More Pork

Its the holy month of Ramadan and still there is new of more pork on the way...

Members of the Philippine legislature are up for another bonus as the budget for the Countrywide Development Fund, better known as the Pork Barrel Fund, is looking to increase another Php 700-million.

I guess the Php 70 million allocated for each congressman isn't enough to implement the much needed development services in their respective congressional districts.

One should really ask how many areas lack paved roads, proper school buildings and necessary healthcare facilities and other basic services that the residents rely on the government for? Now is 70 million a year not enough to build these facilities?

Interestingly enough, according to an article in the Philippine Star published in yahoo news (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/20090831/tph-palace-to-public-dont-judge-presiden-d6cd5cf.html) the First Male Children (Mikey and Dado) purchased properties in the United States within their first term as congressional representatives. The article states that Mikey's beachfront property is pegged at an estimated at Php 63.7 million. While Dado's property, also in the US, was priced at Php 26.7 million.

Hey wait, the beachfront property is almost one year's pork allocation. I wonder how many classrooms could've been constructed, how many roads built, and how many health centers would have been put up in the barangays which need them?

The only thing those members of the first family will do that will surprise me is if they just vacate their positions and submit to a fair and impartial investigation on plunder charges. Anything they do which aims to increase their holdings is no longer a shock, its more of the rule rather than the exception.

And the Willie Revillame saga continues

This is the poem written by Joey de Leon in his column in the August 9, 2009 Philippine Star broadsheet newspaper. The poem is in response to the uproar over Willie Revillame's vocal protest against showing the funeral procession of the late President Corazon Aquino from La Salle Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral.

My hat goes off once again to Mr Joey de Leon for another intersting piece of literature .

The funeral cortege of former Pres. Cory Aquino: My tears came naturally

Wala na sa piling ng mga Pilipino,
Tinig ng awiting Mga Kababayan Ko,
At lumisan na rin noong isang Sabado,
Inang nagpalipad sa awiting Bayan Ko.
Ako'y sumasaludo, paalam Pangulo,
May isa 'kong lihim, kay tagal itinago,
Sa lahat nang inabot kong mga namuno,
Tanging ikaw lang sa luha ko'y nagpatulo.

Marami ang nalungkot sa iyong pagyao,
Magalang ang lahat at puno ng respeto,
Nagpasalamat pa nga Kapamilya sa 'yo,
Dahil kanilang himpilan naibalik mo.

Subalit ano itong nabalitaan ko?
Nangyari noong Lunes, a-tres ng Agosto,
Habang inililipat ang mga labi mo,
Ika'y parang nabastos sa isang TV show.

At ang napakasaklap at masakit dito,
Ang nambastos pa'y kapamilya ng anak mo,
Napanood ito ng tao at publiko,
Kakaunti na nga, ngunit lahat nahilo.
Sabi ng TV host na mainit ang ulo
Pagkakita sa video na kanyang kasalo,
"Sandali, meron akong ano... sa'ting ano...
Hindi naman sa ano," nagkaanu-ano!
Ayon sa Internet, meron pa s'yang nasambit,
"Sana pakitanggal muna 'yan sa'ting traffic..."
At 'di maaalis sa iyong pag-iisip,
Ang parada ng patay ang pinaliligpit!
At dagdag pa daw ng naghahari-harian,
"I don't think na dapat n'yong ipakita iyan..."
Nasaan naman ang paggalang, o nasaan?
Mga sinasabi natin minsa'y pag-ingatan.

At 'di pa nangimi nang sumunod na araw,
Pinilit pa ring ginawa n'ya ay tama raw,
Mga nakarinig 'di na nakagalaw
At ayon sa iba sila na la'y napa-wow!

"... Pero ako, totoo 'ko eh ... ", sabi kuno,
Totoo nga at totoo ring walang modo,
Pwede namang sabihin itong pa-sikreto,
Kaya't wala na rin mga paliwanag mo.

"Kung ganyan, pakita na lang 'yan!", ang hamon pa,
Para bang ang prusisyon nila-"lang - lang" lang ba,
Ang pangasiwaan ay pinapili pa n'ya,
Sumunod ang himpilan, nung August 5 wala s'ya.

May mga komentong pwede nang pang-harapan,
"On camera" baga sa TV ang tawag d'yan
At kung sensitibo man ang gustong bitawan,
Pagpasok ng commercial, hintayin mo na lang.

Matutong magbaba muna ng mikropono
At saka idikta lahat ng iyong gusto,
Lagi kang mataas lahat daw takot sa 'yo,
Ratings lang ang mababa — totoo ba ito?

The breaking news breaks your heart — at 'yan ang bawi mo,
Nang mahalata mong sumablay ang pasok mo,
Pero sigurado ika'y maa-abswelto,
'Di ba ikaw rin ang may-ari ng network n'yo?
Nung Hueves nag-apologize sa diario naman,
O, akala ko ba wala kang kasalanan,
Tapos ng angalan, sunod paliwanagan —
COMPLAIN before you EXPLAIN ka na naman!
O ito kaya ay isa na namang "glitch" lang,
Tulad ng "two-zero" 'di na natin nalaman,
O ito ay maliwanag na kabobohan?
Sa tingin ng marami, mahirap lusutan.

