12 Little Things

My niece Anna and nephew Mike gave me this book, 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country, last Christmas as a gift. It's written by Alexander Lacson and his wife. It's about what each of us can do to help make the Philippines a better nation. Maganda yung 12 suggestions niya. They're very doable and I think every Filipino should follow them.
Yun nga lang, I was a little bit dissappointed with his discussion. I expected to read something deep and profound, instead I got a hodgepodge of quotes and hollow examples. Sa akin lang, the message would've been better kung isang quote lang per topic para straight to the point. Eh hinde eh. Puro quotes. Sayang. Yung pinaka-okay lang na discussion was under "The 8th Little Thing" heading.
Anyway, for those of you who want to know what the 12 little things are, author Alexander Lacson enumerates them:
1. Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.
2. Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.
3. Don't buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.
4. When you talk to others, especially foreigners, speak positively about us and our country.
5. Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.
6. Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
7. Support your church.
8. During elections, do your solemn duty.
9. Pay your employees well.
10.Pay your taxes.
11.Adopt a scholar or a poor child.
12.Be a good parent. teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.
As for Lacson's discussion of topic No. 8? Well, you have to buy the book and find out for yourself.
Happy Reading!

P125 Across the Board Wage Hike

After hearing both sides (on TV, ofcourse) I feel that it is wrong for Congress to pass a P125 across the board wage hike.
I heard someone from Bayan Muna argue that a wage hike is most needed because there has been no across the board wage hike since 1989. According to that person, the Filipino manggagawa has been suffering the same minimum wage for the past 17 years!
Uh, hello?!
Isn't that because we created the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) and National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC)?!
Under Republic Act 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, It is each region's RTWPB which will determine and fix the minimum wage rates as applicable to their area and to issue the corresponding wage orders.
We deregulated minimum wage fixing to the regions because the regions have different costs of living. P20 can buy 10 pieces of pandesal in Ilocos, but only 4 pieces in Manila.
We decentralized wage fixing because our Regions incur different degrees of expenses. Shops in the same line of business in Silay City and General Santos don't necessarily have the same kind of expenses.
That's why today, different regions have different minimum wage rates.
And now, para lang magpa-pogi sa mga militante, we will pass an across the board minimum wage increase of P125?!
That's going to do more harm than good! Baka kayanin ng Manila, pero hindi ng Santiago City. Baka kayanin ng Mandaue pero hindi ng Navarcan.
Haynaku, para que pa natin inestablish ang RTWPB kung mag-a-across the board increase din?!
I hope the Senate thinks about this matter real hard before passing a wage hike.
I hope Congress remembers why it created RTWPBs.