Being A Dutertard Yet Not Supporting Marcos' Burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani

I had to explain to my co-teacher kanina through a Venn diagram that a Duterte supporter can also oppose the burial of Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani, and also have the deepest respect for Cory and Ninoy Aquino, for the sacrifices they made for this country.

Politics makes strange bedfellows and ordinary citizens like us always have to make concessions for the politicians we vote.

So, yes, I'm a Dutertard but I will continue to remind young people of the sacrifices many young people during Martial Law had to undergo just so fellow Dutertards like Mocha Uson can write and speak freely without fear of death or torture.

So a little respect naman for martial law victims. For now, that's the most we can give them.

Hidilyn Diaz Paves the Way for Filipinas in Sports

Mabuhay ka Hidilyn Diaz! You make us all proud!

I think now our hopes of finally getting an Olympic gold can become a reality since from my observation, Olympic weightlifting in both the men and women's categories, especially in the lower weight classes are dominated by our ASEAN neighbors.

So there's really no reason why we cannot win our share of golds as well.

At least now, Hidilyn has paved the way for the Filipina in sports and I'm sure maraming kabataang babae ang maeengganyong sumunod sa mga yapak niya!

Marcos Was Not A Hero

I can now really confirm that the Martial Law years were not taught anymore soon as I left high school.

I was talking with my co-teachers, most of them in their 20s and early 30s and they see nothing wrong with burying Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Hayyy, how sad! Maybe we need a movie like 'Heneral Luna' to bring these young people back to their senses!

I also rarely join rallies but this one, I think that event on Sunday is worth attending.  I really cringe at the thought that the former President will be buried along with the other heroes in the Libingan ng mga Bayani - for the simple reason that he was not a hero of this country.  He was a plunderer, a murderer, a dictator, a person who made a whole generation of Filipinos suffer so much.

By allowing this burial, this sends a very wrong message to our youth that it's ok to bastardize our country and still be rewarded for it!

Disturbed By the Relentless Mob Mentality

It was quite unfortunate that the tragic shooting of a biker in a road rage incident has also led to the leveling of false accusations against an innocent person.

When the news came out about the conduction sticker of the alleged killer, social media understandably immediately picked it up and it spread quite quickly.  

I admit I too wanted to share the picture of the car with the conduction sticker but something held me back. Common sense dictated to me that if this guy was the real killer, you think he'd still keep a picture of his car in his social media account?  I don't think so.  A common reaction would be for him to hide any traces of his car in his social media accounts, right?

So I was right then!  Nelson Punzalan definitely was not the guy who shot the poor biker.  I just hope he can recover quickly from this traumatic experience and use this experience to tell people about the dangers of mob mentality.

However, I am also glad that the police already have a positive identification of the REAL killer.  I really hope they catch him soon because I have a feeling he might get desperate and hurt another set of people and use them as a human shield.  Desperate people sometimes do not think straight!

What If They Make A Mistake?

The speedy way that today's law enforcement has been taking care of the country's drug problem has given me some uneasiness, mainly because most of the victims are just shot down or is presumably shot down because they resisted arrest or attacked the arresting officers.

This way of dealing with the country's drug problem has been endorsed by no less than our country's president, a man I also voted last elections, with the hope that he can get things moving in our society - and he does get us moving!

Summary executions of drug fiends and drug lords are something polite society only wishes and never talks about in public. Now that the reality is here, it is a bit jarring to hear the number of deaths that happen everyday.   

Just killing the drug pusher or the drug addict circumvents the the long and often circuitous route that justice takes in this country

When Criminals Have Human Rights

Of course, they have human rights! They are people too! But since our justice system in this country takes so long to resolve cases, the public usually won’t mind a swifter resolution of justice, when they just allow the police to rub out the suspects, instead of giving the suspects the chance to redeem themselves in court. It has happened several times before, and it happened once again last week, when suspected carnapping gang members were summarily wiped out, instead of being hauled into court so they could defend themselves.

