THOUSANDS of public school teachers were being penalized by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) through the payment of compounded interests because of the so-called non-payment of debts. We consider this unfair, inhumane and inconsiderate.
We are certain that GSIS President and General Manager Jesus Clint Aranas himself, as well as the rest of the GSIS Board of Trustees, knew that teachers have nothing to do with the scheme of deductions and someone else is in-charge of this amortization on a regular basis. Furthermore, pertinent rules mandate that payment both for the GSIS premium contribution and loan amortization should be on top of other obligations.
We have tried very hard to resolve this matter through several forums like dialogues, letter-appeal, mass releases and even a meeting in the presence of representatives from the Department of Education and the Senate. Unfortunately, the GSIS representatives in those forums have been consistently and mercilessly putting the blame on our poor teachers.
We refuse to believe that such insensitive gestures reflect the official position of the GSIS on the matter. We want to convince ourselves that the GSIS is consistent with the very reason for its existence: to serve the civil servants, ensure their welfare and to be depended upon by them especially in times of need.--Teachers’ Dignity Coalition
Traffic problem
Traffic problem has always been with us here in Cebu but to what degree, that is the question. Our officials know that Cebu is growing, so why didn’t they build roads that are at par with the number of buildings.
Elsewhere, new buildings are required to have adequate parking spaces for whatever business that is housed there. Parking on the streets are our most common barrier, which blocks our roads.
We have to follow the rules that Japan and the other Asian countries have put in place, wherein if you can’t park your car in your own private parking area you will not be allowed to purchase a car, or wherein you should destroy one car to buy another car. People here have been bragging about how many chop-chop multicabs have been brought to Cebu. Is there no control?
Another problem that we have is enforcement. Enforcement is the key to disciplining our drivers. We need only one police chief in Cebu that will give the order and not have one police chief in every town. Today, because we have one police chief in every town, the degree of enforcement is to their own liking. Thus we have so many standards of enforcement.
Another blunder that we have is to assign traffic enforcers to the town where they reside in so that most of the people there are either his relatives or his close friends. How in the world can we get discipline?
Politicians we have so many yet not one of them can see the problem and take action thinking that they will lose votes.--Alfredo Acopan