PROVINCIAL BUS BAN: FOR THE GREATER GOOD

There is no news like controversy. On the issue of provincial buses' ban in Metro Manila (MM), mainstream media have been airing the side of provincial bus stakeholders much more than MM buses' passengers, operators and private motorists - its intended beneficiaries. Who are the greater majority?

Provincial buses and terminals were okay in MM 30-40yrs.ago when there were much less vehicles on EDSA. Now, they should use the common terminals at PITX and Valenzuela. Overdue change for the greater good isn't usually outright easy and there is bound to be birth pains. It's a small political capital worth investing and the very popular, well-loved Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte has a lot of it.

NEW PHILIPPINE COINS AREN'T AS EASY TO DISTINGUISH APART (UNLIKE THEIR PREDECESSORS)

The new Philippine coins are more difficult to tell apart from each other. At night or indoors, I have to stare at them for a couple of seconds more than if I were holding their predecessors. With the older coins, you can tell the P10 apart from the P5 or the P1-denominations. Their shape, color and weight readily gives you an idea.

How did the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas come up with these designs? What kind of geniuses came up with this idea? With the older coins, I can pick out the P5 from the P1 easily and quickly even in poorly lit conditions. With the new batch, I have to scrutinize the P5s and P1s before getting them figured out.

WE NEED UNHRC TO INSULT BACK THOSE WHO INSULT US

Sec. Locsin has a point. I take back what I said about withdrawing from UNHRC. We won't have a venue to insult back those who insult us.

Okay, what's your plan, Sec. Locsin? How do we insult back Iceland using the UNHRC?

Also, if we have diplomatic relations with Iceland can we just cut ties with them? We can insult them back at the UNHRC venue without having ties with them, right?

UNHRC RESO: A FAVORITE TOOL FOR POLITICAL BLACKMAIL AND BULLYING

In Sec. Teddy Locsin's very powerful words, "This resolution was not universally adopted. Therefore, its validity is highly questionable. It does not represent the will of the Council, much less that of the developing countries who are always the target of such resolutions. Western countries pushed for this resolution in the confidence that the world has forgotten what they did and what should have been done to them had there been a Human Rights Council. It was pushed with the arrogance that developing countries must not stand up to them even if we can and as we hereby do. There will be consequences."

A great majority of Filipinos agree with Pres. Duterte's strong leadership, this is a fact. The Western countries who supported this minority resolution think they can bully the Philippines and its sovereign people. UNHRC tried to do this to Israel at least 5-times, nothing happened because Israel is no push-over. They think Filipinos are. They're very wrong and there will be consequences.

SSS PAYMENT CENTER LOCATIONS GETTING FEWER

Why is SSS payment contribution locations getting scarcer? SSS should be making contribution payments more easy, not more difficult. Pag-ibig Fund has ONLINE PAYMENT now, much to my delightful surprise, for just 6% transaction fee! Why can't SSS do this?

Going to SSS contributions payment locations have become difficult over the past year(s). I used to pay our Voluntary contributions thru SM Payment Center but over a year ago they stopped. So I turned to China Bank but last year, they also ceased accepting them. I turned to BPI nearby but a few months ago they also stopped so I turned to UnionBank.

Lo and behold, upon my second quarterly-mode payment, UnionBank staff informed me that next time I'll have to get one queue no. for myself, then only AFTER my turn can I get ANOTHER no. for my wife's. It took me 40-mins. for one queue no. to get to my turn so it means I may have to spend an add'l 40-mins. for my next turn.

Seemed like UnionBank is discouraging SSS members to use them as a contribution payment destination. Aren't they getting enough out of doing it?

ERWIN TULFO CROSSED THE LINE BETWEEN PERSONAL AND PUBLIC SERVICE INTERESTS

There’s a line between personal gratification and public service. Erwin Tulfo crossed that line after he felt slighted when retired Army Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista (now Dept. of Social Welfare and Dev’t. Secretary) was unavailable and had his subordinate speak in his stead at that time Tulfo called him. Pwede naman na busy lang si Gen. Bautista at that particular time, right?

