Where's the chalk?

Not enough classrooms, not enough teachers, not enough desks and now no chalk. The Association of Concerned Teachers (ACT) through Rep. Antonio Tinio has seriously raised the lack of a very basic supply like chalk. Under the national budget, teachers are supposed to receive before classes begin P700 only for one year for chalk and other supplies.  Tinio reported that teachers from Rizal, Cebu, Samar and Pampanga have complained that they have not yet received the P700 chalk allowance.

This is a very strong proof that the Aquino Administration is not moving fast enough to solve basic and fundamental problems in a constitutionally ordained top priority matter which is education.

It would be similar to a situation where there is no cotton or gauze in hospital emergency rooms.

This desperate situation raises the question of wrong priorities of the Aquino Administration. Is it correct policy to spend P21.2 billion for conditional cash subsidy to 2.3 million families while neglecting the very basic need of chalk, classrooms, chairs and toilets for 27 million students?

With the 2012 budget soon to be submitted to Congress, it is time to seriously restudy this policy of providing so much money for what is really a dole out, the benefits of which are negligible, to say the least.

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COMMENDATION. . Critical comments in this column are meant to remind and help officials concerned to do their jobs well. For example, we were critical of the seeming inaction of Pagcor Chairman Bong Naguiat for 11 months on the reported anomalies under the previous administration.

Now the charges and reforms are being made, we shall correspondingly issue the appropriate commendation. A major improvement under the Naguiat stewardship is the reduction of the excessive operational expenses under Chairman Ephraim Genuino which reached a high of 47 percent of gross income, not 40 percent as we first reported.

Chairman Naguiat has now brought it down to 37 percent with a target to bring it down to the Alice Reyes’ high of 30 percent.

Naguiat has also reviewed the contract for the lease of slot machines.  Under Genuino, 30 percent of the gross was paid as rental. Naguiat has reduced it by half to 15 percent.

We look forward to Pagcor filing five more big cases against Genuino and other Pagcor officials. We would like to know how much in salaries and bonuses Genuino got, reportedly about P5 million, but that’s peanuts compared to his other sources of income.

Recall the millions spent for a political rally at the Luneta when Genuino dreamt of running for President.

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DANGEROUS TIME. . The twin ghastly killings of Teresita Teaño and Cheryl Agnes Sarmiento in Quezon City a few days ago has struck fear in peace loving citizens who drive their cars to work daily.

Chief Superintendent George Regis, new QCPD Director, admitted lapses in police action while at the same time pointing out the lack of policemen in the metropolitan area.

True, a Task Force as usual has been organized to go after the killers, but how many task forces have been formed before without yielding results. Carjacking and murders happen regularly in Metro Manila. Is there nothing more the administration can do to protect law-abiding citizens? Teaño and Sarmiento are ordinary middle class citizens trying to eke out a decent life. Certainly, tens of thousands of ordinary citizens similarly situated are wondering if they will be next.

Secretary Jessie Robredo, Usec Rico Puno, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino and PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo must think of something more effective to abate this raging crime wave. Just putting up check points again will not solve the problem.

And how about Mayor Bistek Bautista and the City Council of Quezon City? Shouldn’t they hire at least 3,000 police aides to help patrol crime ridden areas in QC? The barangay tanods should be trained and harnessed, too.

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TRIVIALITIES. . We decided to let it pass less we be accused of nitpicking, but I am glad senior columnist Amando Doronila wrote about it yesterday in his column “Analysis”. This is what Doronila wrote:

“The Independence Day speech, which offered the President an opportunity to set the tone of patriotic rhetoric, was trivialized by his whining about  news media’s criticism over his dates and his penchant for sports cars and shooting range exercises with his cronies, who share his off-duty pleasures and trivial pursuits. The rhetoric and themes of the administration have not changed much since the President’s inauguration in June 2010.”

We agree completely.  It is time to act presidential.

There’s an urgent need for change of the President’s speech writers.  Harness the likes of Teddy Boy Locsin, Alex Magno, Kit Tatad and Toots Ople.

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TIDBITS. . . The United States has issued another travel advisory warning citizens to exercise extreme caution when traveling to the Philippines, citing dangers of terrorist attack from Mindanao to Metro Manila.  

DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro took time out to visit the wake of two children and the others hospitalized due to food poisoning in Tuguegarao, Cagayan. Good show, Secretary.

In a DZRJ interview, DA Secretary Proceso Alcala informed us that Philippine mangoes can now enter Australia. He promised to clamp down on illegal fishpens and to clean up the BFAR of corrupt personnel.

Fifty thousand families are in evacuation centers in Cotabato, Maguindanao and ARMM due to floods. No end to calamities.

New York Congressman Anthony Weiner has finally resigned.

A big Thank You to our avid readers Tony and Lulu Abacan, Lulu Ty, Celia Quion, Naty Siongco, Cecile Oppen, Gina Benitez and Ning Tulabut.

Happy Father’s Day to President Erap, Vice President Binay, Senate President Enrile, Dr. Renato Cheng, Kenneth Ching, Lito Lopez, Nilo Raymundo, Don Jose Chong, Tony Evangelista, Melo Santiago, Albert Yang, Dr. Homobono Calleja, Atty. Manuel Calanog and Atty. Howard Calleja.