HELLO CHANGE

April 22, 2016 Senior Citizens Payout

Minglanilla Sports Complex

Not all Pensioners got their pot of gold in today's payout that turned into an unpleasant experience for senior citizens from the hour of ten in the morning until about five in the afternoon. It was a gruesome affair full of complaints and excuses.

“Sir, wa mi kalingkod kay walay lingkuranan pag-abot namo.”

“Sir, kadaghan gibugkag ang among linya, gubot kaayo”

“Sir, gikolekta amo ID, unya gi-uli ra pud.”

“Sir, giingnan ko ngano misayo ug abot nga unta alas dies pa man magsugod.”

“Init kaayo, Sir. Ug duha ang nakuyapan taga Vito, Sir.”

“Sir, taga DSWD ra ang dunay elektrik fan.”

“Sir, dihay naka-ihi. Sir.”

“Sir, ang gi-unag tawag ang kaila nila.”

“Sir, dili mi kadungog sa tawag kay walay mikropono.”

“Sir, usa ray nanghatag sa kuwarta dili sama sa una nga duha.”

“Sir, baho kaayo ang kasilyas.”

“Sir, dihay nakalibang ug gipasagdan ra sa kuyog”.

“Sir, estrikto kaayo ang taga DSWD.”

“Sir, wala mi kaon ug walay balon kay lahi sa una dali ra mi nahuman.”

“Sir, ang akong gipaniudto tubig ra intawon.”

“Sir, alas tres na ug mouli pa mi sa Campo 7 ug Campo 8, luoy kaayo mi, Sir.”

I would love to mention the complaints repeatedly but not the excuses. The experience and brains of DSWD staff would only make any excuse unacceptable. DSWD could get a lot of help for an activity such as this payout.

Everybody knows that senior citizens from the mountain barangays would come early for the line. Today's distribution started rather late at past 10:00 am for some 700 pensioners who would also want to be home early after marketing.

When the break for lunch was called, majority of the senior citizens weren't ready. They expected an early finish just like before but the activity went on until almost the start of the scheduled championship basketball games.

And of course, following the complaints, is the Call for Change.

E.O.E.

SENIOR CITIZENS PURCHASE BOOKLET MINGLANILLA-EDITION

PEOPLE CLIPART

Now that the new Head of OSCA sits at the office, senior citizens of Minglanilla are hoping for a happier three years ahead.  The new OSCA Head succeeds Miss Tarciana Prescillas, 84,  who was terminated by Mayor Pena after almost a decade of service.

The new apppointee Mam Claudeta V. Rubillos, is 21 years younger and  has been Mayor Selma's trusted  Secretary  for many years.  She hails from Barangay Tunghaan and walks by the nickname Claudette, meaning adventurous, goal-focused, efficient, determined, candid and stubborn - sometimes. WELCOME!

Why this happier three years ahead?

I love Minglanilla with its friendly and peace-inclined citizenry wonderfully generous to the Church and exceptionally patient to the State.  OKAY, my town is filthy rich in IRA, tax collection and other miscellaneous income and is moving towards cityhood.  These are the reasons why I want to see it take the first bold step among the Millionaire Municipalities of Cebu to give cash incentives, medical and burial assistance under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.  

YES, senior citizens of Minglanilla enjoy free chows, prizes, donations and gifts  during the months of October and December.  Apart from these, however, the sencit tree is without flower and fruit.

What about this Purchase Booklet Minglanilla-Edition?

Since the 2005 Purchase Booklets for groceries were issued am counting no more than twenty senior citizens came back for re-issue.  Those who did, returned with a complain:  their booklet is good only for sardines, coffee, luncheon meat, detergent soap, etc.  It couldn’t buy them even  a discounted kilo of rice, some eggs, or fresh veggies which is wickedly true. .

No one in the Municipality then (not even Mam Tarcing) did maneuver for a solution.   And with R.A. No. 9994 now in effect, the furor could become even worst.   

The Purchase Booklet of Minglanilla has listed only the items under Section 2-a of Administrative Order No. 03 series of 2005 issued by the Department of Trade and Industry. Covered by this Section 2-a are grocery items  like:  sardines, coffee, luncheon meat, detergent soap, instant noodles, sugar, bread, tocino, etc.

