Because of our current hardships and economic miseries our government must not remain callous and insensitive to act. Members of both the Lower and the Upper House must muster their political will to hasten the approval of a House Bill aim at making mandatory for all operators and drivers nationwide to use the Compressed Natural Gas(CNG)to run the vehicles and factories. The aforesaid HB was co-authored by House energy committee chairman Mikey Arroyo of Pampanga and Parañaque City Representative Eduardo Zialcita. With the immediate implementation of this economic measure, our country can do away with being overdependence on imported fossil fuels, which greatly contribute to the heavy pollution in our big cities and the environment. When this goal would be realized, the Philippines can have a huge reduction on fuel expenditures and its unabated heavy pollution in big metropolis where all types of utilities and factories abound would be greatly reduced.

Since we have no vehicles and cars suitable for the utilization of Compressed Natural Gas, big financing institutions should come to rescue and help the government to buy the needed vehicles in places like the USA,Canada,India,China and in other countries where vehicles design for compressed natural gas fuel are being manufactured. The Malampaya-Palawan oil and gas fields in the country must be mined now and tap other potential oil and gas fields in various places of our nation to sustain our fuel needs. On the other hand, our big capitalists who choose to be consignees in this kind of business should not be tempted in the near future to mix compressed natural gas with crude oil like we have in all gasoline stations throughout the country, called kerosene by other name.

The mixture of two elements, we’ve just mentioned, like we are buying at gas station, especially if there is a blackout, will surely result to additional pollution in all our areas. The additional pollution due to crude oil mixture with the natural gas is very evident by the soots gathered inside our noses the night before when we resort to kerosene use as temporary substitute for the absence of electric power. Have you not observe that in your home, especially in the households of poor Filipinos? In contrast, unadulterated natural gas, if there’s a detection of any soot, is so insignificantly negligible to consider as pollution. Some of emission of kerosene (a mixture of natural gas and crude oil) put inside the lamps would also pollute our rooms the following day, if you have observed that as well. This means that if in the near future some tricky and hoarding businessmen would be tempted to do this deplorable thing, the pollution in our environment would re-emerged. Hence, there’s an urgent necessity to screen the attitude of businessmen/capitalists who would like to participate in the Government’s venture in this kind of undertaking where the issue on environment-friendly fuel is at stake.

Considering this probable prediction of the money-oriented rather than service-oriented attitude of some businessmen to rake huge profit in the name of mixture elements, the House Bill must include as one of its provisions prohibiting any capitalist/consignee to mix CNG with crude oil. A monitoring task force must be created that would include as members the Energy Committee Chairman, energy official and some honest and prudent NGO environmentalists for the purpose of monitoring and regular checking of CNG’s natural content before dispensing the fuel for private and public use. Those businessmen who would violate the law must be slapped with huge fine and imprisonment. We seriously need honest and prudent investors/capitalists in the strict application of such law in order to achieve our goal to greatly reduced our environmental pollution which make adults and children in this country suffer from illness and eventual death to countless of lives. According to reports pollution also causes chronic coughing in millions of children across the globe.

Other alternative fuel or energy that has been tapped to provide electricity and run vehicles is the solar energy. It has already been experimented and found to be feasibly usable and suitably applicable in running vehicles and providing electricity in numerous households in the country. It’s a free source of limitless energy and is non-pollutant: one of the greatest gifts from Mother Nature that remain untapped for centuries by man. The emergence of Great Minds in the field of Science and Technology are responsible for a huge leap in inventions and discoveries that have provided man his amenities including some of his needs in life more obtainable than before. We can also use electricity to run jeepneys and buses, which is also pollution-free. Makati’s current use of electric jeepneys plying in various areas of the city, which is much lesser in fuel expenses for the drivers and operators compared to gasoline and crude oil, is very encouraging and worthy of emulation for other cities and provinces. The experiments that our scientists, technical men and the experts have been doing are enough proof that the Philippine Government has the capability and the capacity to relentlessly pursue on these projects. A huge budget proportionate enough for its continual implementation must be made now for its effective realization.

The two alternative sources of fuel and energy that we are discussing are sure ways that will eventually release us from our overdependence on gasoline and crude oil which is now very prohibitive to obtain.

Global warming caused by unregulated environmental pollution, which also damaged the ozone layer according to the scientists, is not only a Philippine concern and problem. It is also a concern and a problem of every country, every nation throughout the world, whether the industrialized or the developing because we breathe the same air and we live in the same planet. Therefore, it is of urgent necessity that all the nations and other countries of the world, including the United States of America, China, England, Australia, India, Russia, Japan, European countries, UK and Germany should also shift to alternative fuel like Compressed Natural Gas, solar energy to run their vehicles, cars and factories, biofuel or biomass, deuterium in order to achieve the highest degree of pollution reduction in our Planet Earth.

To those countries whose climate condition is similar to the Philippines, Nobel Prize winner Dr.. Hartmut Michel during his recent visit to Manila has also advised its respective governments to tap wind power and hydro power that are environment-friendly to generate electricity

Although nowadays the prices of crude oil and gasoline have greatly reduced after a series of rollback, but this ups and downs in pricing activities of the fossil fuels cannot be relied upon by the users and consumers. These kind of dirty fuels have no permanently sustainable pricing movement. It is dependently influence by the law of supply and demand in the international market. The preoccupation of self-interest capitalists/investors who mostly want to rake huge profit in this kind of business undertaking is also something to be considered as contributory factor in the unpredictable and volatile pricing scheme hike.

