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* Volume No. I * Issue No. 009 * Date: November 16, 2007 * ============================================================
CONTENTS:
*The Cry of Sta. Barbara *The Filipino Perspective *I Am Bisaya *The Ylongo Composo*
Philippine Society & The Christian Church *Announcements & Messages * PerryScope *
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Today in History!
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The “Cry of Sta. Barbara” in Iloilo (Noviembre 17, 1898)
(By: dinggol a.divinagracia-INM Banwa_Mo -November 16, 2007)
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In November 17, 1898, one hundred nine years ago --a brave ilongga patriot Patrocinio Gamboa, with a concealed weapon and a flag inside her “patadyong” diverted attention and successfully avoided thorough inspection by “guardia civil” at checkpoints; by acting as the bickering and nagging wife to her meek and supposedly henpecked husband Honorio Solinap on their way to Sta. Barbara some 16 kms. away from Iloilo City riding on a horse-drawn buggy.
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Upon her arrival, “Tia Patro” handed to Gen. Martin Delgado, a replica of the flag made in Hong Kong by Marcella Agoncillo prepared by the women of Jaro and a saber; a gift from his erstwhile adversary -Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo who had earlier in Luzon, already declared the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines a.k.a. the "Katagalogan Republic". -

Thereafter, Gen-en-Gefe Martin Delgado also declared the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Visayas and Mindanao in Sta. Barbara plaza after the Philippine Flag was hoisted amidst a joyous crowd.
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This was later replaced by a Politico-Military Government on November 23, 1898, composed only of the Visayas, because the leaders finally preferred instead, a federal arrangement composed of --Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as a logical substitute because of its indigenous elements.
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Moreover, since the Visayans did not want to recognize the supremacy of Aguinaldo and the tagalogs.
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With the merger on December 2, 1898 of the Independent Republic of Negros and the Cantonal Government of Bohol (established in August-1898); the Panay government that included Romblon (part of Capiz), based in Iloilo was renamed Federal Republic of the Visayas, patterned after the U.S. Federal and Cantonal government of the Swiss Confederation.
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Earlier, Capitan Martin Delgado of Sta. Barbara --together with Quintin Salas of Dumangas, Pedro Monteclaro of Miag-ao and Adriano Hernandez of Dingle in Iloilo --led the Volunteer Battalion of ilonggo contingents under the Spaniards who fought against the army of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Cavite and Pampanga. These military expeditions were mostly financed by ilonggo industrialist Don Eugenio Jalandoni Lopez of “Salog” (Jaro) and shipping magnate Don Felix de la Rama of “Parian“ (Molo) in Iloilo.
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This was before the "Comite Conspirador" was formed in Molo, Iloilo on March 18, 1898 that served as the nucleus of the Ilonggo Revolutionary Movement who fought against Spain and later versus the United States of America under the Federal Republic of the Visayas with a tri-star emblem banner; symbolizing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
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Don Martin T. Delgado secretly worked for the Visayan instead of the Spanish cause and later organized for an open armed rebellion against the Spanish. Several Visayan Generals conferred (among them Don Raymundo Melliza and Dr. Pablo Araneta of "Parian" Molo; Soldier-Farmer Adriano Hernandez of Dingle, Pascual Magbanua of Pototan, and Angel Corteza of Villa de Arevalo), and chose Delgado as “General en Jefe de los Tropas del Ejercito Libertador de Visayas y Governador Politico-Militar” who led the “Cry of Freedom” in Sta. Barbara-Iloilo ---one hundred nine years ago.
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Response from:
(Nestor Ortiz Sulpico -INM Banwa_Mo: NYCNewYork-USA)
--
"Today we reap the blessings of freedom that our forebears in Panay and in the rest of the country bitterly fought and died for.There are no more colonizers. We face new battles – for nation building, for the progress of our communities, for the advancement of our families.These are no less tough battles, for which we draw inspiration from our Ilonggo heroes......"
--
Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Nestor Ortiz Sulpico of Leganes-Iloilo; the humble ilonggo
who gained international fame by returning rare black pearls worth about $70,000 left
by a passenger in his taxi cab in New York City a few years ago..
--
Dubbed by the American mainstrean media as the "Honest Cab Driver of New York" and
in the Philippines as "Bagong Bayani ng Pilipinas", Nestor made all Filipinos proud and
"Taas nuo" to the whole world at the time when we needed it most.
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FILIPINO PERSPECTIVE:
(by: Felimon "Monching" Jocson -INM Banwa_Mo: WoodbridgeVa-USA)
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After 330 years of subjugation by the sword and the cross, the Philippines developed to the brink of nationhood under Spanish nurture and oppression and with immoral and abusive theocracy.
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Unfortunately, the Americans intervened in the Filipino Revolution with their typical mixture of savagery and idealism. After a successful policy of subjugation by massacre, starvation and co-option, the Americans set out to be the world's best loved imperialists that succeeded the Spanish colonialists. Filipino national pride was thwarted and has never recovered.
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Since the so-called EDSA-I and EDSA "Dos" Revolution and/or Coup-de-etat in Metro Manila, which restored the oligarchy and old time politics, and which democratized corruption, the well-being of the people has continued to decline. What government we have since then is not only corrupt but incredibly inept.
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Meaningful land reform is democratically impossible as modern illustrados who controls the political landscape circumvents the law and blatantly maneuvers the legal system to satisfy their greed and selfishness at the expense of the poor peasants. The past and current political crisis in the country should be blamed on the corruptions that start during elections when mighty and dynastic local politicians who ruled their political "kingdoms" for decades systematically "spread the sunshine" with the intention of R.O.I. plus interest by cornering juicy government contracts to the detriment of their constituents.
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Since Philippine Independence "kuno" was given to us by the Americans on a silver platter on July 4,1946; record show that there was no sense of permanency nor substantial impovement in the national condition as national leadership changed hands every presidential election --that was always attended by corruption and massive frauds.
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Today the Philippines is a backwater of Asia; although not many years ago we were among the best off in the whole continent. The prevailing condition of the country has become so precarious and shaky that another blow against it, might cause a devastation so difficult to cope, and would place to kingdom come, the very roots of our existence as a free and sovereign nation.

Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Felimon ”Mon” Jocson, is a sportman-
businessman; a sugar cane planter and fishpond operator in Negros
Occidental. Presently, he is the Chairman: Membership Committee of
the Association of Ilonggos-Metropolitan Washington D.C. (AIM) Inc.
and is engaged in automotive parts supply in Northern Virginia, USA.
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I AM BISAYA
(Ni Rex "Akoy" Rocamora -INM Banwa_Mo-China)
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May I say, that the present person, that I am has multiple identities. This person has the capacity to choose or to prioritize, which identity is more important. Me, I chose bisaya as my base. My first choice. My first preference among different other identities. The person that I am now, at present, is a Subject....not an object. I am a Subject that acts, not an object which is acted upon.
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Now, as Bisaya person ...I must choose to act ...by bisayanizing hispanic and american influence and all the rest.
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The action is mine being a subject...I am the one to assimilate all foreign influences in my own land to be rightly and properly part of me, of my own bisaya cultural system. Figuratively, eating and digesting are what I do 'para dili ko mabutdan'. Ug para mabusog ang akong kultura. In terms of foreign ideas and languages, by digesting them means...translating them into bisaya. Translation is important. It's making foreign ideas and influences become truly our own.. It digesting and make part of us what is good and flush down to the toilet that which is not suitable.
