Julianda

I'm not against the administration of P.Duterte. In fact, I regarded himself (Du30) as the lesser evil among the candidates (though I voted Binay). And I am one of his silent cheerer who indirectly shouts whenever he accomplished any of his promises. But in the event a questionable move has taken place, expect a hefty reactions from his critics and I am one of them.

Recently, he signed the bill or the R.A 10931 (dated August 3, 2017) or the Universal Access To Quality Tertiary Education Act. It promotes and provides free tuition and other school fees in State Universities and Colleges and State-run Technical Vocational Institutions. It also establishes the tertiary education subsidy and student loan program, strengthens the unified student financial assistance system for tertiary education and appropriating funds.

Undoubtedly, none of his economic advisers has affixed his / her signature on the said act for obvious reasons. Or probably they're not authorized to do so(?) But that's beside the point, the main issue here is the seemingly unpreparedness and ended up this “bigay-bawi” style of the president for some reason. Yes, free tuition fee will probably be implemented this SY 2017-2018 but how about the budget for next SY 2018-2019 and the subsequent school years?

It seems like they're not even sure where to get the funds.

In the 2018 National Expenditure Program, neither Special Provisions 2 nor 6 were reiterated, while the provision on free tuition and the HESP in Special Provision 1 was removed.

 

"President Duterte’s economic managers consistently opposed the bill, then he himself subjected the P8.3 Billion allocation in the 2017 budget to conditional implementation. And now, funds that are supposed to continue the free college program in 2018 are missing from his proposed budget," Tinio said.

 

Rep. France Castro, for her part, said the government should increase budget allocation for free tuition.

"Instead of removing funds for free tuition and other school fees, the administration should even increase the allocation to ensure that tertiary education remains free in 2018 and that more youth can avail of it," she said.

"It should even substantially increase SUCs' budgets to ensure that what they offer is indeed quality education. But now we see that the President's promise to make higher education free is just a bigay-bawi," she added. Castro urged his fellow lawmakers at the Congress to bring back the provision for free tuition for undergraduate and medical students in 2018 budget. More here.

 

Budget Secretary Diokno, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia earlier said the law, if passed, would benefit mostly middle-class to high-income students who make up the majority of college students.

Such a policy could kickstart an exodus of students from private colleges and universities to state-run ones, which could ultimately affect the overall quality of tertiary education. (READ: Free tuition in state colleges: When CHED officials clash)

Duterte's economic managers had preferred to provide more funding for the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) which strengthens, expands, and harmonizes existing financial assistance programs for students.

Malacañang said Duterte also considered his administration's other big expenses when deciding whether or not to approve the free tuition bill.

He had to weigh the cost of the bill with the cost of the rehabilitation of Marawi City and programs for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), said Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag.

 

 

 

 

It is now a LAW, which means, the congress will allot budget on it EVERY YEAR (whether they like it or not)

The issue is NOT whether it is valid or not to become a law regardless of the availability of the funds but rather the reason behind that abrupt approval despite the opposition of his economic managers. O baka naman isa na namang pa-pogi points ito? OR should I say hilaw na pa-pogi points.

Well, almost everybody is rejoicing that this free-tuition-fee bill is now finally a “law”.

BUT it seems like their delight would considerably put on hold since I've read somewhere that the approval of this Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act was unexpected considering how his economic managers have openly opposed the bill, saying the government does not have enough funds to sustain it.

So it goes without saying that such approval was done on the spur of the moment. It means it was done abruptly. Unplanned. Unintended. Haphazard. Aimless, etc. WTF! Parang naalimpungatan lang at inaprub na? Bakit minadali?

And here's another news right after that signing, No more free tuition in state schools in 2018.

#ningaskugon2018

I'm not sure about the legitimacy of this article though but I guess this is something to ponder on.

This could escalate to WW3 as we know it, Damascus Syria is about to be Blown into into oblivion as it was prophesied in the Bible...

I

I knew a lot guys who get turned on with panty lines.

(Gee, guys would be turned on everything! Hehe!)

How about wearing nothing but just the pantyliner?

LOL

^ Differences in definition. The word "meditation" has a broad set of meanings to different people. I suggest to my fellow unfaithfuls that we use a different word that is more physically descriptive. Take Wim Hof's "breathing technique" for example - some say it is very similar to Tibetan Tummo meditation. While the monks practice it to reach a higher state of consciousness, Wim Hof does it to perform stunts with ice.

Again, there's a thin line between being able to learn the difference and being an innate stupefaction.

Most yes. I became agnostic when i saw everything from the outside. Turns out i just don't care about religion because imo it keeps wasting my time. On the part of "Source of meditation". Living and trying to help other people is my way of meditation as it gives me purpose in life. Even though i pray'd to god so many times when i was still young and he didn't answer back. I still believe in helping other people regardless of faith.

