Pet Melliza

BY PET MELLIZA/ THE BEEKEEPER It is hereby declared the policy of the State to improve the quality and delivery of health care services to the Filipino people through the development of traditional and alternative health care and its integration into the national health care delivery system. It shall also be the policy of the State to seek a legally workable basis by which indigenous societies would own their knowledge of traditional medicine. When such knowledge is used by outsiders, the indigenous societies can require the permitted users to acknowledge its source and can demand a share of any financial return that may come from its authorized commercial use.” (Section 2, RA 8423 or The Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997). Columnist Michael Tan has valid reasons to rile against government for neglecting traditional medicines.  As specialist at the Philippine General Hospital and having worked considerably as consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), h...

Rep. Nery Colmenares drafts his comments on the impeachment trial as he watches the proceedings on TV Rep. Colmenares talking on phone to Rep. Niel C. Tupas, Jr., (LP, Iloilo 5th district) chair, House committee on justice and chief prosecutor of the impeachment process Rep. Colmenares and (ehem) me Congress, Philippines (26 January 2012) -- After a hearing at the Sandiganbayan, I dropped by the office of Rep. Nery Colmenares (Bayan Muna Party List) after lunch.  Colmenares is the team leader of the prosecutors of the Lower House for Article 7 (issuing of  TRO to let GMA flee the country) of the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona.  While watching the impeachment trial for Article 2 (culpable violation of the Constitution for non-submission of statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN), Colmenares drafted a press statement that he immediately dispatched to the media defending Rep. Niel "Jun-Jun" Tups, Jr., chief ...

BY PET MELLIZA/ THE BEEKEEPER Gov. Arthur D. Defensor, Sr. should not relinquish to a pack of racketeers disguised as members of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundationg, Inc. (IDFI), the accreditation of media persons at the Iloilo Sports Complex (ISC) next Dinagyang. This will avoid the repeat of the scandal of non-journalists enjoying the license of controlling the ground. The press card bearing charlatans even had the temerity of shooing away legitimate reporters. The IDFI sold press IDs for P500 apiece. Defensor had refused to recognize the “media” people that IDFI, a private group running the Dinayang, assigned at judging area two that Iloilo Province erected. The IDFI "assigned" 87 instant journalists to the Capitol stage to the chagrin of the governor. Those that IDFI deployed to the ISC (stage four) were undisciplined. I was evicted by a group of “media” persons from the reporters’ den (ground of the ISC), January 22, for bearing the ID for reporters at the Capitol sta...

Pet Melliza/ The Beekeeper The Kasadyahan, day one of the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City (January 21-22), was impressive. The competitors and non-competing participants were champions in their home turfs -- Negros Occidental, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras and Iloilo -- giving the fete the flavor of Western Visayas. For the 2,000 or so at the Iloilo Sports Complex (ISC), however, it's just not their day, the kindest I could write on management, the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. (IDFI). There were four judging areas in the competition: at the Freedom Grandstand or stage one, at the Capitol stage two, at La Paz and the last, the ISC. The show was supposed to begin at 8:30 am but kilometric introductions by the emcees, and lengthy speeches at the Freedom Grandstand dragged the ceremonies till past 9 am.  Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is a premier example of politicians who need to go back to elementary if only to learn to distinguish a cultural presentation from political ral...

  Alfonso (standing behind a police officer) lost a pen to a security guard but he was not arrested for possession of a "deadly weapon". The police did not announce that bringing of pens was illegal inside the sports complex Eduardo Alfonso, a retiree from British Columbia, Canada loses his pen morning of January 21, 2012. The thief is the security guard at the Iloilo Sports Complex (ISC), Iloilo City, guarding the entrance to check viewers of the Kasadyahan, first day of competition of the Dinagyang Festival. His wife nearly lost her pen to another security guard. Noemi (not her real name), a grade five girl, misses her pair small scissors that same morning that she used in school. This time the suspected robber is a police officer, also at the entrance of the ISC.  Cecille Alfonso, raises her right hand after successfully defended her pen from a thief in security guard uniform The security guards at the ISC were ordered by the police to confiscate "deadly weapons...

Mayor Jedd Patrick Mabilog's kilometric welcome remarks prolonged the agony of viewers at the Iloilo Sports Complex The first day of the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City, the kasadyahan competition today (21 January 2012), was impressive. The competitors and non-competing participants were champions in their respective territories -- Negros Occidental, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras and Iloilo, giving the fete the character of being Western Visayas-wide. However, for the two thousand or so viewers at the Iloilo Sports Complex, a facility owned by the Provincial Government and used by the City government as stage four of the performances, it's just not their day, the kinddest that I could comment on management, the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. (IDFI). There are four judging areas or stages in the competiton: at the Freedom Grandstand or stage one, at the Capitol stage two, at La Paz and the last, the ISC. The show was supposed to begin at 8:30 am. but sloppy time man...

