Ambrosio R. Villorente
Two Extremes In SP Aklan
There were two extreme things which took place in the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Aklan on Thursday, August 16, 2007. One thing is the proposed resolution to declare August 31 as Jaime Cardinal L. Sin Day, be a non working public holiday and every year thereafter.
Actually, there were two resolutions that will recognize the late Aklanon cardinal of his greatness and his outstanding role in the fields of religion and in Philippines politics. Hon. Plaridel Morania’s resolution if approved will request the President of the Republic of the Philippines to declare August 31, 2007 as Jaime Cardinal Sin Day and further declare August 31, 2007 as a non working public holiday in Aklan and every year thereafter.
Hon. Rodson Mayor has also a similar resolution to approve an ordinance declaring August 31, 2007 and every year thereafter as Jaime Cardinal Sin Day and a non working public holiday in Aklan. This is an extreme recognition of the goodness of the man, the late Jaime Cardinal L. Sin, a native of New Washington, Aklan.
Another opposite extreme is a resolution that declares the unacceptability of a certain man. Hon. Rodson Mayor has prepared a resolution declaring Mr. Wilfredo Ortiz "persona non grata", acting general manager of Aklan Electric Cooperative alias AKELCO". The proposed resolution is triggered by the inability of Mr. Ortiz to grace the SP Aklan sessions inspite of several invitations sent for him to attend the SP Regular Sessions in Kalibo.
Persona non grata, according to the dictionary means "a person who is not acceptable or welcome". In diplomacy, he is a foreign diplomat unacceptable to the government to which he is sent." Once the receiving government declared a diplomat like ambassador and consul is declared persona non grata, the sending government has no other recourse but to recall that ambassador or consul to maintain a mutual cordial diplomatic relation between the two governments.
Will the National Electrification Administration (NEA) recall Mr. Wilfredo Ortiz as OIC general manager from AKELCO if and when or after the SP Aklan approved the proposed resolution sponsored by Hon. Mayor declaring Mr. Wilfredo Ortiz Persona non grata?
Public Hearing In Boracay
Akelco has announced the holding of public hearing on electricity matter to be held in Boracay Island resort on Friday, August 17, 2007. Public Hearing for what? Akelco has filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) which approval demands public hearing.
Of course Boracay is in Aklan, but public hearing is to inform the public of matters affecting them. In this case, the public hearing must be specifically for Aklanons and must be held in Kalibo, the capital town. But Akelco and ERC may have mutually agreed to hold the public hearing in Boracay maybe because of the presence of tourists such as the Koreans, the Europeans, and the Chinese. Why not hold the public hearing in Kalibo? Aklan’s capital town? This will hasten the spread of information that really affects the lives of the Aklanons, otherwise that public hearing is for mere compliance to the requirements, least of a cover-up.
In the first place, Akelco has applied something which its consumer members do not know. This matter which is the subject of public hearing should have, in the first place, undergone consultation with the consumer members before bringing it to the ERC. With these things occurring in Akelco, it is safe to conclude that the present members of the Akelco Board of Directors are more loyal to the NEA than to the consumer – members. NEA is treating Akelco as if it owns it and not Aklanon owned. This is understandable because the present composition of the Akelco Board is either NEA appointed members or those whose terms of office has lapsed.
GSIS e-Card Plus
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has gone to a full blast advertisement in the national tri-media. GSIS is doing it in view of the strong nationwide protest in the use of e-Card in the style of paying GSIS pensioners their monthly pensions.
The Union Bank e-Card Plus is not a saleable product because of 1. limited branches of Unon Bank to service the clients, 2. for every transaction, there is automatic charge; 3. studies show 80 percent of GSIS members including pensioners are not accessible to ATM; 4. most GSIS pensioners are handicapped to travel even to the nearest ATM; 5. It entails additional expenses for the pensioners to go to ATM to withdraw their money; and 6. accounting of the pensioner’s meager amount of pension is quite impossible.
Mr. Winston Garcia, the GSIS manager is wasting huge amount of public money in advertisement to convince GSIS members to use Union Bank e-Card Plus. He should stop those advertisement. GSIS pensioners will just continue the protest against the use of e-Card Plus of Union Bank. He should restart paying pensioners by checks.
