Copyrighting "Organic" and Avoiding "Certified" at all cost

There was a time when words were freely used. But the commercialization and profiteering of everything has come to a level when copyright, infringement, intellectual property rights, plagiarism, and other forms of restrictive use of words have gone haywire.

Recently, (and probably still ongoing) the slomo Philippine agriculture have started promoting "organic farming" but every information campaign they conduct, they emphasize for the need to "be careful" (warning in other words) in the use of "organic" in labelling. It is short to telling the listeners to AVOID its use at all cost.

This is of course a very obvious protectionist propaganda - from non-organic producers, from the  well-placed "organic" producers, giant pharmaceuticals, and morons of freedom of speech.

Tsk-tsk-tsk. You know, they even start questioning about putting the animal dung directly on the plant stem (or above its roots). This is of course a Pinoy farming tradition prior to imperial commercialism.

Once again, the Filipinos are being had.

How even the use of the word can make a producer a violator of law is inconceivable. But the heck... Here I am to help:

Use instead safe phrases, but the hell, if it is true, use the word organic! Just avoid the fucking "Certified" and who cares about certification if it meant more regulatory / bureaucratic bullshit &  financial losses for poor producers?

Label it instead with:

This ___(product)___ was made using "organic fertilizer". Or  "organic pesticide".

And to hell with your agri technician who insists otherwise. Let him file a case against you in court. NEVER buckle down.

Meanwhile in her barrio: she cowers in fear

Timeline

The Sto. Domingo Municipal Dumpsite

Stupidity & Abuse

July 2001 – Butch Tadena’s first term as mayor. He requested help for the mounting garbage at the public market from Ernesto Tadeja. Tadeja volunteered his possession for temporary dumping to relieve and clean the public market where people from Sto. Tomas also buy.

2002 – Tadeja, through a family member wrote a letter inquiring from the mayor what are the future plans for the dumpsite. No definite reply, too many verbal promises.

November 2004 – The people of Sto. Tomas submitted a Petition for the closure of the Municipal Dumpsite due to a one-sided affair – to the detriment of their groundwater and threat to their health and safety. They proposed an option to continue but provide livelihood to the people of Sto. Tomas by converting biodegradable waste into organic fertilizer. No official acted.

Mid 2005 – a single human barricade finally made the former mayor Butch Tadena to conduct dialogue with the Barangay – with the presence of former vice mayor Bong Tobias, municipal engineer Zaldy Rosario, former MPDC Dario Tacad & barangay officials together with the Petitioner. The former mayor promised to abide by the legally prescribed requirements, probably referring to RA 9003. The LGU only distributed generic drugs for one time, bought a parcel of land in the barangay, and transferred the dumpsite nearer to the river.

-          To compensate for lack of any benefit, the punong barangay accepted hospital waste from the Metro Vigan Cooperative Hospital through Tomtom de Vera’s brother Dr. Jojo de Vera. It was rumoured that Tadeja was paid a monthly rental of P4,000 only. How much was Jojo De Vera earning can only be confirmed by the MVCH.

July 2011 – The Punong Barangay with a little help, started to look for possible ways to lessen the negative impact of the dumpsite to the barangay. He first approached Congressman Ryan Singson who immediately provided a project.  In the project proposal verifiable at the office of Cong Singson states: “The barangay is currently the Municipal dumpsite for more than 12 years now and has neither actual protection nor programs for it. Turning the biodegradable waste into organic fertilizer has been proposed in 2005 but the previous administration failed to act on the proposal. With a new Chief Executive Officer, it is hoped that the proposal will be reconsidered,” referring to the 2004 proposal.

August 2011 – The Punong barangay started verbal negotiation with the current administration for the possible development of the 2004 proposal.  Instead of helping, the LGU delayed the fund released by Cong. Singson in November 2011, issued only a notice to the barangay in 20 January 2012, and required “deed of donation of the forest land or MOA between the Barangay Gov’t & the forest land owner” (attached).

October 2011 – Adrian Madriaga, 6 yo drowned and his body lost for 3 days in the 20-30 feet deep dumpsite pit. All 3 of his companions nearly drowned as well.

