One Extra-Large Serving from the Noodle Bowl...

Well, I am deeply sorry again for not being able to "re-fill" the Noodle Bowl for a long time...so, para makabawi, I am having this extra-large serving of my thoughts about the different issues that have come since I was away....

The Rice Crisis

For heaven's sakes, they really think that the policy of importing rice is the only way out of it, and it has resulted in epic failure. Instead of spending billions on importing rice, why not channel it on irrigation, seeds and fertilizer, as well as micro-finacing for farmers for them to be able to buy machines and other tools that could help them increase yields? Another thing, the government should amend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to require recipient farmers to plant rice at least once per crop season and that the land should not be left unused, otherwise it would be reverted to the government. And lastly, please lang, wala nang kurakot. Pero sa gobyerno ni Gloria, suntok sa buwan iyun.

Oil Price Hikes

Ngayon, nakikita na natin ang importansiya ng Spratlys sa atin. The JMSU should really be rescinded since the oil that we should be using has a chance of going to China instead at tayo ang pupulutin sa kangkungan. Another thing, now is the time to go full-throttle in exploring alternative energy and fuel sources. Maglakad na lang tayo o mag-commute kung malapit lang naman ang pupuntahan natin. Konting sakripisyo naman.

The Swine Scandal

Isang iskandalo na namang ibinaon sa libingan, sa tulong ni Winston Garcia. Whatever happened to the officials of Quedancor and the Department of Agriculture who are involved in this? Puro kababuyan na lang talaga ang idinudulot sa atin ng gobyernong ito.

The Cabuyao and Calamba Massacres

I have always been for the reimposition of the death penalty because first, it was just abolished by Gloria and her allies to pander to the whims of the bishops at para magpaganda ng imahe kay Pope Benedict XVI. Second, although I believe that human life is sacred, hindi na taong maituturing ang mga gumawa ng mga krimeng ito. Mga demonyo lang ang gumagawa ng karumal-dumal na krimeng gaya nito. Same goes to those who kill journalists, activists, unarmed soldiers, ordinary people who are accused of being either spies of the government or the rebels, etc. And although napatay na ng mga pulis ang mga suspect, this issue will still be going on until 2010.

Gun Control

This issue also came up after the bloody Laguna massacres, with Nandy Pacheco of Gunless Society leading the call. Mr. Pacheco, guns don't kill people, people kill other people. Do you think that if a gun could think and speak, it will agree to kill innocent people? If guns are banned, we might as well ban other things that could be used to harm or kill people, and that is about everything. Kung gusto ka talagang gawan ng masama, it doesn't matter if he has a gun or a knife or even a piece of wood. We should not deprive responsible citizens their right to defend themselves against thugs and murderers.

Cyclone Nargis

What in the world are the Burmese generals thinking? What they are doing is pure and premeditated murder. That is why I like the idea of having the US or the UN or any coalition of nations invade Burma and militarily overthrowing the junta on humanitarian grounds. Trouble is, George Bush won't invade because Burma doesn't have oil, the UN insists on diplomatic pressure, and the rest of the world won't budge until either the US or the UN does something.

Fare Hikes

Actually, it's now just fine for me (as opposed in the past, when I would violently react) to have a fare increase, but as I was going to Cubao this morning, a passenger complained that he was overcharged by P2.00, when the increase was only P0.50 on the minimum fare. I wonder, who would protect the passengers from this kind of practice? Kanino tatakbo ang mga pasaherong pinagkakasya na parang sardinas, na hindi sinusuklian ng tama? Some leaders of transport groups speak and think as if sila lang ang nahihirapan sa buhay. Paano naman ang mga mahihirap na pasahero nila? Tama ba namang magbulag-bulagan sila sa mga kabulastugan ng mga miyembro nila? That is why the LTFRB should withold their decision on the P1.50 fare increase until there is an assurance from the transport groups that they will deal with these kinds of shenanigans.

The Cebu Canister Scandal

The current punishment for those involved is not enough for me. They should be suspended or stripped of their licenses and pay compensation to "Danilo". Meron namang kumukunsinti sa mga doktor. Hindi na ba sila nahiya sa ginawa nila?

Hermogenes Esperon's Retirement

(cue music) Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey, hey, goodbye! 'Nuff said.

Jun Lozada and Dante Madriaga's Security and the new ZTE Evidence

They say a picture paints a thousand words, but for me, the new photographic evidence that surfaced just paints three words: Guilty si Gloria.

Juan Ponce Enrile yapping about the P2 million being spent for Jun Lozada and Dante Madriaga's safety but keeping silent about the taxpayers shouldering P16 billion for the anomalous ZTE deal? Mag-retiro ka na, Senator. Kung ayaw mo naman, uninom ka na lang ng Sustagen Premium. Nagkakaroon ka ata ng memory gap.

The Meralco-GSIS Saga

Well, this government seems to have a knack for trying or actually getting what is not theirs. Their latest victim is Lopez-owned Meralco, under the guise of lowering power rates. They think that they will get three things from this naked power grab by Gloria stooge Winston Garcia; they can pressure the Lopezes into forcing ABS-CBN to tone down on the anti-Gloria rhetoric, they can have another big piece of meat to throw to their cronies (the Aboitizes, the Razons, and Winston's own family, among others) after Transco and some of the privatized parts of Napocor, and they can shore up Gloria's really stinking popularity numbers. However, it seems that the villain (the Lopezes) has now become a hero, and the other villain (Gloria and Co.), well, still a villain.

I just checked my March electric bill (since that's the latest I could find) and although Meralco also has a fault on the high cost of electricity (my charge for Systems Loss was 8.8%, which translated to P132.43--imagine that!), the Generation part was a whopping 53.1% of my bill, which translated to P794.29, the Transmission cost was P162.72 or 10.9% of the bill, and Government Taxes took up 10.4% or P155.76. In contrast, the Distribution cost was 15.1% or P225.33.

What does that mean? Well, for me, that means that everybody has a hand in the high prices of power; Napocor, Transco, Meralco, us (the consumer). Walang puwedeng magmalinis. However, there are those who are more responsible than others, and they are the ones yapping all about it. And that throws doubt into the real reason why Gloria's dogs are after Meralco and Meralco alone.


If I forgot something, please let me know about it.