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We just don't copy or imitate completely. Worse, we don't let ours be replaced by theirs. Or let not be the Bisaya in his rightful place be replaced by a foreigner, Tagalog, European or American. Let the Bisaya act as the Subject and Master of his own destiny and territory. Let him welcome with open arms the spanish and american influences and then assimilate these influences, make it his own. Welcoming and yet assimilating.
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This is the way, the sea welcomes the rivers flowing into it, but then turning the river water into sea water, and make it part of the sea. Thus, writing/translating into bisaya the foreign ideas, good foreign books, etc. is the responsibility of the Bisaya. This is the main one, taking responsibility of one's own language and culture for the benefit of ourselves. Hopefully, it become mutually beneficial, we have done our contribution as Bisayans to the the country, to the world and to the whole humanity. That which, only a Bisayan can do is sharing the bisayan perspective, world view...the bisayan language and culture.
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Meanwhile I'm acting as a Bisaya.(I may be using English now as a tool to communicate to you. I don't deny it's usefulness. But it would defeat my ultimate purpose....because, the more time I use in writing English, the less time I have for writing binisaya. Imagine. Same goes for my time in writing Spanish.)
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Now, finally as a Subject of my destiny. I'm still in the process of recovering the 'words' that have been replaced by Spanish and American words. I'm recalling the bisayan words, relearning them, owning them, creating new ones for words are creations or translations. But wait, adding up new languages is okey, but never replacing bisaya with other language. So, what can help me...recover bisaya....but by acting/thinking in the perspective of a Bisaya.....writing in binisaya.
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This is not purism. Bisayanizing foreign influences is not purism. It is just natural as eating and digesting. So, that our ownbody and soul will grow robust. Let us not be Tagalized, Hispanized or Americanized. ...that's their job for the benefit and growth of their culture. Our job is to bisayanized, to make what's on offer become our own. This the way the bisaya language and culture can grow.
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The worst is when the reverse happens. When the bisaya or austronesian is being hispanized, an object, acted upon. Same as the Bisaya being americanized. Slowly, gradually... ..the bisaya is eaten up...assimilated by either hispanics or american culture into becoming hispanized and americanized. Later on, you won't recognize the bisaya...In terms of language.... bisaya becomes bislis(bisaya english), just as many words in bisaya are being replaced by spanish and english words....then more and more bisayan words will be forgotten. The language goes extinct. This happens when the Bisaya doesn't act as a Subject, or when he doesn't take responsibility of his own language.
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Now, taking responsibility of our own language and culture is first and foremost. But secondly, we are encourage to learn and make use of foreign languages and culure. We will add up. We have in our history the spanish language and cultural influence. We also have the american language and cultural influences. We can make use of it for our own advantage. We can make use of their languages for commerce etc. They have already become very much part of our culture, by virtue of colonialization. Then, the rule of the game is forced on us. Now, let us be free, we are free. Let us be the subject and master of our destiny. No forcing. No mandatory thing. As free person, we do have now the capacity to choose and prioritize.
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I have just shown my priority. Bisaya priority. Bisayanizing all for the benefit and growth of Bisaya. It is like eating all, including foreign things, for the benefit of my Bisayan cultural body.
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Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Rex "Akoy" Rocamora, is a Bisaya who grew up in Mindanao.
He is an expert in indigenious peoples and has been staying in China in furtherance of his
research and studies on this subject, among others.
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THE YLONGO COMPOSO: SINGING THE NEWS
(By: Guillermo Gomez Rivera -INM Banwa_Mo: HispanoFilipino eGroup)
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A stronger Spanish influence brought the composo into the scene as a literary medium. It was a stronger medium – a decidedly more powerful instrument for oral mass communication – than the newspaper which was then, as now, not a very effective vehicle of communication among the Filipino masses. Every town and barrio had two or three manog-composo.
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The composo singer, for a small fee, would sing out to the people in minstrel fashion, the latest "news." In the other Philippines regions a sort of a town crier was employed – perhaps for lack of composo singers.
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The composo is superior to the hurubaton in music, or tono. In a flamenco-like manner, Spanish guitar lends color to the narration. While the hurubaton is ad-libbed at the climax of the story, the composo is sung from start to finish. The melody is either a pasacalle, a pasadoble lento or a seguidilla rendered in the mounting style of Ravel’s Bolero. When the narrative nears the decisive part the voice range of the singer, together with his strumming, gets tighter and faster in crescendo until the climax is reached. After a postclimatic pause the epílogo begins. This is where the listeners get the moral of the story. After that comes the usual despedida.
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O, mañga señores
akon na tapuson
ining diutay nakon
nga composó.
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Pañanglit may sayop,
inyong dispensaron,
bag-o lang mag-alam
sining verso nakon.
---
(Oh gentlemen,
I am now going to end
this small
composition of mine.
If there be any mistake,
kindly pardon me,
I have just learned
this verse of mine.)
--
Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Guillermo Gómez Rivera, whose roots are "tumandok" of Dingle,
Passi and Calinog in Iloilo --is also related to the old Sino-Hispano families of Molo-Iloilo and
Negros Island. He is the author of HILIGAYNON HARVEST (Filipino Heritage Encyclopedia,
Vol. 6). This former member of the 1971-73 Philippine Constitutional Convention -- National
Language Committee was acclaimed --Laureled Prince of Ylongo Poetry in 1977.
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Philippine Society and the Christian Church
(By Pastor Francis Neil G. Jalando-on -INM Banwa_Mo: JaroIloilo-Phil)

(5th Convention Baptist Youth Fellowship of the Philippines Spiritual and Ecumenical Formation Seminar - October 28, 2005, Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches Headquarters)

First, we will discuss the Philippine national situation. Second, we will discuss Biblical justifications why the Christian Church should get involve in societal issues.
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Philippine National Situation:
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National Government Outstanding Debt
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During Erap’s time, our foreign debt amounted to P1.5 trillion. When GMA took over, the debt ballooned:
2003: Domestic – 1,708,781 Foreign – 1,651,327 Total: 3,355,108
2004: Domestic – 2,001,220 Foreign – 1,810,734 Total: 3,811,954
2005: Domestic – 2,034,992 Foreign – 1,856,040 Total: 3,891,032
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This year we will be paying 1.48 billion pesos a day, or 62 million pesos an hour, 1.03 million pesos a minute.[1] If you divide this to 85 million Filipinos, each of us has a foreign debt of about P50,000 pesos.
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The bulk of the P1.05-trillion proposed national budget for 2006 are earmarked for debt service payments. "Thirty-three percent (33%) of our budget this year went to debt servicing and a measly one percent allocated for health services," said Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on finance. "In the proposed budget for next year, such is the case again, P340 billion will go straight to interest payments. Such disparity has become the norm rather than the exception," he said.[2] The amount is P38.3 billion higher than interest payments for 2005. Next year (2006), foreign debt interest payments will amount to at least P931 million daily or will likely exceed to P1 billion a day.
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This means that the Philippines is caught in a “debt trap.” The debt trap “remains a major reason why poor countries remain poor and are unable to make progress…In a shameful, persistent, and systematic global injustice, debt servicing continues to drain resources away from the poor to the rich of the world on a grand scale.” [3]
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We cannot even lower down the principal amount. No wonder why we are in deep financial crises. The consequence of automatic debt servicing is that only a small percentage of our national budget is allocated to the basic social services of the people. For example, last year, the military and police received P90 billion which was equivalent to budget given to the Department of Education. Meanwhile, the budget given to the agriculture and social security sectors was P60 billion each. Worst, the Department of Health received P9 billion only.
