THE FIVE PILLARS OF JUSTICE IS LIKE A CHAIN

The five pillars of justice namely law enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, corrections and rehabilitation are like a chain that should not be broken, otherwise there will be a breakdown of justice, and we will all suffer. A chain is a series of links that should always be connected to each other, otherwise, if one of the links will snap, the entire chain will break. Looking at our present justice system now, it seems that corrections and rehabilitation are the weak links that are causing the entire justice system to break. It appears however that corrections and rehabilitation are back-to-back parts of the process that should really complement each other. In reality, it is difficult to tell where corrections would end, and where rehab would start. Except for those who are imprisoned for life or those who have been given the death sentence, all PDLs are supposed to be “corrected” and “rehabilitated” in preparation for their reentry back to society, where they are expected to become law abiding, responsible and productive citizens. Probably because of overpopulation and the mismanagement of our prisons and jails, this preparation for reentry does not seem to be happening and on the contrary, some prisoners and detainees have become more hardened criminals than when they came in. by definition, corrections also include probation and parole, aside from incarceration. Let us look into these two options as solutions to overpopulation. IKE SENERES/12-31-23

WATER VERSUS ELECTRICITY

If given a choice between water and electricity, what would you rather have? Someone asked me that question recently, and I choose water, arguing that I could live without electricity, but not without water. I was contented with my answer, but I was bothered by the fact that many Filipino families could not make the choice I made, because they neither have water nor electricity. Having access to water is actually a measure of poverty. In the new measure of poverty called the “Multidimensional Poverty Index” (MPI), everything is measured according to a household’s access to basic goods and services, instead of simply measuring whether a household could afford the imaginary basket of goods or not. But who is keeping track as to how many households have access to clean potable water and how many do not? The fact is, only the lower-class drink from tap water, and only the middle and the upper classes drink bottled water, because they are the only ones who could afford it. Again, who is keeping track? Should it be the LGUs? Should the water concessionaires and the water districts be also tasked with data gathering? If no one is keeping track, where are we getting the data to report as compliance to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? We are only six years away from the deadline, and we should really know where we stand. I hope that our data is accurate. IKE SENERES/12-31-2023

LET’S APPOINT A WATER CZAR

We know for a fact that the Secretary of Agriculture is our de facto food czar, but do we know who our water czar is? If we really do not have one, is it not time to appoint one before it is too late? While some might say that it is too early for that, I say that it is the right time to do it now, because we are already seeing some symptoms of shortages that could come sooner or later. God forbid, let us not wait for the time when we have to import fresh water, just like what we are doing with rice now. Perhaps about twenty years ago, it probably sounded like a crazy idea to import rice, being an agricultural country with plenty of land and water. Fast forward to today, who is crazy now? I hate to play a blame game later on, that is why we should act now while we can. No, I am not proposing the creation of a “Department of Water”, because that would create another layer of the bureaucracy that could even slow down things further. What I am suggesting is a water czar with cabinet rank, who will be reporting directly to the President, and who could work closely with the dozens of departments and agencies that are either producers or users of water. To begin with, the water czar should base his plans and recommendations on real supply and demand data, not just guesswork and rough estimates. If he needs help, I can activate my think tank group to assist him. IKE SENERES/12-31-2023

HOSPITALS AND BROWNOUTS

I know for a fact that in some countries, the local electric companies maintain databases that enable them to inform PWDs and senior citizens of planned or scheduled brownouts, especially who have pacemakers. Of course, no one can do anything about sudden or unexpected brownouts, but that is another story. Here in the Philippines, I have not heard of MERALCO having these databases, and neither do the provincial electric coops have it. Why is that so? Is it a matter of lacking awareness? Or perhaps lacking any interest in customer care? Or is it a case of not realizing how critical it is? Of course, it is, because it could mean life or death for those who have pacemakers. And what about the hospitals? Does MERALCO and the electric coops have a system of notifying them of planned or scheduled brownouts? Certainly, notifications over the mass media would not be enough, because this is a matter of life and death. Aside from mass media and social media, there should be backup systems like the use of SMS and UHF/VHF radios. And how should we go about solving this problem? Is there a need to pass a national law, or is an Executive Order enough? For a start, perhaps the DOE could issue a Department Order, since both MERALCO and the electric coops are under their jurisdiction. For my part, I am just a writer and I have done my part by publishing this article. Someone else has to champion this cause by bringing it to DOE. IKE SENERES/12-31-2023