Hence, our businessmen and the government must not be callously complacent if there are days when crude oil, gasoline and other oil products will have decreased prices. The government must start implementing now the laws on Biofuel act of 2006 and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to tap and develop nature’s renewable energy resources that are readily available in our very own environment and are ecology-friendly.

The plan of the government to recommission or revive the 30-year-old Bataan Nuclear Power Plant must be debunked. It was found out by a team of Scientists and Engineers that it has numerous defects in its construction, among other defects, which pose as health hazard detrimental and harmful to the health and welfare of the people and equally destructive to the immediate environment.

Our high government officials, like Congressmen, Senators, Scientists, Engineers, Technical men, The Experts, Educators and other concerned leaders should take heed seriously to what UP Professor Roland G. Simbulan was saying in his commentary article entitled “Is The BNPP Safe?” (PDI, Feb. 5, 2009 issue)

And that of Rina Jimenez-David’s “Anti-Nuclear and Pro-Life” (PDI, Feb. 24, 2009 issue) on the danger of reopening the defective BNPP as energy source. Who has initiated this plan? Why do we have to disrupt our thinking with such kind of energy which produces radioactive wastes harmful to humanity and our already heavily polluted environment? Another kind of potential and unprecedented radioactive disaster will only add to the worsening of our already worst environmental condition.

Common sense of wisdom and political will, unblemished with a sinister and wily scheme of acquiring more wealth thru greediness and self-centeredness, are the only 2 important things that our leaders really need to push thru in the realization, acquisition and the sustainable utilization of nature’s renewable energy resources that abound and are readily available in our environment. Like solar energy, hydropower (waterfalls), wind energy, biofuel from jatropha oil, coconut oil, corn, ethanol from sugar cane, biomass and reportedly a vast limitless deposits of deuterium lying in hibernation under the Surigao Deep also known as the Philippine Deep is waiting to be tapped.( Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

Nevertheless, if we look deeper into the provisions of the bills, it’s something different and totally connotes with a dictatorial implications. On the other hand, there are some public officials who do not want to give their sides of the stories. I do not know why. But mostly, they would like that their sides be taken also by responsible reporter as a form of defense in case the controversy has tainted their names.

One time I was instructed by the editor of a local weekly, in which I was a contributor to get the side of a public official involved in a controversial issue. Instead of giving his side for the next issue of the papers, he said he will not give anymore his side because he was already hit first. But I insisted that it’s better if he would give his side in fairness to him. He reasoned that the giving of his side would just be useless and would amount to nothing.

There was also an instance in the past of a controversial news report when a well-known personality in one of the municipalities here in this province was involved. On that first published story his side was not taken. A colleague who now works as a secretary to a well-known public figure, went to that town to get his side. Akin to my experience, that guy had refused to give his side. He has had similar reason to that of my subject. He said he was already hit and the unbalanced report has already tainted his name. These two men seemed not to the mind at all about the reports involving them. They just want to close their ears from all the intrigues that might be circulating around in the neighborhood. And this is not the fault of the newspaper alone but also of a reporter who seemed to forget his responsibility to balance his story, particularly a controversial story.

The main reason why the persons involved have refused to give their sides after the stories’ publications was because they really wanted that their sides be taken also by the reporter prior to its publications. Not after or later on. They wanted that their sides be published also side by side with that of the complainants’ statements who revealed such controversies. But in the national newspaper it’s different: an official or individual who was involved in a controversy would always give his sides the next day or even later. The important thing is that their sides would also be published despite being delayed.

In contrast, the right of reply bills authored by Rep. Monico Puentevella of Negros Occidental and co-authored by Senator Nene Pimentel, Jr., pending approval for both the Lower and the Upper House, is a wake up call to all irresponsible reporters who have the itching penchant to write one-sided reports to make it appear as sensational stories. Newspaper and magazine editors should also be sensitive enough not to publish one-sided news stories. Editors also have the responsibility to instruct his reporters to always get the sides of those who were involved in any controversial issue before publishing their stories. This should be the standing policy of all the newspaper and magazine editors nationwide, including all the journalists themselves.

Most probably, the authors of the right of reply bills were once the victims of one-sided news reports involving their names where their sides were not taken by the reporters. The incidents might have prompted the 2 officials “to retaliate to get even”. Their actions is a form of sweeping punishment to all media organizations because of the mistakes of a few, which is unjustifiably an improper way to do so.

The provisions of the the above mentioned bills have the subtle way of dictating and demanding the editors/publishers on how they should run their respective newspapers or magazines, including the TV, radio and websites. This kind of “right to reply bills” encroach the independent editorial policies of various trimedia outfits. With the passing of the right of reply bills, the editors’ prudence and personal discernment on how the newspapers or magazines should be presented to the reading public seems to become unimportant anymore. Public officials, irrespective of the kind of positions/jobs that they have occupied in the government, should not breach the democratic role on the newspapers’ operations and the kind of management’s format that they want to implement to make newspapers more attractive and readable to the readers.