On one side, I’m glad the execution of justice was swift. That they had to pay for their lives is a question, since it was found out later in the autopsies that they may not have fought back. But the world will be a much better place without them terrorizing the car-riding public. As for them losing their chance to change, if they were kept alive? Well, you live by the sword, you die by the sword. They made their choices to engage in a dangerous and illegal activity, death as a consequence was just many of the options to go out. And that’s how they deservedly went out.

On the other hand, this way of summary dispatching of suspects may not work if the people involved are just innocent passersby, people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It has happened before and it could’ve happened here as well. That’s why police operations like this have to be planned carefully and away from where the public can be used by the suspects as human shields.

Too bad this young gang had to go out this way but they were on a roll the past two weekends, getting cars, here and there, so the police had to act swiftly before it got out of hand. In the end, even if they also have human rights, I think the rights of law-abiding citizens should weigh more in the end, and if justice had to be dealt quickly – then so be it. The truth is, when bullets coming from a desperate criminal are whizzing past your face, it would be your life to give if you don’t offer any resistance or offense.

Handling Du30's Barrage of Colorful and Vulgar Language

My friends and I were listening to Duterte's speech in the car last night, during the thanksgiving party in Davao, just so they can count how many P.I's he was going to say.

I only managed to catch the last five minutes of it, yet OMG - I have seen some of the world's best and most vulgar stand-up comedians and boy, they pale in comparison to our president! Even our own Vice Ganda pales so much in comparison in terms of the vulgarity of the choice of words!

I think it's even harder for us, Bisaya to listen to him since we understand it, and when it's spoken to you in your first language,it's like you were whiplashed!

I swear while I was listening to him, I was like, did he just say that? Did someone record this speech so I can listen to it again? Was that the word, blank and blank and blank used one after another?

Of course, you'd have to listen to how DU30 uses the words in context, but still, the imagery that he comes up with, just to stress a point, is something I haven't heard anyone use in my lifetime - especially from someone in authority - like your boss or your Dad or your Lolo.

There's no one quite like him.

Colorful is not even sufficient to describe it! I had to translate what he said to my friends, I translated it in English and even in English, it does sound a bit icky, sa Bisaya pa!

The reporters handling the Malacanang beat better have stomachs of steel! The pagmumura, I think, I can handle.

But the overtly sexual imagery, and the use of female and male genitalia in a very colorful context is something I have to get used to.

I'd hate to be a woman now handling the Malacanang beat! Siguro to prep you up, you have to listen to misogynistic black rappers para madesensitive ka sa kabastusan.

And I thought Madonna had a potty mouth na!

Thank You Lord for the Smooth and Safe Voting Experience!

Thank you Lord for the smooth and safe voting experience today in our precinct!

I suggest you vote early because the heat may be unbearable later.

The only unfortunate news is that our neighborhood newspaper vendor could not find her name in the voter's list even though her husband and she always voted together.

I wasn't able to ask though if she went through the biometrics process. She said, "Sayang, konti na lang ng ang boboto kay Miriam, mababawasan pa."

Oh well, I'll just assist her in the next registration of voters c/o BFF Mabel C. Villanueva.

Enjoying Davao's Bounties - Durian, Pomelo and the Marang

A trip to Davao isn't complete without tasting their fruit delicacies, durian and marang.  It took sometime for me to adjust to durian but I liked the marang immensely.  As for the pomelo, I used to eat a lot of that as a kid but since it's a bit pricey here in Manila, so I rarely eat it nowadays.

Fernando Botero Sculpture in Resorts World Manila

It was just my second time at the Resorts World Manila since frankly, it's just tooooooo faaaaaarrrrrrrr and too much effort for QC residents to go to. Tonight alone, it took us 2 1/2 hours to reach it - enough to go to HK or Davao on a flight! Anyway, I was amazed to see this beautiful chocolate sculpture of Fernando Botero at one of the lobbies!! 

