I try to be very careful when I drive by these settlements; little children would suddenly dart from the sidewalk, running after each other unmindful of the dangers presented by speeding vehicles. On weekends most specially, I am more deliberate since half of these streets would be teeming with a medley of pedestrians, pedicabs and pushcarts.
The miserable condition our fellow Filipinos are in illustrates what is wrong with the present government.
First, some of the shanties are just across the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the primary revenue gatherer of the government. Here is an office in charge of revenue collection, handling billions and billions of funds and there across its portals lie the poorest of the poor.
Second, situated in Agham road is the Office of the Ombudsman. Clearly, somebody in government goofed and that is why poverty is prevalent in our country. Yet, we cannot seem to pinpoint accountability for this situation and the Office of the Ombudsman, watchdog of the government, should share part of the blame for this.
Third, the Quezon City Hall is about two blocks away. It is the richest local government unit in the Philippines. Surely, even with one percent of its P8.6 Billion budget, it could jumpstart the relocation of these settlers to more humane surroundings? Surely with its Billions, it should have provided for resettlement areas to these settlers.
Fourth, regarding the proliferation of these settlement clusters in the government lots. Years and years of apathy and neglect caused this problem to balloon. It definitely started with just one temporary dwelling, then two, then a dozen then a dozen dozens until it became what it is now, a massive housing, peace and order, health and hygiene problem.
Of course the Sangguniang Barangay knew; of course the City government knew. These local governments could have nipped the problem in the bud but they didn't. The PNP could have prevented the erection of structures but it didn't. Yes, they patrol these roads everyday and surely have seen the structures being erected, but no, they did not lift a finger to resolve the predicament.
And so the saga continues. I have this nasty feeling that the number of settlers would increase in these financially-strapped times. Does anyone in government still care?
Allow me to discuss how I feel about the situation of what once was the primary government center of our country.
The rows and rows of shanties are a heart rending sight. I try to be very careful when I drive by these settlements; little children would suddenly dart from the sidewalk, running after each other unmindful of the dangers presented by speeding vehicles. On weekends most specially, I am more deliberate since half of these streets would be teeming with a medley of pedestrians, pedicabs and pushcarts.
The miserable condition our fellow Filipinos are in illustrates what is wrong with the present government.
First, some of the shanties are just across the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the primary revenue gatherer of the government. Here is an office in charge of revenue collection, handling billions and billions of funds and there across its portals lie the poorest of the poor.
Second, situated in Agham road is the Office of the Ombudsman. Clearly, somebody in government goofed and that is why poverty is prevalent in our country. Yet, we cannot seem to pinpoint accountability for this situation and the Office of the Ombudsman, watchdog of the government, should share part of the blame for this.
Third, the Quezon City Hall is about two blocks away. It is the richest local government unit in the Philippines. Surely, even with one percent of its P8.6 Billion budget, it could jumpstart the relocation of these settlers to more humane surroundings? Surely with its Billions, it should have provided for resettlement areas to these settlers.
Fourth, regarding the proliferation of these settlement clusters in the government lots. Years and years of apathy and neglect caused this problem to balloon. It definitely started with just one temporary dwelling, then two, then a dozen then a dozen dozens until it became what it is now, a massive housing, peace and order, health and hygiene problem.
Of course the Sangguniang Barangay knew; of course the City government knew. These local governments could have nipped the problem in the bud but they didn't. The PNP could have prevented the erection of structures but it didn't. Yes, they patrol these roads everyday and surely have seen the structures being erected, but no, they did not lift a finger to resolve the predicament.
And so the saga continues. I have this nasty feeling that the number of settlers would increase in these financially-strapped times. Does anyone in government still care?
Friday, November 28, 2008
Terror
I had been keenly watching CNN and BBC updates of the unfolding events in Mumbai,India. Yes, terrorism strikes when and where it is least expected.
The images on TV brought back the memories of the so-called Rizal Day Bombings in Metro Manila, Philippines. These happened during a national holiday in December 30,2000.
It was the start of our annual holiday in Manila. My family and I have just checked in at the Dusit Hotel in Makati when a bomb was found along the driveway of the hotel. The Makati Police Bomb Squad was called, and some EOD experts took the bomb away from the hotel premises. They were bringing the bomb to a vacant area across EDSA when it detonated. A senior Police Officer was killed.
My children were just 5 and 3 years old then. The pervading fear was clear and palpable and I could see that they somehow understood the gravity of the situation. The what-ifs that my wife and I were pondering just brought the pall of gloom to higher levels.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON A HOLIDAY AND YET THERE WE WERE, LOCKED UP IN A HOTEL ROOM WATCHING TERRORISM HISTORY UNFOLD BEFORE OUR EYES.
