Pede is dedo?

FEDERALISM is not dead in the water but certainly it is in for rough sailing.

To date, the idea still sounds foreign to most Filipinos who are more concerned with gut issues like the price and availability of rice and galunggong.

Federalism might be nice to have, as its proponents contend. But majority of Filipinos do not see it as urgent.

Recently, no less than the President’s economic managers raised the latest damper. Converting to a Federal type of government would involve tens of billions of pesos which we do not have. At the moment, the economic managers are still grappling with how to raise funds to meet current requirements.

The Supreme Court, in a ruling, recently increased what the local government units (LGUs) are supposed to receive as their equitable share of national revenues. That ruling alone is expected to set back the national government a few billions.

With just 10 months left for the current congress, newly-installed Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, concedes there is not enough time to discuss the proposed shift to a federal-presidential type government.

But Arroyo  told ABS-CBN that  “I hope to move it forward as far as I can during my time as Speaker…I hope those who follow after will pick up from where we left off in this Congress.”

Just to keep discussions moving, Speaker Arroyo filed a resolution expressing the sense of the House calling for separate voting on the proposed charter change. This is a clear departure from the stance of her predecessor who insisted on joint voting – a stance which has turned off the Senators.

National Teachers Month

The period commencing Sept. 5 and ending Oct. 5 is now celebrated in the Philippines as National Teachers Month. The last day is celebrated as National Teachers Day.

It is only fitting that due recognition be given to our heroes in and outside the classrooms.

One of the oldest professions in the world, teaching has always been a well-admired vocation. After all, the doctors, lawyers, businessmen and scientists of the world would not be where they are today without the knowledge and guidance of their instructors and professors.

I always remember what a former colleague once told me:

“I was really encouraged by what my high school teacher (Ms. Carmen Hicap) said. She told me I would make a good economist. So I studied and decided to become one.”  Dr. Francis Dakila, Jr. is now Assistant Governor, Monetary Policy Sub-Sector, at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

It is true that teaching has been overshadowed by more glamorous and high paying jobs.

But thank God for the thousands out there who have stuck to this vocation and who have shown that while teaching can be the most difficult job, it can also be most fulfilling.

Mysterious calls

Over three days last week, I received a flurry of unknown calls from Malaysia (five times), Singapore (four times), (Bonita Springs (Florida), Calistoga (California), San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Anaheim. The calls came in between 12 p.m. and 1 a.m.

My daughter Trisha also received calls purportedly coming from Shanghai and Hong Kong.

As the numbers were unknown, we did not bother to pick up the phone but they certainly disturbed our slumber.

We are just wondering what is happening?

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