I THOUGHT cramming is seen and done only in school, particularly in preparing for exams, but no, even government agencies and offices do such frantic race to finish a project.

In the limelight now is the much-abused Commission on Elections (Comelec), that constitutional body tasked to handle election exercises in the country, make sure said elections are honest, orderly and peaceful. Nice objective, this, but can it be achieved in 2010?

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With barely enough time to automate the polls next year, the Comelec authorities are scrambling to put into place the complete (sana) automation of the 2010 elections, get fast and near accurate results and proclaim the winners immediately.

Can the automated counting machines produce good, glitch-free results? If Smartmatic International Corporation would live up to its name, it should be smart to produce 100% accuracy of the voting/counting machines and proclaim the winners nationwide in two to three days.

Nearly losing the contract due to allegations of bribery, this foreign-based and orchestrated firm, finally in tandem with Total Information Management Corporation or TIM, should live up to its promises of making the 2010 elections less cumbersome and the waiting for the results less tiring.

I may ask: so, fine, the counting will be done by automated gadgets but would their operators be accurate, proficient and honest so that no dagdag-bawas, errors in putting data into the machines and human error will come into play?

Senator Edgardo Angara bats for transparency in the conduct of the 2010 polls, but can this be achieved? Are we now sure there will be no hackers, cheaters and Garci clones?

The Philippines has been laboring to achieve credibility, at least in the elections but if one recalls past exercises, this aim is still distant and remains a dream or, worse, a nightmare: traditional hot spots, massive fraud, cheating, vote buying, etc.

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Sona, soma, soca. At this time of the year, national and local government executives are expected to render their reports to their constituents.

President GMA is scheduled to give her State of the Nation Address on the third week of July, Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio gave his Ulat sa Bayan last week and mayors, like Angeles City's Francis "Blueboy" L. Nepomuceno, will give their versions during he month.

Mayor Blue is scheduled to report on his and his team's accomplishments and goals today at the SM City Clark event centre, capping his delivery with the awarding of the city's top taxpayers.

Mabalacat Mayor Marino "Boking" P. Morales is expected to deliver his SOMA anytime this month. In the curious case of Magalang, with only about two months of tenure as town executive, would Mayor Romulo "Romy" F. Pecson deliver a report on a few accomplishments? If he does, kailan kaya?

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The scramble for some 15,000 slots in the construction work in Guam where bases formerly stationed in Okinawa were to be transferred is so intense that our job seeking cabalens are swooping down in droves on POEA and, locally, on Peso offices.

One such huge turnout can be seen at PESO Mabalacat where interviews by the very accommodating and soft-spoken Engr. Esteban "Steve" Dizon are conducted every Saturday at the Municipal Hall in Xevera Tabun. Mayor Boking dropped by last Saturday and spoke animatedly to the applicants.

With the assistance of POEA's Elizabeth Mirabueno and Director Jocelyn Sanchez, the job seekers, particularly those from Mabalacat, need not worry about displacement.

These two ladies whom I met last month are also very accommodating and generous to a fault. I plan to see them again this week to follow up on the applicants' status. Abangan.