Thursday, January 21, 2021
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
House approves creation of new legislative district in Caloocan City
The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that will create a new legislative district with the re-apportionment of the existing first district of Caloocan City under Rep. Dale “Along” Malapitan.
With 217 members voting in the affirmative and zero in the negative, House Bill No. 7700 was approved on final reading and sent to the Senate for approval.
Authored by Malapitan, the bill proposes to divide his congressional district into the First, Third and Fourth Legislative Districts of the city.
The second district under Rep. Edgar Erice retains its territorial jurisdiction.
Erice had opposed HB 7700 but failed to prevent its passage on Monday.
The House Committee on Local Government strongly endorsed plenary approval with its chairman, Tarlac Rep. Noel Villanueva even going to the extent of engaging Erice in a heated plenary debate to defend the panel’s decision.
Erice and Malapitan, son of incumbent Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan, are expected to square off for the mayoralty post when the incumbent mayor’s third and final term in office ends on June 30, 2022.
Villanueva said the bill seeks to divide the young Malapitan’s district in order to help guarantee development in far-flung barangays and extend government assistance to its residents.
“He possesses more knowledge than anybody else on the needs of his district,” Villanueva stated to the dismay of Erice.
Under the bill, the first district will be composed of the bigger portion of the original territory. Population in this area is estimated at less than 333,733 and will cover Barangays 1 to 4, 77 to 85 and 132 to 169.
With a population of just over 350,309, the third district will have Barangays 170 to 175 and 177 to 179; while the population of 401,781, the fourth district will have Barangays 176 and 180 to 188.
Villanueva said the bill is assured the support of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Caloocan and is backed by the Constitution and pertinent local government laws.
Rep. Malapitan noted that based on the latest census on population released by the Philippine Statistics Office, Caloocan City had 1,583,978 people in 2015, which is a “marked increase” from the 645,000 census result in 1986.
At least 75.34 percent or around 1,193,419 currently reside in the First District while at least 390,500 live in the Second District where Erice is congressman.
“Hence this proposed bill which seeks to re-apportion the 1st Legislative District of Caloocan City is designed to address this patent inequity of representation,” said Rep. Malapitan.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/01/20/house-approves-creation-of-new-legislative-district-in-caloocan-city/
Dare To Be A David
So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 1 Samuel 17:50
"We took on Goliath!" advertises a small business whose product is overshadowed by a major manufacturer. The David versus Goliath syndrome means the little guy goes against the giant. There are times when the little guy goes against the big one and gets flattened like a steamroller does a stray cat. But what's the real story behind the confrontation of David with Goliath long ago?
To the west of Jerusalem lie the gentle rolling hills between the coastal area and the Jordan valley. On these, long ago, two armies were gathered who were bitter enemies. The Philistines, who were a fierce and savage people, wanted to drive out the Israelis. Instead of wasting a considerable number of men in battle, the Philistines sent out a giant of a man who would have made Magic Johnson look like a midget—well, almost a midget. Goliath never played basketball, but a slam-dunk for him would have been an underarm shot. According to the record he was at least nine feet tall.
If you know the story, you remember that a youth who had taken a break from taking care of his father's sheep, brought provisions to his brothers in the Israeli army. When David saw the giant and observed that the men who were defenders of Israel cowered in the safety of their camp, preferring the insults of the enemy to doing battle, he cried out, "Is there not a cause?" And David took the battle to the enemy and won!
Possibly there is a foolhardiness in youth who haven't learned that something cannot be accomplished, but perhaps there is great strength in not listening to the nay-sayers who want to tell you that something cannot be done. On a personal note, had I as a young man listened to the voices of those who told me that I could not broadcast, that there was no market for Guidelines, you would not be listening to or reading this commentary today.
David's remarkable feat was marked by four qualities, ones which we desperately need today: He was competent, he was courageous, he was committed, and he was confrontational. Focus on those four qualities.
Quality #1: Competence. Goliath wore heavy armor and carried a sword large enough to fell an oak tree in a single stroke, but David came against him on his own terms, exactly as he would face an animal who raided his father's flock. Simply put, he was his own man and refused to be like everyone else. For a weapon, David used a sling which held a stone or rock, and he hurled it with precise accuracy. Years of training helped, but David knew where his strength came from. "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD," he cried. Incompetence is never an asset which God reverses.