Gen. Bautista did not deserve the outburst Tulfo made after that incident. Di pa naman nasangkot si Gen. Rolando Bautista sa ganung katiwalian, di ba? GEN. BAUTISTA IS ALSO ONE OF THE HEROES OF MARAWI SIEGE! 

Gawin mo ‘yung outburst na ganyan sa tulad ni DOTr Ex-Sec. Abaya dahil sa umano’y katiwalian sa MRT na nagdulot ng sobrang pahirap sa daang libong pasahero noon at sa mahabang panahon pa, o’ di kaya sa kagaya ni Budget Ex-Sec. Abad na umano’y singkatutak na katiwalian sa kabang-bayan ang kinasankutan. Na-offend ka lang sa umano’y parang pang-“snub” sa napaka-importanteng tao na gaya mo?!

I’m an avid supporter of PRRD and it was PRRD who sought Lt. Gen. Bautista's help by appointing him to DSWD. I’m a big fan of Bitag and I understand how “brusko” and oppressive public and private individuals or groups need that “brusko”-back-to-you treatment that the Tulfos are known for. Gen. Rolando Bautista wasn’t one of those who deserved that. Over-reaction ang ginawa mo, Mr. Tulfo.

WHO SHOULD WE VOTE FOR MALABON CITY MAYOR?

In fairness to incumbent Mayor Len Oreta, he's been trying to setup the One-Stop-Shop for business permit renewals two years before Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivered his first SONA instructing Local Gov't Units (LGUs) to implement the scheme. Less better versions of what we have now in Malabon City, that is.

But since Jan. 2018, he had nearly perfected it - a business permit renewal can only take 2-3 hrs. (issuance of claim stub for actual permit)! For small business owners who have to do the legwork themselves, this is no insignificant feat of accomplishment.

We want to vote Vice-Mayor Jeannie Sandoval for the mayoral post because PRRD strongly endorsed her - but we're scared that she might bring in an administrator who'll make things difficult and inefficient again, just like before 2015. Can VM Jeannie Sandoval continue to carry out PRRD's governance style of efficiency and easier, quicker gov't licenses renewal for Malabon City?

LRT SHOULD OPERATE UNTIL 12 MIDNIGHT EVEN IF WITH ADD’L P15 AS “PREMIUM FARE”

I’ve ridden the LRT after 9PM from Vito Cruz station at least thrice this past year and the coach is fairly packed with passengers. DOTr acknowledges that passenger volume after 10PM have increased in the past years.

I understand that LRT tried to extend its operating hours 3-years ago but discontinued it after an assessment in its level of efficiency. Of course, lesser passenger volume may likely result in lower returns for the same costs, but LRT isn’t just a business venture, isn’t it? It is also a public service facility!

Why not add P10 or P15 to the regular fare after 10PM? Call it “premium fare” for the extended hours. I’m sure that this would be viewed as reasonable enough considering that we don’t want to operate the train system at a loss but we also want to provide a safer and quicker means for our loved ones who are coming home from work or from school.

RETURN OF BALANGIGA BELLS A RESULT OF DUTERTE-TRUMP STRONG LEADERSHIP COMBINATION

It would've taken back-channel efforts by Filipino and American groups at least another 1-1/2 decades to make progress on the return of the infamous Balangiga Bells hadn't the combination of Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Pres. Donald Trump happened. The supposed lobbying being done by them in the U.S. since the time of Pres. Ramos couldn't have even made a dent on the powerful U.S. War Veterans' lobbying to let them remain in U.S. hands.

Only Pres. Duterte and Pres. Trump, both known for their no-nonsense and strong leadership could have made such a remarkably difficult feat possible. Even Presidents Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo, and Aquino couldn't have possibly overcome the influential U.S. War Veterans' efforts in any of the previous U.S. administrations - Clinton, Bush and Obama.