The Gloriagate Scandal

Last night I catched this on Tv, presenting President Arroyo's admission and apology...

Mga minamahal kong kababayan.

For the last several weeks, the issue of the tape recordings has spun out of control. Tonight, I want to set the record straight. You deserve an explanation from me, because you are the people I was elected to serve.

As you recall, the election canvassing process was unnecessarily slow even after the election results were already in and the votes had been counted.

I was anxious to protect my votes and during that time had conversations with many people, including a Comelec official. My intent was not to influence the outcome of the election, and it did not. As I mentioned, the election has already been decided and the votes counted. And as you remember, the outcome had been predicted by every major public opinion poll, and adjudged free, fair and decisive by international election observers, and our own Namfrel.

That said, let me tell you how I personally feel. I recognize that making any such call was a lapse in judgment. I am sorry. I also regret taking so long to speak before you on this matter. I take full responsibility for my actions and to you and to all those good citizens who may have had their faith shaken by these events. I want to assure you that I have redoubled my efforts to serve the nation and earn your trust.

Nagagambala ako. Maliwanag na may kakulangan sa wastong pagpapasya ang nangyaring pagtawag sa telepono. Pinagsisisihan ko ito nang lubos. Pinananagutan ko nang lubusan ang aking ginawa, at humihingi ako ng tawad sa inyo, sa lahat ng mga butihing mamamayan na nabawasan ng tiwala dahil sa mga pangyayaring ito. Ibig kong tiyakin sa inyo na lalo pa akong magsisikap upang maglingkod sa bayan at matamo inyong tiwala.

I took office with a mandate to carry out a plan for the nation. Since that time, I have focused on making the tough but necessary decisions to make up for years of economic neglect. We passed a comprehensive, fiscally responsible national budget; raised new and necessary revenues to invest in the people; and implemented new anti-corruption measures that have led to the highest collection of taxes in history.

Nothing should stand in the way of this work, or the next phase of my reform agenda, which includes new investments in education and social services with our new revenues; and an expansion of our successful, anti-corruption and lifestyle checks.

That is why I want to close this chapter and move on with the business of governing. I ask each and everyone of you to join hands with me in a show of unity, to help forge One Philippines, where everyone is equal under the law, and everybody has the opportunity to use their God-given talents to make a better life.

Our nation is strong and getting stronger. The progress is steady and I ask you to walk with me on this journey to rebuild our great nation. I remain your humble servant and promise you that I will fulfill my constitutional oath of office to serve the people to the best of my ability.

God bless the Philippines.

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President Arroyo admitted last night that she is the voice behind the wire-tapped conversation with Commissioner Garcillano, although she did not say it was him, simply a COMELEC official. She said that the call was a result of unwise decisions (in my own words) and she asked for forgiveness. She stressed that she is making all her efforts to rebuild this great nation, and she is taking measures to fight corruption and for effective tax collection measures.

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Oh yes she asked for forgiveness. Ninety-percent of the Filipinos are Christians and we are no one if God can forgive and we cannot. She took advantage of this characteristic.

This nation was great during the Marcos regime. After that we continually sank...The opposition calls for impeachment yet I know that Vice President Noli de Castro is incapable of running the country.

I remorsefully regret being employed in one of the most dishonest government offices-Commission of Elections.

Tax collection? I pay a lot more taxes than what I am supposed to, and also the goods that I consume are also taxable.

Corruption...we cannot eliminate it. That I have been fighting for since highschool, I am fearless to speak out all the malpractices, and a lot more people are doing the same. Yet even as a Christian nation, we are weak...

Read more about this in PCIJ.

I wonder what would Cardinal Sin say about this, today that he will be buried...

The Lord has Called Me

Former Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin's remains is at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Concepcion (aka Manila Cathedral) in Intramuros, Manila. He will be buried on Tuesday, June 28, 2005. The cathedral is open to the public 24/7.

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Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his deep sorrow in a telegram sent to Archbishop of Manila Gaudencio Rosales. He said Sin has been a good friend.

Sin died of multiple organ failures, having diabetes and renal failure. The cardinal's health is said to have deteriorated when Pope John Paul II died.

