Trust - Part III

Third of four parts

Under the 2013, The Executive asked for P2.006-trillion National Budget, consisting of P1.251 trillion for Programmed New Appropriations and P117.5 billion for the Unprogrammed Fund.

Trust - Part II

Second of four parts

A stimulus package, not

DAP is not a stimulus package as claimed. The theory behind fiscal stimulus depends on three basic factors. In practice it is difficult to have more than two of these met at any one time: 1) provide stimulus through use of idle resources; 2) it should be started quickly and 3) it should perform reasonably well in a cost-benefit test.

Trust

First of four parts

A lot has been said about the ruling of the Supreme Court on the Disbursement Acceleration Program or DAP. Some have not even read the total 274 pages of decision, including the concurring and dissenting opinions of the Justices and yet comments area readily made. Some read it to directly refute it as two journalists have proudly proclaimed eureka moments that they have found a way for the administration to defend itself. Defend? Really or should it be the other way around? Release the list and the beneficiaries of DAP and be accountable? Was not Tuwid na Daan principally about accountability and transparency?

OBISPO

Last night, the gala of the play entitled Obispo took center stage at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura.  The play was on the life and times of Bishop Alfredo Verzosa.  Born 9 December 1877 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, he was ordained on 24 December 1904.  He became Bishop of Lipa on 6 September 1916 and served over 34 years until his retirement.

It Ain’t Over

As I said last 28 June over DZMM, it is conventional wisdom that says those in jail due to PDAF will have no chance in 2016. The trial has not even started and some have crystal balls that are already certain.  As I have often said, the ball is round and anything can happen.  Such as voters monitoring the deportment and maturity of those presently arrested.  One works the underdog psyche, the other approaches it quite maturely considering this is the second arrest but still striking to the very cord because he was with the King of the masses.  The third, not yet arrested but sticking to his guns like a battle-scarred warrior who has been through a lot with the legal system vindicating him often. 

Confounding the public

George Orwell once said, “during times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” 

So it came to pass that a hearing was called in the Senate by the Committee on Finance on 27 May 2014 with nary a media coverage on what some DBM officials have said about standard operating procedures within the Department and several lies peddled in the mass media: SARO errors, GAA as released document, fake SAROs, SAROs with DAP notes, zero budget and reforms in the budget process and DAP.

2016 is more than just a name brand campaign

In my book product ads are different from brand ads such as political brands and country brands. Product ads sell. Political brands and country/nation brands (all under the umbrella term "place branding") are all about reputation.

At democracy's Gate

A controversial 9 April 2014 study by two American political scientists, Martin Gilens of Princeton and Benjamin Page of Northwestern, have sent an earthquake like impact among political scientists.  This study attempts to answer the question: “who really matters in our democracy — the general public, or wealthy elites?”

Rose Garden, Dwarves, White Space & Sweet Spot

Been out for two weeks now and Zilch is resurrecting its oomph in the wings of a crazy summer with rains and high temperature mid-day and an erudite denial of that the Aquino campaign did not promise a “rose garden” in 2010.  Apart from the rose garden, buzz has been going around on who truly holds the reigns of government in the last 800 and so days of the Aquino administration. And yet another development is the breakthrough in Internet connectivity using the so-called TVWS technology and the creeping potential impact of the so-called sweet spot to the future of the country.  The last two points have direct impact to May 2016.

Of ampaos, honor and creed

Rice crispies or ampaos are very prevalent in the country. There are round and square ones; plain or with peanuts. Sweet and brownish outside, the round ones are hollow inside. It was a growing up food for those who grew up in the province and a most anticipated pasalubong for kids who grew up in the metropolis.

For Binay to lose

Several weeks back in February, The Manila Times’ columnists had lunch with the Vice President. While we were waiting, a tour of the infamous Coconut Palace was made.

Centrist democratic party – shining hope

I was in in Duterte country over the weekend and again, I was treated to what can be. The Davao International Airport was a lot better than NAIA I, cleaner and more user-friendly than NAIA II, with functioning escalators compared to NAIA III. There was order in the taxi queue. There were no individual transactions on how much the fare would be. Before the taxi can go out the complex, the security by the gate logs the number of the taxi and the name of the rider.

Mayhem in the metropolis

Skyway Stage 3 began yesterday. It also ushered in the rehabilitation of EDSA, north and south, which is said to end by 2016. The 14.8-kilometer Skyway Stage 3 project aims to connect SLEX to NLEX from Buendia to Balintawak and aims to decongest EDSA, C-5 and other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila. It also aims to reduce travel time from Buendia to Balintawak from two hours to 20 minutes or less.  Its estimated cost: P26.5 billion.

Total Breakdown

How long would it take before government acts to prevent breakdown on basic services?  How long will it take for people to seek redress of their collective grievances? How long would the People Surge that began in Samar-Tacloban last week hit the metropolis? It appears that in the last two minutes we just might be in an official meltdown. Why? Allow me to count the ways.

Standing tall at Sochi

As we entered the weekend, social media was buzzing about a Filipino by the name of Michael Christian Martinez, born November 4, 1996, that makes him 17 years old.  Michael is a Filipino figure skater.  By Sunday, netizens were getting mad because of the sad tale told by the mother of Michael on the lack of support by the Aquino administration for his son's training. Truly sad!

Bunked

In urban dictionary, the word bunked means to skip something, such as an event, school, or work. That was what I thought of the news on the overpriced, substandard bunkhouses built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Nothing new there especially then the secretary, together with the DSWD Secretary and BSA3 themselves visited the area and saw the 126 bunkhouses build in December of last year. They didn’t notice anything wrong. It was through a leak to the media that we got wind of the anomalous construction.

Bar has been lowered

Three years and then some, we have accepted that substandard is the norm in public service. From the bunkhouses to the “burned out” Cabinet, to the critics making a living from being critical to the need to rest. When it used to be the best and the brightest served government, today, we have barkada lording it over technocrats simply because proximity to power is the virtue some people in this administration requires.

Last two-minute gambit: Go SARO-less

When there is no closure yet on the so-called faked Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs), the Php879 Million farm-to-market roads with bogus signatures and PDAF releases from 2010 to 2013 have not been fully reviewed by Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of Justice cherry picking on whom to persecute, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is at it again, sweeping the dirt under the rug. COA has admitted that its inability to finish the audit of the Aquino II years is a direct result of DBM’s uncooperativeness by not providing relevant documents. Here now comes DBM announcing to all and sundry that a budgetary reform has been instituted calling it a: “GAA-as-release-document” regime. From DAP, here is another genius of a move of a cabinet secretary who has not been taken to tasks by the appointing authority for all the budgetary somersaults and contortions he has made.