With the “dangerous” imposition of the right of reply bills (God forbade!),the space for more meaty news stories that the editors would prefer to publish for the reading public and its advertisers would then be sacrificed for reply letters from several officials/individuals demanding equal prominence and length. This kind of new intrusion would gradually decreased the newspapers’ or magazine’s readership. Readers, who are critical and wise, don’t have the interest and the comfort to read all the public officials/individuals reply letters. If this new kind of editorial encroachment on the newspapers’ and magazines’ leading styles would not be stop the earliest before it would flaunt its ugly heads, both publications would eventually lost its advertisements which is the bloodlife of any kind of publications anywhere in the world. It will also cause for a great reduction in its readership follow-ups throughout the country and the world..

Is the right of reply bills serve in the fulfillment of the objective or a vision of a newspaper or magazine? Certainly not. The proposed bills run in contrast that becomes an obstacle in the realization of the publications’ mission. Newspapers and magazines publications including TV, radio and the websites must be given a free-wheeling functions guided by its respective editors/publishers’ distinct editorial polices and management styles unique in themselves. This is coupled with common sense, intuitve judgment and the wisdom of experiences in handling the publications including the broadcast media.

Again, if any public official or individual who feels that he/she is unfairly treated in a news report, he/she should not hesitate to write his/her side and send it to the opinion section/letter-to-the –editor section for consideration. The concerned editor should in turn publish the aggrieved party’s side for fairness, which may either deny or refute a report implicating his name, by presenting some proofs. This should also remind all reporters not forget to balance their stories by getting the sides of all those who were involved in the controversies.

In case the concerned public official or an individual was not satisfied, he can still go to court to file a libel suit against the editor, the publisher or the reporter. All these things can be done freely in a democratic country like ours. But passing some kind of bills like the “right to reply bills” which dictates the editors and publishers on how their respective publications be formed or layout is equal to the curtailment of their independency and their prerogative rights of newspapering.The bills which are going to be the “journalists’ both distraction and destruction” on their jobs or calling, are also an utter violation of the freedom of speech and of the freedom of expression as enshrine in our 1987 Constitution.

Who will benefit from these proposed bills? Columnist Joaquin G. Bernas, SJ Catholic priest declares in his column, “Freedom Not To Speak”PDI March 2, 2009: “There is another element of free speech jurisprudence which makes me think that these bills (the right of reply bills) are now protective of public officials, and especially of lawmakers than anybody else…The proposed bills practically negate this reason for treating public officials differently in libel suit. With these proposed bills, maligned public officials will have a cheap way of defending their honor by using officially hijacked space or time at the expense of printed or broadcast media”.

On the other hand, on March 7, 2009 issue of the Peoples Journal, Pimentel claimed that in other countries there is peace because of the existence of the right of reply bills. His statement seems to imply that the right of reply does not exist in the Philippines. Does Senator Pimentel, one of our brilliant lawyers in the country, fails to notice that the right of reply does exist in our country? He should have known it as one of our legislators. Does not the opinion section of every community, national newspapers or magazines nationwide accept letter–to-the-editor pieces? It would be much better if, aside from the opinion sections, all community and national newspapers/magazines must have also a specifically letter-to-the-editor sections where a public official or any individual can speak out their minds/views or their sides of anything involving them or their names for justice and fairness. In other words, all existing kind of newspapers and magazines must have 2 opinion sections: the first section is for the columnists’ articles and the other section is for the letter-to-the-editor pieces. Whenever space would allow, opinion editors must accommodate more as many letter-to-the-editor pieces as possible after font size diminution, without abridging a single piece’s length. This is actually what the Philippine Daily Inquirer is doing, but its editors would tend to cut some portions of submitted letter-to-the-editor pieces. Now to satisfy the letter-writers, PDI editors should change their style of editing by just correcting grammatical errors, words usage and straighten some sentences that are found awkward and redundant.

Furthemore, the right of reply bills is a mental shackle that dulls the creativity of a person’s gift of writing which in turn would constrain the articulateness and expressiveness of any writer’s train of thoughts and ideas express in words. In other words, the right of reply bills destructs and destroys the writers’ way of wholesome creativities that need to be expressed in uncontrolled fashion. The Journalists’ Code Of Ethics as guide to all journalists/writers is enough and sufficient.

We hope that Congress, composed of the Upper and the Lower House lead by speaker Prospero Nograles, whose official occupants have possessed prudent minds and judicious discernment of things appropriate and proper, coupled with the liberality of the hearts, should consider the welfare and general wellbeing of our trimedia outfits in the country. They must listen to the Voice of the Press. Again, as representatives of the people they have the duty and the responsibility to defend our individual freedom of speech and freedom of expression as one of our Bill Of Rights provided by and enshrine in our existing Constitution. They must have the wisdom and the political will to disapprove or even veto these constrainedly dictative bills. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

Bands in Maasin and from Cebu that performed during the previous years here through sponsorships and invitations have the habit of playing too loud their musical accompaniments during live concerts on stage. The overwhelming voluminous sounds of guitars and drums from each 4 or 5-member bands as they rendered their successive delivery of songs have drowned the singers’ voices. The audience could no longer hear clearly the lyrics of each song rendition, making them unable to understand the message or the meaning of each song, whether rock, love song or ballad.