A small Botero sculpture costs around 1 million HKD so this one, if it's really authentic, should cost as much as a Serendra apartment. Anyway, even if someone wants to steal this and sell it, it would be hard since it's so huge haha! Didn't know that Andrew Tan and the Megaworld people were Botero fans!!

UPCAT Test Items

Probably the best compliment I got from a UP professor was when my Math adviser in the UP Integrated School, Ms. Flora Cruz told me that she was endorsing two of the items I made for a second year honors algebra quiz to be included in the UPCAT entrance test because she was part of the panel that reviews and revises the exam questions for Math! I was really shocked with what she said but really very happy!! 

 Sadly, I could not confirm this anymore because I never really followed it up with her and asked her what happened. Tragically, I don't even have a copy of the two exam questions. All I remember is it was to compute for the slope but written into a Physics-like situation. And mind you, I wrote the quiz items in Tagalog!! Everything in UPIS, except English, is taught in Tagalog.

Close Encounter with the Philippine Eagle!

OMG! This is probably one of the most amazing pictures ever taken of me! I was pestering my friends to prioritize the Philippine eagle visit for our Davao trip and thank God, we were able to catch the caretaker at the right moment and he gave us a wonderful tour of the place!! This was definitely a goosebumps moment - to be this close to this gloriously beautiful creature!!

My Presidential and VP Choices and the Filipino Masses

My choices for president and VP has, more times than one, not always aligned with the masses.

1992 Miriam - president / Magsaysay Jr. - VP

1998 Lim - president / Orbos - VP

2004 Villanueva - president / Legarda - VP

2010 Villar - president / Binay - VP (the only time it aligned but this was a protest vote because di ko talaga type si Mar. I find him plastic)

But now, OMG, nag-align sya with the masses! And frankly, it took them months to figure it out, kasi for me, when these people announced they were running, these two were already my first choice even if nasa 4th or 5th place pa sila at that time.

I said at that time, it's ok, my choices naman never wins.

But after 5 months or so, thanks to social media, (siguro?), milagro, nag-align!

Mar Roxas and Yolanda: An Epic Fail on His Part

That's why I say Mar Roxas is plastic. These are people who really went to Tacloban and were there. So ALL these people are lying and Mar is telling the truth?

Napansin ko na yan during the first days of Yolanda e. If you watched the news, iba ang slant ng ABS-CBN, iba ang balita ng CNN and BBC.

I was confused nga e. I even wanted to write CNN and BBC and tell them, "Uy, mali kayo, may ginagawa government namin."

By the fifth day, ayun, nag-away na si Anderson and Korina. Dun ko na naintindihan why ABS-CBN's balita was a bit "positive" but CNN and BBC were really dreary.

Wala palang ginawa ang lolo. Papoogi lang. Tapos inaway nya pa si Romualdez over jurisdiction! Nakklk!

My 12 Senatorial Candidates for the 2016 Elections

Because of Trillanes' threat of impeaching Duterte, if elected president, I have decided to take out all the LP candidates from the list below and all those I think would be loyal to the PNoy administration.

So here's my updated senatorial list which I will also share with my family, since all of us are voting Duterte.

#1 Raffy Alunan

#2 Walden Bello

#3 Sandra Cam

#4 Neri Colmenares

#5 Sherwin Gatchalian

#4 Richard Gordon

#5 Lorna Kapunan

#8 Princess Jacel Kiram

#9 Alma Moreno

#10 Isko Moreno

#11 Susan Ople

#12 Jovito Palparan

Changing My Senatorial Slate Due to Trillanes' Threat of Duterte Impeachment

Thanks to Trillanes and his dirty tactics, I have taken out all the LP candidates I was planning to vote. I-impeach niyo pala si Digong ha, pwes tanggal lahat ng LP candidates sa listahan ko and those who were appointed by PNoy.

Impeach pala ha!

Sorry Leni, sorry de Lima, sorry Hontiveros. Your loyalties kasi is with the administration e. I love your work and believe that you all can do a lot for the country, but your boss is an a**hole so protest vote muna ako.

