Libya & Qaddafi: Facts That Can't Be Denied

1. There is no electricity bill in Libya; electricity is free
for all its citizens.

2. There is no interest on loans, banks in Libya are
state-owned and loans given
to all its citizens at 0% interest by law.

3. Home considered a human right in Libya –
Gaddafi vowed that his parents
would not get a house until everyone in Libya had a
home. Gaddafi’s father has
died while him, his wife and his mother are still living
in a tent.

4. All newlyweds in Libya receive $60,000 Dinar (US$
50,000 ) by the government
to buy their first apartment so to help start up the
family.

5. Education and medical treatments are free in
Libya. Before Gaddafi only 25%
of Libyans are literate. Today the figure is 83%.

6. Should Libyans want to take up farming career,
they would receive farming
land, a farming house, equipments, seeds and
livestock to kick- start their farms
– all for free.

7. If Libyans cannot find the education or medical
facilities they need in Libya,
the government funds them to go abroad for it –
not only free but they get US
$2, 300/mth accommodation and car allowance.

8. In Libyan, if a Libyan buys a car, the government
subsidized 50% of the price.

9. The price of petrol in Libya is $0. 14 per liter.

10. Libya has no external debt and its reserves
amount to $150 billion – now
frozen globally.

11. If a Libyan is unable to get employment after
graduation the state would
pay the average salary of the profession as if he or
she is employed until
employment is found.

12. A portion of Libyan oil sale is, credited directly to
the bank accounts of all
Libyan citizens.

13. A mother who gave birth to a child receive US
$5 ,000

14. 40 loaves of bread in Libya costs $ 0.15

15. 25% of Libyans have a university degree

16. Gaddafi carried out the world’s largest irrigation
project, known as the Great
Man-Made River project, to make water readily
available throughout the desert
country.

A Brand New Image for CRS

Appreciation is really the best work motivator, and this applied to the CRS staff. I observed that since the Facebook fanpage of CRS made communication between the actual people behind our computerized registration and the students as well as other stakeholders, things have been improving starting from the redesigning of the grades viewing module featuring GWA calculator and RGEP/PE counter to the introduction of RGEP/PE search in the preenlistment module. Stakeholders were able to suggest comfortably and the staff were able to respond easily. These things really brought me to a higher level of appreciation and campaigning for e-governance.

However, let me just share my experience. I got 18 units and PE for 4 consecutive semesters, well except for 1st Year 1st Semester because our curriculum back then required us just 17 units. What I'm regretting is the waste of PE courses because as far as I know, I'm dropped from two PE courses. Therefore, I'm yet to take my second PE next semester. It's scrabble so maybe I could pass it this time. Also, I did not enlist in Econ 11. I'm waiting for Professor Monsod or Professor Sicat to offer it!

I don't know if I'm a lucky UP student when it comes to preenlisting or I'm just good at strategizing things. However, I hope GVs would continue to come around. I don't know if I'll be enlisting for second batch run but I'm really contented with my schedule now. If NCPAG opens a new PA 151 section then maybe I'll take it. I heard that no more PA 141 will be opened and that isn't cool.

At least I'm glad that the batch run took around just 24 hours before releasing the results! Record high, definitely. Good job CRS people and keep up!

Waterproof No More?

In a country where there isn't a highly-stable metropolitan flood control system, class suspension becomes the last resort. We learned from our grade school days that the Philippines has been visited by nearly 20 storms a year, making us a flood-prone nation and yet I don't know if there's a flood control system, because if there is, I'm one among those who really can't feel it. We live in a low-lying place, which doesn't spare us from this wrath of nature.

Yesterday, classes were suspended at 1PM -- the time when the skies are clear again. Too good for elementary and high school students, the Department of Education made an early announcement. Most UPD students are eagerly waiting for a class suspension by Chancellor Caesar Saloma, which remained a wish until 1PM after Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr., or now known as "class suspension czar", made the move.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said that the control over class suspensions has been devolved to the university and college administrations. In my own opinion, it'd be better to centralize the decision-making over these matters and coordinate with the school officials. CHED's rationalization could be that situations are different from one university to another, and the biggest example is the University of Santo Tomas. Compared to UPD which stands on a relatively higher place, UST should be the first to suspend classes when things get worse. However, the problem comes with information dissemination and the confusion. How?

First of all, not all universities have an established connection with their students like in UP Diliman where the chancellor texts the officials in his contacts then begins a text brigade until it reaches the whole student community. So other universities resort to contacting TV stations for their announcements. Second is the confusion: with the recent situation, even though CHED has said suspension powers have been devolved, they are continuously blamed and accused of as "walang kwenta". People have been expecting CHED to act like DepEd.

Even though re-centralization wouldn't be a good option, at least the CHED should have retained some powers to declare suspension and set the initiative. I'm really sick of those "parents may not send their children if the situation warrants it", because it doesn't strongly guarantee that the student can have makeup examinations for example as some teachers may argue that there is no suspension order issued by DepEd.