DETAINEES VERSUS PRISONERS

I am not an expert in the interpretation of laws, but even as a layman, I know for a fact that prisons are not the same as jails and that prisoners are not the same as detainees. Moreover, I also know that minors are not supposed to be mixed with adults in the jail cells. And correct me if I am wrong, but is it not wrong to put minors in jails? That they should be in detention centers instead? There should be no confusion about putting prisoners in the prisons because that is really the place for those who are convicted of major crimes, “convicted” being the operative word. However, there appears to be a lot of confusion about putting people in the jails. I do not think there is anything wrong about putting those who are convicted of minor crimes in the jails, but why also put in those who are not yet convicted, meaning those who are still awaiting trial? And why also put in the minors there? What does the law say about the overcrowding in our jails? Who could be held accountable? Of course, the government could say that nothing could be done because of budgetary constraints. If that is the case, why not add to the budget of the BJMP? And why can’t the LGUs augment these budgets, considering that these jails are within their jurisdictions? I know that there is a parole system at the national level, but is there a parole system at the local level? That could be worth looking into. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-31-2023

CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGEMENT FOR GOVERNMENT

Whether they have done it purposely or accidentally, DOH might have paved the way for a new trend in the management of customer relations in the government. In ICT lingo, the proper term for this is Customer Relations Management, or CRM for short. Just as a backgrounder, CRM is a billion-dollar industry in the private sector, with big high-tech companies like SalesForce and Accenture raking in the big bucks by selling either hardware, software, services or any combinations of the three. Sad to say, CRM is still not widely used in the government. Probably, this is due to a lack of awareness, or a lack of interest. In all probability, DOH has not yet deployed a CRM system, but they have done something that no amount of technology could do, and that is to reach out to the general public to bring their services to the poor, even if they are not requesting for it. To me, this is like the grace of God that is being given to us, even if we do not ask for it, and even if we do not deserve it. I am referring to a recent incident wherein some DOH staff went out of their way to locate a child who had accidentally swallowed a firecracker. These DOH staff not only located the child, they also brought him to a hospital and treated him there, at no expense to his family. That may have been an ordinary feat that could have escaped my attention, but to me, it really stands out as a shining example in a sea of indifference and apathy. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-31-2023

FREE SUPPLY OF BLOOD BETWEEN HOSPITALS

I think that ideally, all hospitals, public and private, should have their own blood bank. If they do not have that yet, they should immediately make plans to put up one, because it really does not require rocket science to do it. I know that the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Philippine Blood Center (PBC) could always supply blood when needed, but it is always good for the hospitals to have their own. The next best thing to the hospitals having their own blood banks is for all hospitals to have their own system of supplying blood to each other, free of charge, because after all, the law prohibits the buying and selling of blood. What could take its place is a system of debits and credits that has no money involved. I am sure that the hospitals would be able to put up this computerized blood exchange system on their own, but I am willing to help them put it up if necessary. In all probability, they might probably prefer to put up an internet based, cloud-based system, but if they will ask me, I will recommend to them to back it up with an SMS system that is not dependent on the internet, plus, a radio system that is not dependent on both the internet and the SMS system. For good measure, it would be good for the blood banks to have a backup generator in the event of brownouts, plus a system of storage batteries that could be powered by solar panels. It’s always good to have backup. IKE SENERES/12-30-23

MORE SOCIAL WORKERS FOR HOSPITALS

Based on my own experience as a former Director of PCSO, an indigent who seeks financial assistance for his or her hospital expenses would almost always end up with a balance to still pay, despite the PCSO guarantee letter, and despite the coverage provided by PHILHEALTH. This is the reason why these indigents still have to run around to try and get financial assistance wherever they could get it, including the mayors, the governors, the congressmen and even the senators. For those who are lucky enough, some are able to get some additional assistance one way or the other, while the others may have to fall victim to loan sharks. My point here is not so much about the lack of assistance from those who can give, but the lack of someone who could coordinate the search for assistance, a function that could be done by a social worker who is connected with, or employed by the hospital, and not by the DSWD. I have seen how difficult it is for the relatives of the patients to go around to look for help, considering that more often than not, they could not even go out of the hospital because they have to watch over their patients. This might sound like a difficult function to do, but I know that it can work, because I have done it before, knocking on doors on behalf of the indigents. We are not lacking in social workers because our schools are always producing good graduates. What is needed is for the hospitals to hire them soonest. IKE SENERES/12-30-23