But the items in Section 2-a of Administrative Order No. 37 series of 2005 issued by the Department of Agriculture  were missed.  These items are:  rice, corn, fish, eggs, pork, beef, poultry meat, veggies, root crops, fruits, onion, garlic, etc. –  HEALTH foods available from groceries and consumed by senior citizens day after day.

One solution has come - the NEW Purchase Booklet of R.A.# 9994

There are ways to solve the problematic Minglanilla-edition Purchase Booklet.  But printing and distributing instead the NEWLY DESIGNED PURCHASE BOOKLET of R.A. No. 9994 would be the best solution at minimum cost of five to seven pesos per booklet by RIZZO printing. The new Senior Citizen Purchase Booklet implements the maximum weekly purchase limit of P1,300 for 32 items, as follows:

Per Joint DTI-DA Administrative Order No. 10-02 series of 2010
A- Basic Necessities

Rice, corn, bread, fresh-dried-canned fish and other marine products, fresh pork-beef-poultry meat, eggs, fresh milk, processed milk, veggies, root crops, coffee, creamer, sugar, cooking oil, salt, powder-liquid-bar-detergent soap, firewood, charcoal and candles.

B- Prime Commodities

Fruits, flour, dried-processed-canned pork-beef-poultry meat, dairy products not falling under basic necessities, canned sardines, tuna, noodles, onions, garlic, geriatric diapers, herbicides, poultry –swine-cattle feeds, veterinary products for poultry-swine-cattle, nipa shingle, plyboard, construction nails, batteries, electrical supplies, light bulbs, and steel wire.

A sample of this NEW BOOKLET has been shown last year to cashiers of Gaisano Minglanilla. The ladies there find it easier and speedier to accomplish.  

Can the creative Mam Claudette expedite a solution?.

UPDATE SEP. 25, 2013

Thru the new OSCA Head the problem is now given priority.  It is estimated that the new Purchase Booklet will be issued to senior citizens on the 1st week of October or earlier.  Senior Citizens should be thankful to Mam Claudette for her fast action, the Staff who have supported her and her Bosses of course.

MY MID-NOON DREAM

The graphs herein on the current relationship between the Municipality of Minglanilla and the town’s Senior Citizens relative to the sublime purpose of RA#9994, may look outmoded.

But am presenting them for support, anyway.

Compared to millionaire Barangays who may have given the 1% (or more) of their IRA in support of RA#9994, Cebu’s top-rank Municipalities are still withholding the basic privileges under the law. But they seem to give more annually for the much younger women’s groups.

They have the means without the heart and awareness without guts. Around them are the agencies of government (DOJ, DECS, DA, DOTC, MOH, DILG, BIR, etc.) talking loud and clear to empower the senior citizens.

The Municipalities needed a push to get them to work.  With the support now of PBM Yayoy Alcoseba, Provincial Chairman of Senior Citizens(?), the Provincial Federation should now wake up and stretch its arms to set things on the fast lane.

My mid-noon dream is for my town, my Minglanilla to spearhead such call before it implements the pension scheme it envisioned for indigent seniors aged 75 up in 2014.  

As a start, it could implement at minimum expenditure Article 20, Section 4 of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act.  This would really make the majority senior citizens of the other age group happy, as well.

Cebu Province Top IRA Earners for 2013

          Consolacion at         P128,154,416

          Minglanilla at           P127,702,411

          Liloan at                     P113,888,492

          Balamban at              P111,849,928

For News on PBM Yayoy Alcoseba

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/07/28/pb-member-pushes-elderly-assistance-294871

MISS TARCIANA D. PRESCILLAS, MENTOR AND FRIEND

AFTER ALMOST A DECADE OF SERVICE TO SENIOR CITIZENS, MISS TARCIANA D. PRESCILLAS IS FINALLY OUT OF OFFICE!  WHO WILL BE THE NEXT HEAD OF OSCA?

WITH INTERNAL REVENUE ALLOCATION NOW AT PHP127,702,411.00 (2^nd HIGHEST IN CEBU PROVINCE) THE POSITION COULD PAY UP TO PHP15,000.00 A MONTH.