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"Debt servicing continues to corner the bulk of the country’s yearly budget and revenues to the detriment of allotment for social services for the people. The health, education and social welfare sectors have to take a backseat to interest payments. This vicious cycle has got to stop once and for all," Senator Villar said.[4]
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This shows that our government spends more money in paying the interests of debt, buying bullets and guns than in buying medicines, textbooks and improving the agriculture sector. This is the grim reality of the pro-poor policy of our present government.
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The basic question is: why do we borrow? It is because domestic income (tax collections and revenues from government controlled corporations) is not sufficient to finance the projects needed by the government for the growth and development of the country. In short, we have a budget deficit. Borrowing is the simplest way to address this problem. Why in the first place do we have a budget deficit? It is because of graft and corruption, tax evasion and mismanagement of Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).
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Graft and Corruption, Mismanagement and Tax Evasion
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Morgan Stanley, a respected financial institution reported that the money lost in graft and corruption in the Philippines from 1965 to 2001 amounts to $204 billion or about P12 trillion. Last year (2004), Teodoro Benigno reported that we lose P230 billion each year to government graft and corruption.[5] The P12 trillion pesos loses to graft and corruption is more than enough to pay the almost P4 trillion outstanding debt.
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Last year (2004), Transparency International reported that we are the 3rd most corrupt country in Asia and number 11 in the world. Last January (2005), we got a higher rating. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Standard and Poor agency reported that the Philippines is the number 2 most corrupt country in the whole world, second only to Bangladesh. With this kind of development, our country may become the number 1 most corrupt country by next year.
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It was also reported that the projected losses to be incurred by 25 Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) this 2005 will be P105 billion. One prime example is NAPOCOR. Because of heavy losses, the Government borrowed for the rehabilitation of NAPOCOR. Thus, NAPOCOR’s share on the debt is P1.3 trillion.
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On the issue of tax evasion, the government of Ramos (1993) slapped a P26-billion tax evasion case against Lucio Tan because Tan did not support the candidacy of Ramos. Tan is chairman of Philippine Airlines with interests in banking (Allied bank), beer (Asia Brewery) and tobacco (Fortune). Forbes magazine lists him among the world's billionaires, with assets of up to US$1.5 billion (euro1.14 billion) as of last February 2004. As one of the country's richest men, his case was put into suspension and later dismissed by the BIR because of the political compromises done by the Estrada and lately, the GMA governments.
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Tan’s tax evasion case is just one example on how the “elite” of this country are avoiding taxes and on how also the government is making a decision based on political compromises.
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Thus, these are the main reasons (graft and corruption, tax evasion and mismanagement of Government Owned and Controlled Corporations) why the vicious cycle of “utang” continues.
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Poverty, Unemployment and Underemployment
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This is the reason why 88% of Filipinos are living below the poverty line. The poverty threshold is estimated at about P12,500.00. This means that 88% of Filipinos have an income below P12,500.00. What is more alarming is that 50% of the 85 million Filipinos are living below the subsistence or survival level of income which is estimated by the government for a family of five to be more than P5,000.00 a month. 1/3 or 28 million Filipinos are living on less than P33 pesos a day.[6]
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The unemployment rate as of October 2004 was 11% while the underemployment rate was 17%. This means that about 9 million Filipinos have no jobs and about 14 million Filipinos have jobs not related to the degree which they graduated from.
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The reasons for these realities are the unequal distribution of wealth, unequal distribution of land, government failure to generate income opportunities or jobs, the maintenance of the status quo through bureaucrat capitalism, foreign domination of the economy, and feudal backwardness.[7]
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The Exodus of OFWs
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Because of these realities, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported that last year (2004), 4,000 Filipinos are leaving the Philippines daily to seek “greener pastures” abroad. In 2003, it was only 3,500 while in 2002 it was only about 1,500 people. Soon, thousands of nursing students now will join with other Filipinos in going out of our country. SOME ten percent of the country's more than 80 million people or 8.08 million Filipinos have left the Philippines as of December 2004, said the Commission of Filipinos Overseas (CFO).[8] Some estimates the number of Filipinos living in abroad to 10 million.
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One sad consequence of the flight of our OFWs is the so-called “brain drain.” No competent skilled workers will soon be left in our country. Thus, we will soon suffer or is now suffering the effects of “brain drain.” Just imagine also the multiplication of family problems because of absentee parents, and the problem of sexual immorality of our OFWs.
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The Philippine government is promoting the flight of OFWs rather than making industries and opportunities for the people to stay here. Nobody wants to leave his/her country if the situation is not bad here. But why does the government continue to export our workers? It is because the dollar remittances of these OFWs are the only thing that makes the Philippine economy afloat. If these remittances will stop, the Philippine economy will collapse.
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Last year (2004), close to 10 million Filipinos overseas remitted a total of US$8.5 billion or P467.5 billion to the Philippines . This is 9.2% higher than the US$7.6 billion total of 2003. This is aided by the government pursuit of its labor export program that targets 1 million Filipinos deployed annually. For the first half of this year, 502,772 OFWs were deployed abroad compared to the 483,496 OFWs deployed in the same period in 2004.[9]
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From 1990 to 2001, Filipino migrants remitted a total of $50 billion through the formal banking system. Between 1990 and 2000, remittances made up 5.2 percent of the country’s gross national product.[10] In 2004, almost 10 percent of the Gross National Product is composed of OFW remittances. The amount P467.5 billion is more than half of the 2005 national budget (P907 billion). Now why you see why the Philippine government is so dependent by these remittances.
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We are a nation that is export oriented and import dependent. We do not cultivate our own land and resources for our own but we are dependent to the dole-outs of foreigners. This is our colonial mentality.
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Free Trade and Globalization
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It is sad to say that after the so called ‘liberation’ on World War II by the Americans they introduced into us forcefully its own policies and objectives that transformed us into a ‘neocolony.’ It was a new kind of colonization in which extended the old colonial pattern.
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The financial crisis faced by the Philippines was partly caused by the Bell Trade Relations Act. The Philippine economy started to go down when the Act was accepted in 1946. It was a free trade act that meant unlimited entry of American goods to the Philippines and restricted entry of Philippine goods to the United States . It also deprived the Philippines of its currency sovereignty by fixing the rate of dollar-peso exchange and provided that the rate of exchange could not be changed without the U.S. approval. Agoncillo lamented that “the bad feature of the law, in so far as the Filipinos were concerned, was the provision giving ‘parity’ (equal) rights to Americans in the Philippines, according to which they would have the right to dispose, exploit, develop and utilize all ‘agricultural, timber and mineral lands’ of the Philippines , together with the operation of public utilities and the exploitation of the ‘waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and mineral resources of the Philippines .’”[11]
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America left the Philippines with no choice but to accept the Bell Trade Act because if the Philippines had decided not to embrace it, the Filipino people will not be able to receive war damage payments. The unfair condition led to the amendment of the Philippine Constitution in order to give “parity” rights to the Americans and granted the retention of American bases in Subic and Clark for a period of ninety-nine years.[12] “As a result, American goods swamped the country so that by 1948, imports had increased substantially. The imports drained the Philippines ’ dollar reserves.”[13]
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Bishop Camba, former Dean of the School of Divinity, Silliman University, has this to say about our hope and struggle to free ourselves from foreign domination, “There is a new religion in our midst now. Its name is Globalization. The gods of this religion are the members of the G-7. Their prophets are the economists and their temples are the megamalls.” This type of domination is very subtle and cannot be understood by most of us but it is very much true. Because of globalization our economy becomes an ‘import dependent, export oriented’ type of economy. Addition to this misery is the GATT or the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade in which the main sponsor of this bill was no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, while she was still a senator. We opened our doors to the World Trade Organization that resulted to big disasters than gains. Just take a look of our rice and sugar industry, we are now importing rice and sugar from countries all over the world and in order for our local goods to compete in the market our farmers lowered down the prices resulting to big losses. Another addition to the pain in our necks is the OPEC or the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries that control the number of barrels of oil pump everyday and the prices in the world market.