HOSPITAL BEDS TO POPULATION RATIO

The number of hospital beds available as a ratio to the total population is a measure of development that should be monitored by the government and reported to the public. So far, I could only find regional data as of now, which is not enough I think, because no one is really accountable for meeting targets at that level. Ideally, the data should be reported at the provincial level, so that the governors would at least be accountable. Better still, it should be reported at the municipal level, so that the mayors could also be accountable. Much as it would be good to have these data sets monitored and reported, this is really difficult to do, because the governors and mayors really do not have direct jurisdiction over the private hospitals. However, this is where incentives could come in, because the governors and mayors have it within their powers to grant incentives to private hospitals, including exemptions from property taxes and even the free use of public lands. If there is a will there is a way so to speak, and there are many ways to encourage the addition of more hospital beds. The World Health Organization (WHO) prescribes a ratio of one hospital bed per 1,000 population. Based on the data that I have gathered so far, it is only NCR that has passed the minimum ratio, with 13.5 beds per 10,000 population. Given that data, we should not wonder why there was a shortage of beds during the pandemic. IKE SENERES/12-30-2023

CHARITY BEDS IN PRIVATE HOSPITALS

It’s not funny, but I have heard jokes about we Filipinos being so good in crafting laws in perfect English, and yet we are not so perfect when it comes to implementing these laws. One such example is an Administrative Order (AO) issued by the DOH, mandating all private hospitals to allocate at least ten percent of their total capacity to charity beds, meaning beds for indigent patients. Probably, there is an IRR out there somewhere that I could not find right now. But as the saying goes, “the devil is in the details”. As such, we will not really know what that AO entails, until we can see the details. One thing for sure however, I have not seen or heard of any system, computerized or otherwise, that could do the monitoring and reporting of compliance. Almost always in most hospitals, incoming patients for admission are asked whether they have a health card or not. If not, it would indicate that the patient would most likely not have the capacity to pay, being probably an indigent. In theory, all hospitals should admit all indigent patients or not, as long as their allocation for charity beds have not been filled. But who determines whether a patient is genuinely an indigent or not? And who is keeping count of whether the allocations for charity beds have been filled up or not? I think these questions could be answered if all hospitals could hire regular social workers in their staff. But are they required to do that? And who is monitoring if they are doing it? IKE SENERES/12-30-2023

WHO IS MONITORING THE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM?

Who is monitoring the mental health problem in the Philippines? I know it is the DOH, but which unit of the DOH? And where are they posting their reports? Of course, it is one thing to monitor a problem, it is another thing to report it. Besides, what good are their accomplishments if they are not telling us about it? The recent incident involving suicide in a Metro Manila mall has again brought attention to the issue of mental health in our country. No one is calling it an epidemic yet, but it seems that the numbers are significant enough for the government to pay more attention to this problem. To me, this looks like a cause-and-effect problem. Most possibly, suicide is caused by a mental health problem, if that is not too obvious yet. At the risk of generalizing too much, I would even say that the mental health problem is the effect of the illegal drugs problem, as if we do not know that yet. Of course, there could be other causes of mental problem, but it would not be wrong to say that somehow, the illegal drugs problem always gets into the equation here and there. That is why I always say that drug addiction should be treated as a health problem, specifically a mental health problem. At the risk of being accused of making too sweeping accusations, I would even say that poverty, or the conditions brought about by poverty could also result in mental health problems. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-30-2023/iseneres@yahoo.com

RICE EXPORT TARGET

Do not laugh now, but is it really possible for the Philippines to become a net exporter of rice? Why not? Singapore has a “30 By 30” program that aims to produce 30% of their food supply by 2030. Why don’t we set that kind of a goal? To at least produce 100% of our rice requirements by a certain year? Or even better, to be able to export a certain percent of our rice surplus by a certain year? Singapore’s target is only six years away. In our case, we could probably make it ten years away. As I see it, this is not a laughing matter because we have all that it takes to become a net exporter of rice. Obviously, we have the land, we have the manpower, and we have the scientists who could help us achieve our goals. As a matter of fact, our scientists are so good, such that they were pirated by foreign countries that are now producing the rice that we are importing. Let us just have a reality check. We could really not continue importing our rice supplies. Not because we do not have the money to pay for the imports, but because the time may come when our foreign sources may become either unwilling or unable to sell to us, probably because of shortfalls or shortages in their own countries. Instead of talking about import targets, the government should already be talking about export targets, and how to mobilize the resources that would make that happen. It is time to believe in ourselves. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-29-2023

WHO IS ON TOP OF THE WAR AGAINST INVASIVE SPECIES?

