JUNE 20 - JUNE 26, 2021 6 OPINION WILLIAM E. ABLONG EYE OPENER wea_129@yahoo.com H


istory has taught us that pandemics pave the way for transformation. But that’s as far as the social aspects of our existence are concerned. What about the economic


side of our lives? What do we need to do so that our entire society can achieve wide- ranging recovery from our current state? In the many years that I have spent as public servant, as technical advisor/resource person to development- fo cused


organizations, as a long-time leader in the cooperative movement, as educator, and as religious leader, I have seen


international


in guaranteeing that children and the youth have access to effective learning and skilling opportunities at all phases of their instructional expeditions. Reinventing education The challenges of national (and global) recovery have shaped a new stimulus that inevitably reinvents the purpose of education. An essential stake to this is the crafting of educational systems that are centered on developing a love of learning and nurturing the extent of skills that the youth need to succeed and flourish. Those who love learning are responsive, flexible, insightful, and act according


enough to make me conclude that there are five things we need to do to achieve economic recovery. If our leaders are already doing any of the five that I have listed on here, then at least, we need to exert more effort on these areas so that we can realize our goals in a relatively short period of time. Youth for the job market As old wisdom tells us, the “youth is the hope of the nation.” We need to heighten the emphasis on education and skilling. Highlighting education and the acquisition of skills embodies a significant opportunity in ensuring our profound engagement on the preparation of our youth for tomorrow’s job market. Superior education is the groundwork for skilling. The public and private sectors have a vital and tactical role to play


DRIVER....FROM P. 2


“When I got out of the easy ride, I looked at the black SUV and there was no one there.” She was also brought to the Silliman Medical Center and said someone she knew as sir Kurt Teves was there. “Sir Kurt is super kind. He paid all our hospital bills. As I could not yet work, he gave me financial assistance.”


impact. When she came to, she was already in the ambulance going to Dumaguete.


A third interviewee, Marimar Romano, a sister of Maricar, who was one of the victims, said her sister was seated behind the driver and she saw the SUV zigzagging towards them. She closed her eyes and passed out upon


ICT GROUP....FROM P. 3


Relations of Qualfon Inc., and moderator of the online event, said many Dumagueteños are actually interested in the PBB. On its website, the PBB


said “the program is free of charge and aside from the vaccines and medical personnel to be provided


OUTSIDE....FROM P. 4


Dumaguete, rampant anti- social driving behavior is the norm rather than the exception. It’s diametrically opposed


to the usually-excellent Filipino societal behavior. One afternoon when I was taking a shortcut from Bacong across towards Valencia, my Honda got stuck in loose sand. The first scooter to pass by stopped


to help me. Then two men who I’d never before met, and may not see again, also offered to help. They pushed my Honda up the hill, and onto the road. That was an example of


by the DOH, all operating expenses incurred in these PBB Private Sector Vaccination Centers will be shouldered and donated by the private sector, at no cost to the government nor to the Cebuanos availing of their services.” (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)


A friend of theirs, Lilibeth Subribiga, was also in the passenger jeepney and passed out upon impact. She later gained consciousness when she was brought out of the vehicle. At the hospital, Romano said she heard that the father of the SUV driver shouldered their medical expenses and gave financial assistance. “No one should be blamed for what happened. It was an accident,” Romano said.


to the dictates of their socially- driven conscience. They are invigorated to learn, re-learn, skill and reskill throughout their lives, which is good for learners, excellent for society and a tremendous push for the economy.


that Lapu-Lapu is not a hero and that he didn’t kill Magellan?


Women entrepreneurs We really need to introduce or highlight reform laws and legislations that support women and achieve gender equality in all sectors of the economy. We need to boost women-led and women- initiated businesses in our midst, maybe in the form of financing, technical support, trainings/mentorship. Especially the start-ups, they need all the support that we can give them for them to not just survive but also to thrive in the world of business. Thus, gender equality


How inclusive economic recovery begins


While shifting mindsets and revolutionizing systems are difficult to do, we need a diversity of viewpoints and different lenses to approach the challenge in new ways. This means that collaboration between the public and private sectors is a “must- do” to achieve credible and sustainable gains.


As a simple start, perhaps, we need to rectify the wrong notions (or lies?) perpetuated in the pages of our history books. Perhaps, we need to start emphasizing to people (especially the young minds)


must also be at the core of our recovery initiatives. As leaders and as citizens, we have the obligation to challenge the systemic impediments that prevent women from achieving their full potential. As we are trying our best to emerge from the pandemic (that has inexplicably affected women and minority groups) it is imperative that we address these disparities and clinch the gains of a more diverse, all- encompassing, and impartial economy.


More than the adverse effects of the pandemic, the current health scenario has provided us with the chance to profoundly reconsider the existing state of affairs in relation to the role of business in society. We now need to really accept the perception that business has no other choice but to be at


Re-thinking business TO PAGE 14 PNP....FROM P. 3


in non-index crimes resulted from police- initiated operations such as campaigns against illegal drugs, illegal gambling, wanted persons, and loose firearms.


Majority of the arrests


the provincial police force nabbed 1,111 persons with total bet money confiscated at P119,879.50.


Negros Provincial Police Office also reported that under its anti-illegal drugs drive, 263 pushers and users were arrested while 1,447.68 grams of shabu and 12.12 grams of marijuana with a total value of P9,845,678.40 million were confiscated. Under Republic Act 9287 or the campaign against illegal gambling,


27K....FROM P. 3


against loose firearms or RA 8294, PNP arrested 70 persons and confiscated 719 firearms, with 288 surrenderees.