Quality #2: Courage. Others, no doubt, trusted the Lord but preferred to stay in the shade and pray. David had the intestinal fortitude to go for it. Real heroes are not individuals with superhuman courage but simply people who are confronted with a situation demanding action and then do what has to be done.
Quality #3: Commitment. This was not really his fight. He wasn't even a soldier, but his love for country and for God demanded he get into the battle. Edmund Burke once said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
Quality #4: Confrontation. Hand-to-hand combat was necessary. Going one-on-one with the enemy, whether he is a teacher who is off limits or a government official who is corrupt, is never pleasant; but apart from confrontation, evil is sure to triumph.
A final thought: David learned that one plus God is always a majority, no matter how big the enemy--something every generation must also learn.
Resource reading: 1 Samuel 17.
Makati Shangri-La closing operations
Makati Shangri-La, the Philippines foremost business hotel located at the heart of the Makati business district along Ayala Avenue, today announced the temporary closure of their 27-year operation due to uncertain business condition effective February 1, 2021.
“Despite our best efforts, the prolonged recovery timeline has resulted in increasing financial pressure on the company here in the Philippines,” said Makati Shangri-La in a statement.
“Owing to continued low business levels and having considered all viable options over weeks of consideration and deliberation, we unfortunately must now make the extremely difficult decision to reorganize our workforce and operations in the Philippines as we continue to navigate an uncertain business environment.”
It added that a number of their employees will be displaced as the hotel will temporarily close its operations.
Affected employees will be provided support through the transition, including providing a fair compensation package that is higher than local statutory guidelines and extending healthcare coverage and grocery support until December 31, 2021 to provide affected employees and their families peace of mind during these uncertain times. The hotel chain also vowed to providing colleagues with career transition assistance to help them get back on their feet.
The hotel said that that they have endured challenging times for the past 10 months to preserve as many jobs as possible, and provided assistance to its rank and file to get through the impact of the pandemic.
To mitigate the financial impact brought about by the pandemic, multiple cost management initiatives have been implemented including salary reductions at management level, implementing shorter work weeks, hiring freeze and cuts in non-essential spending.
The hotel cited its employees for taking tremendous pride in their work. “We greatly value their hard work, dedication, and contributions.”
“For close to 30 years, the Shangri-La Group has enjoyed strong support here in the Philippines. We are grateful for this and would like to assure everyone we remain deeply committed to our presence here in the market, and to the communities we are a part of. We continue to vigilantly monitor local and global developments and look forward to reopening of Makati Shangri-La, Manila at a later date when business conditions have improved,” the statement concluded.
In a phone interview hotel spokesperson Mica Cordero said that among the Shangri-La hotels in the Philippines, only Makati Shangri-La is closing operations. The luxury Shangri-La hotel chain brand operates five-star hotels At The Fort-Bonifacio Global City, EDSA, Mactan and Boracay.
“We will continue to closely monitor the business conditions both locally and globally and look to reopen Makati Shangri-La when business conditions improve,” said Cordero.
Cordero also said they could not disclose the number of affected colleagues out of respect to the colleagues concerned but assured that all employees are being assisted personally through this difficult transition.
There are a total of 696 rooms and suites in Makati Shangri-La Manila. During the hotel’s temporary closure period, it will retain a small core team to maintain and upkeep the hotel and its grounds.
Cordero said the Department of Tourism has been informed regarding the hotel’s chain’s reorganization efforts in the Philippines.
“While we have sadly decided to temporarily close Makati Shangri-La as part of our reorganization efforts in the Philippines, we remain deeply committed to this market having been present here for almost 30 years,” she said.
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said he was saddened by the announcement by Shangri-La but expressed hope that the closure is just temporary. “Their brand and presence have been iconic in the industry. This just shows how bad the impact of pandemic is to their business and industry worldwide, that requires them to restructure globally their operations,” said Lopez.
Rumors of Shangri-La hotels closure surfaced in June last year amid strict lockdown protocols imposed by the Duterte administration.
The Shangri-La Hotel chain in the Philippines denied such rumor. At that time, Shangrila-La Makati told Manila Bulletin that they were operating according to the health and safety protocols of the government during the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
During the strict quarantine period, the hotel said were hosting overseas Filipino workers, embassy officials and their foreign nationals, and BPO personnel. Their kitchen was also open and they accepted delivery and take out.
Strategically located, Makati Shangri-La is within walking distance from some of the popular shopping malls in Manila, which include Glorietta, Greenbelt and SM Department Store.