I wonder if a technician or the members of the band themselves can properly adjust the volume of each guitar and the half-beating of drum of each performing band. This is in such a way that both the voice of the soloist and the musical accompaniment of each song can equally be heard by the entire audience during the live concert.

During the last quarter of 2008 Urbandub, a homegrown 4-member band from Cebu City, had performed in Maasin. Their live performance was principally sponsored by the Philippine National Red Cross-Southern Leyte Chapter, Ads Pacific Unlimited, Floi Quinne, Southern Leyte Times together with several other co-sponsors. Part of the proceeds will go to the Red Cross for its programs. Prior to their schedule at the city gymnasium, 3 invited local bands have served as the opening numbers. Each band was also composed of 4 members who rendered 4 songs each. I was to expect a good delivery of their stage presentations. The vocalist’s voice quality was also alright and could have been a pleasure and entertaining to listen to.

However, as what I’ve observed in the past concerts of local bands and that from Cebu, their respective musical accompaniments of songs have caused a displeasure to both young and adult music lovers who were there to watch the show. Yet what could have been a general consensus of bad performance was switched to mute as the crowd may have avoided shouting their grievances. When Urbandub finally appeared on the stage there were whistles and cheers from the audience, mostly in their 10′s, 20′s and 30′s. Comparing its audience to the previous concerts here, theirs however, was sparse. Their newly-acquired popularity is not yet heavily felt here by the young breed of music lovers. After rendering the first song Urbandub’s vocalist/guitarist Gabby Alipe beckoned to the young audience to come close to the stage. Some responded. They moved and rushed on closer to the singer’s location and danced with abandon. Nevertheless, akin to the local bands’ performances, Urbanbdub’s songs were incomprehensible since the singer’s voices were drowned by the very loud musical accompaniment.

I asked an acquaintance about what I have observed in a series of local concerts which he also has similar observations. He said one of the main reasons why the singer’s voice will always be drowned during a concert is because band members always have the tendency of readjusting what the technician has already done with the adjustments in the volume of sounds for the balance delivery of songs and the musical accompaniments.

He disclosed that mostly, these young organizations of local bands always want to make their own way in adjusting the volumes of sounds during a concert, apparently rejecting what a technician has done more appropriately.

Because of this kind of stage performances from the current breed of young bands, I still miss the point of getting a pleasure and entertainment from hearing the lyrics of each of Urbandub’s 12 rock songs. Like the other bisrock bands that performed here, there will always these “uncured” voluminous sounds of guitars and drums, again drowning the singers’ voices. Concert enthusiasts can no longer comprehend and perceived what each song means, -with that kind of lashing uncontrolled sounds. Would it not be a pleasure and entertaining if each person in the audience, young and adult, can hear a balance delivery of each song and its musical accompaniment? Is this not what concertgoers and music lovers are up to in watching a concert? Cannot young band members perceive this important aspect in all of their concerts everywhere? Are our local bands composed mostly of teenagers and young men too callous and too insensitive to perceive this unwritten law in all of concert performances? Are our bisrock bands in the Visayas and Mindanao not watching live concerts of popular international bands on cable TVs or at their homes’ videos? If they are indeed watching, are they not aware on how these performing bands deliver a balance sound of the vocalist voice and t heir musical accompaniments so that the lyrics of their songs can be heard clearly by listeners and the audience?

When singer-composer Jose Mari Chan, Apo Hiking Society, The Aegis, Donna Cruz and a Cebuano duo called MYMP from Cebu held a separate concert here in various venues, their respective audiences in all walks of life have had very much enjoyed their shows. Music lovers young and old alike could hear clearly the lyrics of their songs and have appreciated it because these were presented in balance sounds of songs and musical accompaniments to the delight of their respective audiences. I believe that our bisrock and other bands in the Visayas, Mindanao and Luzon can exactly do what the professional bands, both local and foreign, have been doing.

Furthermore, as I have listened to Urbandub’s 2 recorded songs shared by an internet user, the wordings of their songs can be heard clearly. Apparentlly because of the proper and correct adjustments of the volume for both the singer’s voice and the musical accompaniment delivered in balance. If this can be done inside a recording studio, why not in a stage during live concerts as well?

This seemingly complicated perennial problem that we are discussing is in closed analysis, so simple a problem that needs only a simple solution. How can this be done effectively for the pleasure and entertainment of all kinds of audiences? Young men/women members of bands must listen and learn from the professional musicians’ coaching and to cooperate/accept an expert technician’s advice, who most of the time is the one who makes the necessary adjustments prior to the start of the concert. Nonetheless, professional band members are doing themselves the adjustments of the volumes on sounds of their guitars and drums without the assistance of a technician. Another important thing is that the young members of the different bands must also learn how to make proper and correct adjustments of their guitars and drums’ sounds before the start and during the performance of their concert. This is in such a way that when they start singing, their voices will not be drowned by the sounds of the guitars and the beating of drums. It is also important that all drummers themselves must learn to effectively control the beatings of the drums that will spice, enhance and add beauty to the songs’ melodies and tunes. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

Maasin City, Southern Leyte - The commentary of Ricardo Ma. Nolasco, PhD ?Pilipino, Filipino, Tagalog? published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Nov.15, 2008) implied that the evolution that a chosen national language like Tagalog has undergone is only in name but not in its element or substance. From Pilipino, the name use in school as a subject, and Filipino as citizenship, then Filipino as both a subject and citizenship. And lastly Tagalog as the dominating base being chosen as the national language.

