Today marks the beginning of Advent-the time to prepare for the three-fold coming of the Lord: in his birth, in his Second Coming and in our daily encounters with him as we journey in life. Traditionally--or popularly, it is the three-to-four weeks that precedes Christmas. But as Christians, we are reminded by our observance of it to recall his first coming to prepare us to recognize him when he comes again in our neighbor. We prepare for his second coming in the spirit of the poor who awaits for the day of the Lord when he frees us from the bondage of oppression that enslaves us. And in hidden ways he comes to us, we encounter him in our brothers and sisters, in the least among us as we do about with the business of our days.

I was again tasked of representing my Mayor to the Completion Program of the Four Month Computer Literacy Program jointly administered by the Alternative Learning System of the DepEd and a service provider called Fontsmart Computer Arts and Training Services. The ceremony was done at the TFC Civc Center today, November 18, 2010. I just learned that there are seventy graduates coming from the academe, the business sector as well as the out of school youth. The Jose Borromeo Legaspi National High School served as host for this weekend competency and skills training for the past four months. The trainees are charged of at most Php 1,600 per head, depending on the competencies (packages) they wish to avail. I was told that the standard is high as the service provider wants to be at par with the DepEd standards and gains its endorsement in other regions. So far, since 2000, it facilitated trainings in 33 municipalities/cities, mostly in Mindanao and the Visayan regions. The message I read...

The Local Chief Executive has requested me to welcome in his behalf the participants to the Division Cluster Read-A-Thon and Annual Language Fest Competition comprising the Districts of Balete, Banga, Libacao and Madalag. The event was held on November 17, 2010 at the Balete Elementary School, Balete, Aklan. Hereunder is the message I delivered during the said event. Good morning! In behalf of Mayor Bobby Calizo and the Baleten-on community, I welcome you all to our peaceful and enchanting town. We are honored to host this year’s Division Cluster Read-A-Thon covering the mentioned Districts. I have with me some reading materials. The first is a news article taken from the Inquirer.net under the category, “Breaking News/Nation” entitled, “15 LGUs receive ‘good housekeeping’ award.” Allow me to read to you a portion of it. ( pls. follow this link… ) The second is the “Hala Birada News Weekly” dated November 4-10, 2010. One of its headlines read: Aklan town one of RP’s ‘good housekeeping...

My mind tells me that I am busy. I do have a lot of workload stock up in my office table. Deadlines are nearing and I seem not to progress at all. So my mind is frantic. It keeps on telling me that I can't afford to be idle. It keeps on prodding me to rush about and avoid distractions along the way. But my body reacts. Despite the supplements and the vitamins that I'm taking, my body complains. It wanted rest. I seeks respite and diversions. The Friday Boys miss my company for more than a couple of months now. I haven't interacted with them on a quality basis. Now, they scheduled a special session at Arlie's this afternoon. But I can't. As if to add insult to injury, my heart murmurs. Probably, a side effect of the 3 bars of chocolate given to me by a Someone the other day. As I observe it, a heart murmuring is a restless one. But yet lacking the fire to write poems again, to grab that paint brush and dubs oil on canvass, again. A restless heart with dying embers at...

Good morning! I stand before you here today in behalf of the Honorable Mayor to welcome you to this special occasion. He gave me the marching order yesterday of welcoming you in a manner befitting of your class. Just the other week, I was also tasked being the outgoing President of the Aklan League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian of welcoming the delegates to the 8th Regional Assembly cum Seminar of the Regional League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian held in Boracay Island. Considering the ambience of the place and the restlessness of the delegates, I was prompted of welcoming them lightly. I told them that the Aklanon Secretaries have this two types of words of welcome—the short and the long one. The short being, “Welcome.” And the long one is, “Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!” It sounds as a “major, major” remark of Ms. Venus Raj. This early and without preempting their confirmation by Mr. Rapiz, allow me to convey the felicitations of the Local Government Officials to all those who un...

The following address earned the notoriety as a "green" remarks--and I wonder why. You be the judge if it is indeed "green". Ladies and gentlemen: Power like sex is addicting. Like sex, it is seductive. Like sex, it entices. But power ironically is powerless over those who refused to be seduced by it. It has no dominion over those who seek not to be spectacular and relevant. For sure, it entices one to be primus inter pares. But for those who upheld community over selves, for those who believe that death doesn’t end life but transform it, power is just a tool, a means to an end—a means that would, could never justify the end. Tonight, I am giving up that privilege of power to Bing (Begonia Miroy). And mind you, I’m already in heat of the thought of giving it up. For three years, I’ve been whining, “PLEASES, RELEASES Me, Let me go.” I’m justified for doing so as our AKLESSA Constitution and By Laws mandates that a President should only hold a term of one y...

The evaluators had warned us: You're at the top 5 of those being considered for the Performance Challenge Fund Program of the DILG. But we were immune to such warning. The declaration was too good to be true--WAS too good to believe. Then came the news simultaneously as Typhoon Juan lashed down Northern Luzon. Balete won a seal--that seal of Good Housekeeping Award intended for the select 15 local government units throughout the country! So what is this all about, this much coveted Seal of Good Housekeeping Award for Local Government Units? Technically, one would be an eligible nominee if it has complied with or met certain criteria, viz.: Exemplary Performance in Local Governance, specifically in areas of a)planning b) fiscal management c) transparency & accountability and d) valuing performance monitoring. An awardee of such seal becomes eligible to avail of the Performance Challenge Fund. Since 2004, Balete pioneered the crafting of a Joint Executive-Legislative Agenda (EL...