Ang sabi ng iba — istupidong mayabang,
At giit ng iba — istupidong mayaman,
Mayaman man o mayabang ang tiyak diyan,
Napakayaman n'ya sa kaistupiduhan.

Buti pa ang apat na honor guards ni Cory —
Sina Malab, Laguindan, Rodriguez, Cadiente,
Walong oras tumayo sa ulan at viaje,
Ang lahat ay tiniis at walang sinabi.

Samantalang ikaw na may bubong sa ulo,
Komportable ka lang sa malamig na studio,
Nang kapirasong libing sa TV sumalo,
Angal at inis ang sumambulat sa iyo.

Maaari din namang pabayaan na s'ya,
Subalit ang nangyari'y mabigat talaga,
Namayapang pangulo'y huling paalam na,
'Di mo pa pinagbigyan ... hoy, nag-iisa ka!

At nais ko lang sabihin at ipagyabang
Sa mahigit na s'yam na libong tanghalian,
Sa limang pangulong sa Bulaga'y dumaan,
Kahit isa wala kaming nilapastangan.

Moving, very moving...

Willie Revillame vs Icons of Democracy

The popular noon-time show host Willie Revillame once again scored another achievement in national Philippine television by criticizing the coverage of the funeral procession of the late President Corazon C Aquino last Aug 5 2009.



Stating that" Di po maganda. Nagsasaya kami dito habang nagluluksa ang sambayanang Pilipino. Di ko magagampanan ang pagpapatawa habang ipinapakita ang libing ng dating president." (Its not very nice. We are having fun here while the nation is mourning. I can't do my job of making people laugh while the funeral of the late President is being shown)

Basically the it seems that Mr Revillame believes that his show is more important than the country being able to pay its respects to one of the most iconic leaders in Philippine history.

Sometimes I wonder if he could actually be blamed for thinking this since he's been has gotten away with a number of rather disturbing things, most notably:

1) The death of dozens of people (mostly the very young and the elderly) during a stampede while waiting for the gates to open for his anniversary show a few years ago. The result: uproar by the people, tears from Willie, then nothing.

2) He was caught on national TV with evidence of game fixing on his show. Result: Short uproar, Willie in tears, then nothing.

Based on these, is there really a chance that things can be different? When you think about it, the tears he sheds during his show are the same tears he sheds to apologize for whatever he does next to offend the Filipino people. The clamor from the viewers and bloggers both in the Philippines and abroad may have stirred the attention of the MTRCB but how long will that attention hold? I think a few days more and Willie will be able to return to continue to play on the hopes and dreams of the less fortunate Filipinos and insult the pride of a mourning nation.

The man peddles hopes, dreams and lies and the people love him for it. If he gets away with it then kudos to him, nice one Willie, you've done it again! Maybe next time you can pee on the flag on national TV and expect a party and a significant increase in your talent fee!

Little monarchs in their own little kingdoms

A few weeks ago I went to the Department of Social Welfare and Development office* of the Municipality of Angono, Rizal for the purpose of conducting a research on the social welfare programs being undertaken by the local government unit for its constituents. To make the long story short me and my associates were informed by a rather "clerk-ish" looking woman that the Head of the DSWD office was on leave for a week and as such, and repeatedly stated that no information could be released without the individuals express permission and without a formal letter of request.

This struck me as a rather stupid setup. First of all it demonstrated that there was nobody designated as the "second-in-command" to make decisions in the absence of the Head, meaning that no work will actually get done if a decision had to be made. Second I was not informed that the social welfare programs of a local government on a 1st class municipality were a matter of national security and should therefore be guarded jealously. I believe this person imagined this moment as an opportunity to lord her influence over others, that instead of being supportive, chose rather to be combative in order to protect thier little kingdom.

But what would be most disturbig is that what if the local DSWD did not have any programs which support social development? Now that would be another surprise! Another government office with no programs? How could that happen in the Philippines?!

But in the end sometimes I cannot really blame these people, if your work can be summed up in one word: "clerical". This also includes those who've been in that position for years with no hope of advancement or drive to improve. No, indeed I cannot blame them because the world needs mean and incompetent people with no better prospects for the future to ensure that the make the world a more exciting place.

In the start I was angry, now I just feel pity. Sucks to be you.






*The Local Government Code of 1991 was created to allow many functions of the national government such as health, education, social welfare and development, etc, to be devolved to the local governments to provide them greater autonomy in the formulation and implementation of programs which are attuned to the needs of the community.

Restart

I've lost interest in chronicling the various goings-on around me in the last couple of years and so my old journal was deleted or it just ceased to exist out of sheer boredom, inactivity and stagnation.

Recently though, I've found that it helps to have an outlet to express my observations and comments on whatever topic I find most annoying at this moment. These aren't the memoirs of an optimist but more likely the ravings of a mean and critical individual with very few good things to say about anything.

Read it or don't read it doesn't really matter as long as I can say it.