For the campaign


television on covid-19 updates all over the world. She’s still young but she understands that the pandemic has caused a lot of losses to people – lives, jobs, relationships, morals, ways of life, and hope. Because of these losses, she knows that so many are currently going through a lot of pain and so much misery. Due to her reflective nature, she blurted out this question to me – “Mom, how do you think these people handle what they’ve lost because of covid-19?”


M


moments because, let’s face it, I’m not a psychologist or


a grief specialist, nor am I a life coach. Before I responded to her, I spent a few seconds thinking of my own share of difficult losses in life. I’ve lost people I truly love, friends, and jobs that I thought were ‘dream jobs,’ opportunities that after losing them really made me cry for nights. During those times that I lost what I thought I would never want to lose, I had the notion that acceptance was enough. But it wasn’t. I discovered, I wanted meaning after every loss.


that there’s no comprehensible meaning in hideous death, in a debilitating ailment, in losing a job during covid-19, in losing someone you love so much, or in a wedding being canceled. The meaning is not actually in the bad things that happened. The meaning is actually in us. It is in what we


After some silence, I told her I was speechless for a few GEMMA MINDA ISO PATHWAYS


y daughter was surfing the internet at the same time watching


legis616821@gmail.com find afterwards.


the meaning takes time. We may not find it until months or even years following the loss because we can’t rush the meaning or force it to surface. I realized that it will come in its own time.


the discovery that it doesn’t actually call for profound understanding. We may not fully understand why a relationship ended, why a divorce took place, why our favorite pet died, why this virus is all around us. But we can search for it, and if we’re lucky, find it. When we finally find the meaning, we’ll soon recognize


that it wasn’t a test, a lesson, something to handle, a gift, or a blessing. Loss is simply what happens in life. And the meaning is in us afterwards. And only us can find our meaning.


Can the process be explained? Two years ago, she lost a boyfriend. So she asked, “how do I explain my grieving process to those who don’t understand but want to?” So I explained to her that in reality, most often, people may not understand her unhappiness or her pain, whatever it is that’s causing it. They won’t know what it’s like to lose someone you really love so much, at the same time, she won’t know what it’s like for a mother- to-be who lost a baby from a miscarriage. I explained to her that one of the important things is for us not to equate


MECQ....FROM P. 3 symptomatic employees.


Other requirements include the display of Barangay Health Emergency Rescue Teams (BHERTs) and other CoViD-19 emergency hotlines, handwashing stations, physical barriers, personnel that would ensure physical distancing, proper ventilation, the use of face masks and face shields, a designated safety officer, and a storage facility for infectious wastes, among others. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)


The decrease in the total crime incidents and the increase of police- initiated anti-crime operations are attributed to the partnership and cooperation between the police and the community. (jct/PIA7 NegOr)


community quarantine status due to a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 cases, the PSA will still continue with its registration but the basic health protocols must be strictly observed.


Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens. The national ID shall be a valid proof of identity


typical Filipino generosity to which we foreigners have become gratefully accustomed. It’s redundant to comment on how that differs from the prevailing driving habits.


that will be a means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrollment in schools, and the opening of bank accounts. It will also boost efficiency, especially in dealing with government services where people will only need to present one ID during transactions. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)


Tels. 225-7725, 422-9209, 225-4488


70 Rizal Blvd., Dumaguete City


Signed into law by President Duterte in August 2018, NOTICE


PURITA JOY H. MARIÑO, ROY PHELIX JOSEPH H. MARIÑO, JULIEN PAUL ROMULOS H. MARIÑO, RUBY JEAN ESTRELLITA MARIÑO- BIDAURE, all of Dumaguete City, and ROSARIO EVANGELINE MARIÑO- FARRARONS, of Talisay City, Cebu, have executed an EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE over the real properties, consisting of land and a house/building of ROMULO DIAZ MARIÑO in Taclobo, Dumaguete City, described under Lot 3 of the Subdivision Plan covered by TCT No. 21461; a residential building covered by Tax Declaration No. 93-029-2058; Parcel of land designated as Lot 23 of the Subdivision Plan covered by TCT No. 8600; a Residential Building covered by Tax Declaration No. 93-029-2883; Parcel of land designated as Lot 1 of the Subdivision Plan covered by TCT No. 4060; a residential building covered by Tax Declaration No. 93-029-5467; on May 25, 2021 at Dumaguete City, which is registered as Doc. No. 403, Page No. 82, Book No. XXXIV Series of 2021 in the Notarial Register of James Roulyn R. Alvarico.


MetroPost 2021 June 20 • June 27 • July 4 The public is hereby informed that PATRICIA H. MARIÑO, With that realization is


Searching and finding I told her that finding


griefs and for us to understand that the world is big enough for all our losses. Perhaps, we will just have to let go of our expectations that people will understand.


final question – “if someone is really struggling through one’s depths of despair, what’s the most important thing for him/ her to bear in mind?” After sincere prayers, I told her that it can really help if we reach out and get support, talk to someone, maybe someone who has grieved for a long time or is still grieving. It can be a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or reading or getting access to free resources about handling losses in life. I reminded her that we shouldn’t


Conversation about loss


be afraid of our feelings, we shouldn’t be afraid that if we start crying now, we’ll never stop. I reminded her that NO FEELING is final, no feeling is forever. Eventually, we will stop crying; the pain may stay, but eventually, it will get a lot less painful with the passage of time.


Nothing is permanent When we lose something, naturally, we will grieve but we shouldn’t think -- “This is it forever.” That’s because we don’t know what tomorrow is going to look like. I suggested to her to pull the words “always” and “never” out of her vocabulary. We might be very unhappy today because of what we’ve lost but we don’t know what tomorrow is going to be, so, let’s look at our unhappiness just for today. In all probability, that unhappiness will no longer be around tomorrow.


Then she came up with her


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Rizal Blvd. cor. San Jose St., Dumaguete City For TAKE-OUT. We also DELIVER. Please call:


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