Gross National Happiness?!

Talaga lang.

The House Committee on Appropriations of the 17th Congress said that it will use the country’s Gross National Happiness in crafting the 2018 national budget.

You can read more about it here:  http://www.thestandard.com.ph/news/top-stories/243425/budget-to-be-based-on-gnh-.html

Gross National Happiness was first stated in 1972 when the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, declared, “Gross National Happiness is more important than gross domestic product.” Over the next three decades, this idea of GNH became a guiding principle of Bhutan’s governance.

But well dear Congressmen, please do try to read this too: https://thebolditalic.com/gross-national-happiness-is-a-lie-oaklands-bhutanese-refugees-speak-out-7861353fc9c3

The Gross National Happiness concept invented in Bhutan may turn out to be a lie.

 

 

 

Mixing sports and politics is not good

Former Tarlac Rep. Peping Cojuangco: Naging Speaker dati sabi ng Bulletin?!

 

According to some sports pages of two national news dailies: Congress held a session over the weekend; and Peping Cojuangco was House Speaker during the Cory Aquino administration.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

Sports writers and editors are know for sticklers to the facts. It is paramount for them to get the right data: the accurate scores, stats and background data of every sporting event that they cover.

But apparently, if politics does get in the way, some of those who cover the sports beat forget to do their fact-checking.

Hmmph. This corner further maintains that politics and sports do not make a healthy mix.

Some proof? Here are two:

I.

House fetes first woman grandmaster
(The Philippine Star) | Updated September 19, 2016 – 12:00am  http://www.philstar.com/sports/2016/09/19/1625272/house-fetes-first-woman-grandmaster

In a session over the weekend, lawmakers unanimously passed Resolution No. 12 filed by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, congratulating and commending Frayna following her victory. The new chess grandmaster comes from Salceda’s district.

NOW SINCE WHEN DID CONGRESS (THIS 17TH CONGRESS INCLUDED) EVER HOLD A SESSION ON A WEEKEND?!

The Philippine Star Sports section editor must have been asleep. Hay.

II.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. was a congressman representing the first district of Tarlac on June 30, 1987 to  June 30, 1998 that covered the 8th, 9th and 10th Congresses. But a senior sports writer for the Manila Bulletin made a major blunder by saying that “The former congressman who was House speaker when his sister Corazon Aquino was president..” in his story below:

Despite diminished clout, POC embraces PSC initiatives
by Nick Giongco
Manila Bulletin/ September 22, 2016
http://www.mb.com.ph/despite-diminished-clout-poc-embraces-psc-initiatives/

The former congressman who was House speaker when his sister Corazon Aquino was president, is running unopposed….

Aha. Nakalusot na naman sa sports editor. Hohum.

 

In the current internet-crazy world, a simple fact check would show that the late Palawan Rep. Ramon Mitra, Jr. was the Speaker in in the 8th Congress.

Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia, Jr. was the Speaker in the 9th and 10th Congresses.

From where Giongco got his assertion that Peping Cojuangco was a House speaker boggles the mind.

Sports and politics do not make a healthy mix. Politics ruins the development of sports. Period.

Happy weekend.

 

 

 

 

More changes in Congress: Goodbye “8” plates?

This one is self-explanatory to any of the country’s legislators in the 17th Congress.

Let’s wait for compliance from our lawmakers. All of them. Let us hope that Congress does away with these “protocol” plates that are given to nearly 300 Congressmen and women.

 

Finally, someone did the right thing for Congress 2017 budget hearings

YES! As in yes na yes!

The title says it all: someone did the right thing in the ongoing Congressional hearings for the 2017 National Budget – the Duterte Administration’s budget for change.

After two days of making siksik in that second floor hearing room known as the Rolando R. Andaya Hall in the Main Building of the House of Representatives, some good souls finally had enough.

The Committee on Appropriations did right in transferring its hearings – starting August 24, 2016 – to the South Wing Annex (SWA) Building.  A copy of the notice to legislators is attached here:

Enough of jamming in the House Committee on Appropriations that has 125 members (ibang usapan kung lahat sumisipot sa hearings), resources persons from the various Departments, Commissions, Bureaus and Offices of the Executive and Judiciary who come to present and defend their budget outlays, and journalists who are duty-bound to cover the proceedings. Of course, may staff pa ang mga Congresspersons and mga ahensya na pumupunta.

For the waiters and committee pages, it sure is hell to do their jobs in jam-packed Appropriations hearings. Eh kung may masagi kang Congressman, Undersecretary or maangas na staff? Ano na? Ganern.

Eh, andami namang malalaking mga hearing rooms sa SWA Building that have been under-utilized for mega-hearings of the Committee on Appropriations.

Very good. Very, verrrry good!

Appropriate talaga ang transfer especially since the SWA building room to be used for the budget hearings is the Speaker Prospero C. Nograles Hall.

Tama lang talaga since the Chairperson of the Appropriations panel is Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles and hindi naman si Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya, Jr.

Rep. Nograles is the son of former Speaker Prospero Nograles while Rep. Andaya Jr. is the son  of the late former Rep. and Budget Secretary Andaya Sr.

Ganern!

How to write a resume for a potential promotion in Congress

This should be sooooooo easy. Supposedly, for long-time employees in Congress.

Anyhow, let us just say simply that a resume is an important document used by job seekers to help prospective employers choose them with a coherent summary of their skills, abilities, characteristics and accomplishments.

In an even simpler manner, a resume is a concise and and quick way for a job seeker to introduce himself/herself to a potential employer.

In the Philippines’ Congress – House of Representatives, not the Senate – a lot of those currently employed seek their rightful promotion to the next rank.

Below is a hilarious example of a how-to-go-overboard-to-impress-your-boss-for-a-promotion type of resume that was recovered from the dustbin of one of them offices on the first floor of the sprawling compound that is Congress.

This person has “Brilliant logic, fanstastic sex appeal, good sense of humor” as items under Other Skills.

We do not know if he or she was promoted though. We can only wonder.

Note that this little spot on the internet blurred out some parts of the resume since it respects the privacy of every individual on earth.

Please do read and react. 😀