Sino pa bang most likely will side with PNoy para tanggalin ko sa list?

I hope other Dutertards change their senatorial lists as well.

Everyone in the family feels the same way so I'll have a new list again tomorrow para we can make sure these LP people and those loyal to PNoy cannot resort to dirty tricks, like what they did to the poor Corona.

Don't you think the timing of Corona's death is too eerie? Parang sampal kay PNoy and those senators who got 50 million pesos bribe from him, just for a yes vote to impeach the poor guy.

Celebrating the Unsung Heroes During the Dark Martial Law Years

I was lucky that I studied in UP because I was able to learn about the heroics of Evelio Javier, Edgar Jopson, Lean Alejandro and countless other young men and women who laid down their lives against the Marcos dictatorship.  Unfortunately, with the continued ascendancy of the Marcoses and some of their cronies, it's like nothing has happened and those who suffered under their hands have been given little or no financial remuneration, and worse, no apologies at all.

If you read this Inquirer article, you'll find out that there were many ordinary people who fought during those dark years.  It would be interesting to buy the book that these siblings wrote.  That way, we may never forget the price they had to pay so that we would enjoy the freedom we are experiencing right now.

A heroic generation still cries: ‘Never again’

Duterte and the Philippine Stock Market

I am one of those people who are waiting with bated breath as to how the stock market will react in a Duterte presidency. Kaya if he wins (as the surveys show), the first 6 months are so important because it will either lead to an inflow or outflow of foreign money.

I experienced kasi how strong the impact is when foreign money comes in. Parang fiesta lang ang peg! You are lucky if you bought before the prices became so high. Yun lang, when they pull out naman, tidal wave din ang mangyayari, pabaligtad.

I hope Duterte chooses well-respected finance people and economists in his Cabinet para di magpanic ang mga fund managers, especially those who are handing Philippine accounts (and there are many in HK).

Someone whose credibility is so big in the Asian finance community that no matter what Duterte says, he or she can deflect or spin the words easily.

Not Surprised Why Bongbong Marcos is Faring Well in the VP Race

I am also not surprised why BongBong Marcos is still very popular.

Yes, I am appalled with many of his statements but again, unlike many supposedly "good" Pinoy politicians, he's very low-key in person - and like his mother, he really talks to you, appearing interested with your life and gives you no condescension.

Charina Pinez Errea and I met him first in the HK airport. He, along with his family were in the waiting area, quiet, unassuming, not drawing attention to themselves and no bodyguards.

At that time, I think he was just governor of Ilocos Norte, so his national profile was pretty low. It was Charina Pinez Errea who noticed him and said to me, let's ask for a photo.

Wala pang Iphones, androids and tablets nun and the camera phones were still in the Stone Age! We talked to him and he was very gracious, very easy to talk to and when we asked for a picture, we said, we had no camera and he suggested our camera phone (the Stone Age one).

Ayun, I don't know where the photo is anymore because I've had many phones na after that.

A few weeks later, I met him again, this time at the Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge of the Heathrow Airport. I went up to him and introduced myself, saying that we met a few weeks earlier in HK. Yun pala, he was bringing his sons to London (to study, I think.)

Ayun, again, he was very easy to talk to, no yabang, parang close kami LOL. What endeared him to me was when he asked me why I was in London. I said, "I meet up with my boyfriend every June to watch tennis, etc."

He did not bat an eyeflash when he heard "boyfriend". I looked at his face for a raised eyebrow. I found no judgment in his expression.

This was about ten years ago when gay marriage and men having boyfriends were not talked so openly in Pinoy society.

So he might, he just might support gay marriage. Unfortunately, I never asked about his stand on the issue.

We talked about other general things. I asked about his province and what he had done there. He volunteered the information openly. Walang yabang, walang pag-aalsa ng bangko. He was very cordial.

