The Manila Times ‘Bulaang propeta’ in a paradise of pedigree L


AST week I told my law class that I sensed Sonny Trillanes


would be in the Senate on July 26. Else, with Ping Lacson out of the country, they may not be counted for quorum purposes, being beyond the Senate’s coer- cive jurisdiction, per Avelino v. Cuenco. With Noynoy out, there would be only 23 Senators, max. Thus an aspirant would need eleven votes to be Senate chief (the majority could even be lower, depending on actual at- tendance). I don’t know why the claim that 13 would be needed to win persists. (Twelve, max, should do it, I think.) And may the Senate Secretary “act” as Sen- ate Prez for ritual? A Sonny vow to abstain might help ensure I would not be ex- posed as a bulaang propeta. I fan- tasize being Paul, the Octopus which had a perfect record in call- ing the last balonpie World Cup. Maybe Paul can tell us when the much-awaited paper on the Truth Commission would come out (it’s been weeks). We see Jun


Davide agreeing to head an in- choate body of doubtful legality, at war with current institutional arrangements, and smacking of Victor’s Justice. Only Congress can create a Truth Commission to deal with various scandals and human rights abuses, in my humble view. Lawyers of the Prez should take bullets for him. We don’t want any bar reviewee adopting any of his legal views, and flunking. His Mom left legal matters to lawyers. V-Pinay, finally with something to do, should stop telling Judges what to do. He may instead help urge the Supreme Court not to (1) decide only now a case in- volving a Congressman whose term ended last June 30; (2) is- sue secret rulings; (3) compel us to do pro bono work and even make us pay for doing so (pro bono is in the heart and the Pub- lic Attorney’s Office is there); and (4) require us to state in most every paper our PTR, our IBP, our Roll of Attorney (once is enough for this unchanging No.), MCLE


RENE SAGUISAG


Compliance and Pro Bono Compliance Nos., and have us ex- plain why we mail to Marapipi. For non-compliance, a claim may be dismissed, so a client suffers, when it should be the lawyer who should be reprimanded, fined or suspended, etc. No SC has been more distrust- ful of lawyers. It should not prioritize Luisita either as if the de facto CJ telegraphs the mes- sage “Don’t mess with me, boy.” P-Noy should consider moving to nullify CJ Rene’s elevation. If he fails, he should resign to dramatize his fidelity to the Con- stitution and his agreement with de Gaulle that the cemeteries are full of indispensable people. Do


I root for our Makati Dynasty? God’s gifts bloom, the Abads, Arroyos, Binays, Belmontes, Chipecos, Dys, Estradas, et al., all the way to the Marcoses and Zubiris, in our alphabet-soup distortion of constitutional term-limits: these royals, blue- bloods, unable to show self-re- straint, to democratize power, in the Durants’ “paradise of pedigree” enjoying conformi- ty’s consolations.


GMA could not be People-


Powered out. Done to Erap, we got GMA who started a regime CJ Davide denounced for corruption while campaigning for his son in Cebu. But, who gave us GMA and her Generals who—by her own admission—started conspiring in January, 2000 when she was in the Cabinet, long before nakakadala Edsa II? Can Jun’s judgment be trusted? He may have to be probed himself. All should read history. The Ombudsman should. In the 60’s, Atty. Betong de Joya, Max Soliven and I wrote about that office.


Nothing is TUBIG for you to handle! I


AM having an exhilarating week but I am not complaining. Bet- ter to have my hands brimming with salty water (sweat and tears) than be walking in a parched, dry desert on my own. But anyway, these are the things that save a youth from dystopia: Inception. I am into shallow, blood-happy and giddy-inducing films like Kill Bill and the new Ka- rate Kid, but I cried and applauded after I saw Inception at the gigantic IMAX theater! It is the most intel- ligent film that the windows of my soul had ever seen that it even stirred the soul, the psyche that I never thought I had! Ever since the screening hosted by Warner Bros. Philippines, I kept having vivid dreams and I am not saying this for the sake of stating how affected I got by the film but really, it was an eye opener and it made me be- lieve in the deep, dark power that lurks in the land of dreams, that molds the present day lives we lead. For those who have not watched it, just go and watch it and soon you too will find your- self immersed in almost real dreams every night that make you wonder if you are living in reality or if you are just wading through fantasy. It also gives the viewers the power of deciding where Dom Cobb actually ends up in—Limbo or Reality. This movie is more po- tent than all the other drugs I’ve tried, trust me. J Only for the ladies. I must be the biggest fan of Human Nature products, which are made out of purely organic materials and intro-


LOUISE VIERNES MARYLAINE


duced by the beautiful and intel- ligent daughters of Gawad Kalinga’s Tony Meloto and sold with the help of the lovely Joanna Gilladoga. So to let the world know, they are selling wonderful products from moisturizers, con- ditioners, hand sanitizers, lip balms and so much more! But lately, they launched a genuine breakthrough in feminine hygiene with the Human Nature All Natu- ral Feminine Wash—the first in the country! Filipino women de- serve products that contain the best possible natural and organic ingredients without having to pay a high price for them as this is only P54.75! This is simply gen- tle care down there! A makeover fit for a princess.


