It's Judgement Day!

I am a "politico" myself and I inherited it from my Dad. Through this post, I would like to air my side about the coming National election.

Since I got here in the US, I have always been updated with anything from local, national, and showbiz news alike because of  TFC or  "The Filipino Channel".

Lately, just like other Filipinos abroad, I have been more interested in the coming election. I find it more  interesting since it would be the country's first automated election. I am glad that Senator Richard Gordon authored Automated Election Law.

After a thorough research, I have decided that Gordon-Fernando is the Dream Tandem for me. Gordon has been a Red-Cross volunteer since 1986, a Secretary of Tourism who worked wonder in Philippine Tourism industry, "Wow Philippines", a Mayor, who transformed Olongapo from a sin city to a model city when he was mayor for 14 years and as Senator who passed more than 5 Laws, that's, including the New Automated Election System Law. 

Fernando on the other hand, also transformed Marikina City into a progressive, clean and orderly metropolis. In the various government posts he held, he distinguished himself as a government official who does not hesitate to implement the law whatever it takes, whoever get hurts even damaging his political career.

They complement each other. They are both transformers, they have the same vision for the country and they are both disciplinarian. I like leaders like them and I believed that Philippines needs a competent and courageous leaders like them.

Examining their public service history, the Gordon-Fernando tandem seems to have an advancement over the Aquino-Roxas team.

But.. I doubt it if they can make it today because unfortunately, most numbers of voters would go for candidates who are "mukhang" honest,  who have symbolism, surenames, who are  famous personalities, who have nice banners and stickers, candidates with celebrity endorsers and well, I almost forgot, candidates who are leading in Pulse Asia and SWS Surveys.

It's Judgement Day today. Vote wisely Filipinos!

Good luck Philippines!

DST Thingy and Just my Two Cents

I saw these papers posted anywhere in the hotel, from the clock-in/out machine, and info boards in every department. I found extra copies on the photo copier in the front desk so I took photo of them ( I am like a "trying-hard" photographer.)

I have two issues here, err.. two things to share. First the DST or the Day Light Saving Time, next, is my point of view about something.

Firstly, DST or Daylight Saving Time according to Wikipedia, is the practice of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. That's the instruction right there in the paper. It is not new to us because our country have done this before, if my mind serves me right, three times already. At this time, Philippines has 16-hour difference to Nevada (Pacific Standard Time) and starting March 14, it would become 15-hour difference.

I don’t know why we have to do this. Other States like Arizona and Hawaii don’t observe this DST thing. Whatever.

Secondly, is the translation from English to Spanish or Mexican Language. Have you heard this “saying”, “Where there are Jobs, there are Filipinos”? This is also true to Mexicans here in  Nevada, perhaps same with other states too. They are everywhere. The problem is, most of them are not interested to learn English. It is because they don’t learn it from school and the more that they don’t learn it from home unlike us Filipinos. personally, I harldy understand them. You speak English to them but they will answer you in Spanish.  

Americans are considerate enough that  they  translate every form of informations or instructions or any reading materials to Spanish. In this case, most of Mexican people or Hispanic people don’t want to learn English anymore because they are spoon fed. Imagine, even the State of the Union or Nation Address of the President had been translated for their consumption. What happened here now is that a lot of Americans (including my hubby) are trying to learn Mexican so that they can communicate with them very well. I am studying it too. Hmmm. Lucky them.. I am not against them personally because they are good and hardworking people too like us but the issue is, when you apply for a job like in a bank or in a Medical office, or any establishment, although they can’t single out that they required Bi-lingual (English-Spanish) because they might be charged for discrimination, they will ask you how good you are in Spanish, anyway. They will say ''prefer" not "required" to play it safe.

And lately, according to the demographic survey, there is a high percentage of the number of children and child-bearing age of Hispanic people compared to White people. That is alarming. In the near future, USA might become... you know what I meant. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk!

Outrageous College Tuition

As I browsed the internet today, this headline caught my eyes, "The $550,000 Student-Loan Burden". It is about a 41-year-old family practitioner in Columbus, Ohio, finished medical school in 2003, her student-loan debt amounted to roughly $250,000. Since then, it has ballooned to $555,000. And she didn't know how to pay for it. When I calculated the amount to Philippine Peso, it amounted to 24,750.000.00! Oh my God! That’s a lot of money!

Well, actually, this problem is common here. My Filipina friend Rowena is taking up a 6-month course this spring and the tuition is more than $10,000.00; take note that is for 6 months only, how much more for 2 year- or 4-year course? You bet. This is definitely a reason mostly of the people here are High School graduate only or if not, mostly are college undergraduate.

I have a workmate here, she went to College for a year, and she was a Softball player and half-scholar so she paid only half of the tuition. But she just can't afford for another year no more so she quit schooling. Recently, she told me that she has to pay $150.00 per month starting July for the loan she owed so she thought to find a second job for her to pay all her bills.

Like any other parents, I dream for my children to finish a degree and I cannot fulfill that dream if they will stay here. I am so glad that I sent them back to the Philippines to continue their college education there or else they will be a high school graduate forever. And I am happy that my husband supported my decision even if it was hard for us to send them back being thousand miles away from them.

If they will finish their chosen degree in God's time, they will be definitely debt-free. By that time, they could start their career or life without burden.

This is Absurd!

It's been a slow and boring night. As usual, I was sitting at the desk waiting for 2:00 o'clock in the morning to do my next paper work. David, the Manager on Duty, approached and showed me his late father's memorial "program". He pointed the portion "HE WILL BE MISSED BY" followed by the name of the people who would miss his dad. He was kind of upset because the name that appeared next to his mom's name was his sister's. He believed that his name should be written first in the sense that he is the eldest. I agreed with him. He mentioned that his sister has no children and neither does he and his wife. The names appeared as grandchildren, according to him, it was the neighbor's grandchildren. Yup, the neighbor's grandchildren! And here's more... It says there "GRAND DOGS, KYLE and KODY". Wait a minute, I asked "grand dogs?! As in the animal dogs"? Mr. David simply answered, "Yes, dogs... the animals". My goodness! I laughed out loud.

Grand dogs?! Then, I remember the "kalderetang dogs" back home...

Hahaha, whatever!