VM Shows Iron Fist With Grace

(Acting Mayor) Vice Mayor Sara Duterte yesterday showed the Dabawenyos that she can have an iron fist just like her father Mayor Rodrigo Duterte but with a touch of grace, after she challenged a local billboard company to sue her for ordering the dismantling of a billboard located in SIR, Matina after it failed to comply with the required government permits.

Duterte was advised by the City Legal Office to sue the company but considering the slow bureaucratic process, she said it would be better to just order the demolition of the billboard. She said they can sue her in turn.

The company was given 3 days to dismantle the billboard. Otherwise, it would be the City Engineer's responsibility to dismantle the billboard at the expense of the owner. She however urged the barangay people to do the dismantling themselves and sell the steel and other materials they can salvage if the company fails to to comply with the order.

Suspicious PayPal Phising Emails On The Rise

Dabawenyo bloggers and those who are using PayPal for Ebay and other transactions should watch out for suspicious PayPal emails.

I just got one from webmaster@paypal.com asking me to update my account following this link "http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_login-run" or face account cancellation.

I wrote PayPal and verified if the said email came from them and as suspected, it was a phising email. The response was very fast--no more than 5 minutes from the time I sent the query.

Phising is an illegal way of acquiring information which can lead to identity theft. The people behind this can get hold of important financial information about the victim and make life miserable for him.

With the availability of PayPal to Dabawenyos (generally to the Philippines), it is also expected that more people will get phising emails like this. If you get suspicious PayPal emails then please send a query to spoof@paypal.com.

2008 US Presidential Elections

The 2008 Presidential elections (and all US presidential elections for that matter) should be of interest to Filipinos. And why not when most overseas filipino workers are stationed in the US, thousands of Filipinos have migrated to the US already and there are millions more who want to migrate to the US given the chance.

When America sniffs, the Philippines coughs. That's how dependent we are to the the milk of land and honey. So see which of your US presidential candidates will most likely win the race and look at his policy on immigration and hiring of foreigners. Most probably, it will mean a lot to you or somebody in your family.

Taxing Text Messages For White Elephant Projects Like The Artica Sports Dome?

People from foreign countries use their mobile phones to call each other even for non important reasons. Filipinos however text each other endlessly, making the country the world's texting capital with over 1.39 billion sent by only 50 million SMS subscribers. This makes the proposed text messaging tax unpalatable even to Davao City councilors.

Councilor Rachel Zozobrado is against the proposal saying it is an unreasonable and additional burden to the Filipinos. The same sentiment was raised by councilor Pilar Braga. Councilor Peter Laviña is however against the proposal not only because of the government's promise not to impose new taxes but because the government should tax the rich people and big corporation.

With the proposed P0.50 tax per text message, the government is expected to raise P36 billion in specific excise taxes plus P41 billion in VAT collections---all to be used for projects including the Artica Sports Dome in Langub (worth billions but never benefited the Dabawenyos) which according to Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is a "monument of corruption."

Considering this, a person who normally sends out 10 messages a day will pay an additional P5 tax-wise. How many text messages do you send per day? You might just be a future investors in another one of the government's white elephant projects when that tax proposal is approved.

Prof. Araceli Dans-Lee Is UPMin's New CHSS Dean

Prof. Araceli Dans-Lee is the new dean of the University of the Philippines Mindanao College of Humanities and Social Sciences Division. Dans-Lee or Ma'am Marcy as we used to call her when I was still working at UPMin, was one of the most heartwarming professors without an air of superiority in UPMin and there are only few of them there. She would have UPMin's 1st Woman Chancellor had she succeeded in her bid but even an academic institution like UP is a haven of politics and Ma'am Marcy surely is not politician enough to get the necessary votes.

The College of Science and Mathematics or CSM also as a new Dean in the person of Prof. Reynaldo Abad. Abad is replacing Dr. Antonio Obsioma as head of the CSM. I ran into Sir Tony a few weeks ago and he proudly said he is retiring from administrative work and is going back to teaching full time. Sad. He is among the most well-loved personalities in UPMin even when he was still Vice Chancellor for Admin.

Good Location For McDonald's Matina

The newest McDonald in town is located in a very stategic spot---right in front of the Ateneo de Davao HS and Gradeschool campus. Need I say that majority of the customers there are from the Ateneo?

McDonald Matina, which opened in December last year, is different from the other McDo branches ambiance-wise. I haven't been to the new outlet in Bajada though. The fast-food's facade is of course just like the other McDo's but the counter in Matina is more modern. The fastfood stands on a bigger lot but the store itself is small compared to the one located at Victoria Plaza's parking lot.

Some of the staff seemed new to the job as they are still unfamilair with whether or not they should charge extra if the customer opts for ice tea for their Happy Meal. They were polite and helpful though. Well, this is one good thing about McDo because they do not charge you an extra P9 for choosing an ice tea instead of softdrinks for a Happy Meal order. Jollibee does.

This is perhaps the second McDonald Branch that is open 24-hours daily. That Victoria Branch was our library when I was still at Law School so the Matina Branch will probably be a haven for law students who live nearby.

P206M Bankerohan Bridge Project back On Track?

The P206 million Bankerohan bridge project has not been forgotten by the Department of Public Works and Highways after all. DPWH SM regional director Jerome Dela Rosa said they have merely kept their mouth shut until they got the Notice To Proceed from their head office. Dela Rosa's declaration came amid a castigation from Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. due to the negative publicity hounding the project.

Dela Rosa said among the reasons for the delay are

1. Commission on Audit Rules and Regulations

2. Berthing place for the materials to be used for the construction

3. Delay in release of other important documents

4. Decision to dredge the area near the Bolton Bridge to allow the barge to pass

Based on the contract between Ciriaco Corporation and the government, the construction of the bridge will start from January 14 and is expected to be completed by August 14.

In Davao City, accountability to the project is being passed like a basketball, between Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (who said it is a national project) and Representative Prospero Nograles (who is blaming DPWH). There is as yet no movement of materials at the destroyed Bankerohan Bridge except for a few locals who have made the area a basketball court.