Diretsong Pananaw

27/07/2024

Marcos' banning of POGOs a masterstroke
Why? Read more in this link-

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/07/27/opinion/columns/marcos-banning-of-pgos-a-masterstroke/1960074

16/07/2024

PHILIPPINES HAD A DIVORCE LAW IN 2017

According to AJ Alfafara, convenor of the Divorce Pilipinas Coalition, allowing absolute divorce in the Philippines would promote equality: "Patas na batas para sa lahat ng Pilipino. Equality for all, not just sharia for [Muslims] (Fair law for all Filipinos. Equality for all, not just sharia for [Muslims])."

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/07/13/opinion/columns/ph-had-a-divorce-law-before/1956879

01/07/2024

19/04/2024

The Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project (abbreviated as Cavitex), a Metro Pacific tollway, has gained notoriety for what seems like outright theft from its customers. The TRB should step up and dig deeply into this mess. Its investigation comes too little, too late.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/04/06/opinion/columns/trb-investigation-too-little-too-late/1940066

30/03/2024

The Court of Appeals' decision on March 20, 2024, gave the Land Transportation Office the green light to resume production and issuance of polycarbonate plastic driver's license cards to the public. The ruling of the Court represents a victory, not only for the LTO and its contractor Banner Plasticard but also for the public, which has been inconvenienced by the deceptive tactics employed by AllCard.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/03/30/opinion/columns/ca-annuls-rtc-judges-orders-re-drivers-license-cards/1939053

06/02/2024

THE anti-corruption group Crime and Corruption Watch International Inc. has initiated legal action against the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Philippine Identification ID (aka national ID) contractor, Allcard Inc. More details in this link -

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/01/27/opinion/columns/anti-corruption-group-sues-bsp-national-id-contractor/1929848

21/01/2024

Remember that political will is fundamental to creating and sustaining an effective traffic management system. Leaders who champion policies that prioritize transportation issues, efficiency, safety and sustainability contribute significantly to the overall success of traffic management efforts.

May you have that political will. Read more in this link -

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/01/20/opinion/columns/open-letter-for-mmda-chairman-and-manila-mayor/1928900

02/12/2023

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec), in its en banc session on November 29, disqualified technology provider Smartmatic Philippines from bidding in the FASTrAC project for the 2025 national and local elections (NLEs). FASTrAC stands for Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count.

02/09/2023

Senate should investigate BSP-AllCard deal.
On July 26, 2023 BSP Director Tomas Rosales Jr. emphasized that AllCard is willing to compromise for a "reduced" liquidated damages in the amount of a minuscule P1,504,995.89. What? From penalties worth P258.7 million to a mere P1.5 million?

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/09/02/opinion/columns/senate-should-investigate-bsp-allcard-deal/1908172

25/07/2023

MWSS inutile to address consumer complaints.
MWSS published the name of their Customer Service Relations Specialist, Ms. Elenita S. De Leon, and her email address where complaints and feedbacks could be sent. Yet, this Ms. De Leon is not replying to emails sent to her. Regulatory Office Chief Regulator Patrick Lester N. Ty spent time in crafting a video message of support for this year’s campaign to end violence against women yet, he failed to respond to legitimate consumer concerns.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/07/22/opinion/columns/mwss-inutile-to-address-consumer-complaints/1901715

17/07/2023

Understanding poverty goes beyond traditional income-based measures such as the poverty line. It recognizes that poverty is not just about having low income, but also involves lacking access to basic services, education, health care, housing, clean water, sanitation, social protection, employment opportunities and other essential resources.

Can the new anti-poverty czar, Secretary Lorenzo "Larry" Gadon, achieve these ends?

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/07/08/opinion/columns/govt-must-address-multidimensional-character-of-poverty/1899621

Picture from HuffPost.