This is a poor sign of its development despite its decades of having it as our national medium. In order to enrich the Tagalog language dubbed as Filipino, which is a misnomer in its strictest term, there should be more inclusion of other major languages/dialects in our archipelago. Teachers, expert linguists, the academe should consider Cebuano, Waray-Waray, Ilonggo (Hiligaynon), Bicolano, Ilocano, Ifugao, Ibanag, Zambali, Pangalatok, Kapangpangan and other familiar dialects for the inclusion to the Tagalog- based national language. This idea of combining our Tagalog language with other major languages and dialects in the entire archipelago to form as a national language is enshrine in our 1987 Constitution.

Our educators in various schools, colleges and universities should start studying and doing some research now of the different major languages and dialects in our country. Putting the various collections of words from fluent speakers from the variety of tongues and put it in volumes of books. The collections of new words in books can then be offered as subject for all students of all school levels of learning. Starting from the primary, elementary, high school and college.

The new inclusion of selected words from different speakers of his/her native tongues need to be studied and the only proper venue to learn it is the schools, colleges and universities. Learning only at home sans the schools pertaining to the new combination of words? inclusion to a chosen national language is not that easy. Learners need proper and effective guidance from those who understand and have some knowledge in the teachings of new words, meanings, phrases, clauses, sentences, other parts of speech, and the correct and proper use of words in communicating with the rest of the Filipinos.

Yes, this is a tall order and a task that needs joint and concerted efforts from various sectors of our society- the People Organizations, NGOs, LGUs, Church leaders, the academe, the philanthropic and humanitarian institutions. Why? Because inculcation of a language with new combination of various words also need an honest-to-goodness participation of all sectors of society before it can be embedded and implanted in the hearts and minds of the common speakers,writers,students, professionals, professors and down to the ordinary citizens.

Is it not a downright ridiculous and mindlessly complacent if our teachers, experts, linguists, educators, and other men of various callings would just be contented with a kind of a national language that monopolizes its supremacy with the rest of other languages that we have in the country?

A certain professional by the name of Katherine Nice Iroy has commented that my suggestion here is a ?bullshit and bootlicking Tagalog?.Whatever is her opinion, is her opinion. Everyone in this country has the right to his/her own opinion. But is it ?bootlicking? the Tagalog language if we have to enrich it with the integration of other major languages and familiar dialects of the country? When Tagalog was proclaimed by the first Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon as our national language, who defied it? Most of us the later following generations after Quezon did not know if some Cebuano-speaking people and government officials from the Visayas and Mindanao have defied his decision. It is only later that we?ve learned that Tagalog is our national language when we went to school.

If only the presidential decision was based on ?majority of numbers?, Cebuano should be the choice, because it was and is understood and spoken by majority of the people in the Visayas and Mindanao. However, this is not exactly what had transpired. We know that the set of Government is in Metro Manila and the first President is a Tagalog-speaking man from Baler, Quezon Province. So the decision was solely based on ?the nearness of the heart?, an emotional choice devoid of logical consideration. What can we do now? Who can dare change Tagalog as our national language? Is there any professor or linguist who wants it to be changed? Let him do it. But until now there is nobody who did it. Therefore, the only solution to the grievances of Cebuano-speaking people in the Visayas and Mindanao for not having chosen Cebuano to be our National Language in the country as the logical choice is to enrich this monopolizing language through the inclusive integration of major languages and familiar dialects in the entire country.

The Bisaya/Cebuano,Waray-Waray, Ilonggo, Bicolana, Ilocano, Ifugao, Ibanag, Kapangpangan, Zambali, Pangalatok, Ifugao and other Filipino ethnic groups? familiar dialects have also the great desires for their respective languages/dialects? inclusion to the Tagalog language in order to achieve a more articulate and expressively rich language deserved to be called the Filipino Language

If the English people can gather, cull and integrate some selected foreign languages into the English Language Like French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Spanish, Filipino and other foreign languages, including some derivations from Latin, Hebrew and Greek, thus making the English Language more articulate and expressive, why can?t our concerned Filipino educators, linguists, researchers, academicians and lexicostatisticians do?

The articulateness and the expressiveness of the English Language is highly achieved through the years by the integration, combination and derivations of various words from different languages of the world, conscientiously done by the persistent and relentless English educators, linguists, researchers, academicians and the lexicostatisticians.

While the enrichment of the Tagalog language to make it a real Filipino Language needs only the domestic integration of other major languages and familiar dialects within the country. Therefore, this task is very attainable and achievable by our bright men and women in various institutions of learning.

The inclusion of a very few Cebuano words is insignificant and are very unsatisfactory since there are plenty of Cebuano words that are worthy of integration to the Tagalog language. As well as there are several major languages and familiar dialects that existed and are spoken in various parts of the country, which also worthy of consideration for the enhancement of the Tagalog language to make it a truly Filipino Language

To help remedy this discriminatory gap for the enrichment of the chosen national language, our Senators and Congressmen must now enact laws favorably endorsing this innovative move. The sustained additional support from any incumbent President of the Philippines or the future Administrations, Governors, Mayors, Barangay Officials and other government agencies would hopefully materialize this novel idea into fruition.