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This is our national situation today in a summarized and comprehensive form. Now, let us go to second part, the Biblical justifications why the Christian Church should get involve in societal issues.
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Biblical/Theological Reasons why the Church should get involve in contemporary and social issues
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1. God is the Creator of everything. Meaning, our mission is not limited in the four corners of the church and other “churchy” affairs but anywhere and for everyone.
Genesis 1:1
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2. God is interested in the affairs of His people. Thus, as Christians, we must involve ourselves in the affairs of the people of God.
Exodus experience. Exodus 3:7-10
Not a distant God. Exodus 13: 21-22
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3. God appointed Prophets to remind the people what kind of society God wants. Meaning, we have a prophetic ministry. We are modern day prophets and prophetess. Throughout the Bible, prophets do not concern themselves in predicting the future but on preaching on an impending disaster if the people will not repent and turn away from their wicked ways.
Rebellious nation. Isaiah 1:2-23
Authority to rebuke. Jeremiah 1:10
Warning to people. Ezekiel 3:17-21; Amos 5:11-15
God does not want worship without action. Micah 6:6-8; Amos 5:21-24
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4. God has given His people the responsibility to be the stewards of His creation. Meaning, we have the mission of restoring the “image of God” - integrity of creation. Restoration of the dignity of people (from death nekros to life kabuhi nga may ginhawa). As God’s stewards, we are “in-charge.” Let us not abuse our “home” – the oikos. The oikomene (whole inhabited world) is where we should practice our ecumenical spirituality.
Genesis 1:26-30
Psalm 8:3-9
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5. God sent Jesus Christ to teach us how we ought to live. Thus, as Christians, we ought to live up to the name “Christian.” If we cannot, then it is better not to call ourselves as such because it will only ruin the name of Jesus Christ.
Salt and light of the world. Matthew 5:13-16
Love God and Neighbor (Good Samaritan). Luke 10:25-29
Mission of Jesus. Luke 4:18-19.
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6. God’s message through the Epistles.
Overcome evil with Good. Romans 12:9-21
Reconciling the world back to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20
Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:13-26
Faith and Works. James 2:14-16
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7. God has envisioned a kind of world which we will live in. We should practice “proleptic anticipation.” Meaning, we must be active in doing what God has envisioned this world to be.
No more violence. Micah 4:1-5
Peace. Isaiah 11:6-9
New heaven and earth. Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-4
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It is hoped that this analysis of Philippine society and theological reflection will help us in continuing the mission of HOPE started by our Lord Jesus Christ. By doing HOPE (Healing, Organizing, Preaching, and Educating), we are instilling hope in the hearts of all people. A Hope that will ignite the Filipino spirit in saying, “TAMA NA! SOBRA NA! PALITAN NA!”
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May the Father’s Love, the Peace in Jesus Christ and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all as we continue to live out our FAITH in the SERVICE of the people of God. Amen.
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References:
[1] http://freedomfromd/ ebtcoalition. org/[2] http://www.newsflas/ h.org/2004/ 02/be/be003209. htm[3] South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in, Noreena Hertz, The Debt Trap, in, Boo Chanco, “Demand and Supply,” The Philippine Star, September 2, 2005. [4] http://www.malaya/. com.ph/aug26/ news9.htm[5] Teodoro C. Benigno, “Here’s the Score,” in, The Philippine Star, March 10, 2004.[6] http://qc.indymedia/ .org/news/ 2005/07/4026. php[7] Jose Maria Sison, “CHRONIC FINANCIAL CRISIS AND THE WAY OUT”, in, http://bulatlat/. com[8] http://www.sunstar/. com.ph/static/ dum/2005/ 08/30/news/ 10.of.filipinos. left.rp.as. of.04.html[9] Lualhati Roque, International Migrant Resource Center, in, http://qc.indymedia/ .org/news/ 2005/07/4026. php[10] http://bulatlat/. com/news/ 2-50/2-50- braindrain2. html[11] T. Agoncillo, 1990, 433.[12] T. Agoncillo, 1990, 522.[13] H. L. Funtecha and M.J. Padilla, 2000, 148.
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Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Pastor Francis Neil G. Jalando-on, is the
Assistant Director, Office for External Affairs and Public Relations of the
Central Philippine University (CPU) -Jaro, Iloilo City. He is also the Host
of "Angtanay sa Katin-aran" CPU Alumni TV Channel-8 in Iloilo City.
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*ANNOUNCEMENTS ______&________MESSAGES*
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Welcome! New INM Banwa_Mo Members:
--
*Arnold Geronilla Tanoy -India
*Jard Ryan -Tarawa, Kiribati
*Laura Diago -Ferndale, Mi-USA
--
Nota Bene:
Easy access to Join! INM Banwa_Mo eGroup, was inadvertently "Closed Permanently"
due to wrong key application.
--
Hence, to Join! kindly send email to: Banwa_Mo@yahoo.com with the SUBJECT:
"I wish to join INM Banwa_Mo eGroup".
--
Salamat! --the Moderator
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ready! AIM! File!
Association of Ilonggos of Metropolitan Washington D.C. (AIM) Inc.
(Website: www.tabligan.org/AIM)

OBITUARIES:
Dear Everyone;
--
*Betty Magalona Gomez, mother of Marylou Gomez, one of AIM, Inc's pioneer
members died last month in the Philippines.
--
*Last October 29, 2007, Eulogio (Oloy) Garganera, Jr., brother of Pearl Gauzon
(AIM, Inc's past President and presently Vice President for External Affairs died
also in Iloilo City, Philippines.
--
I am asking everyone to please remember to include Betty and Oloy in your prayers.
Let us all pray and ask the Lord to grant them eternal rest.
--
"Although we pass through the valley of the shadow of death,
God is with us all the way (Ps. 23:4). His hands are on the helm
as He guides us to the heavenly haven He has prepared for us
(John 14: 1-3).
--
"Say not it's a dreadful journey, when the Savior leads the way;
It's but passing through the shadows, to the land of endless day!
- Bosch
--
The Magalona-Gomez' and Garganera-Gauzon families are in need of our comfort and
compassion. May they find peace, grace and faith with the thought that we are all with
them in their hour of bereavement.
--
GOD BLESS!
--
For AIM, Inc.,
Zeny A. Tabligan-President
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PerryScope!