24/06/2023

The 2023 UPAA's awards for Most Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus are given to Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo and Arsenio Balisacan. The UPAA grants the Distinguished Alumni Awards in Foreign Service to Zaldy B. Patron. The UP Epsilon Chi Fraternity Alumni Inc. receives the UPAA Distinguished Service Award for an Alumni Chapter.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/06/24/opinion/columns/robredo-balisacan-lead-upaa-awardees-epsilon-chi-and-patron-also-honored/1897522

24/09/2022

Another effect of the absence of a national minimum wage, which most do not see, is the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila. Since Metro Manila has the highest mandated minimum wage, workers from other regions migrate and travel to Metro Manila purely to work and enjoy the higher wages here. The weekly exodus of workers to and from the metro has resulted in traffic chaos everywhere.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/09/24/opinion/columns/abolish-regional-wage-boards-now/1859598

17/09/2022

Westlake boasts: "At Westlake, your health comes first. Efficient services and high-quality equipment are available for you at a cost more affordable compared to major hospitals in the Metro."

Or is it the patients' money that comes first?

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/09/17/opinion/columns/westlake-medical-center-violates-anti-hospital-deposit-law/1858788

27/08/2022

Many new motor vehicles have built-in satellite-navigation systems, which can also detect traffic cameras ahead of time. There are no current Philippine laws banning these camera detectors, so it's easy for a driver to only abide by the law whenever their car detects a camera.

Fewer apprehensions mean fewer fines; fewer fines mean fewer profits.

As Ka Lando would say, there is a proliferation of "for profit" NCAP cameras on the roads.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/08/27/opinion/columns/evading-ncap-cameras/1856181

13/08/2022

AllCard laser engraved the black and white photo but simply printed over by ink dropping the colored photo using a lower resolution than 600 dpi (dots per inch). This resulted in some colored photos peeling off from the surface of some people's polycarbonate cards.

The PhilID card is now an international shame. Alam ba ito ni BSP Governor Dr. Felipe Medalla?

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/08/13/opinion/columns/govt-should-terminate-contract-with-national-id-supplier-2/1854391

10/08/2022

The backlog of card production will never be alleviated, and it will become increasingly worse with time. In the end, the government will be left with nothing but erasable national ID cards in the hands of its citizenry, as well as fraud-prone digital versions of the same IDs.

The Senate should investigate this fiasco before it is too late. President Marcos should order his men to put an end to this anomalous contract.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/08/06/opinion/columns/govt-should-terminate-contract-with-national-id-supplier/1853562

30/07/2022

Who really spent for the construction of the Cavite Bridge? Was it not part of the government-funded Zapote River Drive access road? Was the construction of the bridge approved by the BFRVHAI and the city councils of Bacoor and Las Piñas? Is BFRVHAI ready to square off with Senator Villar before a court of law?

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/07/30/opinion/columns/battle-of-the-bridge-villar-vs-homeowners/1852716

23/07/2022

ONE of the rules to happiness is to ignore those little things that do not matter. On the contrary, there are those who believe that little things matter the most. For me, I would say that it depends on the person affected by these little things. Some little things may matter to one but be totally meaningless to another.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/07/23/opinion/columns/consumer-woes-little-things-that-matter/1851892

16/07/2022

Could the PSAC make appropriate, doable and workable solutions for the turnaround of our battered economy? Hopefully so. If I were the President, I would include Steven Cua in the PSAC. Read why in this link -

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/07/16/opinion/columns/steven-cua-should-be-in-private-sector-advisory-council/1851093

18/06/2022

The recent decision on Guanzon's substitution can be interpreted as another flawed Comelec decision, simply done to appease Guanzon and spare the commission from further humiliation.

Guanzon's actions can be considered a premeditated theft of a seat in the House of Representatives. Yet, her gambit paid off.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/06/18/opinion/columns/ex-comelec-commissioner-guanzons-gambit/1847812

04/03/2022

Episode 16 with Presidential candidate Dr. Jose Montemayor, Jr. of the Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP).

26/02/2022

JOSE C. Montemayor Jr. and Jose Rizalito Y. David, the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP), were our guests in the last...

25/02/2022

Episode 15 with Vice Presidential aspirant Jose Rizalito David of the Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP).

12/02/2022

The issues hounding the PhilID cards seriously impact not only the credibility of the PhilSys project but also the integrity of the BSP and Diokno himself.

I suggest to governor Diokno that he be proactive and scrutinize the allegedly messed-up production of the national ID cards. Read here -

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/02/12/opinion/columns/diokno-should-resolve-issues-hounding-national-id/1832635

05/02/2022