MANGHINAOT LANG KO NGA ANG SUNOD NGA OSCA HEAD MOPAKITAG LABOK UG PAGLABAN SA KATUNGOD SA TANANG TIGULANG (UG DILI ALANG RA SA MGA NAG-EDAD UG 75 ANYOS PATAAS UG SA MG INDIGENT LANG).  HINAOT USAB NGA KINI SIYA DILI MAHIMONG KIKO-KIKO LANG SA PUNDOK NGA SUKAD WALA PA MAKA-PAKITAG INTERES PAGSUPORTA SA AKTA REPUBLIKA 9994.

SALAMAT MAM PRES.

AN ERA ABOUT TO CLOSE

DIFFERENT FACES, SAME SHIRT

The Minglanilla Municipal Federation of Senior Citizens is a non-governmental organization composed of 19 barangay senior citizen chapters.  Incorporated in 2005, its membership has swelled to about four thousand today.  It is sharing office space with the Municipal OSCA Head at the ground floor of the old Municipal Hall Building next to the Bureau of Post.

Except for the OSCA Head who is the concurrent Treasurer of the Federation, it has no regular office personnel to do janitorial and all clerical office routines.  Because of this plus the irregular relationship with the local municipal government, plans and programs could not be implemented.  So far the best gifts that senior citizens have had from government are packs of goodies of slippers, liniment and rubbing alcohol, sardines and processed beef, reading glasses, with a fancy fan bearing photograph of the sponsoring politician.  Of course, local officials would dole out cash to pay for senior citizens group undertakings especially in Christmas and Valentines.

The Municipality of Minglanilla can accurately be described in just two words. – peaceful and rich.  Because of this, the town’s political leadership overstays so that Minglanilla has not experience a real change of power for many years.  Politicians just come, get re-elected, slide, take a vacation, come again for re-election until they are replaced by the nearest kin.  There is nothing more than a symptomatic relationship between the Federation and the Municipal Government.

Minglanilla is one of the richest lst class Municipality in Cebu Province with an IRA of P107 million pesos (2012 by Sunstar) plus additional earning of possibly P30million pesos more. But despite this significant figures, Municipal support for OSCA operations is P230 thousand pesos.  This figure however could not be confirmed up to 9/l9/2012 since no figures were shown on the GAD Accomplishment Report of Fiscal Year 2011 at the Full Disclosure Policy Bulletin Board under the folder Financial Assistance to the OSCA Operation (Facebook entry).

Within a period of one year almost a thousand Senior Citizens ID Cards were distributed and paid for by the Federation since the appropriate office stopped the supply of blank ID cards.  Since last year the Municipality has also stopped the supply of the much needed Senior Citizens Purchase Booklet to purchase the 16 basic commodities and the 16 prime commodities at discounted prices set under R.A. 9994.

In the absence of cash benefits and assistance, only 640 senior citizens could share moments of togetherness twice a year, enjoying free food.  The rest, some 200 to 300 of them, had to pay for their food rations through Federation funds.  The amount is taken from members’ annual dues, membership fees, penalties for new ID cards etc.   The collected amount from these sources could have become the Federation’s actual savings at the end of every fiscal year for other meaningful expenses. 

To be able to provide burial assistance to the members, the Federation maintains an in-house death fund paid for by members who wish to voluntarily participate in the program.  At P8,000 per member’s death, the sum could alleviate the financial problem the family would go through without such assistance.

SUDDENLY IN APRIL THIS YEAR, the Administration’s Campaign Bus, announces an offering of P500-pension for senior citizens in support of the Government’s Pension Program.  This offer confirms that Senior Citizens of Minglanilla are almost on their own – uncared and unloved for a long time.  That the offer is both sour and sad is captured in the following Facebook entry:

A PRE-ELECTION CLOSURE - IN A MEETING YESTERDAY (5/10 - 1pm) AT THE MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER, SOME 250 SENIOR CITIZENS WAITED THE ARRIVAL OF MAYOR TO BE LANIE PENA. DUE TO AN emergency, MR. ERIC PAGAR CAME IN HIS STEAD DELIVERING AN APOLOGY WITH TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS. THE FIRST WAS THAT THE P43,000 PLEDGED MONEY IS FINALLY UNDER PROCESSED. THE OTHER WAS BAD NEWS: ONLY 157 SENIOR CITIZENS COULD BE ENTITLED TO PENSION IN 2014. IN EZ ENGLISH IT MEANS WASTING MILLIONS OF PESOS TO BENEFIT A FEW WHILE CRUCIFYING THE MAJORITY OF SENIOR CITIZENS IN THIS TOWN.