(By: Perry Diaz -INM Banwa_Mo: SacramentoCA-USA)
--
BILL GATE RECRUITS A NEW CHAIRMAN
--
Bill Gates organized an enormous session to recruit a new Chairman for Microsoft Europe.
5000 candidates assembled in a large room. One candidate is MARIO DIMACULANGAN.
--
Bill Gates: Thank you for coming. Those who do not know JAVA may leave.
--
2000 people leave the room.
--
MARIO says to himself, 'I do not know JAVA but I have nothing to lose if I stay.
I'll give it a try'
--
Bill Gates: Candidates who never had experience of managing more than 100
people may leave.
--
2000 people leave the room.
--
Mario says to himself ' I never managed anybody by myself but I have nothing
to lose if I stay. What can happen to me?' So he stays.
--
Bill Gates: Candidates who do not have management diplomas may leave.
--
500 people leave the room.
--
Mario says to himself, 'I left school at 15 but what have I got to lose?' So he stays
in the room.
--
Lastly, Bill Gates asked the candidates who do not speak Serbo-Croat to leave.
--
498 people leave the room.
--
Mario says to himself, ' I do not speak one word of Serbo-Croat but what do I have
to lose?' So he stays and finds himself with one other candidate.
--
Everyone else has gone.
--
Bill Gates joined them and said 'Apparently you are the only two candidates who
speak Serbo-Croat, so I'd now like to hear you have a conversation together in
that language.'
--
Calmly, Mario turns to the other candidate and says 'Ano ba yun, pare?'
--
The other candidate answers 'Ewan ko ba pare....'
--
Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Perry Diaz, a successful Realtor, Businessman and
Columnist, served as Commissioner of the Sacramento Human Rights and Fair
Housing Commission in California. He is presently the Publisher and Editor of
BALITA-USA an eNews Bulletin with over 3000 subscribers worldwide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

============================================================
* Volume No. I * Issue No. 008 * Date: November 1, 2007 *
============================================================
CONTENTS:
*Cinco de Noviembre Celebration*Ilonggo Family Feuds*Coal-fired Power Plant &
Reactions * Public Administration & Governance * Words of Wisdom*Locsin Clan
Invitation * Spanish Lesson * Coincidence, anyone? *
==================================================================
CINCO DE NOVIEMBRE CELEBRATION
(An October 31, 2007 EMail Message from Negros-Philippines))
--
Hello, Mr. Divinagracia,
--
Thanks a lot for sending me the materials on our history. Had been busy with preparations for November 5 and 6 commemorative activities here in Bacolod. Glad to tell you that the National Historical Institute will be installing a marker on the site of the surrender of the Spaniards in Negros on Nov. 6, 1898 on the present grounds of Bacolod City Hall, that will be unveiled during a program at 5 p.m. November 6, 2007. NHI Executive Director Ludovico Badoy will lead in the unveiling rites, together with Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Gov. Joseph Marañon. Please refer to attached materials we disseminate in commemoration of this particular historical event. Thanks and regards.
--
Marlin
-------------------
MS. MARLIN P. SANOGAL
Provincial Information Officer
Negros Occidental, Philippines
--
Salamat! for your prompt response.
--
Amo ini ang naga kadapat nga serbisyo publiko. Aksyon Dayon!
--
Matinahuron...dinggol araneta divinagracia
(Founder: Ilonggo Nation Movement)
http://www.ilonggonation.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------

THE IlONGGO FAMILY FEUD: "Arroyo v.s. Lopez"
(dinggol a.divinagracia -INM * November 1, 2007)
--
Three scores and seventeen years ago, on October 7, 1930 -American Governor General in the Philipines -Dwight F. Davis ordered Iloilo Provincial Governor Mariano Pidal Arroyo relieved of his post for corruption.
---------
The disgraced ilonggo Governor from “Parian” Molo, iloilo was the younger brother of the late Senator Jose Pidal Arroyo, grandfather of First Gentleman Miguel “Mike” Tuason Arroyo. He was replaced by another “Pari-anon”, Dr. Timoteo Consing, a good friend and recommendee to Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon by Don Eugenio “Ening” Lopez of Jaro in Iloilo.
---------
The bad blood between these old super rich ilonggo families, the Arroyo v.s. Lopez and their bitter fight for Iloilo’s political supremacy; started in 1929, when the popular local newspaper the times or “El Tiempo” precursor of ABS-CBN Network owned by the Lopezes began a crusade against Chinaman and gambling lord Luis ”Sualoy” Sane and the corruption his “Jueteng” created in local government involving the Iloilo Governor, Iloilo City Mayor, Chief of Police and his Congressman brother.
---------
Due to public outrage and media pressure created by “El Tiempo” and the incriminating testimonies against the Governor by his own childhood friend and supporter, Pio Sian Melliza --the trial on Administrative charges resulted in the ouster of Governor Mariano Arroyo and he later faded into obscurity. Likewise, it caused the suspension of the Iloilo City Mayor and the Chief of Police.
----------
It seems that the family feuds between these ilonggo oligarchic clans of the Arroyo and the Lopez is still alive and kicking even today, seventy seven years later.
------------
Then:
-Iloilo Governor Mariano Pidal Arroyo and family.
Versus:
-El Tiempo of the Lopezes with President Manuel L. Quezon on their side.
---------
Now:
-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Arroyo family.
Versus:
-ABS-CBN of the Lopezes with Nini Quezon-Avancena on their side. Plus former President Cory Aquino, who returned the Lopez Media empire after EDSA-I and former President Erap, whose daughter married a scion of the Lopez clan.
------------
Please take note, the recurrence of similar topics; “Corruption“-“Jueteng” -“Lord Luis S.”
------------
And by the way, PGMA die-hard ilonggo Justice Raul Maravilla Gonzalez --is the son of Delfin O. Gonzalez, the last Mayor of Jaro City that was subsumed into Iloilo City when he caught the ire of then President Quezon.
--------------
Indeed, the family feud continues or is it that --history repeats itself as the saying goes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT
AFTER SPONSORED TRIP TO TAIWAN
Iloilo officials give nod to coal-fired power plant
(By Nestor P. Burgos Jr. *Inquirer 10/22/2007)
----
Returning from a controversial Taiwan trip sponsored by proponents of a local coal-fired power plant project, city officials are now urging residents to be open to what they call a “clean and safe” source of energy. Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and seven city councilors said any source of energy should be acceptable “as long as it is a private investment that adheres to and promotes strict environmental conformity.” While the officials said their report to Interior Undersecretary Austere Panadero should not be considered a technical opinion, they noted the cleanliness and safety of coal plants, and the “state-of-the- art pollution abatement systems” of three plants they visited in Taiwan on Oct. 12-14.
---
Joining Mabilog on the trip were Councilors Lyndon Acap, Julienne Baronda, Jose Espinosa III, Ely Estante Jr., Marietta Orleans, Nielex Tupas and Eduardo Peñaredondo. The officials visited the Zin Shin plant and noted its location near commercial and residential areas, “surrounded by healthy trees and plants.”“We have also observed that the leaves of plants around the plant are free of dust,” the report said.It noted that Formosa Heavy Industries Corp. (FHIC), which sponsored the trip, has been using a “circulating fluidized combustion bed” that purportedly ensures its plants meet standards for coal combustion set by the World Bank and the Taiwanese government.