Your affirmation seems to be contradicting to the entire statement of yours. Only the faithful ones with religion practice the real meditation regardless of the sect they are in.

I already have a honda beat and planning to have a Yamaha Mio. I'll just check the color availability from the nearby dealers.

Engaged -- not referring to the status before marriage but referring to being involved in a situation

May it be taken as synonymous with being busy or occupied.

Strawberry-flavored yogurt

Religion is about faith. Faith is for those who are believers or certainly theists. Therefore, religion is not supposed to be discussed here. lol

Anyway, if we try to look at the topic of this thread, it’s about agnosticism and atheism. So more or less the former refers to philosophical view of certain metaphysical claims, such as the existence of God or the supernatural—are unknown or maybe unknowable, and the latter, simply about rejection of belief that any deities or gods exist.

And, in view of being an agnostic (theist), there is a fine line between knowledge and rejection.

Suicide Squad OST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UprcpdwuwCg&list=PLwuSJuonSwCMxW7VkOC-zK1ViZoFUeUnK

Jack Frost-

devours its beloved emblem

evergreen applaud

December 15, 2016

8-word-haiku

shes not your typical politician na mahilig magpa media. nakita nyo pang pinangangalandakan nya yung work nya sa NGO when she was still not in public service, the bills that she have passed (imagine 3 years as congresswoman ganun kadami naipanukala nya)... and pag iwas sa red carpet tuwing me SONA. besides, ilang buwan pala naman sya nakakaupo sa housing czar, eh yung ngang last na humawak ng position nya, 6 na taon nyang hinawakan yan pero panay pangangampanya ginawa since day 1

Dear Leni,

For over a half-year since your "anointment" as a VP, where are you at this moment? There seems to have been a feast of publicity going on in social media. Do you still have the time to sleep? By the way, I saw your stunning pictures online. I like them.

Juan Ponce Enrile

alter - other

Dear Leni,

Looks like what goes around, comes around!

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/589248/news/nation/move-on-leni-robredo-camp-tells-bongbong-marcos

...but contains a BIG FISH!

Almost the same sentiment as JC...

Dear Noynoy,

Pres Duterte had managed to shake hand with Sen. De Lima despite the bickering between them. To me, that was a sign of humility on the president’s part regardless of how he had shown it.

Pero ikaw, bakit mo inirapan si GMA?

(figuratively)

That only goes to show the feminine side of you. Or was it a manifestation of eating too much ampalaya?

Ito lang masasabi ko, sa una pa lang mas pabor ang Tsina sa bilateral agreement kaysa sa idaan sa pakikipagusap sa ASEAN group o idulog sa tribunal. Kaya di na nakapagtataka kung bakit di sumipot ang representative ng Tsina habang dinidinig pa lamang ang arbitration case.

Mas may bentahe na tayo kumpara sa ibang mga kalapit-bansa natin na nag-aangkin din ng teritoryo, ngayong pumabor ang UN sa atin. At mas may basehan na rin tayo para panindigan yung karapatan natin sa pinag-aagawang karagatan.

At kung hindi ako nagkakamali, ang pagpabor sa atin ng UN hindi nangangahulugan na umaayon and UN sa kung ano yung inaangkin natin. Ang sa kanila ay ruling o resolusyon lamang sa sovereign rights natin. Bagama’t nanalo tayo, hindi pa panahon para magbunyi. Lalo na sa nasa poder kagaya ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. Nasa kanila ngayon ang matinding pressure.

Para sa kanila, hindi pwede ang magpadalos-dalos ng desisyon. Kaya tama lang na idinaan ng nakaraang administrasyon sa diplomasya sa pamamagitan ng pag file ng kasong arbitraryo laban sa Tsina para maisaalang-alang ang kapayapaan.

Kung tutuusin malaking kredito ito para kay Pnoy (bagama’t di sang-ayon sa kanya ang karamihan [kasama na ako dun] sa estilo ng pamumuno nya) at siguro pwedeng isipin na legacy nya.

Pero matatawag nga bang legacy? Pwede rin siguro. Sa mga meron kasi, sabi nila disbentahe ang sobrang diplomasyang ginawa kaya napabayaang nakapagpatayo ang Tsina ng sarili nilang “isla” sa Spratly . Kayo na lang humusga.

Kung iniisip natin paano maaalis yung itinayong “isla” (ibig lang sabihin teritoryo nila yun at magkakagyera muna bago makuha sa kanila) yan ngayon ang malaking katanungan. Yung ruling nga na pumabor sa atin, di nila matanggap, yun pa kayang isipin kung paano natin mabubura ang islang yun. lol

What's next now that the tribunal favored us?

https://www.rt.com/news/350756-south-china-sea-hague/

Dear Digong.

Congratulations on your landslide win.