Who is on top of the war against invasive species? Or has the government really declared that war? To name two examples, the janitor fish and the knife fish are still multiplying like crazy in Laguna Lake, and they are probably also wreaking havoc in nearby water systems within the vicinity, including the Pasig River. Both the janitor fish and the knife fish were originally introduced locally as ornamental fish, but then they escaped into the lakes and rivers when floods came. Either that, or some irresponsible owners simply threw them away, not knowing the problems that they would cause. Both invasive fish eat the eggs of other fish and even other smaller fish, thus making them a threat to the ecosystems. Believe it or not, tilapia is also an invasive species, but it has been around for so long such that many people think that it is already a native fish. Native or not, what is important to consider is whether or not it is causing damage to the ecosystems by affecting the real native species, and the answer to that is yes. Every now and then, we hear about efforts by the LLDA to control the invasive species in the lake, but it seems they are not winning the war. Either that, or they are not very good at reporting their victories. Besides, it should be the DENR that should be leading this war nationwide, and there are more invasive species to fight. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-29-23

SOCIALIZATION OF BLOOD SUPPLIES

Perhaps as a spill over from my days as a PCSO Director, I still get emergency requests for blood supplies coming from the relatives of patients who need these. Thanks to my friends at the Philippine Blood Center (PBC), Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Dugong Alay Dugtong Buhay (DADB), I am still able to provide the blood supplies. Although PBC and PRC are both very efficient and have never said no to my requests, many relatives of needy patients are asking me why they have to pay for the blood supplies. In their understanding, the blood is being “sold” to them. I always try to explain to them that under the law, it is prohibited to “sell” blood, and that both PBC and PRC are very careful not to break the law. What actually happens is that both PBC and PRC are charging for “processing fees”, which is really just one way for them to Recover their operating costs. Perhaps one way to do away with these fees is to increase the budget of the PBC, being a government agency under the DOH. The PRC is an autonomous NGO, but there is nothing that prohibits the government from donating to it. DADB is also an NGO, and it could freely accept donations from the public and grants from the government. In the absence of additional budgets, perhaps both PBC and PRC could adopt policies that would allow them to waive the “processing” fees for indigent patients. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-29-2023/iseneres@yahoo.com

MAINTENANCE OF BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT

It’s a sad reality in government offices that vehicles, machineries and equipment are condemned by declaring these as “unserviceable”, even if in reality, these are still repairable. There is a rule in government that it is acceptable to repair defective items for as long as the cost of the repair will not exceed half of the acquisition cost. More often than not however, some government find it “easier” to buy new items rather than have these repaired. When the computer technologies shifted from Local Area Networks (LANs) to the cloud, the burden of repairs lessened, as the workload shifted from onsite to online. That is the case of office computing, but that is not going to be the case when it comes to hospital automation. In the case of the latter, most of the equipment would still be onsite. Although biomedical equipment are technically just computer equipment also, the latter are more difficult to maintain and repair, aside from the fact that these are mostly mission critical and would usually be used in life and death situations. That is the reason why biomedical repair and maintenance would require higher sets of skills. Dr. Luis Ramon Rodriguez, President of Philippine Medical Depot (PMD) has found a way to train highly skilled biomed technicians in his specialized school, and he also makes these technicians available to all hospitals if and when needed. They could also be hired by these hospitals if necessary. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-29-2023

LET’S ADD MORE HOSPITAL BUILDINGS

The numbers do not lie. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a shortage of beds in all of the hospitals in the country. The numbers do not lie, and the mathematical equation is simple. If the hospitals would want to add more beds, they have to add more buildings, or extensions, if you please. As of now, adding more hospitals is a very complex project, requiring a lot of time and efforts. Fortunately, there is an alternative now by simply using reconditioned shipping container vans and prefabricated building materials. The buildings could be built on site, but these could also be dismantled and built elsewhere if necessary. Mr. Jorge Malig is President of Vantaztic, a company that has been making portable buildings and prefabricated structures for many years now. These buildings could either be used as doctor’s clinics, laboratory facilities or hospital wards, as the case may be. At the request of the client, these could come complete with connections for power, water and even internet. But what is a hospital building without medical equipment? In search of an answer to that question, Mr. Malig has already partnered with Dr. Luis Ramon Rodriguez, who is President of Philippine Medical Depot (PMD). Thanks to Dr. Rodriguez, these hospital buildings could already be supplied with whatever medical equipment are needed. Both Mr. Malig and Dr. Rodriguez are open to payment terms that would be favorable to the clients. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-29-2023