---
The officials implied in the report that the plants were acceptable to residents living nearby. “Residents of surrounding communities and business proprietors do not seem to mind having the white steam-spewing smokestacks of the coal-fired power plants,” stated the report. Environmental groups earlier criticized the Taiwan visit as illegal and unethical for the officials. Air fare and accommodation costs were shouldered by FHIC and its partners, Global Business Power Corp. (GBPC)-Panay Power Corp. (PPC).GBPC-PPC, the main power supplier of the city, wants to build a 100-megawatt coal-fired power plant at its plant in Barangay (village) Ingore in La Paz District.
---
The Responsible Ilonggos for Renewal Energy (Rise) has filed administrative and criminal complaints against Mabilog and Mayor Jerry Treñas for allegedly violating Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Treñas earlier made a similar trip. The officials have denied violating any law. They pointed out that under a new directive of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the approval of local governments was not necessary in securing permits for projects like the construction of coal plants.
---
They said the trip was authorized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Lawyer Romeo Gerochi, who filed the complaints, said the officials’ report to the DILG only proved that the trip was related to the “exercise of their duties and official functions and serves as a strong evidence that they violated the law.”
---------------------------oo0oo--------------------
Reaction from Melvin B. Purzuelo -(INM: CityProperIloilo-Phil.) :
--
One of the hot issues in Iloilo City now is the proposed establishment of a 100MW (megawatt) coal-fired power plant in Brgy. Ingore, Lapaz. In the discussions, we should remember that the proponent, Panay Power Corp. (PPC), is one of the 2 characters who promised us in 1997 that they will lower the cost of electricity in the city and provide stable supply with the construction of their diesel power plants in the same location in Brgy. Ingore.
---
The other character is PECO that, to have its contract with PPC approved and renew its franchise included a provision that they will sell electricity equal to or lower than that of Napocor. It is a provision that has been grossly violated since then. Now PPC is selling to PECO at more than P7/kwh (kilowatt-hour) while Napocor sells at P2.90/kwh. This duo has given the distinction to Iloilo City as probably one of Asia's city with the most expensive electricity.
--
It is disturbing how the city public officials, after having been junketed to Taiwan, would parrot the marketing pitch of this duo to sell their dirty coal plan. Mayor Jeronimo P. Trenas, Vice-Mayor Jed Mabilog and several city councilors are now campaigning for the coal plant while totally silent about these corporations abuse of their monopolistic market power. They argue that Iloilo City needs the 100MW coal-fired power plant because it has very expensive and unreliable electricity supply. Practically the same argument used in 1997 and look at the energy situation of the city now.
---
Why is Iloilo City suffering from very expensive and unreliable electricity supply?
--
We have one of the most expensive electricity not only because of the rising cost of diesel fuel and the tolerated pilfering but more so because consumers pay for electricity that has not been generated and they have not used!
--
The power purchase agreement between PECO and PPC provides for an escalating 'minimum guaranteed electricity quantity' (MGEQ) from 313.6 million kwh/year in 1998 to 511.6 million kwh/year in 2004 when our actual demand was only 258.8 million kwh in 1998 and 325.3 million kwh in 2004. So, in 2004 the un-utilized electricity was 57.3% of actual demand!
--
It is so incomprehensible how Mayor Trenas and the other public officials could be so detached with this injustice and the heavy burden caused on the City residents. If not for the vigilance of Atty. Romeo Gerochi and the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC-Iloilo) , the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) could not have ordered PECO in 2005 to refund P3.89 billion for overcharging, reconnect with the Napocor and approved the lowering of the MGEQ to 373 million kwh/year (31 million kwh/month).
--
These are still hollow victories as PECO is doing everything to delay the P3.89 billion refund and continue to swindle the consumers even with the reconnection. After more than 18 months since the ERC order, PECO finally reconnected with Napocor in June 27, 2007 for a 15MW baseload demand. This is equivalent to about 10 million kwh per month of cheaper and cleaner electricity mainly geothermal from Negros.
--
Logically, the cost of electricity in Iloilo City should have markedly gone down when the price of 10 million kwh out of the 30 million kwh monthly demand has been reduced by P4/kwh. But this never happened because PPC is still charging P3/kwh for the capacity and energy fees of the 10 million kwh that is sourced from Napocor as they argue it is still within its MGEQ with PECO. So consumers pay PPC P30 million a month for electricity that it does not utilize and PPC is not generating.
---
RISE (Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy) is also concerned with the statement of Mayor Jerry Trenas that Megaworld need 35 MW (megawatt), not only because it is embarrassing for the city to have a Mayor churning out grossly erroneous figures but more so for the grave economic implications if they really put up such capacity. Basic arithmetic would show that with a computer using from 40 to 100 watts, it would only need at most 0.5 MW to run 5,000 desktop units at the same time. A building normally uses 30-40% of electricity on ventilation and air conditioning systems. A condominium unit can use 1,200 watts for air condition, so an 800 units residential building would need from 2.4 to 3 MW electricity. Using green technologies, proper architectural designs and employing a good energy service company (ESCO) could reduce demand by as much as 40%.Even if the good Mayor assumed that all the possible electrical appliances, tools, devices and apparatus would be turned on most of the time in all the condominium units, which is highly improvable, the 35 MW figure is still very high. A 35 MW capacity produce 25 million kwh (kilowatt-hour) per month that is eighty percent (80%) of the whole current demand of Iloilo City, which is about 31 million kwh. If, in a month, the whole of Iloilo City uses only 31 million kwh how can a single property use 25 million kwh?
--
The 35 MW is about the same capacity of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. in Cebu in the 1980s when it was the third largest copper mine in the world. It run 3 mills with each having giant rock jaw and cone crushers, dozens of very huge ball and rod grinding mills, machine shop servicing fleets of giant Wabco haulers, smelting plant in Sangi, port facilities, etc. How can a property even with a convention center, call center, training center, residential building, etc. compare in terms of electricity demand with the third largest copper mine in the whole world. With the climate crises everyone of us is called to reduce our 'carbon footprints,' we hope Megaworld should be responsible enough to address this concern and Mayor Trenas to be critical with the data.
--
It is as if we do not learn from the fiasco's like the Pavia Housing Project, Drilon Bridge and the Infante Fly-Over that burden each City taxpayer.
--
Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Melvin Baylon Purzuelo, a graduate of Don Bosco Technical School in Victorias, Negros Occidental studied Metallurgical Engineering at Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT). He heads the environment watch group GREEN FORUM Western Visayas as Principal Coordinator. Melvin is the Convenor of Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy (RISE).
--
During the Guimaras Oil Spill crises, his group the SAVE OUR SEAS MOVEMENT's active and sincere recovery participation, earned them the title "Guimaras Nature's Warrior" from a grateful populace.
---------------------------oo0oo--------------------
Reaction from Nathanael "Nat" Duenas -(INM: BurlingameCa-USA) :
--
Coal is fossil fuel extracted from mines which recently had several accidents trapping and killing miners in Utah and other similar mines worldwide.
--
The PNOC Energy Dept., Coal Division is a quasi government corporation in-charge of the importation and local development of coal mines like the one in Semirara. Imported coal from Indonesia and China are the nearest source of coal ideal for power generation.
--
My professional involvement with power generation projects in the Philippines was during my Consultancy with PBOC Energy undertaking projects for the geothermal and coal facilities in Tonginan, Palimpinon, Poro Point, Semirara and other facilities in MetroManila, Batangas, and Surigao.