And you think beauty is all about makeup, being glamorized with only the nicest clothes and hair- styles? Think again! My new baby, Makeover Minutes, which you all will get to see soon made me and my production colleagues ever so exhausted, and they were able to see for themselves that beauty comes with a lot of hair pulling, strange treatments and lots of


waiting! But it is okay since we have partnered with our good friends from Lifeline Foundation who led us to Heaven on Earth: The Serenity Place, which also houses BoNa Coffee, Sujivana Sa- lon, Sujivana Day Surgery and Spa Center and of course, exquisite art and antique store, Bohemian Na- tion. This is my most favorite place in the world, and something tells me I will get to chill in that place more in the future. Girl Power. I’ve been so fortu- nate to be working with Anna Marie Periquet who introduced me to the most phenomenal women in business such as the lovely and trendy Myrna Yao who was the coolest Entre-pinay ever, who proves to be a walking, talk- ing Barbie doll as the COO of Richwell Trading Corporation. She just reminds me of how beautiful and free youth is so I must make the most out of it. And of course, there’s the Loida Nicolas-Lewis who is the most respected Filipino in New York City who let us into her posh home and told me that I should become more assertive and never forget to seize the day! I am even seriously thinking of taking up Law now because of her. Both women are very spiritual and that is something I could re- ally develop and who knows I might surpass these idols of mine. They are also featured in the Front Page today so that everyone can read all about them. Water woes. I love water even


as my element is fire. When I was younger, I would always run


around the strong rains, pretend- ing that I was running away from something and that I was to see a wonderful palace within the bahay kubo at our park and up to now I still look for that feeling. But alas today we are troubled by water shortages which I really don’t un- derstand. I keep switching news channels, radio stations and news- papers only to find clashing infor- mation like this water shortage cri- sis is only a ruse to boost some people’s interests. I don’t really know and maybe we will never find out since as far as I know My Manila Times is the only newspa- per that speaks the truth and refuses to carry twisted publicity for money peddling, powerful people but then what matters is that we use our water wisely now. So water you waiting for? Eight, nine, ten. From now on,


we do not have our countdowns to great, special things by 1, 2, 3. We do it by 8-9-10, because the whole world has to watch out for August 9, 2010, where something great shall be happening to the Internet, which will become larger than it already is. So mark your calendars now and watch out for The Manila Times TV! Indeed I have a busy, nerve-rack- ing life but with a glass of water every now and then and a nice movie, a BoNa cup of coffee and some organic products, and a sense of meaning and direction, nothing is too big for me to handle!


marylaine_viernes@manilatimes.net/ apotheosis.multiply.com


Global standards for higher education Second of 4 parts


(Last week, I started sharing with you, dear readers, my speech on the topic “the Role of CHED in Setting Global Standards for Higher Educa- tion in the Philippines” during the Mindanao State University-Iligan In- stitute of Technology (MSU-IIT) In- stitute Symposia and Fora on July 9, 2010 with the theme “Looking Global ……. Taking Actions . . .” This is the second part of that discussion.]


I


N developing the curricular re- quirements for each program, the OPS reviews related documents and standards that serve as inputs to the discussion of the Technical Panels. The basic document used would be the previous PSG, sam- ple curricula of known and ac- knowledged local and foreign Uni- versities offering the same pro- gram, industry recommendations and internationally accepted stand- ards advocated by foreign regula- tory and developmental bodies. To cite as an example, the current Maritime Education minimum curricular requirements is based on learning objectives required by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). The Standard was adopted by member countries of the International Maritime Organi- zation. The 1978 STCW Conven- tion was the first to establish basic requirements on training, certifica- tion and watchkeeping for seafar- ers on an international level. Pre- viously the standards of officers and ratings were established by in- dividual governments, usually without reference to practices in


of the local industry but of a “uni- versal” IT professional.