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Personally, I think the cardinal has had enough and surrendered his fight for political reasons. President Arroyo is having a lot of scandals.

However, I think I am not a very good Catholic because I do not love the cardinal, but I have great respect for him It's just that I know he is responsible for People Power I and II which aimed to replace the government with better leaders but had worse (I threw the Marcoses and has been replaced by Corazon Aquino and II disposed Joseph Estrada and put Gloria Arroyo instead). I am a supported of the Marcos beliefs and methods.

Batman Begins

I watched Batman Begins last Saturday with my sister Alexandra. It had a hueg audience. Luckily we were able to find some seats. What annoyed me were the children. My seatmate has a crying child (they later went out, to the dismay of the parents) while at their back children were telling stories that I do not know. My sister ssshhhddd the children at her back, one was comparing Batman and Spiderman.

Yet as the film rolled, they silenced. I do not know why.

It is good that the film was not that vioent, as I have expected. I hate violence. They also used Mozart's music as the main soundtrack, so to speak. I also knew who Ken Watanabe is (that morning during my French class we were discussing nationalities and our teacher asked his nationality and I whispered who is he?).

Batman Begins is a lot different from the beginnings of Batman that I know....that made me a little disappointed. Still he is my superhero.

Freedom to a Home

I was really excited about this because it was the first time that I'd be physically present.

GK 777- 700,000 homes, 7,000 communities in 7 years.

June 12, 2005: Freedom Build was being done throughout the nation.

The activity commenced with a celebration of the Holy Mass. Then four houses which have been recently finished were blessed. Coordinators from Gawad Kalinga spoke, as well as the benefactor from Chicago. Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. gave a speech. His major point was, when the government does something to beautify a place, definitely its residents will take care of it. Councilor Inton, the barangay captain and a member of the homeowners also spoke. This is their land. This is their home. I looked up to the sky and saw a rainbow, an indication that this will be a good day, not too hot nor rain will fall.

While all the speeches were being given. Toto, a brother from the same chapter (West B1B UST-Santo Domingo) was reading stories to children.

Before the build we were served with a heavy snack offered by the folks of Tatalon. This consisted of simply pancit bihon, puto, biko and orange juice. I admit those were the best puto and biko I have tasted.

It is almost noon. While the SAGIP kids are having fun, volunteers started to build 10 houses. Hollow blocks were passed from one person to another, since their location is near the SK hall while the future homes are around a 100m away. Work load was light, because aside from the SFC from Wrst B1B, the residents also helped. We had lunch of fried chicken,rice and softdrinks at around 1:30 pm. Then by 2:30 back to work. This time, YFC campus-based came and they were given the hollowblocks while we passed the sand and gravel around. The children were also eager to help so they joined in the line for the gravel and sand. Naturally when they were tired they dropped out of the line. We were done before 4pm.

Even if we don't look that good, we were still happy.

Joe introduced us to some SIGA members. I can say that they have a very good memory when it comes to names.

Well of course I cannot stand looking that bad so before we left we cleansed a little. Then we went to mass at UST from Tatalon. Dyopps was asleep before the mass, since we were too early.

Back home, I felt my muscles ache a little but I feel happier.

My regret? No pictures!

Then it dawned on me that when I was active in YFC campus-based in Los Baños, I loved SAGIP. Maybe I should spend time with them again...

The Finalists

We made the paper, we submitted them, and we waited. But there can be only nine finalists.

First: Asnia Asim from Pakistan and Wilfred Oliver Segovia from the Philippines
Third: Lhotse Quintanilla from Bolivia. Written in Spanish.
Fourth: Esther Ng from Singapore

Other finalists were:
Wilfrido Kabiling from the Philippines, Safet Hadzimuhamedovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Maria Fernanda Havaca from Argentina, written in Spanish, Alfredo Shako Kpane from the Democratic Republic of Congo, written in French, and Boniface Chimwaza from Malawi.

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Wilfred made a paper that relies on the technicality of the debates. However I do not see a more pratical solution for this, how can this be more applicable to further alleviate the status of the Philippines. One commented that he needs more practice.

