Christmas is for children

At Christmas, the whole Christian world celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christmas therefore, is for children, both the young and the old.
But for the large part, for the young.
That is why Christmas too, is commemorated by gift giving.
It is the children that appreciate more, the gift giving and receiving.
It is an exciting tradition.
It is one that brings smiles to the children.
We, too, experienced this excitement during our younger days.
The sense of excitement is passed on to the following generation.

My Ateneo diploma

I was pleaseantly surprised when my mother told me that my diploma from Aten>eo de Manila College of Law has been "lying" here in Dumaguete.
I thought all along, that this diploma had been lost already.
Though just paper, diplomas often mean the world to the person that holds them. Whether they are from Harvard or a community college, they are far more than just a regular piece of paper.
In fact, those have earned a criminal justice degree may be inclined to set up an investigation if one went missing. Upon not being able to find it, they may do something along the lines of incorporating other agencies to help with the hunt. I, on the other hand, left getting my degree back up to chance.
I haven't been good in keeping diplomas.
Once, I thought I lost my lawyer's certification issued by the Supreme Court.
Then I found out later, it had been languishing in the high court for years as I forgot to claim it.
Anyway, I told my mother to just keep the law school diploma, lest it be misplaced.
The diploma has been framed (thanks to mother) but covered with plastic and hidden beside a working table.
So like my college diploma, I took a picture and just "store" it here in my blog.
It is written in some alien language---Latin probably--- so the only things I can understand are my name and the degree earned: "Juris Doctor".

Cebu judges cry foul

Happy New Year!
Despite the looming global crisis, I pray for a blessed year ahead for all of us.
Let us live each day, as it comes, the best way we can.
Let me quote an old saying, echoed in my son Joshua’s favorite animated movie Kung Fu Panda:
“Yesterday was history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift---that is why it’s called “present.”
-o0o-
A raging issue in neighboring Cebu is what many judges in Cebu think is a continuing move to threaten the independence of the judiciary there, by local government executives.
The story is that judges have noticed that the local government, particularly the provincial government, would “cut-off” allowances to judges who issue rulings unfavorable to the local governments.
Cebu judges have met and will issue a formal statement condemning this attempt to “bully” the local judiciary.
Some judges have waived any allowance given to judges by local governments.
Here is that headline story published in the December 20, 2008 issue of the Cebu daily News.

"‘WE WILL NOT BE BULLIED’
Cebu Daily News (Saturday, 20 December 2008)
by Ador Vincent Mayol
CORRESPONDENT