We became witnesses to the events that happened after the bomb blew up. We saw the stampede at SM Makati. We saw the mad-rush at Glorietta. We saw the grim faces of the hotel security officers and the PNP officials. We sat transfixed at the TV set when we learned that bombs exploded in four other places almost simultaneously. We did not know what to expect, much less what to do.
My wife wanted to go back right away to Batangas. I was able to convince her though that the safest place at that time would be right at Dusit Hotel since the bomb intended to be detonated there had already gone off.
The memories of nearly 8 years ago just came back, triggered by the tragedy at Mumbai.
Terrorism should be stopped. It would never be an answer to the problems of the world.
The images on TV brought back the memories of the so-called Rizal Day Bombings in Metro Manila, Philippines. These happened during a national holiday in December 30,2000.
It was the start of our annual holiday in Manila. My family and I have just checked in at the Dusit Hotel in Makati when a bomb was found along the driveway of the hotel. The Makati Police Bomb Squad was called, and some EOD experts took the bomb away from the hotel premises. They were bringing the bomb to a vacant area across EDSA when it detonated. A senior Police Officer was killed.
My children were just 5 and 3 years old then. The pervading fear was clear and palpable and I could see that they somehow understood the gravity of the situation. The what-ifs that my wife and I were pondering just brought the pall of gloom to higher levels.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON A HOLIDAY AND YET THERE WE WERE, LOCKED UP IN A HOTEL ROOM WATCHING TERRORISM HISTORY UNFOLD BEFORE OUR EYES.
We became witnesses to the events that happened after the bomb blew up. We saw the stampede at SM Makati. We saw the mad-rush at Glorietta. We saw the grim faces of the hotel security officers and the PNP officials. We sat transfixed at the TV set when we learned that bombs exploded in four other places almost simultaneously. We did not know what to expect, much less what to do.
My wife wanted to go back right away to Batangas. I was able to convince her though that the safest place at that time would be right at Dusit Hotel since the bomb intended to be detonated there had already gone off.
The memories of nearly 8 years ago just came back, triggered by the tragedy at Mumbai.
Terrorism should be stopped. It would never be an answer to the problems of the world.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
In These Times of Graft
I have been watching too much television. Last Thursday, November 13, ANC covered the Jocelyn Bolante testimony at the Senate. Today it was Eliseo De La Paz's revelations that were the focus of TV coverage. Both subjects were former ranking government officials and now, both are out of government service and are in utter disgrace. These, because of graft.
The word graft, in Philippine jurisdiction is equated with corrupt practices. In fact, the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) contains an enumeration of what constitutes corrupt practices. Curiously though, in the United Kingdom, the noun graft means hard work. One word, two meanings that are mutually exclusive.
I am saddened by the thoughts of what would happen to the two gentlemen. A life in prison for them appears to be inevitable. That is, if the wheels of justice would grind in a righteous path. Then again, that is another story.
The word graft, in Philippine jurisdiction is equated with corrupt practices. In fact, the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) contains an enumeration of what constitutes corrupt practices. Curiously though, in the United Kingdom, the noun graft means hard work. One word, two meanings that are mutually exclusive.
I am saddened by the thoughts of what would happen to the two gentlemen. A life in prison for them appears to be inevitable. That is, if the wheels of justice would grind in a righteous path. Then again, that is another story.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Changes
I just changed the title of my blog. Likewise, its URL was reinvented. I was surfing the web and I happened to find a site where various items related to specific letters of the alphabet are listed. The Letter G has an extensive array of articles devoted to it.
One would not be able to match the sheer number of factoids listed about the Letter G and so I decided that I might as well abandon the idea.
From hereon, I would be blogging about writing.
One would not be able to match the sheer number of factoids listed about the Letter G and so I decided that I might as well abandon the idea.
From hereon, I would be blogging about writing.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Simple Joys
It is the simple joy that brings bliss to the heart, the small things that brighten a day, the brief moments of elation.
I have made a discovery, rather belatedly. If you continue to thank the Lord for the simple joys that you encounter everyday, the simple joys turn out to become great blessings.
Why don't you give it a try it then?
I have made a discovery, rather belatedly. If you continue to thank the Lord for the simple joys that you encounter everyday, the simple joys turn out to become great blessings.
Why don't you give it a try it then?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
G
The fascination with the English letter G led me to do this blog. Nah, I guess it didn't.I was looking for an appropriate name for a new blog and gave up after a few tries. The blogger start-up template wouldn't approve my proposed blog names until I remembered my Morse Code. That then explains the URL name.
I have to admit that my other blog is too serious a blog for me to mess up with aimless writing, so I decided to put up another one. This blog I guess would serve as the venue for my musings and doodles or whatever term you may call what I sometimes come up with.
Here's to writing...
I have to admit that my other blog is too serious a blog for me to mess up with aimless writing, so I decided to put up another one. This blog I guess would serve as the venue for my musings and doodles or whatever term you may call what I sometimes come up with.
Here's to writing...
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