News Worthy

verabear Issues of the day, Ramblings and Brain farts 6 Comments

This week the news was full of stories about the ongoing Congressional inquiry on the plea bargain that the Ombudsman was considering (or had already approved, depending on who you’re listening to) for suspected plunderer General Garcia, and the subsequent testimony of Col. Rabusa exposing the extent of corruption in the military. Within days of the expose that was aired on national TV (and heard over the radio), former AFP Chief of Staff General Angelo Reyes took his own life. Reyes allegedly received no less than 50 million pesos as a going-away gift when he retired from the service. Two other former chiefs of staff were implicated in the anomalies. The amount itself isn’t the question, but the means as to how such amounts were accumulated and allocated by a government military institution. The same institution that claims to not have enough funds to fully equip its soldiers who are in the front lines in the war against terrorism.

But the news that saddened me more in the past week was the death of someone far less popular than the fallen general. In his life, he was an inspiration for his parents and to many strangers who have learned of his story.  I think his untimely passing deserved a lot more airtime and media mileage than what was so freely given to someone else. Jon Angelo, the baby whose childhood was snatched away by an illness that kept him tethered to a breathing machine, has passed away.

I have mentioned Jon Angelo, and the Breathe Hope bracelets that his parents lovingly make and sell to raise funds to support his medical costs, several times in this blog, on my FB wall and even in personal conversations. When he passed on, I was completely surprised. His funeral was help very near my home yet I could not bring myself to pay him a visit. I did not see him while he was alive, and I didn’t see him as he was laid to rest. Yet in my heart, I held him there. I will forever cherish my Breathe Hope bracelets, Jon.

Going back to the investigation into corruption practices in the military, that’s what news organizations should focus on – not Reyes or his family in particular. It’s about time they cleanup the military and other government offices, not just of those practicing and promoting the culture of graft and corruption, but take away the processes that make us prone to it. Like putting a cap on the retirement benefits that officials get and ensuring that ALL soldiers get them. Why they didn’t shop online for retirement gifts red envelope is a good place to start. Haha 🙂

Safety at Construction Sites

verabear Issues of the day, Ramblings and Brain farts 0 Comments

By now, the accident at the Eton building construction site in Makati is old news. But to the families who lost their loved ones as a result of that accident, the news will never go stale.

I hope that this serves as an eyeopener for all who are in the construction business. Wherever you go in this country, you see buildings and houses being built with hardly enough safety precautions in place. To many, it seems that the reminder posted at the entrance of sites saying “No Hard Hat, No Entry” is enough. But it isn’t!

First off, I don’t think construction workers in this country wear protective clothing while they work. I understand the almost thread-bare shirts because the heat could stifle them if they wear anything thicker, but slippers while they work? What about gloves and proper carrying cases for their tools?

There’s usually netting and mesh all around the construction site, and the ABS-CBN News article about the Makati incident mentions an Eton representative saying that there was mesh around the building and that’s where the unfortunate victims fell on. But the mesh and netting isn’t for catching people is it? Those are not meant for the safety of construction workers. Those are meant to catch falling debris. So yes, it’s a safety net. But it’s not for the workers’ safety, but the safety of passersby and adjacent structures.

If there are laws or regulations about construction work then they need to be reviewed, and implementing guidelines need to be formulated and rolled out. The safety of the workers should be ensured. I don’t think they are paid nearly as much as they should be, so the least that can be done is to lessen the risk they take every time they go to work.