Wilfrido on the other hand made a very simple paper which could be hardly called academic inquiry.

Still the judges are entititled to choose the best essays they consider.

The Return: The Dinggalan Experience

(Posted by Alvin Ricafort The Dinggalan build was continued from last May 1, Labor Day.)

Fresh Breed of Heroes

The city hasn’t waked up yet. Its 3am of June 4, 2004 when another batch of SFC from West B Sector gathered again in BK Welcome Rotonda to kindle the love and heroism within them. Amidst their own financial constraints, difficulties and some oppression, they were able to assembled 51 new breed of heroes, including 3 skilled workers, to return back to Dingalan, Aurora.


Financially-able individuals sponsored those who are physically able to participate in this 2nd leg of SFC Summer Build. Some are part of those who came last May 1-2, 2005 while others are freshly new members of SFC who have just finished their CLP and it didn’t stop them to adopt and be contagiously infected by the hype of GK777, of volunteering to build houses for the poor, especially for those who have been devastated by the natural calamities late last year.

We arrived in Barangay Caragsakan 7:30AM and the sun rising from the East gave us the glimpse of what had changed after we left this site last May. Several houses were already turned-over to some beneficiaries. Some houses were already painted with GK colors, with a few landscaping and garden being done in front of their respective units. Yet, many more houses are to be build since there are still more families in the evacuation center waiting to be relocated in a place where they could start to rebuild their hopes and dreams.

Daniel, Patrick and Jacquiline

Upon setting my foot the second time in Barangay Caragsakan, I could sense a homecoming, because many meters away from the multi-colored houses, I clearly heard Daniel shouting my name “Kuya Binoy”. As I learned, from Daniel’s mother, every time visitors and volunteers would come, Daniel will try to find me from them, but in vain. And when we arrived, it was Daniel who first saw me and joyfully announces it to his mother and playmates. I’ve seen Jacquiline smiling from ear to ear, happy enough that we’re there again. And I learned that Patrick is sick for the past days and he’s in the town proper undergoing a medical check-up.

The bonding that we have during our first visit here created a special part in their life and in their heart. Although toothless, their smiles together with the other tots surely took away the tiredness and many apprehensions that we have. They are unmindful of heat of the sun as long as they gleefully joined us in our activities in the site; during our worship as they clap with us, our bayanihan chain as they too haul hallow blocks and empty pails of cements and water.

Rain, Mud and Mosquitoes!

The rain brought about by the tropical depression “Dante” and the monsoon together with the change of season slightly hampered the construction of the houses. The residents said that heavy rains came every late afternoon till evening.

It was sunny the whole day of Saturday, and we were able to draw off the water trapped in the unfinished 6 feet deep - septic tank. We finished the walls of it, and just to be ready for the afternoon downpour, we dig a canal around it as dike to spare the septic tank from the rush of water going down from the mountain. Walls of the houses that we started last May are still unfinished and we continued to put some more blocks on it.

As the day started to rest, dark clouds above the Sierra Madre began to darken the site with thunders and lightning’s pronouncing heavy rains. Just in time of our dinner, a heavy downpour makes the night so sullen and yet so fulfilling for we were able to accomplish some task that is so valuable for the beneficiaries. Cramped inside unfinished units and tents pitched in muddy ground, the 51 tired bodies find solace outside their comfort zone, shooing away again the not-so-friendly-mosquitoes, tucked-in inside their sleeping bags or blankets.


























2nd Day of Battle

Early breeze of Sunday morning welcome us for worship. In the second day of our leg, we started to poured cement on the columns prepared by the skilled workers that we brought. We’ve seen development on the walls that we’ve erected. We’ve cleared some grounds from stump of trees and boulders of rock.

While others are still mixing cements, hauling hollow blocks, sand and gravels, some took charge of bathing the kids, cleaning their ears, setting hair of girls in style, distributing toys among them, teaching them prayers and action songs. It was like a SIBOL/SAGIP on a rise.