MEANTIME, NOT A SINGLE SOUL FROM TEAM MARLO-LYNETTE SHOWED UP IN THAT SAME MEETING.

Thirty hours from now would be Election Day.  I hope this would end a difficult era for Senior Citizens in Minglanilla.

MERCY, NOT JUSTICE

Today is the Feast of the Divine Mercy.  And in his homily, FatherJoey Belcina of the Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish of Minglanilla, Cebu has had everyone ask the question - Will God ever pardon me my sins?  Father Joey had me believe to be unafraid, to trust  God’s Divinae Mesirecordiae – the font of infinite love and fathomless mercy.

Today’s feast reminds me of a friend who had a close call of death as he lay in the hospital bed reeling under the effects of medicinal drugs.  Writing about it in his Blog, he claims to have heard a voice saying  “It is My mercy, not My Justice”.

I have known this man to be a Christian Activist, a dog after his tail.  A lost brother for  two decades, I found him now enlightened, deserving to be among  “those much-needed Johns and Janes to help, in any way, the Mother Church to shape up, or else, ship out.”

You should not miss his Blog at:

http://johnpaulrice.blogspot.com/

and scroll down to Blog Archieve of February 2013 with this title:
HIS MERCY, NOT HIS JUSTICE

My Father Joey

Innocent and True

I came early to office that day and my officemate the ever beautiful Tarsing was already at her desk chatting with some elderly.  I did my usual katahoran saying maayong buntag and how are you to everybody including this elegantly-dressed child of four.

I took my seat and immediately uncovered the typewriter so as to start issuing I.D. cards for the new applicants who came early that morning to avoid the  rush hours.

Then the Lola talked freely and proudly about her clever and wonderful Apo.

Lola:  Apo, what is your name?

Apo:  My name is J.R.

Lola:  How old are you?

J.R.:  I am four years old.

Lola:  Where do you study?

J.R.:  At the Day Care Center.

Lola:  Who is your teacher?

J.R.:  My teacher is Mam Amor.

Lola:  Where do you live?

J.R.:  I live in Minglanilla, Cebu.

Lola:  Who is your Father?

J.R.:  Father Joey.

Everyone in the room got so excited and laughed  at the little boy’s prompt and innocent response!   

The boy's Mother is a single-Mom and he has not met his wayward Father kay nalumos lagi sa sabaw.

He is fond of Father Joey that he never misses kissing his hands right after the Children's Mass on Sundays.

TEMPORARY NOTICE

PAGHANDUM SA KAMATAYON SA KRISTONG JESUS

USA KA TAWHANONG HALAD SA IKA-UPAT NA KA TUIG

KARON.  ANG

ONLY IN MINGLANILLA

A Bee at the Main Plaza de Minglanilla

Am proud of my hometown Minglanilla.  It has a Bee in the plaza, a Gothic-inspired church edifice and a modernist municipal hall.  At over 150-million pesos revenue, it is a legitimate candidate for cityhood.

Minglanilla is known as the Sugat Capital but which is no longer the case today.  Sugat, which literally means the meeting of the Risen Christ and the Sorrowful Mother, has evolved into a mole in the tourism-inspired Lenten festivities of my town called the Kabanhawan Festival.

A blob Municipal Building

My hometown never fails to make it on and off the headlines.  Early last year it was possessed by a scandal involving el padre y la bella mujer.  And in July, a local paper reported that undefeated Mayor Selma is giving up politics in 2013!

Minglanilla is still that place where one could take a ride at the middle of the highway.  Pedestrians here are forced to play tubig-tubig (an indigenous game) with buses, multi-cabs, and pedicabs.  Vendors and habal-habals (illegal means of transport) are lining-up the main thoroughfares narrowing down the streets.   

A light-traffic situation at the town center

For whatever reason, traffic lights installed just late last year have been perpetually(?) turned-off. And only six enforcers are left of what used to be the Minglanilla Traffic Commission.  The coming solutions are the completion of a multi-million-peso public market and the diversion road still in the sky somewhere.

Church-goers in Minglanilla could be late for Mass even if they do come early to Church but not because of traffic.  Local Church time, as claimed, is ahead of standard time and that there are also days that Masses are started earlier than the Church's time. 