I actually like him, di ba Charina Pinez Errea. He was so nice to us! Komedyante pa!

Yun lang, in conscience, I just can't vote for him. But I won't tell him that when we do meet again in person, LOL

The Top 10 Tourist Destinations in the Philippines

According to the Department of Tourism, the following are the top 10 destinations in the Philippines in 2010

1.  Camarines Sur - I've never been here and I'm not really into water sports so maybe I'll pass on this one.

2.  Metro Manila - I live here so a no-brainer.

3. Cebu - I grew up here and it's still my favorite place to go to in the Philippines for vacation.

4.  Boracay - I've been here once. Memorable experience, but I'm not really into beaches, so I'll just go here if the kids are coming with me.

5.  Baguio City - My last trip to Baguio was in 1996!  I'm overdue for a return trip!

6.  Davao City - My last trip to Davao was in 1998! Another city I should visit soon!

7.  Puerto Princesa City - Another place I'm interested to visit.

8.  Cagayan de Oro - I lived here between 1995-1996.  Lovely city.  I heard it has grown even more.  Would love to visit it again!

9.  Zambales - my brother and his kids went here last summer and they had a great time!  Still, they went to the beach and not really my cup of tea

10.  Bohol - I visited Bohol a few years back with Benoit, my French friend.  We had a great time!

The Top 10 Destinations I'd Love to Visit in the Philippines

I've been lucky that I was able to travel to many different places in the Philippines since we always traveled even as kids so the following list are still, the places I'd love to visit since I haven't been there yet -

1.  Baler, Aurora - I've always been fascinated by that battle between the Spanish and the Filipinos in Baler, and a trip there will give me the chance to finally see the place where it all happened!

2.  Vigan, Ilocos Sur - old gentrified houses, would love to see them

3.  Mayon Volcano, Albay - It's a pity I've never seen the Mayon Volcano.  Maybe it's time I should!

4.  Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte - I'd love to see the windmills and the 'desert'

5.  Dumaguete City - I love university towns so it would be interesting to see this university town by the sea

6.  Dapitan City, Zamboanga Del Norte - my sisters went here a few years ago but I wasn't able to join them, pity really, but I would love to drive by the city again on the way to Dakak

7.  Lucena, Quezon - It's just a few hours away from Manila, another city I'd love to see

8.  Marawi City - I wish I had a close Muslim friend who knows his way around this predominantly Muslim city.  I would love to visit it too.

9.  Batanes - so isolated and so far away but still I'd love to visit the place

10.  Dakak, Zamboanga Del Norte - probably the only beach in this list that I'm interested to visit

I've never been to Palawan or the Banaue Rice Terraces but I guess I'm not too interested in them since they didn't make my Top 10.  Not really into beaches and since that's what Palawan can offer, it's not really on top of my list.  I also don't like hiking, so going up to the terraces may not be an enjoyable idea for me.  I'd love to visit Tacloban City and Samar but what are we supposed to do there?

Why Are We Not Extensively Using Solar Energy?

I read an interesting article yesterday wherein a big college in Manila has opted to use solar energy to power their school's electricity consumption.  Now that is a very good idea! And that a nun had the initiative to really implement it shows that the religious need not be traditional thinkers! 

Well, the school uses two technologies - the use of solar thermal collectors and of absorption chillers.  According to DCI, the one who installed it, the solar double wall vacuum tubes, which look like fluorescent lamps, are installed on the rooftop of the building - absorbing the sunlight and traps the heat. 

The energy is then transferred through pipes and stored in thermal storage tanks which are like a big version of a thermos.  The hot water then goes to the absorption chillers and to the cooling tower which dispense the cold air to the fan units installed on each of the 16 rooms of the building.  Apparently the tubular solar panels are more effective in absorbing and trapping in the sun's heat.

Now this type of set-up is perfect here since we have a lot of sunny days!  And worse, our electricity bills are continuously rising.  If only, we can implement this, we can slash our electricity bills a lot.  The school used to pay more than a million pesos on electricity.  Not anymore.  Wise ladies!