Why did the government of Iloilo City hand on a silver platter the "management" of Dinagyang Festival to a private group called Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. (IDFI)? Because, a private sector is more efficient than the public? Ridiculous. Before the festival was handed by Mayor Buenaventura Geronimo to IDFI in 2001, the dinagyang was already a profitable and major tourism event. Then the city budget for the Dinagyang under Mayor Mansueto Malabor never went beyond P2  million. The Dinagyang committee which included the private sector but headed by the city government, effectively solicited from donors. Malabor's successor Buenaventura Geronimo wanted Dinagyang management transferred to a private group but he first ensured first it was dominated by his alter egos led by Benjamin Jimena who later became the city tourism officer and simultaneously IDFI chair.  The IDFI still remains an LGU creature, not because Ben Jimena is its chair while holding the post of city touris...

BY PET MELLIZA/ THE BEEKEEPER I don’t see the country disintegrating with the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona; I see a people empowered seeing their representatives in the Lower House exercising their constitutional power that impeachable public officials like the justices of the Supreme Court are publicly accountable hence, must behave. The Lower House pulled off a similar act earlier by impeaching Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez. At the start, she was defiant all over, threatening congress people and ordinary citizens who file the complaint with perjury. But as the process prospered and after learning that insiders were tipping off the panel of Rep. Niel “Jun-Jun” Tupas, Jr. (LP, Iloilo 5 th   district, chair, committee on justice) with intelligence information, worse, when the impeachment complaint had been transmitted to the Senate and trial dates were set, “Merci” stepped down, eve of Labor Day of 2011. She discovered there were subordinates lined up by ...

Racketeers at Iloilo City Hall disguised this time as members of the Dinagyang Committee (Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc., and NGO kuno) already sold 500 "press IDs" to hundreds of  journalist- wannabees at P500 apiece seeking access to the competitive performances of contestants. They have more than 600 press IDs for sale in their shelf. This pack's definition of "journalist" or "photojournalist" defies imagination because they include bloggers and gossips in the internet who are incapable of writing full length report or opinion pieces, much less captions of their own photos. They are untrained, uneducated and unexperienced in journalism. Their only qualification is their ability to cough up P500 per ticket. These City Hall racketeers are plying their trade at the expense of others. For example, Iloilo Gov. Arthur D. Defensor, Sr., was jolted from his seat after he was informed that City Hall already assigned "87 journalists" to Stage ...

When Arsenio "Kamlon" Ang sent me a text message afternoon of January 14, 2012, of the press briefing convened by Nordy Siazon, principal of the Iloilo National High School I promptly obliged myself. I was late though because the tete-a-tete was coincided with the opening salvo/rehearsal of the Dinagyang Festival. Public vehicles were rerouted to clear the roads where for the caravan of competing troupes. It was a long walk. At any rate, being inside the INHS is comforting enough.   The INHS, formerly Iloilo Provincial High School, is the alma mater of Governors Niel D. Tupas, Sr., and Arthur D. Defensor, Sr., senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Frank Drilon, Supreme Court Justice Carolina Grino-Aquino, and AFP Chief-of-Staff Benjamin Defensor. This March 12, INHS will recognize its graduates in its 100th graduation ceremony with Gen. Ramona Palabrica (Class '73), the first woman general promoted by PNoy, as guest of honor. INHS is among the few public high s...

DepEd program supervisor Atty. Febi Fanco (seated) and INHS Principal Nordy Siazon brief reporters on the leadership skills training for 700 officers of student governments in Iloilo public high schools, and the campaign of the sudent governments to help over 1,000 teachers and 25,000 students victims of typhoon Sendong that battered Mindanao last December 16. ILOILO CITY (13 January 2012) - The Department of Education (DepEd) is holding a leadership training for officers of students' organizations in public high schools of Iloilo Province, announced Atty. Febi Fanco, education program supervisor of DepEd Iloilo. The DepEd helps students form their "supreme student government" (SSGs) in every high school to inculcate leadership skills on the young.  The training, 12-15 February, includes writing and oral communication skills, and planning of activities, for the target 700 high school students.  The SSGs of Iloilo Province were among the first to send relief to victi...

This episode's resource person, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog assures the public that this year's Dinagyang Festival , january 21-22, will be more colorful. The "Kasadyahan" on the Saturday "will be as colorful" as the Ati-Ati the next day. Kasadyahan will be the competition among "champions of local festivals," those from the towns of Iloilo Province and the champion of Binirayan, (Antique) Festival. The child is Dainz Andrei Trasadas, 6, son of Atty. @[1597582602:2048:Atty Dwight Trasadas] On the "serious" side, Mabilog belies rumors of his fledgling alliance with his successor now Rep. Jerry Trenas. He stressed that their coalition which successfully wrested political control from the Gonzalez family (Raul Sr., former congressman who ran for mayor, and Raul Jr. who ran for reelection against Trenas). Mabilog says he is "seriously considering" to run for reelection since he has "lots of projects to finish...