A Church with Gothic-elements

Worried about her condition, a lady told me that she raised this point to a member of the Team of Pastors and was told well, this is our time - (and you just have to follow it would be just as logical). 

So my advice was for her to come thirty minutes before the scheduled Mass time and to bring along a packet of biscuits if she desires Communion. This is because anyone going early to Church fasting could become really hungry after an hour of Mass, reaching home thirty minutes because of traffic.

Church Canon 919 commands Catholics to ABSTAIN from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before receiving the Holy Eucharist.  It is a mortal sin to deliberately break the pre-communion fast.   

Minglanilla is unique in many ways political and spiritual.  But rest assured, politicians here are sweating it out peacefully this election and the cinco padres are enjoying the serene atmosphere of media for now. 

R.A. NO. 9994 - NEW SENIOR CITIZEN PURCHASE BOOKLET AND I.D. CARD

R.A. 9994 is good news to Senior Citizens of the Philippines.  Now in full effect, the Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010 not only gives more benefits and coverage but it also brought in a new-look Purchase Booklet and I.D. Card.

Noticeable benefits under R.A. No. 994

-A Filipino who is a “dual citizen” may now apply for a senior citizen I.D. card;

-Both the 20% discount and PhilHealth benefits can apply during hospitalization or in seeking for medical services.

-Purchase of Vitamins and minerals specifically prescribed by an attending physician are now subject to 20% discount.  Food supplements remain excluded.

-Indigent senior citizens may now enjoy a free pneumoccocal and influenza vaccination.

-Indigent senior citizens may also receive pensions between P350 to P500, as well as, burial assistance of up to P2,000.

-Senior Citizens may now enjoy a 5% discount on electric consumption not exceeding 100 kw hrs and water consumption not exceeding 30 cu.m.

-Bigger discount of up to 50% (as institutional support) is also available to senior citizens centers and residential group homes for electricity, water and telephone charges.

-Except for the cost of memorial lot and obituary publication, a 20% discount applies to burial services.

New-Look Identification Card

The approved format of the new senior citizen identification card (RA No. 9994) is available for download at:

www.dswd.gov.ph

Advocacy

National Coordinating and Monitoring Board

Download Resources

Administrative Orders, Memorandum Circulars & Other Resources

New Senior Citizen ID Card Template

Sample ID Card for approval, may look like this.  This design is in  compliance to the approved NCMB template.

ID FACE

ID BACK

The New Purchase Booklet

The new senior citizen purchase booklet is a real bundle of joy.  Although fewer in pages, it could last for over a year of proper use with more personal items on line for consumption and enjoyment by senior citizens, such as:

BASIC NECESSITIES

1 –Rice                                                     

2 –Corn                                             

3 –Bread in any shape and name, excluding pastries and cakes

4 –Fresh, dried and canned fish and other Marine products       

5 –Fresh Pork/Beef and Poultry Meat     

6 –Fresh Eggs                    

7 –Fresh & Processed Milk           

8 –Fresh Vegetables/ Root crops    

9 –Coffee and Coffee creamer              

10 –Sugar         

11 –Cooking Oil

12 –Salt

13 –Powdered, Liquid, Bar, Laundry and Detergent soap

14 –Firewood

15 –Charcoal

16 –Candles

PRIME COMMODITIES

1 –Fresh Fruits           

2 –Flour                                    

3 –Dried, Processed and Canned Pork, Beef and Poultry meat

4 –Dairy products not falling under Section (A2) above

5 –Canned sardines, Tuna     

6 –Noodles

7 –Onions

8 –Garlic

9 –Geriatric Diapers

10 –Herbicides

11 -Poultry, Swine and Cattle Feeds

12 –Veterinary Products for Poultry, Swine and Cattle

13 –Nipa, Shingle, Plyboard and construction nails

14 -Batteries

15 –Electrical supplies and Light Bulbs 

16–Steel Wire

The approved design of the new purchase booklet (RA No. 9994) may be downloaded as follows:

On a Google search window, type:

Download new senior citizen purchase booklet 1.71 mb

Click on:  2 – Download Resources for:  ncmb.dswd.gov.ph/index

Scroll down until you find

Approved Template of DTI’s Senior Citizen Purchase Booklet for Basic

Necessities and Prime Commodities, Joint DTI-DA Administrative Order

No. 10-02, Series of 2010

Sample purchase booklet for approval, may look like this.  This design is in compliance to the DTI template.