The Case Against Mining

     It’s no secret that the Philippines is extremely rich when it comes to natural resources. Our land is littered with minerals such as nickel, coal, gypsum, sulfur, silver. Sound good? Well, our country also has the fifth largest stock of gold and copper in the whole world. In fact, according to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the Philippines have a total of 840 billion US dollars worth of untouched minerals.

            I know what you’re thinking. If we’re so rich, why, then, is our country correctly  perceived as one of the poorest third world countries in the globe?

            Well, technically, as stated before, we are rich in natural resources. But some people have a problem with mining. It is extremely dangerous, and while most of our wealth could be uncovered by mining, many people have declared that mining won’t do anything to help our economy –– in fact, the Philippines may be better off without it.

            Considering we have one of the world’s biggest gold and copper reserves, the Philippines doesn’t have much trouble attracting foreign investors and mining corporations. Uno problemo is, mining exposes risk not only to the environment but also to the community –– proof would be the countless accidents that have happened because of perilous mining operations.

            Take, for example, the Philex Mining in Libay. Rice fields and houses, among other things, were destroyed by the mud slides between 1999 and 2002. The mud spread 200 meters out to sea, causing the demise of fish, shellfish, mangroves, and corals. Mercury levels were about 400 times higher than usual. Needless to say, people were afraid to buy fish, affecting the fishery commerce. 70 percent of Filipinos’ count on fishing and agriculture for survival.

            Miners as subjected to numerous health vulnerabilities, as they are exposed to: dust; vibration, which can cause permanent damage to bones. Gangrene in the hands and fingers can be caused by the vibration syndrome, also known as ‘dead finger’ syndrome. Vibration may also trigger problems with the digestive system because of the continuous shaking of the internal organs; extreme heat, and considering sources of hydration may be limited when in the process of mining, this can lead to severe dehydration; inhalation of fumes produced by machineries used; absorption of manganese, lead, cadmium, and other noxious materials. They also have limited exposure to air and are susceptible to repetitive stress injury (RSI), back pains due to manual lifting, and hearing impairment caused by noise and/or other hazardous sounds.

            Sodium cyanide is used to leech gold from ores. Cyanide is an extremely poisonous salt of hydrocyanic acid and it blocks the movement from the blood to the body tissues. This is also fatal. Mercury, another toxic element, is also used frequently to generate gold-amalgam.

            People also lose their homes and their lands because of mining. Said Aquino Q. Pimentel Jr. regarding the indigenous peoples being removed from their homes due to mining:

“Also since the Marcos years, I have denounced and will continue to denounce the use of force - how mainly through the civilian paramilitary units - to compel tribal groups that oppose the entry into their ancestral domains of mining and logging interests without engaging them in honest to goodness consultations. No country claiming to be democratic should allow that to happen within its territory.”

            All these predicaments related to mining can make a person wonder if it can truly be helpful to our economy. In his World Bank Extractive Industries Review (2004), Dr. Emil Salim of the UK Financial Times said:

“Not only have the oil, gas and mining industries not helped the poorest people in developing countries, they have often made them worse off. Scores of recent academic studies and many of the bank's own studies confirmed our findings that countries which rely primarily on extractive industries tend to have higher levels of poverty, child morbidity and mortality, civil war, corruption and totalitarianism than those with more diversified economies.”

            So . . . how can mining help our flailing economy if it 1) expose workers to fatalities 2) pollute rivers near their sites 3) damage mangroves 4) obliterate coral reefs and, to top it all of, 5) forcibly throw out locals from mining sites (which, by the way, is a total violation of human rights)?

            It doesn’t. We can attribute this to the fact that whatever cash we get out of foreign investors and mining companies drilling holes in our ground goes straight into our “leaders’” pockets, leaving none for the starving, suffering Filipino.