--
The MAPCO Port and Rail Project in Palembang, Indonesia was another project I worked with while employed with Bechtel, Global Strategic Planning & Project Feasibilities Division. This project provides the transport system for the coal mines operations in Palembang which supplies the coal needs of power generating plants in Asia.
--
A coal-fed electric generating plant in Batangas (a Bechtel project) had been in operation since the FVR era and has emission filters meeting strict emission standards. The real problem is the operational aspect, the maintenance and the sustainability.
--
The international emission standards are being upped to further improve emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxides which are harmful to the ozone layer. This standards has to be constantly met with upgrades which could be costly up the road.
--
Generating electricity to support industries that can subsidize the cost of household consumers is the logocal way in investing on a long-term project. The primary concern of government is public service with uninterrupted power supply to sustain a quality of life styles. For industries that creates employment, jobs and economic opportunities, adequate power allows growth and business expansion and more investment in the region.
--
Geothermal power from Palimpinon supplies the power grid of Panay, through NaPoCor, the proposed Iloilo Power Plant as a private investment initiative that requires City permits and a Public Hearing process to hear the concerns of the city residents, regardless of the DENR or Malacanyang investment approvals.
--
What the City of Iloilo need to insure the concerns of its residents is a Development Agreement stipulating the best interest of the residents and end users in compliance with strict guidelines based on the possible changing international emission standards.
--
The Development Agreement further defines the various mitigation measures, special assessments for community improvements, parks and recreation, etc. that the Project Proponents shall extend to the community. The consumer unit rates of electrical usage must be forecasted at a long-term basis to prevent surprises to r4esidential end users of potential rate increases or adjustments.
--
In cases of several US privately owned utilities, energy saving incentives programs and scholarship programs are enticement for end users responsible usage of power. Another aspect will be for a thrid party air quality evaluation system shall be in-place to monitor and warn the public of the emission of the plant and the sorrounding air quality with adequate warning system and remedial measures for evacuation or emission controls.
--
On the fuel supply end, importation of coal increases the imbalance in trade which further deteriorates our national economy's health.
--
The ethical behaviour of the city officials accepting the offer for an evaluation tour of similar facilities is legally violating comparable to the 'Browns Act' in California, where the presence of two or more City councilors could be construed as conspiracy.
--
The repercussions can both be devastating for the Bidding company and the public officials involved. A Public Hearing allows the input of local residents especially those directly within the sphere of influence of the plant.
--------------------
Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Nathanael"Nat"John Gerochi Duenas has a short stint in the AFP as Special Task Force Supervisor in middle 1980's assigned to combat global fraud and international money laundering. He was a former Technical Consultant to the late Sultan Muhammad Mahakuttah Kiram - Sultanate of Sulu.
--
Architect "Nat" helped organized Katilingban sa Kaayuhan sang Komonidad (KKK) in Pavia, Iloilo that greatly influenced the final decision making --this area the site of the Regional Industrial Center in Western Visayas. Presently, he also acts as Moderator in several Fil-Am eFora.
------------------------o0o----------------------
Reaction from Eduardo L. Antonio -(INM: TorontoCanada):
--
One of the issues currently being discussed is the plan to put up a coal powered electric generation facility in Iloilo City. The plan is fraught with adverse effects on the environment. Once the environment goes also goes the quality of life. The ecology forum host by Professor Aurora Lim at CPU is doing a fantastic job in spite of its modest budget. There is a demand for energy due to increased economic activity but the environment should be protected.
-------------------oo0oo---------------
(Reaction from Mon Ramirez -The Bicol Region-Phil.):
--
Coal-fired power plant in Iloilo City OK'd after sponsored field trip abroad. The proponent for the coal-fired power plant funded the trip to Taiwan of the vice-mayor of Iloilo City and 7 city councilors. After seeing the coal-fired power plants there, they return and now say it is alright to have a coal-fired power plant in the city. Indeed, travel to other countries broadens the mind. -- --
It is a different story in Kansas:" The Kansas Department of Health and Environment yesterday became the first government agency in the United States to cite carbon dioxide emissions as the reason for rejecting an air permit for a proposed coal-fired electricity generating plant, saying that the greenhouse gas threatens public health and the environment." (news, appended) Mon
-----------------------
Power Plant Rejected Over Carbon Dioxide For First Time
(By Steven Mufson-Washington Post Staff Writer* October 19, 2007)
--
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment yesterday became the first government agency in the United States to cite carbon dioxide emissions as the reason for rejecting an air permit for a proposed coal-fired electricity generating plant, saying that the greenhouse gas threatens public health and the environment. The decision marks a victory for environmental groups that are fighting proposals for new coal-fired plants around the country. It may be the first of a series of similar state actions inspired by a Supreme Court decision in April that asserted that green house gases such as carbon dioxide should be considered pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Sunflower Electric Power already operates a coal-fired power plant in Holcomb and had proposed to build two more units. (By Charlie Riedel -- Associated Press)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Public Administration and Governance: A Timely Lesson to the Public
(By: BGen. Michaelangelo H. Siscar (Ret) -INM: Bulacan-Phil.)

Good Governance which is being pursued by the government in all sectors of the country - private or public - is a beautiful ideal dream that if implemented truthfully and faithfully will make the Philippines a very strong, rich, and progressive country.
--
The ideal principles of good governance, Philippine Style, includes the following:
1) transparency, 2) accountability, 3) predictability, and 4) participatory.
-
1. First is, what is transparency for? It means that everything that one does, in private or in public capacity, in private or government institutions, personally or officially, should be seen by everyone because there is nothing that is anomalous about it that should be hidden from the eyes of everyone. So everyone knows what the thing is all about. If there is nothing to hide, then why not publish it in news papers for the information of everyone concerned, who are themselves the tax-paying citizens of the republic.
-
In this regard, if done public so, everyone knows that there is nothing to hide and the thing is good for everyone. Everyone will be able to way the pros and cons of the thing and they will know, by their simple understanding and common sense, that the thing is beneficial to them or not. And if it is considered to be beneficial to everyone, who will oppose such good plan? Every one will be happy, especially the public because everyone knows that the proponent (whoever he may be) has nothing to benefit from it personally (for he is not given any dole out or bribe money or commission money, or sex gifts, or a hidden bank account for his disposal, or whatever anomalous things that he will later enjoy to his personal advantage - economically, politically, socially, or even spiritually - if in case he donates a small part of these anomalous benefits to the church).
-
A warning about the principle of transparency is that, in every adjective that we set to guide us to be good, there is always the extreme of it that makes as bad. The extreme of transparency is to be absolutely transparent that no one can see anymore the things that are supposed to be seen by everyone. Why? Because the thing has become extremely transparent that you cannot see anything anymore. It is like having a window with a stained glass that you cannot see the things outside. This is because the stained window is not transparent. Now to let you see the things outside of it we make the window transparent by changing the stained glass with a transparent glass. Then you see the people outside of the window. You also see the books and documents that are carried by the people in the street through the transparent window. Now to make it more transparent, you remove the books and documents in the hands of the people walking in the street and further remove the people walking in the street and you find out that there is nothing that you can see anymore because everything have become transparent - or in other words - hidden. This is the joke of making things "too transparent. "
--
2. Second is, what is accountability? Accountability is making yourself answerable for all the things that you made, act, do - or did not do, good or bad, intentionally or unintentionally, foolishly or wisely, godly or evilly, treacherously or lovingly, villainously or heroically, dumbly or genius, and etc.to the Supreme Court or to your God, Country and People. That you are ready to face the firing squad bravely if need be because of what you did. And so let the people look and see and decide for what you did. A good man is never afraid to be accountable for what he does. Many a good man died for his principles that were really good and made them a hero as a lasting example for others. But a bad man and and evil one will always ran away and hide from accountability because he is afraid of what he did and that at the very beginning he pretty well know it was wrong. So if you are accountable you should be transparent and not afraid in showing the score to everyone. Suppose to be, our Justice system should make everyone accountable. At least the Sandigan Bayan made Estrada accountable. For the others yet, I do not know.
