From Karitoon Classroom to Learning Center

After a year of having been declared as CNN hero of the year, awardee Efren Penaflorida is now into showbiz. He is hosting Ako Mismo program in TV5 and yesterday, was into pictorial for a CD album "For a Better World", PEP reports.

But he did not totally left his advocacies on education. From Karitoon Classrom in Cavite, Efren and his buddies are now building a learning center for the kids.

Buti naman at may improvement na. Sana tuloy-tuloy na ito. Pero teka, di kaya naiinsulto dito si Gloria Macapagal Arrovo... err, Arroyo? Sabi niya before she left, kumpleto naman ang classroom for the education sector. Covering nga lang 120 students per classroom ... o class hall? Kasi ang alam kong classroom mga 30 max lang ang estudyante. Kung hall, puwedeng 120. Pasok din yun sa gymnasium o kaya coliseum.

Pero sabi primary concern daw ng P-Noy Administration ang education. Kaya nga dadagdagan ng 2 years ang basic education ng mga Pilipino. Sana dagdagan din ng classroom. Di ba Bro. Armin Luistro? Kasi kahit 10 years pa ang idagdag sa basic education kung lahat naman ay matututo sa ilalim ng punong mangga o kaya sa may kariton, dagdag-pahirap lang yun sa ating mga kababayan. Not unless.... gusto pa nating magkaroon ng marami pang Efren Penaflorida. Pero di ba insulto yun sa mga Pinoy at sa kasalukuyang administrasyon?

Half kudos for P-Noy Admin over Typhoon Juan

President Noynoy Aquino aired satisfaction over the handling of information and corresponding risk mitigation efforts over super typhoon Juan. As Yahoo's FTP reported:

“I am very pleased. Pagasa [Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration], with its accurate and timely predictions, enabled all other agencies to be ready,” Aquino said in a text message to reporters.

Photo courtesy of www.fox40.com

Well, we see really some difference and we are glad about it. Hence, Tikboy offers his "half" congratulations to the P-Noy Administration for that. The other half is reserved until after the administration has taught the local government officials on how to mitigate disaster-related risks. As Inquirer.net reported, 12 are dead and at least P1.5 billion of crops are lost along with hundreds of houses destroyed.

Amnesty is good but....

Palance is in a defensive mode after announcing that it is granting amnesty to the Magdalo members especially those who were involved in the Oakwood mutiny and the Manila Pen seige.

But while nobody is questioning the power of the President to issue amnesty, many are asking: Is this really the path to "matuwid na daan"?

P-Noy has been saying that one way to the "matuwid na daan" is to know the truth. But the truth will not come out if there are no efforts to seek it. And one way to seek it is by allowing the wheels of fortune... err, justice to proceed. So bakit di na lang hayaang litisin muna ang mga sundalo para lumabas ang katotohanan? Pag nilitis sila, lalabas ang mga ebidensiya at pag lumabas ang mga ebidensiya, makikita nang sambayanan saan nga ba talaga nagkamali at ano nga ba talaga ang mali?

Si Tikboy matagal nang naghahanap ng linaw sa akusasyon ni Sen. Trillanes tungkol sa korapsiyon sa militar. Lumabas na ang tip of the iceberg nang ma-kasuhan si Gen. Garcia. Hanggang sa tip na lang ba tayo magiging kuntento?

At any rate, sigurado naman na palalayain ang mga sundalo. Kung hindi man amnestiya, andiyan naman ang pardon sakaling mapatunayan silang may kasalanan. Kung sila nga ay may kasalanan. Di ba katotohanan ang hinahanap natin at ito rin ang isinisigaw ni P-Noy sa inauguration niya sa Quirino Grandstand?

Amnesty is good.... But we need TRUTH!

Rico Puno, puno ba nang bunga?

A Pilipino saying goes: Binabato ang puno na hitik sa bunga.

So it appears. Literally and figuratively as Undersecretary Rico Puno claims that "five groups including one led by Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo are working to have me ousted." The others are: the Balay group (those pushing for Noy-Mar tandem in the 2010 elections), the Samar group (those pushing for the Noynoy-Binay tandem in the May 2010), one composed of people interested in his post, and another affiliated with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Pero teka, mukhang hindi nga lang talaga binabato si Puno. People are out to get his head axed or at least his ass kicked out from the DILG. Paano ba naman, palpak na nga sa hostage-taking, ayaw pang manindigan laban sa jueteng. He even boasted na marami ang lumalapit sa kanya na jueteng lords para kausapin si P-Noy. Pero nang tinatanong sinu-sino ang mga ito, bigla ba namang kambiyo. Todo defense na sa mga kausap niya.

Kung sabagay, okay naman yung pag-defend niya kasi ibig sabihin, tunay nga siyang kaibigan. Ang kaibigan niya, pino-protektahan niya kahit pa siya ang madiin. Hindi tulad ni GMA na iiwanan na lang basta ang kaibigan huwag lang maipit. Kaya lang di ba dapat, the loyalty to one's self (or friends) should end when the loyalty to the country begins?