FELIZARDO Y. FRANCISCO


other countries. As a result stand- ards and procedures varied widely, even though shipping is the most international of all industries. This means that educational institu- tions in the country offering mari- time programs meet the learning requirements of the STCW and would result in the immediate rec- ognition and acceptance of our maritime graduates to work in any international company that would be in need of their services. Another example would be the model followed by the Informa- tion Technology/ Computing dis- cipline. The country is not a sig- natory to any international agree- ment on the computing field, however, the Technical Panel for Information Technology Educa- tion has always used as reference the Curricular Recommendations of the Association for Computing Machinery for the undergraduate programs in IT. The Association for Computing Machinery, or ACM, is a learned society for com- puting. It was founded in 1947 as the world’s first scientific and educational computing society and is the recognized authority of academics in the field. At the minimum, the TP for Informa- tion Technology Education incor- porates the learning objectives required not only for the needs


The third example would be in the field of Accountancy. The Technical Panel for accountancy took into consideration and com- plied with the requirements set forth by the United National Council of Trade and Develop- ment (UNCTAD) in developing the minimum curricular require- ments for Accountancy. In addition to the process of re- viewing and adopting global stand- ards the Commission also pursued a project on benchmarking and comparative study on policies and standards in priority disciplines in Asia, Europe and the USA. Several Technical Panel members were sent to various countries to conduct the visits submit reports on possible programs and projects that the Commission could undertake to keep our universities at par with our foreign counterparts in terms of instruction, research and exten- sion and linkages.


QUALITY ASSURANCE (PROGRAM AND INSTITUTIONAL BASED) The implementation of minimum policies and standards would be worthless if the Commission does not institute programs that would ensure that the schools are com- plying with the standards. Al- though the policies and standards are presented in detail specially the curricular requirements, the CHED still needs a mechanism to ensure that the courses are deliv- ered to achieve the learning objec- tives. To do this the, the Office of Programs and Standards and the CHED Regional Offices conduct periodic monitoring and evalua-


tion activities. The schools are monitored based on a set of stand- ards that are outlined in the spe- cific PSG (policies, standards and guidelines) covering the program. There is a plan to review the moni- toring and evaluation instrument to reflect not only inputs and quantitative data but also out- comes and other qualitative data that encourages schools to go be- yond the minimum requirements and target specific development activities and goals for a certain period of time. These targets or outcomes would be the basis for future monitoring activities of CHED. Beyond the minimum stand-


ards, one of the showcase projects of CHED is the implementation of the Centers of Excellence Project. The Centers of Excellence Project is currently in the second batch of implementation. The COE project was first introduced in 1996 and since then has produced a substan- tial number of COE and COD re- cipients. The CHED recognizes programs that have exhibited qual- ity and excellence in their areas of specialization. The COEs are given financial grants and other benefits such as partial autonomy and pri- ority as CHED partners in other de- velopmental programs and projects. The programs identified as COEs and CODs are at par with the best in the world and through this project, the Commission ex- pects that more universities would strive to attain COE and COD sta- tus and raise their standards and be equal among their peers in the international community. To be continued next week


dirfyf@yahoo.com I


Concon Delegates Rudy Robles, my stude, and Buboy Syjuco, my National Union of Students col- league, pushed it. Gellhorn and a foreign Ombudsman convinced me that much of it depended on the prestige of the office holder, who the office would seek, not vice versa. With all due respect, do you think Merci, named by arguably the most disliked “Prez” ever, meets the historical test? History buffs may want to read my San Beda Law Journal piece in April, 1967 on the Ombuds- man (“Yes, Virginia, There Are Good Government Officials, But . . . (A Filipino Ombudsman)”; see how much of it, if any, may be in the 1987 Constitution. Let’s hope the Truth Commis- sion does not become the Tooth- less Omission. There are the Con- stitution, laws and precedents to heed. Else, many appointments are inspired. Way to go, P-Noy! Meantime, P-Noy has given VP- Nay something to do. Nang di mapalo ni Prez Cory. Jojo, with a baker’s dozen others, casts a


moist eye at the presidency (ac- counting for his pro-Sonny mes- sage to Judge Pimentel?). Jojo’s so busy with Picture! Picture! I can- not even get a short message greeting OCW’s. Unlike P-Noy. Anyway, Sonny’s cases involve not only guilt but also public policy. It would be inapt for a Prez to comment publicly on liti- gation involving something purely private. But, is it bad for the public to discuss what may also involve policy? Joker and Edong were silent when V-Pinay told Judge Pimentel to let Sonny attend Senate sessions. Would it not in fact be everyone’s place to comment as assessors or jurors on Sonny’s situation, to influence remedial legislation and public policy on which, more speech, not less, we need? But, P-Noy should not be rais- ing views we invoked years ago which the Judge did not buy. We had thought GMA could not name Rene as CJ. Again, kangkungan tayo.