This five-star luxury hotel in Makati is located just 20 minutes away from the airport and is a luxurious sanctuary for both business and leisure travellers. It has 696 hotel rooms and suites.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/01/20/makati-shangri-la-closing-operations-indefinitely/
Comelec to hold one-day Palawan division plebiscite in March
The plebiscite for the division of Palawan into three provinces will be held on a single day in March but with reduced precinct sizes to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez said Wednesday.
During a Senate hearing led by the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, Senator Imee Marcos asked if the plebiscite will be held in a two- to three-day period.
"Hindi po. 'Yung mismong election day starts at 7 in the morning and we will hold elections until 3 in the afternoon," Jimenez said in response to the senator.
"Ang adjustment natin sa Palawan, specifically, to increase the number of polling places and correspondingly lower the number of voters per polling place," he added.
Comelec has already expanded its timetable for the preparations and will start deploying personnel to Palawan as early as mid-February to adhere to some health and safety protocols.
"Middle of February a lot of our resources and personnel will be already on site kasi kailangan natin i-accomodate 'yung 14-day quarantine requirements," Jimenez said.
Personal protective equipment will also be included in the procurements of the poll body for this activity, according to the Comelec official.
"Itong buong proseso ng Palawan plebiscite was also planned out in coordination with the Department of Health and IATF," Jimenez said.
A previous resolution of the IATF in October has set a two-day voting schedule for this plebiscite.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11259 last April 2019, dividing Palawan into three provinces: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.
The three provinces will be created upon approval by the majority of the votes cast by the voters of the affected areas in a plebiscite to be conducted and supervised by the Comelec.
Based on data from the Department of Health, there are 473 COVID-19 cases in Palawan as of January 19, of which 455 recovered and three died. Fifteen remain to be active cases. —KG, GMA News
PHILIPPINES: JOSEPH ESTRADA PROFILE
Manila/Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines - 19 January 2001/File
Manila, Philippines - January 19, 2001
1. Pan across chanting crowd
2. Various, people holding banners in crowd
3. People drumming and dancing
4. Close shot, anti-Estrada placard
5. Various, crowd chanting
6. SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Joseph Estrada, Philippine President
7. Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (in yellow) singing national anthem between Former President Fidel Ramos, and armed forces chief of staff General Angelo Reyes with Orlando Mercado, Estrada defense secretary (in black T-shirt)
8. Pan from Macapagal-Arroyo to Reyes
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Angelo Reyes, Armed forces chief of staff
10. People watching monitor with Estrada speaking
11. SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Joseph Estrada, Philippine President
12. Tank and armoured car drive past
13. Tank drives toward palace
14. Armoured car reverses into position in front of palace gates
Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines - June 30, 1998
15. Various of Estrada taking presidential oath
Manila, Philippines - File
16. Vice President Estrada campaigning on train through slums
17. Estrada leaning out and touching hands
18. People waving from rail track
19. Still photos on Estrada's desk
20. Still of Estrada with Clinton
21. Still of Estrada with Pope John Paul II
Manila, Philippines - 12 October, 2000
22. President Estrada walking
23. Cutaway
24. Estrada during business conference
25. SOUNDBITE (Tagalog/English) Joseph Estrada, President of the Philippines
Malolos, Philippines - 30 June 1998
26. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo taking her oath as Vice President of the Philippines
Manila, Philippines - 12 October, 2000
27. Renato Corona holding Arroyo's resignation letter
28. Corona reading resignation letter of Arroyo
Manila, Philippines - August 29, 1999
29. Various of Estrada singing Kahit na Magtiis (Endure I Will)
30. Wife clapping from audience
31. Estrada walking offstage
Quezon City, Philippines - 18 October, 2000
32. Opposition Congressmen handing over impeachment case to Congress Secretary General
33. Congress Secretary General signing receipt of impeachment complaint
34. UPSOUND (English) Congressman Feliciano Belmonte
35. Various of protesters chanting and holding banners and streamers
Quezon City, Philippines - 4 November, 2000
36. Youths throwing eggs at dummy of Estrada
37. Various of protesters at rally
Manila, Philippines - 10 November, 2000
38. Estrada news conference
39. SOUNDBITE Estrada
Quezon City, Philippines - 13 November, 2000
40. Various of cheering in Congress Hall
Pasay and Quezon City, Philippines - 16 January
41. Senate session hall as senators get ready to cast votes
42. Side shot of same
43. UPSOUND (English) Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Presiding Officer of Impeachment hearings
44. Senators leave senate hall
45. Senator Loren Legarda hugs Pimentel as she cries
46. Protesters in cars go past, shouting "Erap Resign!"
47. Woman giving thumbs down to camera
48. Man waving flag in the air
49. Large university poster reading "Erap Resign"
Quezon City, Philippines - January 16
50. Candlelight protest at Edsa, the sight where people gathered in 1986 to oust the then president Marcos
51. Protesters chanting "Erap resign!"
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Your Integrity Is Showing!