-
3. The third is, what is predictability? It means that a good public or private servant should not hide his intentions. That in all that he will do, it will be known, expected and seen by everyone, and that it can be anticipated by everyone to be the right one or a bad one. In other words, if one is going to make political statements or pronouncements to the public or the private sector, he or she must be clearly predicted to walk his or her talk and do the best he or she can to give flesh and reality to those political statements and pronouncements. It is not to fool everyone either. It is not to mislead everyone either. It must be something that can be seen and anticipated by everyone that what you have stated will come true and will be delivered in due time for the enjoyment of everyone. To be predictable, of course, one has to be transparent and accountable. The absence of anyone of these principles will show that the person is not going to be true and dependable. He will only be fooling everyone, including himself.
-
4. The fourth is, what is participation? Participation is allowing all stakeholders, yes all of the stakeholders, all the citizens for that matter, to know and see (for your being transparent) , behold and believe (for your being accountable) , and praise (for your being predictable) that everyone is welcome to come, see, know, ask, comment, suggest, and recommend, in the public discussion regarding the subject matter presented for consideration, especially when this subject matter will cost the government and the Filipino people $400 million for the project. There should be public bidding for this project of course. It should be published in the newspapers and announced over the radio nationwide. All interested parties should be known for that matter. The date of submission of bids should be published, and who are the contenders. What are the backgrounds of these contenders? Are they fly-by-night companies who have no offices and no capitalization or are they dependable large companies who can also bribe and get away with the laws of the land? Let us make the people know these.
--
Who are the people in the government who are in high positions who are backing these bidders? And why are they backing these bidders? Who are the Presidential hopefuls at this point in time who wants to raise campaign money for the coming 2010 elections, which is not very far from now? And why are there so many voices denouncing one another? Was he not able to get the large contract? Was he only offered a small pocket money to be silent? Will somebody pocket a bigger amount at the expense of another one? Will a godfather be getting more than one half of the amount because the contract is padded to much? Are everyone now envious with everyone? Are these guys fighting for the health of the country or their own health? Are these guys fighting to make the poor Juan Tamad eat three times a day instead of only once a day or are they fighting because they want to eat a thousand times a day at the expense of Juan Tamad. These the questions that should be hurled at them right now. And they should have a very transparent, accountable and predictable answer to this.
-
So? The lesson here is to make everything transparent, accountable, predictable and participatory. Unless we do these kind of governance in the public sector or management in the private sector, we will never make this country peaceful, respectable, and happy. There will always be internal problems. Each to his own survival and syndicate. Such as the Communists, the Separatist, the Terrorists, the "Democratists" (these are the democrats that Philippine Government), the Nationalists, the Liberals, the Anak Pawis, the Ang Bayan, the Rainbow Coalition, etc..there are still many other political parties in the country, and they are still sprouting like mushrooms in an anthill. All of them, I tell you, have their syndicates to earn and live and survive. I did not even include here the rising numbers of religious sects that have risen in numbers too, who also have to make their existence and living too. What a wonderful world indeed here in the Philippines. Nothing is monotonous. There are plenty of surprises and menu to select on. So many different kinds of people, thinking, belief, worship, intentions, plans, and what have you.
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Now what I am saying here can be related to the issues being broadcast over the radio and the T.V. everyday and given spices by such tormentors and agitators the likes of Mr. Diyo Macalma of the Bubuwit and Special na Balita Fame, the DZRH jokers and spectators like the Okay Okay ni Manang Kikay, the serious GMA news makers and reporters like Mike Enriquez and partner, and many many others. If you only would listen to all of them in the AM radios and the TV every day you will likely get dizzy and collapse, for you will not know where you are standing. Even they do not know where to side because they try to be in the middle. For that is how they earn their living too. I tell you there are really so many syndicates in this country. This is what happens to a country when everyone values the real Truth but are not very serious about it. No one knows what is good and bad now. Maybe what they know is "goad." Anyway the People also enjoy the Zarzuela and the Drama (including Marimar, Ang Mata ni Angelita and etc.) even if they know they are the small pawns who are to bear the burden of paying all the government debts that was enjoyed by a few people in Power. A Great Pity for Juan Tamad.
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Hopefully we will get our due if we only would work harder for the country.
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Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Brig.Gen. Michaelangelo Hubero Siscar (Ret) is the first in Pavia-Iloilos’ history to earn an AFP Star Rank. He is, likewise, the first Editorial Board Chairman of the AFP Website. Before his recent retirement, he is the Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Electronics and Information Systems (J6) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
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“Michael” was trained in the US (Signal Corps) in all communications equipment used in aircraft. He was also commander of the 1st Signal Long Lines Battalion of the AFP for three years, holder of three Masters’ degreesand he will be graduating this year with a Ph. D. in Public Administration from UP Diliman.
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WORDS OF WISDOM:
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On being awarded the Legion of Honor by President Corazon Aquino, Joaquin ‘Chino’ Roces, publisher of The Manila Times, pleaded with the president:
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"Please allow me to remind you, first. That our people brought a new government to power because our people felt an urgent need for change. That change was nothing more and nothing less than that of moving quickly into a new moral order. The people believed, and many of them still do, that when we said we would be the exact opposite of Marcos, we would be just that.
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Because of that promise which the people believed, our triumph over Marcos was anchored on a principle of morality . . . . To our people, I dare propose that new moral order is best appreciated in terms of our response to graft and corruption in public service. We cannot afford a government of thieves unless we can tolerate a nation of highwaymen."
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The Locsin Clan Invitation:
Invitation to JOIN! The Locsin Clan in Cyberspace
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Greetings "Parientes":
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Free Membership exclusive to descendants of "WO SING LOK" or "SIN LOK" --the first Locsin in the Philippines; who was christened as AGUSTIN LOCSIN when he married Cecilia Sayson (1780) of "Parian" now Molo in Iloilo City.
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Early history & genealogical diagrams are contained in this streamlined and user friendly new website; also photos, relevant articles, up-dated Family Trees, announcements, etc.
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Please go to http://www.thelocsinclan.com/ and click "Contact the Administrator"below the long in page to get your password. Please include your name and email address.
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"May the spirit of our ancestors, continue to guide future generations"
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The Locsin Clan Web Administrator
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Subject: Spanish lesson
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A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. "House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa." "Pencil," however,! is masculine: "el lapiz." A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"
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Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
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The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender "la computadora" , because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4.As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine "el computador", because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. they have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model. The women won....like always!!!

(Thanks! to Kenneth Benedicto)

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Coincidence -- anyone?
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Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
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Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
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Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
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Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
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Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.
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Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
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Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
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John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
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Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
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Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'
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Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.
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Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
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Before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland
Before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.
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(Thanks! to Zenith Tenebro)
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