November 2011 – The Petitioner reiterated the November 2004 Barangay Petition with a letter to the Mayor and SB. The LGU did not respond nor acknowledged the letter at all.

December 16 2011 – The case regarding the dumpsite against the administration of Sto. Domingo LGU was filed at the Ombudsman and pending decision.

February 2012 – a reliable source relayed a statement from the mayor to the Petitioner, “Ania ti kayat ta _ (Petitioner)? Intono kuwan, siak ti nagkutin,” ("what does she want? Sooner or later, I'd be the one to move..." when the mayor was relaying about the dialogue requested by Board Member Roberto Tudayan. The Petitioner was not convinced Amado Lito Tadena said that. "I found him to be more amicable & civilized than that."

2 March 2012 – A dialogue was conducted with Board Member Tudayan by Tadeja, the Petitioner, newly designated LGU ENRO Alex Dorate, and social worker Sesie de Vera. BM Tudayan was bewildered why there was no action at all by the LGU. De Vera insinuated the mayor doing the barangay a favor by closing the hospital dumpsite. The Petitioner forgot to ask if De Vera was aware how much her brother –in-law Jojo de Vera earned from the deal with the MVCH. (Overheard reliable sources snicker about underhanded monickers like Lee Majors and Limahong & said that they are sure pirates will not be had with any deal.)

23 March 2012 – Dialogue at the dumpsite.

Cowering in Fear,

The Petitioner

Layering & MO in Immigration Consultancy

(MO means modus operandi)

Canadian Immigration Consultancy is probably one of the most ubiquitous agencies for migration in the country today with their red maple leaf logo seen in almost every city and major areas in the country today.

Their offices advertise photos of about five to twenty successful clients with their families. Unknown to the public is the fact that there are hundreds or probably thousands aspiring to become one of CIC (as the office is popularly known) successful aspirants in a matter of 2-4 months. But what is least notable about CIC with a website domain address go2canada.com is that their official receipts and contracts with clients who pay starting from P45,000.00 or more, indicates another company or corporate name as American Oriental Immigration Consultancy, Inc. In addition, upon processing of application, the representing office of Canada called Federal Skilled Worker Centralized Intake Office with postal address P.O. Box 7500, Sydney, NSB1P0A9 will email the applicant through “John  Weisdorf of United Brokers, Inc.” with office address at 21^st floor, Washington Tower, Pacific Avenue , Asia World, Paranaque. Here, it can be observed that there are already three layers of agencies involved, or that CIC is only a smokescreen.

In an actual case, applicant and her family were requested to immediately submit together with their application forms for immigration payment for processing fee to the Canadian Embassy in case the immigration pushed through. They were also asked by the staff of the agency to provide bank certificate indicating at least a million pesos worth of cash deposit to an accredited / commercial bank as “show money”. Since many aspirants may not have said amount lying in any local bank, the agency is also kind enough to endorse applicants to a “lending” agency which shall charge applicant monthly interest from the start of “loan” until such time that the applicant will be able to pass immigration requirements and finally secure flight tickets. If the applicant is lucky, he may only be paying monthly dues for 18 months. Another applicant who have not been lucky said that “Naubos ang ipon ko dito sa Taiwan diyan sa CIC na ‘yan! At hanggang ngayon, nasa Pilipinas pa ang pamilya ko!” (All my savings working here in Taiwan were absorbed by CIC! And until now, my family is still there in the Philippines!)

In reality, applicants are only required to provide for bank certificates prior to their flight, which means that after they are already scheduled to leave the Philippines. CIC staff would insist that the bank statement is a requirement which the applicants need to complete prior to submission of their filled up forms to the Canadian Embassy. Only those who are insistent and discerning enough are spared of this ordeal.

An applicant who failed to meet immigration requirement was emailed by the FSW office with email address (FSW-Centralized-Intake-Office@cic.gc.ca) that refund check of processing fee shall arrived in 12 to 18 weeks. Many applicants at CIC have been complaining about the delay of which CIC will only reply “Wait,” or “None yet.” The resourceful may finally find a way to write to the postal address indicated in that email.