Judges in Cebu are moving to assert their judicial independence.
Judge Gabriel Ingles of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 58 is drafting a resolution condemning threats made by local government units to withhold allowances of judges who make decisions unfavorable to local officials.
“The cutting off of judges’ allowances should not threaten us. We will not be bullied by anybody. We will not succumb to the pressures,” said Ingles, who was designated spokesman of the Palace of Justice last month.
He said the one-page statement will be circulated among judges in Cebu city and province and then will be sent to the Cebu provincial government and the Supreme Court.
The statement stemmed from the reported threat made by Capitol security consultant Byron Garcia to cut off the allowance of Danao CityJudge Edito Enemecio of RTC Branch 25 for ordering the transfer of three prisoners to Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC).
Garcia, in a phone interview, said that while it was the right of the judges to issue such a statement, he said he was misquoted in a news item published in a local daily.
“ Wa ko niingon putli ug allowance. Namisquote ra ko. Ang statement nako makasave ang province kun dili siya modawat ug allowance (I didn’t say his allowance should be cut off. I was misquoted. My statement was that the province can save money if he would not receive an allowance),” he said.
Ingles said the draft statement mentions that the claim of Garcia that he was misquoted “seemed to be doubtful” because there was already a precedent.
He was referring to the case of RTC Judge Bienvenido Saniel whose name was deleted in the roster of judges who are receiving monthly allowances from the province.
When Saniel learned about the removal of his name last October, he wrote to Gov. Gwen Garcia, asking her not to restore his name in the list.
Saniel was the judge who dismissed the petition filed by the province questioning the authority of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeňa to appoint directors of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District.
RTC judges in Cebu receive P6,000 a month from the province. The amount has varied over the years, but the grant of an allowance has been a practice of several administration and is allowed by the Supreme Court.
In the October incident, Ingles and RTC Judge Meinrado Paredes immediately waived their allowances from the province to sympathize with Saniel and to uphold the principle of judicial independence.
The threat to remove the allowance of judges who make unfavorable decisions was discussed informally among judges during a conference in Argao town this week, said Ingles.
They agreed that it was about time the judges issued a statement on the issue.
Ingles said he was drafting a statement as requested by Paredes, who is now RTC executive judge, to be circulated among the judges for their signature on Monday.
Judicial independence is so important that it is considered the “soul of the judiciary.” said Ingles.
“Even if there are threats to cut off the allowance or physical harm, judicial independence should be upheld whatever the cost.”
Ingles said the main purpose of the group statement was to let all local government units know that judges would never be threatened or intimidated by threats made by the government officials.
Ingles said that any judge, either in the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Municipal Trial Court or the RTC, can sign the statement.
He (Executive Judge Paredes) said the judiciary should not be bullied by anyone because it is the “last bulwark of democracy.”
Paredes said each branch government – judiciary, executive and legislative – has its own functions.
The legislative branch is tasked to make laws while the executive branch implements these, he said.
The role of the judiciary is to interpret the law and to resolve conflicts."

Believing in Santa Claus

There was a time when I thought Santa Claus was real.
When I was around five years old, my father and mother took off at around seven p.m. from the house.
I asked them where they were headed, and they sad they were fetching Santa Claus at the airport.
I sincerely believed them.
I was not able to analyze that there were no flights at seven in the evening.
Nor did i think that Santa Claus did not have to land in teh airport to deliver his gifts to us, children.
But when we were kids, we wanted to belive in Santa Claus.
He represented a big part of the mystery and excitement of Christmas.
This tradition has continued to excite the next generation.
Now, my son and cousins MJ, Pia and Nat Nat look forward to the gifts and goodies brought by Santa Claus.
Today, Christmas day, they woke up with their red stockings filled with different kinds of goodies from Santa Claus.
It was a nice thing to see the mystery and excitement continued like an unending Christmas tradition.
I thought it wasn't that long ago where I, too, looked forward to inspecting the candies and chocolates that stuffed the red stockings hanged the night before.
I hope the story of Santa Claus will continue for generations to come.
He brings smiles to kids on Chirstmas day.

Sans Rival Spaghetti

One of the oldest snack bars in Dumaguete City is San Rival along San Jose Street near the Rizal boulevard.
This is primarily a pastry shop, serving tasty cookies and cakes concocted by the sagarbarria grand matriarch, the woman shoe childrena nd grandchildren call "Abu".
She has passed on the trade secrets to the children who have enlarged Sans Rival from a six-table snack shop into a fully operating restaurant.
Sans Rival is already a permanent fixture to our city's show-window of home-made delicacies.
One afternoon, we dropped by Sans Rival to savor again their own brand of spaghetti.
I accompanied my order with tuna smacked in wheat sandwich.
My wife also ordered her spaghetti plus a choco roll.
For take-out we ordered a box of mango bars (P183 per box), and jam squares (P138 per box).

Jams squares is also good for pasalubong.
It is a square-formed biscuit that has a bit of dried mango in the middle.
There are many other delicacies at Sans Rival.
The main item of course is its namesake, San Rival.
There is also the original "chewey-crunchy" silvanas.
If you are a visitor in Dumaguete City, you can't afford to miss Sans Rival.
Sans Rival is truly among Dumaguete's unique treasures.