MORE DORMITORIES FOR STATE UNIVERSITIES

The story about the UP Diliman student who was found sleeping in a bus stop inside the UP campus bothers me up to now, not only because I am a UP alumnus, but also because I stayed in a campus dorm during most of my college days. I think that the problem of dormitory spaces in the campus is two-fold. One side is affordability, and the other side is availability. Believe it or not, even if the tuition fees in the state universities are practically free, there are still many students who could not afford to pay for their board and lodging, even in the low-priced campus dorms. The solution perhaps, is not only to make more dorm space available, the solution is also to make them more affordable. Mr. Jorge Malig is a social entrepreneur who has been successful in repurposing used shipping container vans by converting them into affordable residential homes and commercial offices. After learning about the shortages of dorm spaces in the state colleges and universities, he is now offering his technologies and services that would need these. I on the other hand, have offered to help him so that he could connect with these school officials. Mr. Malig says that he is open to any business arrangement, as long as it will solve the problem and help the schools. Aside from students, he could also build housing for faculty members and non-academic personnel. IKE SENERES/12-29-2023

LET’S APPOINT A GARBAGE CZAR

Depending on who is looking at it, garbage could either be a problem or an opportunity. For sure, it is an opportunity for the poor people who are able to make a living by gathering recyclable and marketable materials from the garbage dump. As a matter of fact, some businessmen have become rich by simply looking at garbage not as garbage, but as recyclables. I do not know if it is still there, but I visited a very successful Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Los Banos not just once, but twice. That is so because I was very impressed by what they were doing. They were doing everything right, such that only a small percentage of what was supposed to be garbage ended up as non-recyclables. To cut a long story short, the real recyclables such as paper, plastic, glass and metal were sorted out and were sold for their market value, which is probably the reason why they were able to maintain the operating costs of their MRF. The rest of the organic waste was either fed to the earthworms to produce vermicast, or were converted directly to organic fertilizers. Why do we need a garbage czar? The first reason is because the management of garbage cuts across many government agencies and there is really no government agency that is on top of everything. For example, no one is looking at the potential of garbage as a source of renewable energy or of organic fertilizers. The second reason is to implement recycling laws, including the MRFs. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-28-23

NIGHT HIGH SCHOOLS

La Salle Green Hills in Mandaluyong and St. Scholastica’s College in Manila are two of the Catholic schools that are offering free or affordable education for high school students who could only attend classes at night. Since these two schools started with their programs, many have already graduated, and many are now productively employed. As I understand it, these two schools are also blending TESDA accredited vocational courses into their curriculums, in such a way that their graduates have the option of finding employment right away, aside from the other option of proceeding to college. I do not know what it would take to convince the rest of the Catholic schools to follow the example of La Salle and St. Scholastica’s, since this is a wonderful idea that should be replicated nationwide. Hopefully, more schools owned by religious orders will follow suit, and better if the diocesan or parochial schools would also do it. I know for a fact that Catholic schools already have enough tax exemptions that enable them to fulfill their mission of educating the youth, but I also would not object to the idea of giving them more incentives if they also cater to adult students, something that these two schools are already doing. What is an even better idea I think is for Catholic schools or any school for that matter to offer online classes so that anyone, anywhere could take any course anytime. IKE SENERES/12-28-2023

RETOOLING AND UPSKILLING OF WORKERS

It is already a given reality that many workers are losing their jobs as the demand for employable skills are changing, driven by new technologies that are being used in their workplaces, driven by new hardware or software or by combinations of both. It is not really a case of sink or swim, because it is more of a case of do or die, meaning that no matter how these workers would try to swim with the currents, they could still “die” if they could not adjust to the new realities either by retooling or upskilling or by combinations of both. In theory, it should be the DOLE that should be monitoring and tracking the changes in the job markets, locally and globally. I hope that they are doing that, otherwise we would be in deep trouble if they are not. Perhaps, these functions could be performed by our Labor Attaches, if they are not too busy helping their OFW clients. In addition, our Trade Attaches could also perform these functions, or they could work together as part of one country team under the direction of the Ambassador or the Consul General. Since most of these changes are technology related, it would also be practical for both the DOST and the DICT to join the tracking and monitoring, possibly including the DTI also, since the Trade Attaches report to them. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-28-2023