After a few months, the FSW office informs the applicant that the refund check has been forwarded but the office sends an “Undertaking of Indemnity” for the applicant to fill-up and sign in order to testify that applicant did not received such check.

The applicant will again wait tens of weeks more after that action. And lucky if they will ever hear from the agency again. One 2008 applicant received an email from Michelle Milanie R. Ramos with email address mramos@doxinternational.com. In this instance, the observant applicant will become aware of another business entity DOX International Services, Incorporated.

Based on the papers and communications,  all these front business organizations are owned and operated by one Atty Erwin John Weisdorf of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto Ontario with passport JG162934. So, there are at least five business names/ organizations involved in the process not to include the FSW CIO.

The email from Michelle Milanie Ramos indicates that the check(s) have been redeemed, and apparently, “they” will wait information from the CIO (FSW) for clarification. However, the contact at CIO in this case, emailed a copy of the encashed check, at Bank of the Philippine Islands and that this same check had been mailed to United Brokers. What is appalling is that the signature of payee/endorsement had erasures or mistakes.

There are several questionable matters about this modus operandi of CIC/United Brokers/ American Oriental Immigration Consultancy, Inc.First, they do not appear in their websites go2canada.com and doxinternational.com. Second, United Brokers does not appear in the contract with their clients. Third, they have a very obscure refund system which meant that if they have been in the service for decades, could have made them more systematic and prepared to handle such delays. 

List below obtained by this blogger from CIC/go2canada.com / United Brokers indicate a batch of complainants / victims. Check because your friends or relatives might be one of them: inform them that they are not alone. However, this is a shocking reality that has not yet been brought to proper authorities to be checked and investigated on. 

 Images and names were blurred to protect the sources of this information. These are posted so that the public may know.

Fourth: Their length of operation in the industry have established a "link" at the centralized intake office and that losing checks must already be random, if not the actual business operation being undertaken. Fifth, do they really ever refund checks at all?

And how about the victims of "bank certificates" and show moneys?

Who will protect us from white collared gangsters like them?

Is the Canadian government aware of this?

Be warned. To connect with others who shall be filing case/s against this layered organization, please contact this blogger.

Abusive Former Mayor Floro Tadena

The municipal dumpsite of Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur is a sad story of abuse and indifference by the elected leaders of the town and barangay. It was a case of a bad deal.

In July 2001 after elected on his first term as mayor of Sto. Domingo, Floro Tadena requested the punong barangay of probably the smallest-voting barangay but which election results showed highest percentage of support to Tadena - Sto. Tomas a favor: a temporary dumpsite for the mounting market garbage. The punong barangay out of genuine goodwill offered a land portion he possessed.

But probably due to kapalmuks (traditional politicos are generally afflicted with it), Floro kept dumping until November 2004 when the people no longer could stand the threat to their groundwater and health. 100% of the households use natural groundwater for their use and drinks. Then of course, there is the health hazard brought naturally by garbage - air, land and water pollution / contamination.

Floro went as far as dumping for free, despite the RA 9003 provision (that is the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 law) under Chapter 4 section 45 that: "(5) Incentives to Host LGUs - who host waste management facilities shall be entitled to incentives", the abusive mayor only shrugged his shoulders despite the annual savings they posted. In addition, the people at barangay Sto. Tomas have their own backyard pits to throw their wastes so that they hardly used the dumpsite for their own. Today, several metro poblacion barangays benefit from it aside from the public market and various LGU facilities. On the other end, Sto. Tomas never benefited a single centavo nor any thing at all for the risks and hazards they had to endure.

In November 2004, the people of Barangay Sto. Tomas  submitted their Petition for the Closure of the dumpsite for the various reasons stated above. In mid-2005, Floro went to the Barangay for a dialogue promising to abide by the prescribed RA 9003 operation of dumpsites.

He failed to act on his verbal promises leading to the death of a six-year old who freely strayed at the hazardous dumpsite together with his friends to fetch a ball floating on top of the 25-30 feet deep garbage pit (above photo). When sent a reminder about the petition, Floro acted as if nothing happened. In Friday, December 15, 2011, the petitioners through their spokesperson filed a case against Floro Tadena and the current Municipal Solid Waste Management Chairman (it cannot be avoided although the latter, Floro's own brother, maybe innocent at most) at the Ombudsman which was subscribed by lawyer Alex Ramos. The petitioners hope that their case will be judiciously considered.