I?m not saying, however, that my desire for the enrichment of the Tagalog language through integration of other languages in the Philippines must be made the first priority for the enactment of laws, as another commentator has alluded to, what with the economic crunch that we have experiencing nowadays. But rather should be made as one of the next priority laws to be promulgated the soonest in Congress. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

He must be proud of this achievement of course, but not to the extend of entering the political arena, where he knows nothing yet about governance. Pacquiao can serve and help the poor Filipinos if he really wants too without tainting himself with dirty politics. This is one of the things that he must avoid venturing into, for it?s not sure hit for him. With his millions and millions of money he can create jobs that would generate employment and preferably hire the poor and jobless people where his businesses are established. There?s no need for him to enter politics, which he is not prepare to face this strange area. He must be satisfied in what he has already accomplished.

It would be better for him now to continue his study in Business Management and his English language tutoring and to engage in marketing and in other business activities to improve his skill in business endeavor. With his vast money deposits, he can now provide for a good quality education for his children.

Courses like Medicine, Science and Technology, Education, Aeronautics, Engineering, Architecture, Music and Arts, Commerce, Military Service, Foreign Service and Journalism are among recommendable college courses that his children can now choose because Pacquiao has the big means and can well afford for the good future of his children

To start disciplining also his children as part of nurturing and raising his family and showing a good example for them would lead them to become good and productive citizens of this country in the future. In these things should Manny Pacquiao must focus his attention, time and effort after retiring from boxing. Since he is already recognized as a popular pound-for-pound fighter and is chosen as the Man of the Year 2008 by the Philippines Sportswriters Association, he is now in turn a legend in the field of boxing. Is he not contended and satisfied with this kind of hard-earned benchmark and accolades bestowed upon him?

On the other hand, if Pacquiao really is seriously interested in serving the country as a politician, he must prepare himself by taking a 4-year course in Public Administration and a 4-year-course in law. This is because one of the works of a Congressman or Senator in Congress is to legislate and enact laws. But this will take another long years of dedication and devotion for Manny before he could finish these courses. In the Philippines our kind of politics is tainted with irregularities and anomalies that will most likely would also taint his name as former champion boxer.

If Manny Pacquiao is sensitive enough to perceive the reason why some politicians and businessmen want him to run as Congressman, is that they are only riding on his popularity status. They seem not to look into consideration how the low-graded boxer would fare in his uncharted and unknown course. The only way that Manny can keep his name untainted by political maneuverings and irregularities is to keep away from politics? temptive prodding and urgings. Those political paddings of condescension and sweet talks are just a passing scene and will vanish in the air after the political campaign sorties. It would be much better for him also to save his millions from being wasted in a political exercise where he has a very slim chance of winning. This is an advice of concern from a fan.

Furthermore, if any Filipino citizen really wants to serve his country, he/she must prepare himself/herself to any position in the Government Service by taking one or two 4-year college courses needed and required in a government positions he/she is planning to occupy. I don?t think that any position in the Government Service is just a joke that anybody will just be allowed to run even without meeting first the necessary requirements and qualifications. To run for any government position should not be a product of an actor?s,actress?or any other Filipino?s whims and caprices but of being and having prepared for such positions by finishing a 4-year college course or courses. A simple law stating that able to read and write and a natural born Filipino citizen are enough requirements for those who want to run for President or any position in the Government Service must be amended now. This kind of such a very simple law is no longer workable and acceptable in our modern times. The current age of space travel, state-of ?the-art gadgets, modern communication facilities, sophisticated weapons of destruction, cellphones and computer-internet connections has shrank the distances of millions of miles among nations by just a cellphone call or a computer-internet click which cause for the transformation of all nations into global communities and global villages. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

As a contributor of news stories, opinion/commentary articles and occasionally feature stories, I have some sort of experiences wherein my aforesaid articles have been subjected to heavy editing. I have fallen upon two kinds of editors-a weekly and a daily one-who would cut several paragraphs of my news stories or feature losing some facts or ideas content in it. Upon reading it in the printed edition, my interest and enthusiasm during the writing of the stories suddenly faded out and I have to stop reading my works even before I could finish it.

This was followed by another series of cutting paragraphs from some of my news stories in particular. In some occasions, it looked as if the article is no longer my own work because some sentences constructions were already changed, conveying a twisted facts! My question is: why is it that there are editors who would re-write a contributor?s articles to the point that the writers of such articles could no longer claim ownership of their works? Is this not an injustice to those concerned writers or contributors whose presentation of works are done in various expressions of their thoughts and ideas unique in themselves? I have asked an editor of a provincial weekly in my region regarding the cutting of some paragraphs of a news or feature story. He said that it?s the work of an editor. But I disagree to his statement.

In the first place, why is it that some editors have to cut some sentences or paragraphs in some submitted articles? What is the main reason behind it? Is the editor?s cutting of some parts of an article his prerogative right? Is it an editor?s right if some facts and ideas are already lost because of his cutting style? I don?t think so.

