By Anthony A. Araos
Very bright prospects are in store for Banaue under the able and strong leadership of Mayor Jerry Dalipog. Banaue is, of course, the tourism center of Ifugao.
Mayor Dalipog is doing his best to restore the grandeur of the town’s world-famous rice terraces. Governor Pedro Mayam-o is on the same track.
There is no need for Mayor Dalipog and Governor Mayam-o now to slow down their efforts to save these rice terraces. And if they both want to attract more tourists to this picturesque town, it should be done quickly, rather than wait for 2019.
Think about it, the Philippines is hosting the ASEAN Summit in 2017 and the prestigious Miss Universe pageant at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on January 30, 2017.
In other words, foreign tourists, guests, representatives, foreign dignitaries and foreign journalists are coming to the Philippines. They will stay in hotels, dine, shop and visit various destinations. Undoubtedly, one of the best places for them to visit in the Cordillera is Banaue. Basically, the town is a beautiful place still rich in tourist destinations. Will the Mayam-o administration, apart from prioritizing the rehabilitation of these rice terraces, also put its money where its mouth is by calling the attention of the national government to include Banaue as one of the must-see sites in the said events? Among the numerous points of interest in Banaue are its waterfalls, museum, market and schools.
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An Ifugao councilor (I’m not yet inclined to disclose the name) is reportedly one of the 124 government officials in the CAR who “surrendered” in relation to the anti-drug campaign of President Duterte.
The PCL-Ifugao Chapter, now under the stewardship of Councilor Maximillan Luglug of Hingyon, must seriously deal with this problem besetting the citizenry. According to a recent report of the provincial government, 507 individuals “surrendered” to authorities in Ifugao.
Despite the “surrender” of drug pushers and users, almost daily in the 11 towns in the province, the illegal drugs menace remains a reality.
The drug war must be waged vigorously, systematically and consistently. Don’t you dare tell President Duterte is doing the wrong things in order to contain the problem.
The PCL-Ifugao chapter should provide full support for President Duterte’s campaign on peace and order, in general, and anti-drug abuse drive, in particular.
Initiate legislation in support of the aspiration for a drug-free Ifugao. You might start by considering the fact that what is happening in so far as handling the drug problem has been solely a police concern.
A mandatory drug test for all councilors should be considered. The misdeed of one or two, or even a few erring councilors should not tarnish in anyway the image of the PCL-Ifugao chapter whose members, I’m so sure, by and large, are known for their integrity, dedication and hard work that have contributed to the government’s effort in achieving its overall development goals. Well, those who are unwilling to undergo a drug test should resign.
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Drug addiction is a major concern for many local government units in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) that are facing unprecedented pressures and calls from the private sector for urgent and proper actions. Don’t ever play dumb because the pernicious effects of illegal drugs and narcotics are affecting the lives of many.
Sadly, there is no rehabilitation center in the CAR. The nearest rehabilitation center is in Dagupan City. Undergoing a rehabilitation is simply too costly.
Well, haven’t you heard the recent arrest of actor Mark Anthony Fernandez in Angeles City for possession of marijuana? He underwent rehabilitation in the past. Enough of excuses and alibis!
Charges of human rights violations from some quarters in the Philippines and abroad are occupying the front pages of newspapers. It’s fuming nonsense!
I fully support the all-out, hard line campaign of President Duterte against prohibited drugs. There can be no true growth and development if the drug problem persists. It’s as simple as that.
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President Duterte has a reputation as a man of action. Ifugao public school teachers, then, should air their voices on key issues affecting them. The President’s “Change is coming!” battle cry has triggered re-awakening of the people to assert their rights and collective strength as a means of overcoming problems on illegal drug use, corruption and poverty.
Serving the Filipino people for so many years is no mean feat for a public school teacher especially when one is receiving a very low salary. Time has come to rise above these adversities and seek a better treatment from the officialdom. These overworked but underpaid teachers deserve a better deal: higher salaries for them to cope up with the high cost of living.
This is just one of the problems of the Philippine public school education system. The others are on the lack of teachers, school buildings, computer kits, textbooks and school supplies.
Congress officials should immediately initiate a comprehensive review of all laws pertaining to education budgetary allocation. A determined effort to address these problems is the order of the day. These challenges only serve as the impetus for President Duterte to overcome present-day difficulties a public school teacher faces.
Despite the meager salaries, Ifugao public school teachers have persevered in molding the minds of the young. I strongly believe that in the next World Teachers Day celebration program in Lagawe, it is but fitting and proper to also invite a speaker who shall discuss at length the above mentioned concerns, thus, invariably taking the cudgels to safeguard their welfare. Teachers have more than enough problems to handle and yet, due to lack of political will, their welfare is hardly prioritized. This necessitates the unequivocal attention of the Duterte administration.
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The practice of contractualization (otherwise known as “endo”- end of contract, or “555”) is simply and utterly incomprehensible and unjustifiable.
Short-term employment contracts, whether by way of direct hiring by employers or through contracting out, are contrary to the provisions of Article 106 to 109 of the Labor Code on contracting. For short, it’s a way of circumventing Article 249 on unfair labor practices.
Contractualization gave birth to avoidance of employment regularization, which calls for the payment of the full package of employment benefits such as social security system (SSS), health care (PhilHealth), and housing (Pag-ibig) benefits, vacation, sick leaves, overtime pay and 13th-month pay. Above all, it skirts security of tenure.
It’s time to discard the practice of contractualization in order to safeguard the rights and promote the welfare of workers and be attuned to the needs of the times.
By next year, expect workers to be less burdened by the “endo” practice. A recent activity of the DOLE in Ifugao contributed a lot to this cause. OIC DOLE head Isabelita Codamon offered insights essential to curbing the problem. Her views are particularly relevant to employees in the public and private sectors.
Finally, thoughts for our readers: “Example is better than precept.” As said by Zhuang Zi, a Chinese philosopher in ancient times.
“The happiness of your life depends in the quality of your thoughts.” It’s taken from the Bible.
“When the government employee is poor and he works in a corrupt agency, he can resist everything except temptation.” A point stressed by the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago in a convocation at the University of the Philippines. **