Booklet Cover Pages

1st and Last Pages

SENIOR CITIZENS BADGET

 “Senior citizens in the Philippines have traditionally received due care and concern from the family and the state. To stress this national attitude towards senior citizens, Article XV, Section IV, of the Philippine  Constitution states that, “It is the duty of the family to take care of its older person members while the State may design program of social security for them.” Moreover, Article XIII, Section II, provides that “The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all people at affordable cost.”   

There are now at least twenty-one Enabling Philippine Laws on Senior Citizens but there is hardly any EXCEPTIONAL support given to Senior Citizens at the Municipalities level.   Instead, the Spirit of these Laws are put on hold annually by two budgetary worms, namely: 

1).  LACK OF FUNDS

2).  STREAMLINING

The Dark Side of Mainstreaming

The first is a mild worm  since Municipalities are always known to  be Lacking of funds although never short of ways to put loose ends together to realize a surplus at the end of the year.   It is this second worm Mainstreaming that is crippling the senior citizens.  Mainstreaming  is a certificate of immunity in the budget that  protects especially the low-income municipalities to do away with  social reform laws by splitting mandatory and allied expenses and yet gain compliance.  It is like legalizing splitting of contracts.  It is repugnant to reason and inhuman because the direct support and care for the needy is being jeopardized. 

A friend of mine once said he has difficulty understanding why budget appropriation for senior citizens in the first class municipality of Minglanilla has not left ground.  Although his figures may be unofficial, it shows the dark side of mainstreaming.  At 150M pesos (approxi. 2012 annual municipal budget),  Senior Citizens appropriation is seen only at P300,000.00 because the 1.2M pesos (to make up for the 1%) is deemed “inserted” or “included” or “attached” to repairs,  maintenance, etc.  This is the evil of mainstreaming which is exactly like deducting an amount from children’s allowances to help pay for the house water bill.  But why let the children pay for domestic obligations of parents!

Is There True Love in Minglanilla

About ninety-nine percent of the administrative and legislative teams of the municipality are relatives to senior citizens and altogether they are the Minglanillans known for their spirit of charity and love.   But why the darkness?

Personally, I am seeing this as lack of proper planning and coordination, poor feedback, and lack of representation of those concerned - the lead agencies of government, the senior citizens federation, the working committees, and the watch teams in the administrative and legislative offices.  

In the coming season of change where new christs and messiahs could be anointed somehow,  I hope that the Spirit of Love of the Enabling Laws on Senior Citizens for Minglanilla would be restored! 

BLACK SATURDAY ELECTION

April 7 was a rigorous Black Saturday for 11 newly elected members of the Board of Directors of MIMUFESCAP.   No one suspected there would be an overflow of fooling and joking around.

The meeting started without the usual prayer presumably because Jesus died and was still in the bosom of the earth.  So my first reaction was to watch out and look around for the devil.  The agenda was two fold.  The first was the discussion of matters of importance to the outgoing officers and the second was the holding of the election where the 11 would be voting for themselves for a post.

The Meeting

After the hymn, the president and presiding officer made the introduction and uttered a word that was heard for the first time in a board meeting the word DE FACTO (I misheard it as impacto). Obviously it meant the board of directors who have not taken their oaths may attend the meeting however they cannot participate in the deliberation.   The three newcomers were helpless and the magical word de facto  zipped their lips.  Whether or not the disallowance was lifted in the process, my attention was all for the surveillance of the paranormal presence, as I waited for the moment to cast my vote.

After the short speeches of gratitude by the officers who didn’t make for re-election, the discussions turned rather off the normal course.  The outgoing president was pressing for the discussion of when, where, and how the oath taking ceremony must take place and who  shall be the administering official.  Everyone seem to agree that the matter is not of concerned by the outgoing officers but by the incoming new set who are yet to be elected by the body.   But again the voley of the DE FACTO was heard and this time the Speaker's face turned light purple  the approximate color of Friday the 13^th.

The Election

In the first round of balloting, the Elecom could not proceed counting the votes since only 9 bond paper ballots were counted INSIDE the ballot box instead of 10 (1 of the 11 did not make it that day).  And despite repeated pleas, the missing ballot disappeared forever so that balloting Round No. 2 was called for giving way for a tie.

