night shift

i suppose call center employees aren’t asking for higher wages as they make almost twice the minimum wage, if not more. so this labor day the blas f. ople policy center is asking call center companies to give their workers non-wage benefits, specifically, free shuttle services for the graveyard shift.

oo nga naman. the streets of manila are a harrowing place to be in the dark hours of the night specially for those who take public transportation. it’s like, you know, asking for trouble. taxis are safest, relatively, but really expensive and eat up a lot of workers’ earnings. so yes shuttle service is called for. call centers should care as much about their employees’ wellbeing as they do about customer satisfaction.

but to be fair, it’s not only call centers that have their people out in the streets long after dark. SM salesgirls halimbawa. most malls stay open until 9 or 10 p.m. closing-up takes some more time. finally when all the work is done they have to go through a final indignity pa: kapkapan blues, no less, to make sure they’re not spiriting goods away. by the time they’re off, in heels and miniskirts yet, it’s really late and it can get scary. what a life. they certainlydeserve shuttle service, at the very least.

cha-cha in the senate – chika lang?

what’s with senator chiz escudero?!?

I may be one of the 12 authors but I will withdraw my signature when voting comes. . . . Let us debate and gather facts and that’s it. I prefer to fight for the retention of the presidential system.”

so bakit bakit bakit siya pumirma? nakikisama kay senator nene pimentel?

Senator Francis Joseph Escudero said he signed the document with reservations, because Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. had assured him it would only be used to open a debate and gather facts.”

ganoon. so hindi pala serious, nakoryente ako for nothing, joke only, the senate is just having some fun, nanggugulo lang, to distract us from the food and oil crisis, and i suppose, nang-iinis lang, dahil wala silang magawa, dahil hindi sila makaeksena sa rice drama, dahil sila rin, tulad ni gma at ng lower house, walang foresight, walang vision for the country, magaling lang sa pulitika, magaling lang kumita.

but wait. sey ni mon casiple:

The Pimentel move is supported by 10 senators, including Senate President Manny Villar. What gives? The logical suspicion–given the consistent anti-cha-cha position of most senators is that it is a gambit essentially to preempt a reportedly serious Palace decision to launch a charter change initiative in the few months remaining before the 2010 election fever sets it. It is a political thrust designed to control the tempo on the issue and prevent it from endangering the 2010 elections.”

iyan din ang suspicion sa New Philippine Revolution:

Notice that the ones who co-signed the resolution were also strong oppositors to cha-cha, especially Senate President Manuel Villar and Senators Pia Cayetano, Juan Ponce Enrile, Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Francis Pangilinan and Ramon Revilla Jr. The voting crossed partylines, showing the urgency of the resolution.

“What prompted them to file a resolution such as this one? Are they anticipating some moves from Malacanang? Is this a move to finally solve the impasse in peace talks with the Bangsamoro people? . . . . Is the Senate pre-empting a similar undertaking from Congress? Do they have prior information that Congress will be initiating cha-cha moves this May?”

aha. so. that’s why malamig ang palasyo at ang lower house sa proposal, dahil inunahan sila. ibig sabihin kasi, malabo nang ma-echapuwera ang senado sa cha-cha.

does this mean we can forgive the senate for toying with us about cha-cha, which is no joking, toying, matter?

sey ni ninez cacho-olivares:

Pimentel and 11 other senators may not realize it as yet, but they just showered Gloria with the proverbial manna from heaven.

“If it was the House that proposed amendments or even a revision of the Constitution, Malacañang would easily be the prime suspect as its mover. But with the opposition taking the lead in pushing constitutional amendments, it cannot be said Malacañang has been pressing the right buttons to get these changes going.

“But what the opposition members in the Senate fail to realize is that Gloria is always two steps ahead of them and can, at will, manipulate things to favor her and her personal and political interests.

“The Senate has created a political trap and will fall into its own trap.”

susmaryosep. from the frying pan into the fire! sana hindi.

jpepa na, cha-cha pa

what’s with the senate?!?

as if it weren’t bad enough that our “honorable” senators seem seriously bent on ratifying the jpepa, never mind that it violates our constitution, the terms are lopsided in favor of the japs at the expense of pinoys, and it would be the final nail on the coffin, burying forever any chance we have of getting out of the globalization trap, here comes a resolution signed by 12 senators calling for a con-ass to revise the constitution and establish a federal system of government. ano ba yan! would such a new constitution by any chance also serve to accommodate jpepa?

even if i were to concede na kailangan natin ng charter change, surely now is not the time, not while gma is still around, and surely not through a constitutent assembly but through a proper constitutional convention. i mean you know, congress is part of the problem, so why should we trust its members to amend the constitution?

the senators who jointly authored the resolution: aquilino pimentel, manny villar, ed angara, pia cayetano, johnny enrile, chiz escudero, jinggoy estrada, gringo honasan, ping lacson, kiko pangilinan, and bong revilla. and i thought that pimentel, villar, cayetano, escudero, estrada, lacson, and pangilinan were oppositionists!

that leaves noynoy aquino, joker arroyo, pong biazon, alan peter cayetano, miriam santiago, dick gordon, lito lapid, loren legarda, jamby madrigal, mar roxas, sonny trillanes, and migs zubiri. zubiri has already said he’s all for it, why am i not surprised. and if joker, miriam, dick, and lito lapid vote according to the wishes of the palace as usual, that would make 16, and we’re cooked.

for a change

so did cocoy really say anything new? manolo is right, the dream of a nontraditional political party that we all could support, thereby doing away with trapo incumbents and their family dynasties, lock stock and barrel, is not new. what’s new is the level of rage. he is so “fucking” angry. such passion. such youth.

interestingly enough, what set him off was the idea that nonviolent resistance isn’t futile, which is to say, don’t let up on this lying cheating stealing president. cocoy thinks this is divisive and crappy – gma is not the problem, the system is. and so he calls for “good people” to step up, form a political party, and run for election in 2010. how simple.

manolo’s right, resistance isn’t futile. not to show signs of resistance would send the message that we don’t care, it’s all right, go ahead and do what you want. in fact we do care, it’s not all right, stop whatever you’re doing. never mind that no one seems to be hearing it but us.

gma IS the problem. apart from the lying cheating and stealing, she could have fulfilled promises she made, such as good governance, but she didn’t. she it is who has the power to change the rotten system, but she does not. instead she makes the system stronger by the day. 2010 might be an illusion.

but let’s say 2010 is truly there for the taking. i’d say the call for “good people” is premature. first we need a sense of what’s “good” for our purposes. how much change do we want? will anti-corruption anti-cheating, population and information measures be enough because the economic and foreign policies are okay naman?

or do we want persons good enough to tackle the economy, and globalization, and rice, and power, and education, and garbage – the whole rotten system that is tied up with unregulated capitalism and unscrupulous foreign creditors?

these good people have to be really good, really brave, and adequately informed so they know what patterns they’re breaking from and what new patterns they’re creating for future generations.

and we the people have to be very clear what we want them to do in our name. i’d want them to have a bias for the filipino masses, and to stand up, rather than grovel, to mighty america, crafty china, and wily japan. for a change. sana kayo rin.