“By having the face-to-face program scheduled in November, teachers will have at least two months to rest and be ready for work”
With the advancement of technology, the credibility and accountability of journalists have been put to a test.
Take the example of social media, where those who purvey a lot of disinformation and misinformation and where “glorified chismosos,” calling themselves bloggers and vloggers flooded social media, especially during the national and local elections.
With many bloggers and vloggers flooding social media with so-called facts and information,
which are actually misinformation and disinformation, people are often confused as to which is false and which is truth , as a result that the credibility of mainstream media is out to a test.
This is where the difference lies.
While we journalists have accountability for what we write, bloggers and vloggers do not.
We journalists are accountable to the newspapers where we write and are always observant
of the ethics of journalism, whereas the so-called bloggers and vloggers are not.
They purvey rumors and falsehood and lies. In other words, we are obligated to tell the truth, while bloggers and vloggers do not.
But, they can be sued for cyber libel which carries both imprisonment and fines. Santa Banana, while modern technology makes communication and information accessible with just a flick of the finger, it also has its negative effects.
There are predictions that in 30 to 50 years, print media will become passe and communication will be only through the Internet and other digital communications.
This could be true. But, in the meantime, we as journalists have our responsibility to tell
the truth with fairness and objectivity.
It is for all these reasons that I was alarmed when Bongbong’s Press Secretary Trixie Angeles, a blogger, made a stupid and foolish suggestion to accredit bloggers and vloggers to the Malacanang Press Corps which covers all the statements and activities of the President .
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President Marcos wants to rightsize the bureaucracy and get rid of its many useless agencies that drain the government of its necessary funds.
This is of course another problem because in rightsizing the bureaucracy if only to raise P6.5 billion critically needed to fund urgent priorities of the administration, you create another problem of joblessness, which is estimated to be another six million people out of work. It now depends on priority.
As an observer, being a journalist, there is a long pending proposal to abolish the PCGG or the Presidential Commission on Good Government, which was created by then President Cory Aquinoto to go after the hidden wealth or alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.
In abolishing the PCGG, again, the leftists and anti-Marcos elements will take that as a way for President Marcos to evade the pursuit of ill-gotten wealth.
I raise these questions because it’s about time Congress decide whether or not it’s much better to abolish the PCGG than to lose so much time, effort and money going after alleged ill–gotten wealth of the Marcoses and their cronies.
The fact is that the PCGG has been losing so many times in the Supreme Court because of the inefficiency of its commissioners and its lawyers.
The government would be saving much more in just abolishing the commissioners who have been getting double compensation by acting as directors of the many sequestered corporations.
This is a big anomaly that must be stopped.
In fact, I would say, it even constitutes graft and corruption. Its function can easily be taken over by the justice department.
Another agency which I also believe should be scrapped is the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) which has been red-flagged so many times because the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel and its many lawyers acting as counsels of the government-owned and controlled corporations have been found by no less than the Commission on Audit (COA) to be getting allowances from these GOCC more than one half of their allowable salaries, which easily constitutes a form of graft and corruption.
The OGCC can also easily be taken over by the justice department.
Another agency in the bureaucracy which has been draining the government of so much is the Climate Change Commission (CCC), created by law where its chairman has a Cabinet rank, and its four commissioners are undersecretaries.
My gulay, this is an anomaly, with the government so much in need of funds.
What has the commission done for climate change? Nothing, but absolutely nothing except for its commissioners going abroad and to Europe to attend Climate Change conventions and get accommodations in ultra-expensive hotels.
Besides, its functions can easily be done by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, now that President Marcos has nominated a climate change expert as DENR secretary.
I can name many more that should be abolished to raise much-needed funds for priority projects of the Marcos administration, but this is enough for now.
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Downsizing of the bureaucracy is needed not only to save money and even raise money for priority projects of President Marcos, but to cut many of the fats and surpluses of bureaucracy, meaning government agencies that have become useless and in surplus.
But, it would do well for the president to create a committee to avoid joblessness as a result.
This will answer the many objections raised by many government workers’ groups to downsize the bureaucracy.
Certainly, the many lawyers of the government agencies I have suggested to be abolished can be accommodated in other government agencies particularly the Department of Justice and Office of the Solicitor General.
Downsizing the bureaucracy is indeed imperative and necessary, and I believe it takes political will to do it, which I believe President Marcos has.
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Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio has been making waves as Department of Education head with her clamor for reform.
Indeed, as in other departments, there is a need for reform in the DepEd bureaucracy.
There’s logic in Secretary Sara’s insistence that the opening of the public schools should be on August 22, but face to face classes should be in November.
Why? Because the past school year has hardly finished with schools just having had their commencement exercises.
By having the face to face program scheduled in November, teachers will have at least two months to rest and be ready for work.
Being a teacher is hard work physically and mentally, I should know. I have been an instructor and professor once. And learned a lot about people and their capabilities.