DEALING WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Many people are now scared that the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) could directly affect them because they could lose their jobs. That is actually more than just a possibility now, because it is already happening. There is no way that we could go around AI, because the only way to deal with it is to go heads on with it. Right now, I could say that no one really knows what form or shape AI is going to take. I could only say that whatever happens next, we should control AI as a technology, instead of being controlled by it. The fear of many people is that the emergence of AI could lead to a battle between mankind and machines. That could happen if we do not control the technology. Perhaps one way to deal with AI is to learn our lessons from how we dealt with nuclear technology. Generally speaking, technology is neutral, that means that it could be used for either good or bad, depending on who is controlling it. However, the fact that it could be used for bad is no reason to stop it and discard it as it is emerging. When it comes to the management of technology, I propose that the government should separate the developmental functions from the regulatory functions, because there is an inherent conflict of interest between the two. One should check each other, to keep a balance that is generally good for the whole society. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-28-2023

TELECONSULTATION AS TELEMEDICINE

I started advocating telemedicine over ten years ago, but it did not take off at that time, perhaps because it was not the right time for it back then. Sad to say, I even heard the feedback that some doctors at that time did not like the idea because they could not make money from it. Fast forward to the present times, we learned from our experience in the covid pandemic that it is already the right time to use telemedicine and not only that, the doctors could make money from it in the same way as face-to-face consultations. As it is now, telemedicine in the form of teleconsultation is already very popular, except that right now, it is only available to the middle class and the upper classes who could afford it. That is so because one session of teleconsultation could cost a patient at least 800 pesos. Fortunately, there are some government officials who are finding ways to make teleconsultation available to the lower classes in such a way that it would be free of cost to them. One such official is Governor Presby Velasco of Marinduque Province, who is setting up a system that will service six municipalities. As planned, the hub of the system will be the Provincial Health Office (PHO) where the doctors will be based. The spokes will be the Municipal Health Offices (MHOs) where local residents could avail of the system via the internet. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-28-2023

USING ROBOTS FOR AGRICULTURE

Unknown to most of us, many teenagers have already built their own drones using microprocessors such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Knowing that, it makes me wonder whether these kids could also build their own robots, considering that a robot is basically a drone, and vice versa, a drone is basically a robot. When the term drone is mentioned, most people would probably think of flying drones, because that is the most popular application of this technology now. However, as of now, there are many other variations of drones, such as walking drones and swimming drones, as in swimming under the water. I also recall that some innovative students have already built solar powered electric vehicles some years back. Since in theory those vehicles might have already used robotics technology, then it would not be far fetched to think that anyone with the right technical inclination could already build robots in one form or another. Many robotics companies recently showcased their prototypes, and one popular model is that of a robot that looks like a dog and walks like a dog. Looking at that model, one would wonder it is actually a drone with legs, or whether it is a robot that simply looks like a drone. That said, why don’t we look into the idea of building drones and robots to replace farm tractors? IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-27-2023

BETTER MANAGEMENT OF FOSTER CARE

It appears that the government is not so serious about how our foster care system. Either that, or the government is not doing it the right way, and therefore we need to overhaul the whole system. Or perhaps it is the orientation that is wrong, because R.A. 10165 states that the purpose of the law is to strengthen and propagate foster care for “abused, abandoned and neglected and other children with special needs”. I am saying that the orientation is wrong, because in my understanding, the purpose of foster care is not only for the above reasons, but it is also for all children that are either orphaned or do not have a family home to live in, meaning that they need not be in such “problematic” situations as defined about. Based on available data as of 2015, there are less than two thousand children in the foster care system, being cared for by less than two thousand licensed foster care families. The lack of updated data is already a sign that the government is not paying enough to this social problem. Another indicator is that the government spent only a little over 40 million pesos from 2012 to 2015. I doubt if anyone knows the real numbers, I would say that the number of children that should be put into the foster care system could at least be one million, give or take. Looking ahead, the foster care system should be devolved to the local government units (LGUs). IKE SENERES/12-26-2023

