Author: Ellen

Duterte cannot choose not to be a statesman

Published by Ellen on January 15, 2018

Pres. Duterte receives the credentials of Ambassador-Designate of Malta to the Philippines John Aquilino in Malacañan Palace on January 9, 2017. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez.

At the birthday party of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez last Friday, President Duterte again justified his being uncouth with the flawed reasoning that he did not study to become a statesman.

“Kaya ugali ko talaga, pang-mayor lang. Nung sinabi nila na hindi ako statesman, hindi naman ako nag-aral pang-statesman (My habits are for being mayor. They say I’m not a statement. I didn’t study to be a statesman.)

Dungug Kinaray-a

Published by Ellen on January 9, 2018

San Jose Mayor Elmer Untaran congratulates Julbert R. Paloma, first prize winner in Short Story category and second prize winner for Poetry as Ritchie Pagunsan (left), one of the primemovers of Dungug Kinaray-a and Fr. Danny Tabuyan (behind the podium), chair of 2017 Kinaray-a writing contest, look on.

Whenever I tell people that I’m from Antique, the next question I usually get is “Where is that?”

I have developed a standard answer to that: It’s in Western Visayas, one of the four provinces that comprise the island of Panay : Aklan, Antique, Capiz Iloilo.

I do that in order that I would be spared the next question which usually is, “Is that, in Aklan? Or In Iloilo?”

Then I get asked, what’s the dialect there, Ilonggo? I say, Kinaray-a.

Sir Jake

Published by Ellen on January 7, 2018

At Malaya’s Christmas party last Dec. 14, Sir Jake’s eyes lighted up while telling me that the Batuan fruit tree that I gave him many years ago that he planted in his farm in Lipa has been bearing fruit nonstop.

He complained, however, that he can’t seem to grow seedlings from the fruits and asked me to bring him another seedling.

I got him one when I went home to Antique for the holidays and was supposed to give it to him next week when I go to Malaya’s office.

Yesterday, I was shocked to learn that he has passed away.

SM needs a heart

Published by Ellen on December 20, 2017

This can yet be the best Christmas story.

SM patriarch Henry Sy, the richest man in the country with a net worth of $20.3 billion can revise the narrative of his life – born to a poor family in Xiamen, in the Fujian province of China, he and his family came to the Philippines in search of a better life. From a small shoe store in Quiapo, Manila in the 1950s, his business grew into a multi-billion empire. He king of shopping banks, into banking, and real estate. His SM Investments, earned $6.7 billion in revenue in 2016, according to Forbes Magazine.

On his 93rd birthday on Dec. 25, he can do something that humankind will remember him for- visit former employee Paul Matthew Tanglao, 21, ask for his forgiveness for putting him into a miserable situation, rehire him or help him become financially stable.

Also, have all employees of SM, especially the supervisor of Save More Sta. Ana, undergo a training on kindness and humanness.

Duterte does not rule out nationwide martial law

Published by Ellen on December 16, 2017

Pres. Duterte peaking during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) – Laban Christmas benefit dinner for Marawi City at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City on December 13, 2017. Malacañang photo by Robinson Niñal.

Let’s brace ourselves up for martial law, nationwide. President Duterte said it’s a possibility.

Persistent questioning by reporters elicited this admission from the President in a talk with reporters in Fort Bonifacio Wednesday after delivering a speech marking the ceremonial demilitarization of captures, confiscated, surrendered and recovered firearms during the Marawi rebellion.

To avoid misinterpreting the President convoluted justifications for extending martial law in Mindanao including this time the New People’s Army, GMA7’s Joseph Morong asked him, “You are not closing the door to a national martial law?”

Duterte replied, at this time, “All options are on the table. There’s only one rationale there, the existence of the Republic of the Philippines. You threaten the existence of the Republic of the Philippines. I am sure that everybody will react and do what he must do to prevent it.”

Why do supermarkets charge for plastic bags

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2017

When I complained about the removal of water stations where customers can have free water in SM Food Courts, another issue was raised by UP Professor Roland Simbulan about mall giant SM: plastic bags being sold in supermarkets.

Simbulan said: “The SM Supermarkets have actually made more money out of the ban on the use of plastic bags. They have been selling plastic bags to customers for two pesos each, whereas before the ban on plastic bags, these were given free to customers. We cannot also say that Robinson’s supermarkets are any better for they have also been selling plastic bags.”

Simbulan’s comment generated a number of reactions which simply shows that taking care of our environment which is being subjected to so much abuse (disposal of plastic products has become a major problem) is an emotional issue.

Here are some of the letters I got:

Duterte’s new one year deadline for war on drugs unbelievable

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2017

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President Duterte administers the oath of office of the newly-appointed government officials during a ceremony in Malacañan Palace, December 6. Malacanang photo by King Rodriguez.

President Duterte doesn’t have to give himself another deadline in his war against illegal drugs.

He has flip-flopped so many times on his war on drugs that nobody takes his public declarations seriously anymore.

In a speech Dec. 6 during the oath taking of his latest batch of appointees in Malacañang, Duterte again talked about his obsession – illegal drugs – saying that he doesn’t care about criticisms from human rights advocates on extra-juidical killings.

SM explains pullout of water stations in Food Courts

Published by Ellen on December 7, 2017

We got a letter from Mr. Steven T. Tan, senior vice president of SM Supermalls, in reply to our complaint about their discontinuation of providing free drinking water in their Food Courts both through water stations and concessionaires.

We learned that “SM Cares,” a division of SM Foundation Inc. that handles the corporate social responsibility programs of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. has a project with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to facilitate access to clean water of schools and households in remote areas of the country. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of SM bottled water goes to UNICEF Philippines for Project WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene).

We asked if Project Wash was the reason for the pullout of water stations in Foodcourt in order to compel customer to buy SM bottled water, the only brand being sold there.

We found it unconscionable and hypocritical. That was shared by one Facebooker, Icee G Sze, who commented: “Ask the customers to buy the expensive water and give some to charity and take the credit! Pure greed!” This was seconded by journalist Carlos Conde who said: “Pipigain talaga ang mga consumers.”

La Salle’s class act

Published by Ellen on December 5, 2017

The Sports Section is one of my priority pages in reading newspapers even if I don’t play any sports. Nor do I understand the rules of any sports game.

But I love reading stories about triumph against odds of many athletes. I love reading about the values that sports nurture among athletes.

My collection of memorable quotes includes basketball great Michael Jordan’s “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

That’s why I was more enthralled with the photos of La Salle Taft turning blue after it lost the UAAP championship to Ateneo last Sunday than the final score (88-86) which indicated how heart-stopping the game was.

From Twitter account of Leonard Alquisola.

No free water in SM Food court gives a lie to ‘SM Cares’

Published by Ellen on December 5, 2017

“SM Cares” is supposedly the social conscience of SM, the mall giant.

Its website says SM Cares, a division of SM Foundation Inc., is the group that handles the corporate social responsibility programs of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. It was launched in 2004 to organize the sustainability efforts into a comprehensive program that tackles a wide range of initiatives.

Fine. I have a friend who has a son with autism who participates in SM’s yearly Angels’ Walk. I’ve read about their housing projects for those left homeless by the 2013 super typhoon Yolanda.