If I were in his shoes as the editor, and has the habit of cutting some sentences and paragraphs from his contributed news or feature stories, will he still be enthusiastic to read his butchered articles on the printed or online page? I don?t think so. This is the main point when our Lord Jesus Christ uttered a command in the positive instruction: ?Do unto others the things that you want them to be done unto you?. While Confucius says it in the negative statement: ?Do not do unto others the things which you do not want them to be done unto you?.

I always feel that responsible and thoughtful editors of newspapers or magazines would use their right with justice and fairness to the writers or journalists? works. This means that he/she has to consider the style of expression of each of his writer/contributor in the presentation of their thoughts and ideas. This must be so, because different writers or journalists, each have a different way of expressing things… Rarely could we find 2 or 3 writers who have the same style of expressing their ideas and thoughts in the English Language or in other medium. That any editor should consider these things in his/her mind before doing the actual editing for publication.

A prudent and judicious editor should also refrain from comparing writer or journalist the way he/she would write an article, because as I have said earlier, there?s always this prevailing distinction in writing style and individual expression. This, the editor must always recognize and consider.

Nevertheless, not all newspapers and magazines have the kind of editing whose style is similar to the kind of editors whose style of editing I am against with. The cutting of some sentences or paragraphs is very frustrating and disgusting. But a writer?s frustration is put on the sideline. And his silent disgust is under control until he/she lost his/her interest to continue contributing and would rather look for another outlet somewhere else.

Luckily, I have met the kind of editors whom I considered to be thoughtful and responsibly considerate. They always putting in mind the time and effort spent by their contributors in writing those news stories, opinion articles, or feature stories for the newspaper or magazine. What is their style in editing contributed articles from various writers? My answer is: they have only one kind of a style. That is they have employed the very basic kind of editing.

What they are doing during the actual editing?

Each article is being read to look for sentences and paragraphs that need corrections. In the entire process of editing, cutting of paragraphs is shunned.Crooked, redundant or awkward sentences were corrected. The editor may also either rearranged some sentences to straighten the expressions of ideas or may cut unnecessary adjuncts. Wrong words, whether it is a verb, noun, adjective or adverb, if there?s any, were replaced with the correct ones. To review, the editors will re-read the edited articles, but cutting of some sentences is not applied. If in case a news story, opinion/commentary piece or a feature article would exceed its length on a designated space being provided, the editor would then change its font size just to accommodate it.

The style of these editors whom I worked with as an erstwhile correspondent/contributor to various weeklies and 2 dailies in Leyte and in Cebu is appreciable and recommendable. However, please allow me not to mention them specifically their names. What I will mention here are the names of the newspapers they were working with before during my active involvement as one of their correspondents.

Although some of them at this very moment have already resigned and perhaps worked in another publications. These are the 33-year old regional Tacloban-based weekly the Reporter with a branch office in Maasin (now defunct),Cebu-based weekly the Visayan Express(now defunct),Cebu-based daily the Freeman(now a sister company publication of the Philippine Star), a 6-year old Tacloban-based weekly Tribune, and at present another Tacloban-based daily the Leyte Samar Daily Express.

Their style of editing should serve as a good model worthy of emulation by among writers/journalists who want to become editors of newspapers and magazines. Here the writers? and journalists? freedom of expressions is distinctively and fairly preserved by the these editors who shun encroachment from their scribes? way of putting their varied expressions of thought s and ideas on papers. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

If you are wearing a rubber or plastic sandal that?s also wet, it is likely that you are subject to a slippage especially if you walk hurriedly as if you?re pacing on a rough edge floor. In some occasions also, even if you?re cautious with your steps on slippery tiles, there?s a possibility that you?ll slide, outbalancing yourself hitting the tiles flooring. Lucky enough if you don?t injure your body seriously.

In good weather condition I have been observing as anybody do, that shiny or glossy tiles are good as decorative flooring in many residential, commercial and business establishments. But if the weather is bad and these tiles are getting wet, it becomes dangerous to walk or step onto.

I myself is not a stranger to an accidental slides. I was a victim to this wild lurk. Last year I have an involuntary slide at the public market and near an artesian well in my place. Firstly, I was walking under rains wearing a used rubber sandal. As I walked forward, my left foot stepped at a slippery concrete edge. Right there outbalancing myself and my buttock hit on the concrete flooring. It was so painful!. But I took control of it. Instead of screaming out, I crunched my teeth, and at the same time I massaged my painful hip. Every evening I massaged it with oil. I did it regularly for several nights and the pain had gradually disappeared.

The second was when I went to Brgy. Tagnipa where I fetched water for drinking, bringing with me 2 empty wine bottles now turn into as water depository. This potable artesian well is far from my place, but I prefer it for my drinking because of its clearness in quality and appearance. The artesian well near the place where I?ve lived remain unrepaired after it got damaged from constant use.

How did I meet that accidental slide? After a middle aged woman had pumped the well for washing clothes, I paced forward along the concrete pavement unmindful of the presence of sparse green algae sticking to it.

And all of the sudden I skidded! My head almost hit the concrete floor were it not for my elbow that I instinctively braced to protect it. It pained and swell into redness!. My hip was also painful and I sustained some bruises on my arms and legs. But at least I have done something to save myself from serious injuries. To prevent further swelling of my painful elbow, I massaged it for several days with?miraculous oil? I bought at the public market. By regular massaging, the painful swell gradually subsided. The painful sensation I have felt every time I touched my elbow had disappeared.