After a heavy lunch of fresh “bulaklak ng kalabasa” and bitter gourd, school supplies, some donations like canned good and used-clothing were distributed to the beneficiaries.

Adieu

Packing up our things is the hardiest part and probably the heavy part. For this would mean leaving them again with some unfinished business. We never seen a house that we’ve erected fully turned-over to anyone from the disaster area of Barangay Paltic. We never seen the walls that we’ve erected become a house. We never finished any house at all.

The sense of being a “nation-builder” doesn’t mean that we’ll be there from the ground excavation till its roof installation. It doesn’t suffice to say that we should be around to haul every hollow block that is needed to build a GK community. Because the action of building any GK Site doesn’t start and stop in the GK site itself. It lives in the heart of everyone who become part of these nation building.

The passion of helping the people of Dingalan Aurora should transcend and inspires more others to be part of this noble battle. In the middle of anyone’s personal struggles, while be bear the heat of the sun, developed tan line and sunburn, earn dried mud in our toe nails, there are still more less-fortunate brethren that need more of our help.

It’s another unfinished mission. As Daniel wave goodbye, I could hardly wait to come back again and hear him shout “Dito na si Kuya Binoy ko!”

June 5, 9:00PM, At home. I’m already in my bed, comforted with my pillows and blanket. And I think again of Daniel, Patrick and Jacquiline and many more individuals of Barangay Paltic waiting for their home, waiting for their hopes and dreams to truly rise again.

Elements

Your element is Water. You have a calm aura around
you and are in tune with the world around. You
observe it but rarely interfere. Because of
your shy and timid nature you will not have so
many friends in your life. But then again,
large crowds aren't your thing anyway. You are
comfortable on your own and are reserved to
others who you don't know or know very little
of. You know everyone out there does not want
to be your friend, and knowing that is good.
However, people who don't know you that well
thinks that you are cold and distant since you
don't want to talk to them. Although you mean
no harm, you can't always be perfectly
understood in the world. No one can. Life in
general are you quite serene with even if there
are some things you don't like. Your love-life
is not so full of boys/girls, but if you
flirted more with the ones you were interested
in I'm sure something would happen. The hobbies
you choose are calmer ones, you are no party
girl that likes to drink and make-out with
three or more guys/girls in one night. Reading
a book or swimming is more your thing. Rate and
message!


What is your element? [with pics + 7 outcomes + detailed answeres!]
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GSIS: Kahit Kailan Di Maasahan

Over they years, GSIS has failed to live by its motto which is Kahit Kailan Maaasahan (You can count on it anytime) . This was heightened during the controversy of Winston Garcia, as he allegedly used the funds to enrich himself as well as "beautify" the office.

My parents have been contributing to GSIS their whole lives. They were even able to avail of the housing program. However, we were not able to visualizet that we would be victims of the unkept records of GSIS. My father has been paying for our house in Cavite for 15 years, Supposedly it should be over this year. Therefore my father checked it out during the first quarter, since our neightbor, who happens to be their officemate, got her house marked fully paid. They got it at the same time. He was able to get the shock of his life, as GSIS has no record of payment! To think that the monthly amortization is regularly deducted from his salary. The initial response he got was, wala sa record (it is not in the records) and because he does not like that reason, which is utterly unreasonable, he talked to her superiors. He reviewed the contract and the payment term is said to be graduated, meaning it will increase, but his deductions have been level. Favor is still not on our side because he has to settle Php26,000 until the end of this month. Otherwise, our house and lot would be for closure. GSIS also said that they sent a letter to him stating that deductions will be changed to graduated. In reality, there was no letter. He has to pay the remaining amount for 15 more years. Imagine the inconsistency.

Is it hard for the GSIS employees to update their records?

Another thing, when my youngest sister was in Preparatory school, my mother has arranged an educational plan for her so that she can use it in college. My mother paid for this for five years, like Php125 per month. Yet, the same result. Wala sa record. Think of all the parents, perhaps thousands of government employess who have been preparing for their child's future?

Therefore, I am declaring to the public not to rely on Government Service Insurance System wherein the governemnt employees are not really insured, not getting real service, and definitely has no system.