References:

·         MINING IN THE PHILIPPINES: BANE OR BOON. 2011. MINING IN THE PHILIPPINES: BANE OR BOON. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nenepimentel.org/speeches/20071126_Mining.asp. [Accessed 27 May 2011]

·         Philippines . 2011. Philippines . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2794.htm. [Accessed 27 May 2011]

·         Mining in the Philippines and the effects on Occupational Health and Safety of Mine Workers* | IOHSAD. 2011. Mining in the Philippines and the effects on Occupational Health and Safety of Mine Workers* | IOHSAD. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.iohsad.org/11/06/mining/mining-philippines-and-effects-occupational-health-and-safety-mine-workers*. [Accessed 27 May 2011]

·         Mining in the Philippines - Concerns and Conflicts. 2011. . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.envirosecurity.org/sustainability/presentations/Wicks.pdf. [Accessed 27 May 2011]



The Adverse Impact of Mining Operations in the Philippines

The Philippine government has approved the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 which grants the opening of mining operations in both public and private lands; that also includes the timber or forestlands.  This law also has provision that  any interested miner or investor may apply for the Exploration Permit (EP), the mineral contact and the Technical  and financial assistance agreement with the Philippine government if there is a mineral deposit found in the area that has a high commercial value.  This mineral agreement with the government permits any contractor to conduct mining activities within a period of twenty five years.  And, still can be renewed by the mining contractors.  Moreover, there are three kinds of mineral agreement with the government. First is the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) that permits the contractor to have the right to any mineral resources as long as he will provide for the financing of the implementation of the agreement in terms of technological mechanism, management and supervision of the mining workers in the site. Second is the co-production accord that states that the government has to contribute to the financial resources for the implementation of the contract.  Third is the joint venture agreement that requires the government to organize a business partnership in which both the government and the contractor have equal sharing.  Aside from that, it is provided that the mining contractor must be either a Filipino citizen or a corporation that has 60 percent Filipino ownership.

(http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=2230)

However, home-grown communities along with the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are being concerned with the legality of these mining operations in the country.  Many Filipino people have been questioning the implementing rules and regulations that allow foreign companies to have total control in the mining operations as well as the natural resources in the country.  I am among those people who are wondering why our government allows this thing to happen in our environment.  Although, I know that the government and the foreign investments give many advantages to the government in terms of different tax revenues every year.  But the problem is the mining activities are destroying our country’s natural resources which are the main resources of basic food and daily needs of millions of ordinary Filipino people in the provinces.  Aside from that, the mining operations reportedly caused many deaths and serious working incidents in the site.  There is a great number of Filipino miners who met tragic incidents while working for different mining contractors in various provinces. This is  due to  lack of sources of income that led many men in the provinces to  join in these kind of  mineral hunting that takes longer years in looking for any valuable mineral that can be sold in the international market. 

(http://mindoropost.com/2011/03/04/mining-act-caused-corruption-conflicts-killings%E2%80%94groups/)

The significant effect of mining operations is very large among the indigenous people.  Most lands in the provincial area are owned by ancestral families.  And many stories have been reported that the Philippine Mining Act led to the mining operations even closer to   the ancestral lands without any permission from the land owners.  That is why many questions and doubts from many indigenous communities if there is any legality of these mining operations.  Because they believe that they have the right on their own lands; to reject any actions and conditions that may greatly affect their everyday living as Filipino citizens.    They still have the right to approve or not approve any mining application in their communities.  And, if the condition causes them any inconvenience and deprivation from their normal way of life as well as if the mining application can affect adversely to their sources of income. 