Other Victims

(1) A former 20-year Governor of Southern Leyte, the late Salvacion Oppus Y?iguez, a soprano singer …

In her younger years and a UST music teacher, was also a victim of accidental slide while she was inside their bathroom. I?ve learned this upon my inquiry why she was always on a wheelchair during the duration of her twilight years. Like most well-known personalities however, she doesn?t emotionally show her frustration or depression on what had happened to her to the people whom she met and talked to. She was the beloved mother of Southern Leyte province?s former third termer Governor Rosette Y?iguez-Lerias.

(2) The wife of my mother?s first cousin in her 70s had also become a victim of accidental slide inside her residence. Her left side ball-joint was seen in x-ray results to have fractured which necessitate for a stainless replacement. How did she slide? She said she was just walking in sandal and suddenly slid and forcing herself to abruptly sat on the floor. It was so painful, she said, that she could no longer walk normally. Luckily her daughter in Cebu had a good job. She was brought there where she undergone an operation that took hours to finish..

Although she could walk now, her inborn normalcy to walk without a support is no longer possible. She said she always feels the pain of the surgery particularly during cold weather. Of course she is taking vitamins and nonfat milk to strengthen her bones courtesy of her kind and thoughtful daughter. Nevertheless, if the recurring pain would be tolerable for her to bear, she stops taking any pain reliever. Every time she wanted to visit her son or a relative in the vicinity and even inside the house, she walked with a stainless walker.

(3) Just recently a foreigner who got drunk from a drinking binge with a Filipino friend in a restaurant had accidentally skidded on a slippery tiles while he went to the nearby CR. Akin to my sliding experiences, he outbalanced himself and hit his head on the tiles now turned slippery after a heavy rain. Blood oozed out from his head as he remained laying. His drinking buddy who was informed of his friend?s accidental slide was shock and had a mixed feeling.

He was angry and at the same time felt sad about such an unexpected incident. He stooped down, embraced him and calling his name, but no response! His angry surmounted and cried loudly, somewhat blaming himself for what had happened.

Nonetheless, no person around is to be blamed. It?s his own act of the risk. His drunkenness had triggered something worst to the condition of the slippery tiles. If a non-intoxicating person can be a potential victim of accidental slides, how much more for a drunken man!.

That sliding victim foreigner was whisked off by some of the restaurant?s employees to the provincial hospital on board a pick-up truck. His Filipino friend followed suit. A nurse on-duty at the emergency room told the following day that the slide victim was discharged after his head wound was treated.

The gaping wound she said was closed by several stitches. And that he was conscious inside the emergency room during the treatment.

Colorful Tiles

Employees of government and private offices whose floorings are attractive because of shiny, glossy and colorful decorative tiles should be careful on their steps in going in and coming out of their respective offices.

This is particularly in a situation during rainy days when shoes and sandals are always drenched with rainwater.

The management of a well-known fastfood establishment here had also realized the potential danger lurking on its decorative black-colored tiles at the entrance gate. Two female customers had skidded in two separate occasions during rainy days. The first one who was about to enter the main door, while the second after taking her meal and had went out. But none of the two victims had suffered serious injuries. Only bearable pain. That accident has served as a warning to the owner. The front tiles flooring was dug out and replaced it with a concrete rough flooring devoid of slippery even on rainy days. How many victims are there already with this kind of accidental, but very dangerous slides?

With this kind of dreadfully unexpected incidents happening to some people including me, it would be wise to suggest for the safety of commuters and customers that food establishments, stores, commercial buildings and all offices nationwide should have its flooring at the main entrance made of rough concrete pavements.

Even how worst is the weather maybe, concrete rough floorings will retain its roughness despite heavy rains. Thus protecting and preventing the patrons/customers/clients from accidental slides that may cause fatality or untimely death to someone. It would be good also to place skid-proof mats to all CRs in all kinds of buildings, including residentials.Remember, prevention is better than cure.

The roughness of appearance of the front ground flooring of any building or its main entrance should not bother its owner because it is negligibly insignificant compared to the overwhelming attraction of beauty achieve by the decorative multicolor paints of the whole edifice both inside and outside.

And the main reason why customers are attracted to patronize a restaurant, bakery or store and have the enthusiasm to go there uninvited is because of the kind of accommodating services they?ve received, good food being served, inside cleanliness and generous treatment from waiters/waitresses, salesgirls and salesclerks. (Eugenio A. Siervo)

Just recently, these thieves broke in to the Malitbog Municipal Hall which is just in front of the Police Headquarter and stole valuable left at the offices.

Among the 10 persons I talked regarding these thieves, 9 of them believed that these thieves are actually residents of the town especially that the cases of theft happened within the vicinity of the Municipality of Malitbog, except those happened in Divisoria (Bontoc), Padre Burgos and Flordeliz (Macrohon).

PNP Should Not Be Blamed Alone

However, I believed that it is not the PNP alone should be blamed if these thieves are not yet sent behind the bars. It might be a big slap to the faces of the police personnels of the Malitbog PNP, but residents of that town have their own responsibility for the capture of these thieves.