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
A reporter from a Toronto newspaper was asked to do a story on garages which made unreasonable charges. The reporter pulled a couple wires lose in the electrical system of his car and drove into garages asking for an estimate on repairs which varied from $25 to over $400. After he got the estimates, he declined to have the work done, drove around the corner and hooked up the wires, and went on to the next garage. He pulled into the thirteenth garage and explained the problem‑‑a severe miss in the engine so Cecil Baynton poked around for a few minutes and spotted the problem, plugged in the wires, and the car was running like new. "How much do I owe you?" asked the reporter. "Oh, nothing at all!" "Surely I must owe you something," countered the reporter (whose identity wasn't known to Cecil). "Naw," he said, "I'm a Christian and run an honest shop!" He refused payment.
That mechanic took seriously his commitment to Jesus Christ and the ethics of Scripture. Long ago Paul stressed that our lives and our conduct either make the Gospel attractive to men or make them repel our faith. Writing to Titus Paul said, "teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive."
Telling about the incident, Haddon Robinson said, "I'm sure there were eloquent preachers in the city of Toronto on that Sunday. They may have preached some very powerful sermons, but I submit that the sermon which Cecil Baynton preached at his workbench in the garage was the most beautiful presentation of the Gospel set forth in Toronto that weekend."
The story doesn't end with the article that the reporter wrote. The following week the paper did a follow‑up article. In this article the honest mechanic asked that they tell people to stop coming to his garage. He just couldn't handle the steady stream of people who were searching for an honest mechanic. Invitations had come from two service clubs wanting him to speak, and a publisher had approached him about writing a book.
As I thought about the impact of Cecil Baynton's life, I couldn't help thinking that what we believe is either enhanced or downgraded by our lives, the bottom line which the world sees and evaluates. I couldn't help thinking of an acquaintance, telling about the time he was overseas speaking for an evangelistic conference in a certain town. He boarded a bus and gave the conductor a bill, paid his fare and took the change and sat down.
Then counting his change, he realized that he had given the conductor a five and the change was for a ten. He was tempted to just pocket the money and forget it when he quickly realized that would be wrong. When he came to his stop, he went to the forward exit and gave the money back to the conductor saying, "I think you didn't realize that you gave me change for a ten, but I only gave you a five!" The conductor said, "Yes, I know that. I went to hear you speak last night, and when you boarded my bus, I recognized you. I figured that if you were honest, what you say must be right, and that if you kept the money, I wouldn't go back to your meetings!"
The impact of honesty is not the individuals who commend you for what you do, but the vast army of people who are influenced negatively or positively, and subsequently evaluate the Gospel by your life.
It is no wonder that Paul wrote that the Corinthians were his "letters ... known and read by everybody" (2 Corinthians. 3:2). Your honesty is showing, friend. Think about it.
Resource reading: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6.
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/your-integrity-is-showing-2/
Duterte to firms: No franchise until you settle your accounts with government
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he would not allow any company to benefit from its franchise unless it had settled its obligations with the government.
“There will be no opening. I assure you, all franchises will not be implemented. I will not implement them until they settle their full accounts with the government,” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino, during a meeting with select Cabinet officials.
“For all I care, you can have a thousand franchises. You will not see the light until you come to government with clean hands,” he added.
The President did not identify which company he was referring to. But he made this announcement after Batangas 6th District Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto filed a bill seeking the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise for 25 years.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III had also filed a similar measure to renew the franchise of the television giant.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered the closure of ABS-CBN’s broadcast operations on May 5 last year following the expiration of its franchise.
In July 2020, the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Franchises voted overwhelmingly to deny ABS-CBN’s bid for a fresh 25-year franchise, an outcome that Duterte had promised would happen because of the network’s failure to air his 2016 presidential election campaign advertisement and its supposed biased reporting.
During the congressional hearings for ABS-CBN’s franchise last year, relevant government agencies cleared the television giant of alleged irregularities.