(http://mindoropost.com/2011/03/04/mining-act-caused-corruption-conflicts-killings%E2%80%94groups/)

Many foreign investors are convincing the people to sell to them their lands for mining purposes.  And since, the people are so attracted with the offer.  Some of them grab it without thinking that they will later suffer the consequences of selling their lands and properties.  More than that, there are many environmental groups which deeply concern on the entire effects of massive mining operations to the environment as a whole.  In this connection, there are many calamities and disasters that happened recently; and many environmentalists strongly stressed that these disastrous happenings caused by various mining activities.  Aside from the enumerated facts and findings about the awful effects of mining operation; it even gives way to graft and corruption to many government officials.  There is billion of dollars financial agreement that involves in this kind of mining business with foreign contractors; and  various officials in the government have all the options to take in order to give way this kind of operations in our land.  Besides, there are tragic incidents that have been reported; conflicts in mining communities, with their mining workers, with the ancestral land owners and the worst thing is the extrajudicial killings.    

(http://mindoropost.com/2011/03/04/mining-act-caused-corruption-conflicts-killings%E2%80%94groups/)

I therefore suggest the thorough review of the Philippine Mining Act; because it seems that it does not provide any protection for our environment as well as to the human rights of the people. 

References:

(http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=2230)

(http://mindoropost.com/2011/03/04/mining-act-caused-corruption-conflicts-killings%E2%80%94groups/)

Gaining Independence From Poverty

 

There is some truth to the saying that in the Philippines, the rich becomes richer, the poor becomes poorer.  But not most of the time.

While there may be a big portion of the Filipino today that are living below poverty line, an average poor Filipino can rely on his or her innate talent of ingenuity to come up with means to pull him or her from her present state.  The Filipinos’ hardworking trait will work positively for him as he strives hard to gain independence from poverty, from not having enough to getting along just fine.

 I have seen poverty at its worst and I could just wonder idly how a person or a family for that matter could combat the same with some amount of ingenuity and hard work.  I have this gut feel that it will work.  It will.

First, I will try to update myself with some agencies or institution within my community that can help me in my present status.  I am sure there are establishments out there who can provide me with some opportunities.  I’ll probably start by   improving my network and become visible to many possibilities. 

Like for instance, there are a lot of agencies who are into micro finance and target those marginalized poor in the community.  They are of great help.  These agencies can actually provide poor members of the society like me some opportunities    to enable me to become self reliant by providing loans with minimal interest with achievable requirements to start a small scale business.  Before a loan is granted, a borrower also has to undergo some form of training or seminar on how to sustain the small scale business whereupon he is likewise educated to become self reliant as to pay the loan obligation.

I would have to choose a particular business that would generate a modest income.  Perhaps the kind that never runs out of style regardless of anything be it rain or shine.  Of course it has to be something that I am particularly interested in.  A modest food business like an eatery would be my top priority as eating is an activity that will never go out of style among all people born with stomach plus the fact that aside from hard work, it does not necessarily entail too much start-up investment.  One can even start this up with a few hundred and rotate the proceeds of the day for next days’ operation.  It can even save the entire family’s food budget while earning at the same time. 

They say there is also a lot of money in junk business, so, I might probably consider that one too. 

Whatever business one is into, he had to put his heart into it 100 percent.  Most of all, before embarking into a particular business, it has to be granted that one has already made and done a feasibility or case study whereupon it showed a big chance of it to succeed .

On the other hand, there are a lot of available free livelihood trainings in a community or parish by which one can readily avail and could become a good business opportunity too.  The choices are actually plenty, one really just have to be updated or build up a network and become visible.

Know your strengths or skills as well.  It actually becomes your passport for particular job opportunities around.  For instance if you are a carpenter, electrician or a plumber or a nurse or teacher and jobless at the moment, you can actually put a signage in front of your house for any job that you can offer for a fee  in your community on call. Visibility is the key.  A teacher can offer tutorial services, a nurse some nursing skills that only her or his profession alone can administer like taking vital signs with assessment and health teaching, wound dressing or administering injections.

The power to change our life’s condition is in our hands.  The poor becomes poorer only if we do not do something about it.  Success does not come to those who only waited for it.  It comes only to those who will it and work hard for it.  There are always rooms for people who are industrious enough to achieve their goal in life. 

 Life is actually sweeter if success is earned through hard work.  The bottom line is always hard work as it always comes with a good price.