EF To Singapore
EF has given himself a break. On August 20 – 24, 2007, he will be in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for a pleasure combined with business trip. I will be happy to share with you my experience in those two countries through this column. My loving wife, Dr. Florencia F. Villorente will again join me in this five days travel. /MP
Actually, there were two resolutions that will recognize the late Aklanon cardinal of his greatness and his outstanding role in the fields of religion and in Philippines politics. Hon. Plaridel Morania’s resolution if approved will request the President of the Republic of the Philippines to declare August 31, 2007 as Jaime Cardinal Sin Day and further declare August 31, 2007 as a non working public holiday in Aklan and every year thereafter.
Hon. Rodson Mayor has also a similar resolution to approve an ordinance declaring August 31, 2007 and every year thereafter as Jaime Cardinal Sin Day and a non working public holiday in Aklan. This is an extreme recognition of the goodness of the man, the late Jaime Cardinal L. Sin, a native of New Washington, Aklan.
Another opposite extreme is a resolution that declares the unacceptability of a certain man. Hon. Rodson Mayor has prepared a resolution declaring Mr. Wilfredo Ortiz "persona non grata", acting general manager of Aklan Electric Cooperative alias AKELCO". The proposed resolution is triggered by the inability of Mr. Ortiz to grace the SP Aklan sessions inspite of several invitations sent for him to attend the SP Regular Sessions in Kalibo.
Persona non grata, according to the dictionary means "a person who is not acceptable or welcome". In diplomacy, he is a foreign diplomat unacceptable to the government to which he is sent." Once the receiving government declared a diplomat like ambassador and consul is declared persona non grata, the sending government has no other recourse but to recall that ambassador or consul to maintain a mutual cordial diplomatic relation between the two governments.
Will the National Electrification Administration (NEA) recall Mr. Wilfredo Ortiz as OIC general manager from AKELCO if and when or after the SP Aklan approved the proposed resolution sponsored by Hon. Mayor declaring Mr. Wilfredo Ortiz Persona non grata?
Public Hearing In Boracay
Akelco has announced the holding of public hearing on electricity matter to be held in Boracay Island resort on Friday, August 17, 2007. Public Hearing for what? Akelco has filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) which approval demands public hearing.
Of course Boracay is in Aklan, but public hearing is to inform the public of matters affecting them. In this case, the public hearing must be specifically for Aklanons and must be held in Kalibo, the capital town. But Akelco and ERC may have mutually agreed to hold the public hearing in Boracay maybe because of the presence of tourists such as the Koreans, the Europeans, and the Chinese. Why not hold the public hearing in Kalibo? Aklan’s capital town? This will hasten the spread of information that really affects the lives of the Aklanons, otherwise that public hearing is for mere compliance to the requirements, least of a cover-up.
In the first place, Akelco has applied something which its consumer members do not know. This matter which is the subject of public hearing should have, in the first place, undergone consultation with the consumer members before bringing it to the ERC. With these things occurring in Akelco, it is safe to conclude that the present members of the Akelco Board of Directors are more loyal to the NEA than to the consumer – members. NEA is treating Akelco as if it owns it and not Aklanon owned. This is understandable because the present composition of the Akelco Board is either NEA appointed members or those whose terms of office has lapsed.
GSIS e-Card Plus
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has gone to a full blast advertisement in the national tri-media. GSIS is doing it in view of the strong nationwide protest in the use of e-Card in the style of paying GSIS pensioners their monthly pensions.
The Union Bank e-Card Plus is not a saleable product because of 1. limited branches of Unon Bank to service the clients, 2. for every transaction, there is automatic charge; 3. studies show 80 percent of GSIS members including pensioners are not accessible to ATM; 4. most GSIS pensioners are handicapped to travel even to the nearest ATM; 5. It entails additional expenses for the pensioners to go to ATM to withdraw their money; and 6. accounting of the pensioner’s meager amount of pension is quite impossible.
Mr. Winston Garcia, the GSIS manager is wasting huge amount of public money in advertisement to convince GSIS members to use Union Bank e-Card Plus. He should stop those advertisement. GSIS pensioners will just continue the protest against the use of e-Card Plus of Union Bank. He should restart paying pensioners by checks.
EF To Singapore
EF has given himself a break. On August 20 – 24, 2007, he will be in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for a pleasure combined with business trip. I will be happy to share with you my experience in those two countries through this column. My loving wife, Dr. Florencia F. Villorente will again join me in this five days travel. /MP
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