Pero since the loyalty of Puno to his friends never end despite the fact na kailangan na ang loyalty niya sa kanyang bansa, hanggang kaibigan material lang talaga siya. Hindi government material, di ba? At dahil hindi siya government material, di siya bagay sa kanyang puwesto at tama nga ang mga grupo na gusto siyang palayasin sa kanyang puwesto.

Pero USec, pag pinalayas ka, friends tayo ah? Kasi mas bagay ka na friend kesa government official. Tapos, hingi ako ng balato sa jueteng ah? Di ba, dapat nagsi-share and that's what are friends for?

Labh yeowhpoewh...
PEACE!

Quantity is not equal to quality

Minus the reproductive health bill, the bigger issue that is dividing the Philippines is the issue of adding two years in the basic education system of the Philippines. Multiply that with rallies and demonstrations and the result: Restlessness.


It appears that one problem with the present administration is its ability to package its messages. The honeymoon period might be an excuse but it should have been clear especially for those who accepted the post that corresponding with their seats are responsibilities and that includes communicating properly what needs to be communicated. The clarity is obvious as the present administration even hired a number of communication specialists and even had a number of departments to cater to that. But then, quantity does not automatically equal to quality.


Because of a problematic communication system, sectors and groups have been opposing the increase in the number of years of basic schooling from 10 to 12. They also argue that quantity is not equivalent to quality as the additional years in the basic education does not automatically mean better students or well-prepared graduates for tertiary schools. Even if the years are short compared with international standards, as long as there are sufficient books, teachers, school rooms conducive to learning and other facilities, the country can still produce quality graduates and globally competitive citizens. Pero kahit dagdagan mo ng 10 pang taon kung kulang pa rin ang mga aklat, guro, paaralan at iba pang facilities, ganun at ganun pa rin ang mangyayari. Palpak pa rin ang magiging resulta.

Sana, nag-iisip ang ating gobyerno. Sana, nag-iisip din ang mga kumokontra at sumasang-ayon sa mga issue. Quantity does not automatically translate to quality.

"Very Good" satisfaction ratings for a good start

There is no doubt, President Noynoy Aquino passed his first 100 days with a "Very Good" satisfaction ratings according to the Social Weather Stations. "The survey showed 71 percent of respondents were satisfied with Mr. Aquino’s performance, and 11 percent dissatisfied" or a net satisfaction ratings of 60 percent.

The palace is elated, of course, but this should not be a reason for them to rest on their laurels. As Joker Arroyo said, P-Noy's first 100 days was “not designed as a dry-run or on-the-job training period for the President.” Besides, P-Noy got the rating with "the shortcomings, the underperformance of his (advisers),”who, it seems, he doesn't want to replace especially the U-Sec in hotwater, Rico Puno.

But hopefully, things will change. P-Noy is a fast learner so it is impossible that he won't learn from ousted president, Joseph Estrada. Estrada also got 100 percent satisfaction ratings on his first 100 days but eventually was kicked out of the Palace for misgovernance and involvement in jueteng -- the illegal numbers game that is unfortunately dragging Puno down.

P-Noy and Estrada, however, did not top the satisfaction ratings for the first 100 days in office as Chief Executive. The title holder is Fidel "Tabako" Ramos with 66 percent. In the fourth place is Corazon Aquino, P-Noy's mother with 53 percent, and at the bottom is the infamous president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with 24 percent.

Civil Disobedience and Religious Obedience

It is said: Corollary with the freedom to believe is the freedom NOT to believe.

With the apparent collision between the Church and the State on the issue of reproductive health bill, the former threatened to call for a civil disobedience against the latter claiming it has the moral authority to do so. This simply means, the Church is framing its arguments on moral grounds.

But while the Church cannot cloak itself with moral framing based on what Snippets earlier raised, it can use the cloak of religious freedom to advance its arguments. That, we should respect as the Constitution clearly guarantees religious freedom for everyone.

Pero sana huwag namang bias ang Simbahan. If their freedom of religion is guaranteed and respected, they should also respect the freedom guaranteed to others. At any rate, religious freedom is not only given exclusively to the members of the Catholic faith.

Second, sana straight din sila mangatwiran. P-Noy clearly stated na he is supporting the freedom of the couples to choose which birth control method to use and he is NOT advocating preference over the other. The palpak na logic, for instance, makes the Church out of its wits. Isang miyembro, halimbawa, ng Catholic Women's League ang nagsabi na if there was a preference for condom ang Simbahan, sana wala si Sto. Nino. This kind of logic exposes the Church more to questions like:

• Teka, di ba immaculate conception si Sto. Nino? May di ba sinasabi ang Simbahan sa kanyang mga miyembro?
• Ang Holy Spirit ba nakikipagtalik the way ordinary humans do? 
• Alam ba ng Simbahan kelan naimbento ang condom? In tune nga ba sila sa mga pagbabago ng panahon?
• etc., etc.