In the Philippines where democracy is for the people with money, by the people with money, and of the people with money, this is of course wishful thinking, but we can wait for the mean time.

Unpaid (Yaaaay!)

Media Hysteria Against Paedophiles: Barking at the Wrong Tree

Social policy and legal measures to perfect society remain inadequate where critics and educated observers such as Jennifer Kitzinger are not elected or assigned to legislative or government posts that help shape laws and policies. Where people like her are assigned to such posts, other political issues and bureaucratic impediments will become known to people like her and probably to a public that will be given the chance to know the information. In most instances, the link to the exposure of information maybe the media or the press.

This highlights the role of the media or the press in public debate, legislation and policy. How truly important matters in the lives of the majority of people in a given society are obscured by sensationalism in the media is a major issue, too, not only amongst authorities, policy-makers and legislators, but also to some enlightened members of the masses, the media, various non-government organisations, as well as the business sector. In the “Ultimate Neighbour From Hell” (Kitzinger, 1999), this issue about the media and societal perception is highlighted slanting towards “the paedophile” where the convicted are ostracised and even committed grave errors such as the burning of their homes including the children living with them, or the innocent with them sharing in their burdens. By arguing that media sensationalism and hysterical societal reaction against “the paedophile” obscures legislation, Kitzinger becomes a part of the sensationalist movement that tries to transfer blame instead of finding solution. What society needs is an aggressive implementation of laws to protect the innocent, from children to elderly, and excuses such as lack of resources and bureaucratic incompetence should be properly addressed.

Kitzinger (1999) repeatedly pointed out that “the government and ‘the professionals’ rapidly lost control of the news agenda and information distribution” (135), “policy makers had to reconsider legislation, policy, and  practice,” (135), “the ‘big story’ for the media, but the major headache for policy makers, became not government initiatives, but public fear and anger,” (136), “Some papers assumed the role of guardians of public safety” (138), “proof of their failure to match rationality and objectivity of the policy makers” (140), “policy makers and the professionals losing control of the agenda,” (140) referring to inadequacy in governance.

This inadequacy on the part of government officials or legislators is seen on conflicting government policies such as when 1996 Home Secretary Michael Howard made public about a policy to monitor sex offenders (136), as “Routine community notification and the automatic right of public access to the sex offender’ register is opposed by chief constables, chief probation officers and the NSPCC,” (139). Already, the problem is of flawed legislation and policy. Where offenders are monitored and made public, it should not be limited to sex offenders but also to indicted officials on bribery and corruption cases, owners of disastrous business enterprises that endangered the public such as the recent oil spill by BP p. l.c. (Goldenberg, 2011), and other law violators who committed offence against one or many individuals.

Here, it was already obvious there was a bias on picking which is “evil”, and which are legally right or wrong. The cases against the harassed “paedophiles” and suspected ones enumerated by Kitzinger (1999) definitely are themselves violations of existing laws and should have been properly acted upon but Kitzinger failed to mention whether such cases had been actually legally acted upon or not. This is important to vindicate the law enforcers and the policy makers. However, it will remain falling short of the expectation for fairness and equality. Through media and societal hysteria against paedophiles, a crisis was identified, but it was not enough that focus was on the “evil”. It could have been a stepping stone towards identifying policy flaws which is in the limitation of monitoring on sex offenders, instead of “all offenders” as a sweeping policy will divide media attention with the possibility of focusing on what really matters most.

As Kitzinger acceded, “It is not sufficient to focus on media coverage.” However, she may be in for another bigger disappointment to suggest that “It is important to consider the motives of source organisations who seek out media publicity” as observable and fact-based motives may be conflicting. In fact, influence is also another major factor where media is concerned as these are business entities that may not actually be the “fourth state” but beholden to their major stakeholders (Sullivan, 2005) as much as policy makers are (Mancuso, 1995).