COOPERATIVE OWNED HEALTH CLINICS

There is now an opportunity for cooperatives to operate their own health clinics, perhaps as an alternative to the government operated Barangay Health Units (BHUs). Unlike the BHUs however, the Cooperative Health Clinics (CHCs) have to be run as commercial enterprises, and not as charitable or as public service clinics. What that means is that the cooperative members have to pay for the goods and services that they get from the CHC, although at much cheaper and more affordable prices. That is so because the cooperatives could sell free of retail taxes, and on top of that, they could also offer patronage discounts and stock dividends. What makes this opportunity more attractive is that the costs of some goods and services could be reimbursed by PHILHEALTH, and on top of that, the cooperatives could even earn some revenues because of the incentives that the health insurer has allocated to participating clinics. In order to be accredited by PHILHEALTH however, the CHCs need to have full time doctors on duty, and they also need to have access to pharmacy supplies and diagnostic laboratory services. On top of that, they need to maintain Electronic Medical Records (EMR) that should be protected by data privacy laws. If you are part of a cooperative and you need help in putting up your own CHC, let me know so that I could connect you to accredited providers. IKE SENERES/12-26-2023

COMMUNITY BASED URBAN FARMING

I live in a village where someone picks up our food waste, supposedly for conversion into organic fertilizer. I am happy to do that, as my contribution to recycling, but how I wish I would have a way to find out what happens to the fertilizers. Either that, or what could be better is if I could also benefit from my contributions. In this same village, I also see a many vacant lots that have actually become an eyesore, because of tall grass growing, and sometimes because these are often used as dumpsites by some irresponsible villagers. How I wish that these eyesores could be removed in such a way that the resulting solution could also benefit all villagers. One possible solution is to convert these vacant lots into urban farms and I mean real farms and not just simple backyard gardens. What I really mean is that these urban farms should benefit the village association because it would be revenue generating, and it would also benefit the villagers by way of having access to vegetables that are safer, cheaper and fresher. During the covid pandemic, it was a good idea to put up the community kitchens. The downside about that idea however, is that the organizers had to buy their vegetables that were not safe, cheap and fresh. By safe, I mean being chemical free and being organic. The solution therefore is to grow these vegetables using their own organic fertilizers from food waste. IKE SENERES/12-26-2023

PENOLOGY VERSUS DEVELOPMENT OF DETAINEES

There appears to be a conflict of interests in the role of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). While their agency name alludes to “penology” as one of their functions, their mandate states that it is responsible for the “safekeeping and development of people deprived of liberties” (PDLs). The Merriam-Webster dictionary says that a “jail” is supposed to be a place to keep people who are awaiting trial or are held for minor crimes, whereas a “prison” is a place for people convicted of serious crimes. I am sure that the distinction is clear enough for anyone to understand, but more often than not, these two terms are often used interchangeably. Regardless of whether a facility is a “jail” or a “prison”, I think that the objective should be to reform or develop a person, and not to punish or penalize him or her. In reality however, the opposite is happening in our “jails” and “prisons”, because they have become places where people become more hardened criminals, perhaps more severe than when they came in. In theory, detainees of “jails” are not supposed to stay for more than one year, not unless they are convicted of minor crimes and are sentenced to longer detention time. Assuming however that their detention period would not be extended, it would really be best to “develop” their character and their skills so that they could rejoin society as responsible and productive citizens. 12/24/2023

FOOD AND WATER SECURITY COMBINED

Without meaning to, Fr. Nards Guiritan of the Diocese of Butuan might have invented a two-in-one strategy that combines the assurance of food and water security for the people of his diocese now, and for generations to come. This might sound an old idea, but Fr. Nards is now aggressively pursuing this approach with new vigor. Actually, Fr. Nards is not new to this kind of work, for so many years now, he has successfully combined food and job security projects with a similar two-in-one combination. Not owning any land of his own, he “borrows” idle lands from willing landowners and plants crops on them thus giving jobs to his farmer beneficiaries and giving them food eat as well. Now alarmed that fresh water supply is running out in the communities within his diocese, he sought the blessings of his bishop to plant and grow fruit trees in the denuded mountains around him. Since I grew up in one of those communities, I know for a fact that we have lost the water supply simply because we have lost the forest cover in our mountains. Targeting both the indigenous people and the landless farmers in the diocese, he is again “borrowing” land not only from the government, but also from the willing landowners. I suggested to him to try the “lease-purchase” or rent-to-own approach, and he liked the idea. Now I am asking volunteer lawyers to create the legal framework for him. For sure, we can do this in other dioceses also. 12/24/2023