How long will our nation continue to be like this when rainy seasons come? I have no enough time to research on flood control plans of MMDA and of the provinces, but I do wish that the "baha republic" will cease to exist in the near future.

Kahalagahan ng Teknolohiya sa Pamahalaan

Sa kasalukuyang panahon kung saan ang kaalaman ay laganap dahil sa natatanging kakayahan ng internet, naglitawan ang mga website na naging mabisang instrumento ng maraming institusyon upang maghatid ng mahahalagang impormasyon at balita sa mga tao. Kabilang sa tumatangkilik na rito ang pribadong sektor at maging ang pamahalaan.

Sinasagisag ng mga detalyeng isinapubliko sa pamamagitan ng mga website ng isang ahensya ng gobyerno ang pagiging matapat nito sa paglilingkod sa bayan. Malalaman dito ng mga tao kung ano na nga ba ang pinagkakaabalahan ng pamahalaan at kung ano na ang narating nito. Kung nais mo namang makipag-ugnayan sa isang ahensiya, mabisa rin ang websites kung saan matatagpuan ang mga numerong maaaring tawagan at e-mail address na maaaring padalhan ng mga hinaing, katanungan, suhestiyon at iba pa.

Katunayan nito ang pagtatatag ng Computerized Registration System sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas na nagpabilis sa usad pagong na enrollment. Maririnig ang mga upperclassman at alumni sa kanilang mga karanasan sa di maubus-ubos na pila tuwing bago magsimula ang semestre, na hindi na naabutan ng bagong henerasyon ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan. Ngunit 'di natin maitatanggi ang kahit papaano'y ginhawang dulot nito. Marami-raming pawis at oras din ang natipid.

Isa na rin ang karanasan ko sa Civil Service Commission na kinapanayam namin para sa aming dokumentaryo. Dahil sa e-mail service ng Unibersidad at ng kanilang ahensiya, mas napabilis ang pakikipag-ugnayan at tila pang-follow-up na lang ang pagtawag sa telepono. Mabuti ngang samantalahin natin ang ginhawang hatid ng makabagong teknolohiya.

Marapat lamang na paglaanan ng karagdagang pondo ang pagsasamoderno dahil di lamang nito pinabibilis ang paghahatid ng mga serbisyo sa taumbayan kundi inaangat din nito ang antas ng demokrasya ng ating bansa. Sa pamamagitan ng teknolohiya ay mababawasan ang korupsyon, kaya't malaking katanungan sa Administrasyong Noynoy Aquino ang pagbuwag sa Commission on Information & Communications Technology (CICT). Nakakalungkot kung hindi ito prayoridad ng kasalukuyang pamahalaan dahil kailangan nating iangat ang antas ng pamamahala sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng teknolohiya, ngunit sana nga'y hindi ganito.

Reviewing UP's Faculty Conditions

I just read this article by Dr. Roland G. Simbulan, a development studies expert from U.P. Manila, on faculty tenure policy in the University of the Philippines. The article was written during his term as faculty regent where he discussed the three types of faculty members we have: the academic proletariat, the lumpen academic and the public intellectual. The classification was based on a faculty's economic status, their solution to it and the mperspective they are offering to justify it. The figures and statements of Dr. Simulan may not be relevant anymore. However, what should be seen in the article is that professors in the country's only national university deserve more compensation than what they have now.

Simbulan pictured academic proletariat as those greatly affected by the increadibly low salary of professors in U.P., generally the starting faculty such as instructors and some assistant professors. Lumpen academics, according to him, are those "selling their intellectual capabilities to the highest bidder" either corporate or government, either masterminds of the worsening of our economic condition or not. Lastly, public intellectuals as defined by Simbulan are those in between the two mentioned earlier who earns from public appearances and column-writing but dignifies their principles by not engaging in "intellectual prostitution". Public intellectuals such as Professor Emerita Solita "Winnie" Monsod and Professor Emeritus Randolf "Randy" David are powerful as they greatly influence general opinion.

With low compensation for instructors, Simbulan elaborated that UP faculty becomes more of an aging population with a significant number of professors leaving the University before the age of 25. A simple proof to this argument's reliability is NCPAG, my home college. Many professors such as the Dr. Ma. Concepcion P. Alfiler and Dr. Ledivina V. Carino passed away while Professor Leonor Briones just retired last year. NCPAG's faculty has to revitalize its academic personnel due to it being a college that accomodates a huge population of graduate students compared to other degree-granting units in Diliman. It also offers a bachelor's program, therefore requiring an adequate faculty force for both undergraduate and graduate levels.

As an enthusiast of personnel administration in universities, I've been acquainted with the tenure policy and the faculty positions. There's no doubt that NCPAG's faculty is composed of highly-qualified and competent individuals, most of them being Ph.D. or DPA holders. However, I believe the college needs more faculty members to exhaust the offering of courses especially in the graduate level.

Reference:

• Simbulan, Rolando G. (2006) "The Condition of the U.P. Faculty Today". Address before the First U.P. System-wide Academic Personnel Conference, Vinzons Hall, U.P. Diliman