The laws of the land are based on the common perception of human rights, fairness, equality, and freedom. Where these are violated, a common ground to sanction, monitor, and control offenders should be enacted in a manner that is equitable to all concerned with prevention of recurrence and protection of the innocent majority as major goals.

For the meantime, it should be apparent by now to critics, observers, individuals and organisations to understand that media entities, although appear or claim to be the voice of the people, are business enterprises that are answerable to their major stakeholders. Members of the media have reasons and have the right to be biased and obscure. Government officials on the other hand are beholden to the public and have surrendered their rights to be biased, and ultimately have no right to be obscure. They should be competent and accountable, and the public have the right to demand for it.

Reference:

Goldenberg, S. (2011). BP and partners face $45m in fines over Gulf oil spill. The Guardian, October 13. Accessed from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/13/bp-fines-gulf-oil-spill

Kitzinger, J. (1999). The Ultimate Neighbour from Hell: Stranger Danger and the Media Framing of Paedophilia. Critical Readings: Moral Panics and the Media.

Mancuso, M. (1995). The Ethical World of British MPs. McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Sullivan, M. (2005). Media Bias is Real, Finds UCLA Political Scientist. UCLA Newsroom, December 14. Accessed from http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/Media-Bias-Is-Real-Finds-UCLA-6664.aspx?RelNum=6664 

.....ugh.... post of a prostitute writer... for botched order.... hate it... about not being paid for cheap writing services. 

Ka-Cheapan sa DepEd

It’s not every day that the public have anything against DepEd – the venerable Department of Education. But for its own teachers, it might not be the case. For more than a decade now, they are required to buy cheap polyester (that is recycled plastic turned into fabric) from whoever is the untouchable over there for their set of uniforms, yearly.

Cheap, and recycled polyester, a better version of the “gina” fabric used for bag or gown lining, which technology was skilfully mastered in Japan, is basically used for payong, or Rihanna’s umberrrrella, shower curtains, bags, rug, and many others. Technically, it is harmful to be used as human clothing especially when you have to be in it for two hours or more. It is used as disposable or one-time costume or sports uniforms, but as I said, if you have to endure only the un-breathable fabric for a limited few hours in a tropical climate like ours where majority of the year, people get sweaty even with 24-hour electric fans.

It is a given that public school classrooms hardly are equipped with electric fans. So, what do you expect when our underpaid teachers are made to wear polyester year-round? OK, 10 months a year? Fortunately, the geniuses at DepEd have an answer: a roving tuberculosis clinic that checks-up the teachers also, yearly. To whom payments are made or how much the payments are worth, is of course another matter of contention. But the heck, there must be a budget that needs to be consumed, yearly.

Anyway, so, yes, I have been pissed off by this “polyester uniform” of our teachers, as I said, for more than a decade now. But recently, the last strand of the frayed straw gave in. It must be the dressmaker, or the cheapanggas of DepEd have gone way, too low they are now technically spitting the Filipino taxpayer on the face. These photos will tell you.

 

But if you are from DepEd and you don’t get it, then, you now qualify as a DepEd genius. Seriously? They took the trouble to include a design on these umbrellas with a map of the Philippines, inside out. It must be the dress maker. Darn. But she’s been my dressmaker for more than a decade, now, too.

Celebrating Our New Heroes

Former AFP Budget Officer George Rabusa, now our New Hero (Source: Inquirer)

It is not every decade or probably a rarer phenomenon still, to see and hear actual heroes. Even while there are no substantial evidence (for government officials who have never tried to catch a thief from the government offices, substantial evidence meant a sworn statement that the accused is guilty, or probably something more exonerating) yet, we are now, in our own humble corner, declaring retired Lt. Col. Rabusa our modern Filipino hero circa Noynoy Aquino.
For me and others who may, he is one in 80 million. A rare gem.
To read part of his heroism, please click here. More here. What he did, file case of plunder against former and current AFP and PNP officers is like touting the Mafia, or China's ruling party for a game of Russian roulette. It is literally like what the dead Angelo Reyes did.
But atheists that we are, we now seek powers that are to protect Rabusa. He have to finish his job. It's not about being a budget officer. It is about being a new hero.