In the second balloting two BODs tied for the Presidential race.   The first (the popular BOD-elect) declared that he was not in favor of being elected to the president’s post but without really making a categorical statement that he should be excluded in the election for the presidency. The other one, was ready to accept any favor for the post he held since 2006.  And the BIG SURPRISE happened!  The popular candidate simply bundled-up all his votes, made the declaration and proposal that he would just support the other candidate (his friend) along with all his garnered votes like pouring beer into one's mouth. He volunteered to become the vice-president instead, And so his friend moved quickly and proclaimed himself the duly elected Federation President.  Both gentlemen refused the toss of coin solution prayed for by those present stating they aren’t used to the game.

Blest with the day’s un-blessedness, the President-elect immediately proceeded to handpick the rest of the officers from Secretary through PRO.  I could not even tell if this was a violation of the federation CBL.  I have not got a copy of the CBL myself.  He also appointed 2 PROs and ended up creating the position of SERGEANT AT ARMS.  Later I learned that the CBL mandated only 1 PRO and zero Sgt-at-arms.  THE PARANORMAL PRESENCE  MUST HAVE POSSESSED EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM!  NO ONE DARED TO COUNTER THE ECSTASY!

Hope was of course just six days away in the general assembly meeting, the Mecca for the distraught.  And since nothing good really happens on a Friday the 13^th,  the results of the Black Saturday, 7^th of April 2012 election of officers was nullified and a new election was called again sometime in the fragrant Month of May.  And WOW, both gentlemen got the same posts anyhow! 

THE MIMUFESCAP MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ELECTION

The election of new federation officers of Minglanilla Municipal Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines (MIMUFESCAP) is finally over.  It was the first election in many years and is unique in election history.  

It started with a sales talk by 2 groups of people selling ‘health products’ to senior citizens who gathered for the election of officers from a pool of candidates nominated ON THE SPOT, without the nominal filing of certificates of candidacy.

It was also a race of endurance of the elderly voters who had to wait long for their turns to vote because of the limited supply of ball point pens despite the oversupply of unnumbered and unmarked bond paper ballots, pre-cut to size 3-1/2” x 4-1/2”.

Registration of attendees could not be made by those who are supposed to do attendance.  And the composition of the ELECOM was voluntary and constituted RIGHT WHERE THEY WERE SEATED ON LOCATION.

Naturally the voters got wearied waiting so that some of them had to limit their choices down to 2 or 6 from the required number of 11 names among the 20 nominees.  Others had to contend themselves to what names are dictated unto them because they are too far away from the tally board and could not read the inscriptions.

Counting of votes took until after 5pm when most of the senior citizens have gone out for the station of the cross and attended mass.   And the winners of this election in alpha-order are:

Adlawan, Nena           (re-electionist)

Besanez, Diorelina      (re-electionist)

Caballero, Prima         (re-electionist)

Delgra, Cesaria           (re-electionist)

Engbino, Eddie           (new)

Herbias, Benjamin      (re-electionist)

Cimafranca, Roy         (new)

Moscoso, Lorenzo       (re-electionist)

Obiso, Hilario              (re-electionist)

Paraiso, Lucita            (new)

Penascoza, Mercedes  (re-electionist)

The NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD will determine the next year’s Federation Officers being the official candidates and voters anytime soon and before the next federation meeting on April 13.

Their tasks of course aren’t easy but they are all aware of the challenges coming up their way.  They know that until today MIMUFESCAP has not done nor delivered enough to convince the Senior Citizens of Minglanilla that THERE IS LIFE beyond mere possession of the I.D. Card and Purchase Slip Book.

THE MATTER OF COURSE IS NOT JUST WHO WILL LEAD THEM, HOW, AND TO WHAT DIRECTION.   THEY NEEDED THE HEART AND SUPPORT OF THE BARANGAY AND MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS WHO LIKEWISE HAVE NOT SHOWN AMBITIOUS SUPPORT TO BENEFIT THE SENIOR CITIZENS OF THIS TOWN.   

IN ALL THESE, NOBODY SEEM TO HAVE THE RIGHT MIND TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING THAT FATEFUL DAY OF MARCH 9, 2012