opinion@manilatimes.net It’s SONA time


N several of his nine and a half years in the government, this writer had helped President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo craft the State of the Nation Address (SONA), from 2001, as undersecretary and policy research head of the Presi- dential Management Staff, until July 2008, when he ended seven years as Secretary of the Cabinet and became chairman of the Civil Service Commission. As we await another SONA from a new leader when the Fif- teenth Congress opens on Mon- day, let us recall the Arroyo speech preparations when she and the Cabinet conducted for more than a month nothing less than an an- nual strategic and priority pro- grams planning with the Cabinet and major agencies of the na- tional government.


During those SONA times, the speech writing began with key na- tional issues and policy initiatives for which department secretaries and other top officials were asked to submit reports and recommen- dations. Whole Cabinet meetings were devoted to reading versions of the address projected on a gi- ant screen in the Aguinaldo State Dining Room, for comments and corrections. Often at the confer- ence room laptop typing in agreed changes was the President herself. In those Cabinet deliberations, agency heads had to affirm whether programs in the draft SONAs could be implemented in the periods given. Thus, President Arroyo knew she was not setting up her administration for failure when she issued 55 specific, measurable and time-bound in- structions in her first address to Congress in 2001. The Cabinet had already gone through each one and given her the all-clear for all the programs, from half-price medicines and barangay electrifi- cation, to classrooms in faraway villages and P20 billion a year for farming and fishing.


The last order implemented the Agriculture and Fisheries Moderni- zation Act (AFMA), one of the lead- ing laws authored by Arroyo as sena- tor in the 1990s, but never imple- mented until she became president. In April 2001, while the supporters of deposed leader Joseph Estrada were agitating against her rule, Arroyo convened several Cabinet meetings to obtain funds for AFMA. That presidential initiative helped lift nearly two million Filipinos out of poverty by 2003.


Each SONA had a main theme; together the themes chronicled the major governance thrusts of the Arroyo Administration over nearly a decade. The 2001 SONA was known for the “bangkang papel” children, whose hopes for a better tomorrow, symbolized by paper boats sent sailing up the Pasig toward Malacañang, came to personify the poverty which the President’s prior-


RICARDO SALUDO


ity programs sought to end. Then came the Strong Republic


of 2002, which held up strong, upright government as the van- guard of security and progress. Perhaps the toughest SONA to write was the 2003 speech, deliv- ered just 18 hours after the day- long Oakwood Mutiny ended, and between the President’s December 2002 announcement that she would not run for president in May 2004, and her September 2003 declaration of candidacy. The following year, the SONA expounded on BEAT THE ODDS, the Arroyo Administration’s Ten- Point Agenda of priority programs for budget reforms, education, automated elections, transport in- frastructure, terminating hostili- ties, healing political conflict, elec- tricity and water, opportunities for 10 million jobs, decongesting Metro Manila, and developing Subic and Clark. Amid the “Hello, Garci” con-


troversy and the Hyatt 10 Cabinet resignations, the 2005 SONA launched the charter change de- bate. Then came the Super Re- gions of 2006, a framework for major infrastructure and develop- ment initiatives based on the eco- nomic strengths of five major na- tional regions, Northern Luzon agribusiness, Mega-Manila indus- try and services, Central Philip- pines tourism, Mindanao agricul- ture, and the Cyber Corridor of wired cities catering for the global IT-supported services industry. The last three SONAs saw the use of video clips, Powerpoint slides, and beneficiaries and offi- cials from across the country, to make the concepts and programs of the speeches more vivid and real to the ordinary citizen steeped in TV and movie pizazz. But the real hard work remained the same throughout the nine speeches: Cabinet inputs and deliberations to firm up major programs, then close monitoring to ensure on-tar- get and on-time implementation. Any advice for P-Noy’s word- smiths? Just one: Make the people the star of every SONA. It is the state of the nation that belongs to the entire citizenry, not just those wear- ing yellow, but every color in the rainbow. And always remember: After the applause and the head- lines, the real work begins—making the SONA plans and promises real for every Filipino.


opinion@manilatimes.net Global view


FRIDAY


July 23, 2010


A 5


opinion


EDUCATION MATTERS


YOUTHOPIA


T.G.I.F


REPUBLIC SERVICE


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