The cityhood bottomline

The bottomline in the bid for cityhood by many municipalities is money.
If a municipality succeeds in converting itself into a city, its share in the pie for Internal Revenue Allotment shots up to the sky.
It is a financial bonanza for the local government unit.
The Supreme Court Decision last November 18, 2008 that ushered a stinging debacle to Guihulngan, in its futile bid to become a city, is not yet final and executory.
I don't even know if the the Guihulngan local government has already received its own copy of the decison.
The fifteen-day period to appeal (reconsdieration) starts to count upon receipt of the decision by Guihulngan being one of the respondents.
So up to now, Guihulngan can still regard itself as a city, and it can continue to receive its share in Internal Revenue Allotments as a city.
What Guihulngan, and perhaps the rest of the defeated municipalities, properly need to do is to appeal through a motion for reconsideration with the high court.
It is not a unanimous decision, but a divided one, mind you.
I couldn't feel the passion in the hearts of these municipalities in seeking to be converted a city, until I was given a computation by our technical people on local governments from the office of Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., like Director Eliuterio Domugho, and staff member Katrina Infante.
Let's take the example of Guihulngan.
This year alone (2008), if Guihulngan maintains itself as a city, its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) would shoot up to P287,133,055.45.
But if it reverted back to a municipality, Guihulngan's IRA for 2008 would be just P97,362,841.98.
In the year 2009 Guihulngan's IRA as a city would have amounted to P341,526,420.06
But if it is reverted to a municipality, Guihulngan's computed ITR for 2009 would only be P115,434,707.97.
If a town is converted into a city, its IRA share jumps to almost three times bigger in IRA share than when it was still a town.
This is the sole reason why there is that so-called "mad rush" to cityhood.
The existing cities, naturally won't like this as their share in the IRA woule be reduced to accomodate the new cities.
For the cities, they don't like more members bcause many will be sharing their pie.
The problem does not end with the Supreme Court decision.
What happens now to the city offices created by these "converted-reverted" LGUs?
Guihulngan, I suppose has created its city division schools with staff, even local court personnel.
What do we do with these newly created offices now with the reversion of Guihulngan into a municipality?
What happens to the newly hired employees? Terminate them?
Impliedly, the decision declared the cityhood void and unconstitutional.
So these newly created offices reserved only for cities should be obliterated?
What's your opinion?

Manila Penn siege--- one year ago

It was one year ago today that Senator Antonio Trillanes led the siege of the Manila Penninsula at hte heart of Makati City.
It began with Trillanes walking out of his hearing at the Makati court of Judge Oscar Pimentel at at the 33rd floor.
He was supposedlly fetched by armed sympathizers, who were able to bring their guns to the courts despite tight security.
Co-incidentally I was at the Makati court at that time for a hearing.
With my cellphone camera, I was able to take video shots of as the drama unravelled.
Little did I know that while I was recording, Trillanes was already at the elevator going down.
If you notice the video there was shouting from where the elevagtors were located.
I was standing in front of the court of Judge Pimentel.
Below is that video.

Duped

I have a strong feeling I'ved been duped by a car repair shop.
About two weeks ago, or November 13, 2008 to be precise, I had the break pads of my vehicle replaced, by a near-by car repair shop.
It was sort of urgent as it involved car breaks so I decided to immediately have it repair at a nearby car re pair shop.
I have permanent car-maintenance shop in Evangelista owned by my friend.
The changing of the break pads total cost amounted to P4,025.
When I made a test drive, I noticed an unaffiliated sound in the front.
I notified the owner-manager of the car repair shop who told me to bring back the vehicle.
Two days after the repair, on NOvember 15, 2008, I left it in the car shop as I had other professional engagements that day.
I called the car repair manager for an update, and he told me that the sound did not emanate from the break, or did not arise from the repairs in the vehicle break facilities.
When I went to the car repair shop I was handed a "job estimate" to repair the alien sound in the front of the vehicle.
The job estimate cost P4,870.
I did not proceed with the job repair.
I did not use the vehicle until seven days after.
I used the vehicle on the sevenths, eighth and eleventh day or on November 26, 2008.
On the seventh day from the last check up with the car repair shop, I already noticed the vehicle to be "dancing" while driven.
On November 26, 2008 I discovered the front right tire was abruptly shaven on the outer portion.
It displayed the symptoms of a disaligned vehicle.
I have strong suspicions of foul play.
I immeidately called up my friend from my "in-house" car repair shop.
My friend share the same suspicions.
They are going to undertake an inspection and compare it with the items in the "job estimate".
They said they can determine whether something was done to the vehicle.
My permanent car repair shop also said they have a record of the previous maintenance of my vehicle.
This should merit a legal action.

Gigi drops by

California-based Silliman high school classmate Giselle Gigi Gonzales dropped by Manila recently enroute to L.A. with her husband Denden Vestil and sons Kurt and Sean.
We had dinner together at Dampa district in Macapagal Avenue.
This is a place were you eat fresh seafoods like Baked cheese Tahong, buttered shrimp, crabs, among others.
Also with us were high school classmate Girlie Espiritu and her husband and daughter.
Ruby and I were classmates with Gigi in college at the College of Business Administration at Silliman.
Gigi says she is pursuing her master's degree in the U.S.
Husband Denden, who is originally from Cebu, work in a top company supplying packing machines worldwide. He is a frequent traveller, that is why he says travelling aboard airplanes is one thing he does enjoy.

Taal Vista Hotel

I recently attended the three-day 34th Top Level Management Conference of the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).
The venue was at the plush Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City.
This was I think the former Taal Vista Lodge.
I was surprised, or if not amazeed, at the massive facelift of Taal Vista Hotel, which is now run by the SM group, which has ventured into the hotel industry.
There is an expansion going on, with the contruction of new hotel rooms, new convention facilities, among others.
I was holed up in a pretty large room, that had one large, king-sized bed and one single bed.
The bathroom was spacious.
I took some pictures just to show the improvements on this hotel.
I recommend this for a quick get-away from the busy metropolis.
I say "quick getaway", because Tagaytay is not far away from Manila as Baguio is.
Tagaytay is a summer destination in the Philippines.
It is perhaps the coolest place to be, outside Baguio City.
Baguio is 280 kilometers away from Manila.
Tagytay is only sixty kilometers away, down south.
Its just an hour-and-a-half drive from Manila
By the way, it is at Taal vista where you can have the best view of Taal Lake and Volcano.
If you havent been to Tagaytay for five or ten years, there's been a major face lift of the city.
Tagytay was not what it was five or ten years ago.
There are now many restraurants, places to stay.
The lastest to build is the Robinsons group which just opened about a month ago.
Robinson built a big grocery store, with condominiums ore condotels nearby.
I frequent Taygaytay because I have some cases pending in that single sala court there.