Sánchez: Faith and development

“RELIGIOUS groups the world over,” wrote Sophie Ayling in the British newspaper The Guardian’s Global Development Professional Network, “over have been trying to improve the welfare of poor communities long before such work became a branch of international development.”

However, secular enlightened thinkers and Marxists pooh-poohed faith-based organizations and the religious elements they employ when dealing with the poorer segments of society. Marx famously described religion as “the opium of the masses,” and many regarded religion as a tool that the elites used to oppress and control the less educated.

Legaspi: Education liberates? (2)

WE ARE now halfway done with the month of June. Without noticing it, we will wake one morning with the “–ber” month. It seems that time flies so swiftly for those who work but I guess even for the idle, time flies swiftly too. One education expert told me that the reason for the swiftness of time is the electronic gadgets we have around us. They distract our concentration and our focus. Anyway, I told him, my dear friend, the watch that the ancient people used are the same time pieces that we are using today.

Jimenez: Traffic is not the issue; political will is all that is needed

BORROWING the words of former MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando when he officially visited Bacolod City to check the traffic situation upon invitation of the local government—Hindi ma trapik ang Bacolod because the city has the perfect grid of its roads. It is the discipline of the motorists that needs to be enforced by those in authority.

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Honeyman: Education: will anarchy rule?

ONE of the many neglected areas when the Department of Education was pushing for what has become RA 10533 is the interaction between secondary and tertiary education. We believe that, correspondingly, the tertiary sector should carry on as though nothing has happened.

For Eastern University president Michael Alba speaking at his Alma Mater St. John’s Institute, Bacolod City on Saturday 8 June said that implementation of RA 10533 would result in no college freshmen in 2016 and no freshmen or sophomore students in 2016 and 2017.

Sanchez: Equal value

AS PEACEMAKERS, mediators should give parties in conflict equal value, regardless whether one is rich, the other poor. Or between that of a woman and man, an hacendero or a farm worker. Or for that matter, a member of a moderate organization versus a member of a radical union.

I drove that point as my core message during a talk on conflict resolution among members of the 3rd Civil Military Operations Battalion Infantry (Spearhead) Division, Philippine Army.

Legaspi: Education liberates?

THE Philippines is one of the countries lagging behind in the world in terms of education. The illiteracy rate is high compared to other developing and underdeveloped countries in the world. The Filipino is non-competitive in terms of knowledge as compared to other citizens. We have very young and most often immature degree holders and even Doctors of their disciplines.

We are lagging behind. We need to change the educational system of the country in order for us to be competent in front of other people.

Sanchez: Dousing water losses

FRANKLY, I’m a bit confused on the non-revenue water issues hounding the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa). Claudio Salmo of the Baciwa Employees Union threatened to show documents on their complaint against three members of the Baciwa Board, who, he insisted, are entertaining private sector participation in resolving the non-revenue water (NRW) concern.

Jimenez: Chaotic traffic can be resolved in Bacolod

IF YOU are a driver and move around in Bacolod City and you want order in the movement of motor vehicles, surely you will get irritated and your blood pressure will go up when you experience the chaotic movement of undisciplined private and public motor vehicle drivers.

***

Pacete: The Sister Michelle that I know

FOR her family and friends, she is Dory Gamboa. For us, volunteer social workers of BINHI-Chito Foundation, she is Sr. Michelle, a Good Shepherd sister.

Sanchez:People skills

ONCE equated with human rights abuses at the time of the Marcos dictatorship and even under Cory Aquino, the Philippine Army is pulling all stops to win the love and respect of civilians. It has been scoring points in winning the peace through conflict resolution.

Now the 303rd Infantry Brigade is calling for reconciliation, unity and good governance in Negros Occidental, with newly-elected and reelected officials set to perform their mandate next month.

Pacete: When Silaynons celebrate fiesta

SILAY'S 56th Charter Anniversary that highlights Kansilay festival (June 6-12) is not just an annual celebration to commemorate the cityhood of June 12, 1957. Silay fiesta is a carryover of what was good in the past and what has been now. “Life is sweet in Silay and the past is forever.”

That fits the 2013 fiesta theme, ‘Pagkamadinalag-on: Bugal sang Silaynon’.

Legaspi: Summer is over?

THE rains came in last week as a sign that the summer season is finally over. School opened its doors to myriads of students and pupils. Bells ring everywhere. Uniformed children walk to the terminals in an early morning rush. These are the signs that summer is really over.

One may wonder why I was not in these pages for the past weeks. My apologies and here are my reasons for not being around.

Honeyman: The education imbroglio

ONE of the least unsatisfactory aspects of our education system before RA 10533 was the wide range of opportunities open to the 33% of our school leaders who have gained a high school diploma. Attempting to force students to endure a further two years of a mediocre high school curriculum before they can enter the tertiary sector may be the intention of the Department of Education but it will not be accepted by the rest of us and, we hope, the tertiary sector itself. An extra two years of investment before our academically proficient students can obtain a university degree does not make sense.

Sanchez: 4Ps

THERE is good news in the 4Ps, or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, better known as the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, so says the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6.

I joined my local media colleagues with the dialog with the DSWD Region 6 during the Advocacy Forum with Information Officers of Local Government Units, Columnists and Radio Commentators and Bloggers last week.

