Summer school

UNAPPRECIATED by their loutish husbands for fifty weeks a year, the cream of England’s desperate housewives sally forth to Oxford’s Dreaming Spires to seek solace in a fortnight’s summer school seminar on the mellifluously romantic poetry of Keats, Shelley, and Byron. In the past, Miriam Defensor Santiago has also attended. Perhaps her Oxonian presence has contributed to that bizarre accent and tendentious discourse.

We trust the International Criminal Court will seek Miriam’s services soon. The Philippines is grossly underrepresented at a senior level on the international stage and her abrasiveness when dealing with the world’s monsters would be helpful in furthering the retributive aspects of justice.

I am sure Senator Santiago recognizes the manifest unfairness to her country if only 12 Senators may be elected in 2013 when her departure leaves a vacancy that cannot be filled until 2016. She should clarify her intentions soon so that Comelec can instruct voters in May 2013 to choose the appropriate number of Senators (12 if she stays, 13 if she goes).

Oxford is not the only place of learning to host summer schools. Harvard does too. Both these august institutions need the money. Harvard’s courses are more business-oriented and we are pleased that local Congressman Tony Golez is able to afford the enormous fees necessary to attend this year.

There are many modules that would help him.

Firstly, there is English Comprehension 101. Perusal of the Constitution, which espouses proportional representation, would, when combined with a knowledge of the population and the number of Congressmen representing districts (as opposed to Party List), indicate that Bacolod City needs a population of at least 800,000 people before two Congressmen could be justified to represent us.

Although we explained this two years ago, Golez insisted on wasting everyone’s time by saying that Bacolod would be represented in 2013-2016 by two congressmen. With a cavalier attitude towards voters he suggested that these representatives would be himself and Bing Leonardia. In fact we will, depending on the voters’ choice, be represented by either or neither but assuredly not both.

There are some congressmen who believe that when something is said it’s considered done. Bacolod’s electorate is not so naïve and Golez will have to produce substantive results if he is to be reelected in 2013. We trust that Harvard will provide some necessary inspiration.

The second Harvard module from which Golez could benefit is Creative Math 204. The justification for the P368 million flyover was, according to Golez, based on a projected annual rate of return of 32%. This means that the flyover was predicted to generate yearly returns of at least P100 million to a grateful populace. We need a post-implementation audit to verify this. Such an audit would also help to justify the second flyover, coincidentally also costing P368 million which has not yet been implemented due to a parsimonious DPWH.

Increasingly, the world of work requires attractive traits from those who wish to be employed. Those of us who are witout pleasing personality and/or team-playing skills find ourselves to be virtually unemployable.

In this context, we are concerned about Golez’s recent demeanor towards our beloved mayor. [Happy birthday bwas Bing!]. The visible lack of cohesion has resulted in sub-optimal decision-making in our local infrastructure, especially roads. So Harvard’s third module which should help Golez is entitled “Co-operation in National and Local Government Decision-Making.”

Historians remind us that Harvard is situated in one of the original thirteen Colonies which received a Royal Charter. The first colony, Virginia, was, of course, created by Elizabeth I. Subsequent colonies were authorized by her successors. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris resulted in Britain awarding independence to these colonies. But their original rights to self-determination still apply even though there is now a federal overlay. Hence a feature of US decision-making is the recognition of the authority of local officials, especially mayors. New York’s Mayor Bloomberg does not receive the patronizing suggestions from the local congressmen that Golez has recently been offering Leonardia. We trust the Harvard summer school will put Tony right on this.

Some local students see summer schools in purely punitive terms. They shouldn’t. Summer schools are a great opportunity to gain fresh insights and experiences.

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers –Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809-1892