BJMP GUARDS ABUSE OF MINOR DETAINEES

It has been reported by some vloggers that some BJMP guards are abusing or physically mistreating minors who are detained in their facilities. Either that, or these guards are just allowing some older detainees to maltreat the younger boys. Whether that is true or not, I suggest that the BJMP management should already install webcams in all their facilities so that they could monitor what is happening within the cells. Webcams are very cheap nowadays and are easy to install. If they need help in installing it, I can call for volunteers. 12/24/2023

ADVOCACY MEMO 0004-2023-12-21

ADVOCACY MEMO 0004-2023-12-21 TO: DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo CC: OES/Senate Foreign Relations Committee RE: Opening of Vice Consulates It is interesting to note that the Philippines has very few “Consulates”, and the rest are “Consulates General”. As I recall, the DFA finds it difficult to open more “Consulates” and “Consulates General”, presumably because of budgetary reasons. Either that, or it appears to be difficult to convince the Congress to open more consular posts. For whatever it is worth, the DFA might find it practical and economical to open more “Vice-Consulates” instead, as an alternative. Based on my limited research, there appears to be no prohibition towards opening such “Vice-Consulates” in places where there are huge Filipino populations, and it might even be allowed in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Opening such “Vice-Consulates” would be economical, because the DFA could just rent small rooms in virtual offices that are so affordable, such that even small companies could afford. An even more affordable option would be co-working spaces. In both options, office equipment and even support staff are part of the regular services, thus saving the DFA more money. RAMON IKE V. SENERES

ADVOCACY MEMO 0003-2023-12-20

ADVOCACY MEMO 0003-2023-12-20 TO: DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma CC: NLRC/PSA/NEDA/OES RE: Legal Definition of the Unemployment Rate According to Investopedia, unemployment refers to “a situation where a person actively searches for employment but is unable to find work”. It appears however that in the present local definition of who are included in the so-called “labor force”, all the those who are “jobless” are included, regardless of whether they are actively seeking employment or not. Looking at it from another angle, it seems that the gathering of data about “underemployment” somehow overlaps with the data about “unemployed”. My late brother Ambassador Roy Seneres said that a person is “underemployed” if he or she has to work on a job that is below his or her qualifications. It seems that right now however, “underemployed” is interpreted to mean that a person is working less than eight hours a day. And then there is that other question of who is really “self-employed”. What about those who are just trying to sell goods on the streets and in the wet markets but could not even make both ends meet? Should they be considered “self-employed”? if the answer is no, then it would come out that the real unemployment rate is really higher than what we think it is. RAMON IKE V. SENERES

ADVOCACY MEMO 0002-2023-12-20

TO: DHSUD Secretary Jerry Acuzar CC: NHA/DILG/MMDA/OES RE: Legal Definition of Homelessness Homelessness is a problem all over the world, and it is of no surprise that it is also a problem here in the Philippines. However, I have observed that there appears to be no legal definition here about who a homeless person is or what homelessness is. Some countries have defined a homeless person as someone who lives outdoors or in the streets or who has no permanent place to stay. The latter is relative to the fact that some of these persons may be able to stay in temporary shelters. I believe that here in the Philippines, the above definitions could be applicable, but what is probably more applicable here is to define a homeless person as someone who does not have a “home”. If we accept that as a definition, then the following question would have to be answered. Can a shanty or a makeshift dwelling (barong barong) without water and electricity be considered a “home”? If the answer to that question is no, then obviously the statistics about “homelessness” would go up. But right now, do we even know what is the “homeless rate” in this country? RAMON IKE V. SENERES

ADVOCACY MEMO 0001-2023-12-20

ADVOCACY MEMO 0001-2023-12-20 TO: DOTR Secretary Jaime J. Bautista CC: DENR/LTO/LTFRB/OTC/MMDA/OES RE: Implementation of Emission Testing/Clean Air Laws In the news recently is the worsening of traffic flows in Metro Manila, particularly in EDSA. I believe that the government is doing everything to solve the problem of traffic congestion, but perhaps it is not two late to revisit two solutions that could help remedy this problem. First solution: Enforcement of clean air laws particularly the rules pertaining to emission testing. I believe that if the law is strictly implemented, at least twenty percent of vehicles will be taken off the roads due to non-compliance. Second solution: Creation of a database that will record the moving violations of erring drivers. Suspend the licenses of these drivers upon reaching a certain number of violations. I believe that if this is done, more vehicles will be taken off the roads. RAMON IKE V. SENERES

revival

hello i am rviving my blog as of today december 23, 2023