Pacete: Catching the Big Fish

ILLEGAL numbers game is both lucrative and dangerous. We do not wish illegal numbers game to proliferate in our midst. It can only survive if we patronize its operations, if men in uniform will only close their eyes, if government officials will just stand akimbo, if good men will do nothing.

Sanchez: Pinoy DUI

IT’S about time drunk drivers should be slapped with violation of the Republic Act No. 10586, AKA Act Penalizing Persons Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Dangerous Drugs and Other Similar Substances.

It used to be that traffic victims file cases of reckless imprudence (or criminal negligence) leading to homicide or multiple injuries, or damage to properties. Many of these cases land in court-annexed mediation.

Pacete: Lin-ay sang Silay: A cultural trademark

CULTURAL Silay. Lin-ay sang Silay spectacle is the foundation of beauty and brain pageant in the local government units of Negros Occidental. Lin-ay sang Negros of Panaad Festival fame got its inspiration from the brainchild of the Silay cultural force. The Lin-ay Pageant replaced the Carnival Queen that was very famous at the turn-of-the-century in the “Paris of Negros.”

Sanchez: Delayed arrivals and flights

AS A frequent flyer to the big cities, I applaud Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas who questioned the latest rule set by the Philippine Airlines that imposes P1,500 fine on passengers who “fail to report in the check-in counter” 45 minutes before the estimated time of departure (ETD).

A PAL memo dated May 7 enforces a P1,500 fine as “late check-in fee” for “passengers who report at the checked-in counter less than 45 minutes prior to departure.”

Pacete: Be proud to be a Silaynon

"PAGKAMADINALAG-ON: Bugal sang Silaynon!" is the theme of Silay City's 56th Charter Anniversary. Mayor Jose "Oti" Montelibano has planted a seed in the heart of the Silaynons so that they may rise above common selves, be achievers, and strive to be number one.

Jimenez: Never-ending problems in school opening and the K-12

IT'S more Fun in the Philippines! That's the tourism tagline that our country is carrying and surely it really represents the Philippines. While one does not want to talk bad or dirty about this country, it is often amusing to think that it is our leaders that make one talk about this nation. ***

Honeyman: Implementing Rules and Regulations

WHEN Congress passes a Republic Act which is then signed by the president, there are usually some aspects of the act which are not definitive.

Sanchez: Inclusive growth

FIRST, the good news at the national level. The country posted an impressive 7.8-percent growth rate in real GDP, making our Asean neighbors and China eat our dust for the period. In fact, as the National Statistical Coordination Board emphasized, 7 percent growth was maintained in three quarters in a row.

The bad news is that, as Inquirer columnist Solita Monsod stressed is that our economic growth failed to benefit all sectors. Agriculture contributed a mere 0.4 percentage points of the 7.8-percent growth rate, yet the sector accounts for nearly a third of the labor force.

Lessons from the elections

THE hoopla of the May 2013 elections is over and the winning candidates are getting ready to assume office in a month. But to those who believe, myself included, that the real challenge happens on the job, then the battle is really just starting.

As a public relations intern for a Bacolod candidate, I had the opportunity to witness firsthand the nuts and bolts of local politics – something that I have ignored growing up. Like most young people, I acquired my concepts about politics through the media and they have, more or less, portrayed it to us as a dog-eat-dog world.

Sánchez: No water revenues

SO WHY is the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) losing from non-water revenues (NRW)? After all, they gain revenues from consumers who have to pay their monthly BACIWA bills from no-water in their taps.

According to its finance manager, the water utility’s incurred NRW losses of Baciwa amounted to P2,040,902,992.15 from 2003 up to 2012 but its net income is only P289,394,8667.

Pacete: Ideal Teacher

“WHAT is an ideal teacher?” The question sounds simple but it calls for a complicated answer. Well, ideal teachers make ideal students in an ideal teaching-learning environment. The ideal school should be managed by an ideal principal who is guided by the ideal principles of education.

Jimenez: iPhones and tablet games cause poor family bonding

THIS was a serious subject matter among family members as they see that there is now the lack of interactive communication among children with their parents as a result of the existence of these modern telecommunication and science using iPads, tablets, netbooks, and what have you.

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Pacete: Ayer, Hoy, Mañana

NEGROS: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Soroptimist International of the Philippines Region (A Foundation) Inc. will have its 24th Mid-Biennial Conference in Negros Occidental on May 31 to June 2. Venues of the activities are in Balay Negrense Museum in Silay, the Ruins in Talisay, and the plenary session will be in L’Fisher Hotel, Bacolod. More than 500 SI officers and members are expected to come. The Soroptimists will have more fun in Negros Occidental.

Sanchez: Organic Trailblazer

WELL, thank you for the compliment, Madame Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat who praised Negros Occidental for setting the benchmark for organic food production in the Philippines.

Puyat was all praises on Negros during the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines 2013, Asia’s Ethnic Food and Ingredients Show, at the SMX Convention Center at SM’s Mall of Asia.

Sanchez: Every drop counts

EVERYONE matters, every drop counts, says the Baciwa slogan. Oh so true, especially for environmentalists. Who can disagree with that??

For consumers, however, every drop counts because the overuse of water means they have to pay more than the average monthly bill.

Honeyman: RA 10533: Usurpation of Authority

'RA 10533. An Act enhancing the Philippine basic education system by strengthening its curriculum and increasing the number of years for basic education.'

In fact the Act does not strengthen the curriculum and I shall show later on how a potentially strengthened curriculum was negated via an untransparent process.