Concerns over the Taiwan Strait

YET again, the recent passage through the sensitive Taiwan Strait by navies of the United States and Canada in a joint mission have sent ripples of concern in all directions lapping against the shorelines of neighboring countries.

AHEAD lies a bumpy, pothole-infested road for the next daring soul to take the helm as Land Transportation Office chief, once Arturo M. Tugade’s successor is tapped.

After a six-month stint, Tugade abruptly filed his resignation from the office, which took effect on June 1. His swift exit was brought about by “differing methods” with the Department of Transportation.

The LTO and the DOTr, he stated, “both aim to succeed in serving the public, but our methods to achieve that success differ.”

However, a closer look at the circumstances hounding the LTO -- and in particular the issue of the plastic card shortage for driver’s ;licenses -- more or less turns Tugade’s statement into pretext for the unsavory situation that merely fell into his lap.

Dilemma in between bids

Last week, the bidding for the DOTr’s procurement of 5.2 million of these cards ended in a showdown between two contractors, and a dilemma for the DOTr that we should all look out for.

One of these firms, Allcard Inc. (ACI), is a painfully familiar name for anyone who followed up on what’s taking our national IDs too long.

To refresh your memory, the snafu at one point laughably devolved into an official suggestion for citizens to print the ID themselves.

Meanwhile, bidder number two is Banner, Inc., that entered the bidding with P42 per card, an almost absurd offer considering ACI’s P33.88 price apiece.

While we await the next development on the bid, we pray as well for an intervention in this conundrum: are we about to shell out millions more of taxpayers money, or should millions more motorists expect their new licenses printed on a piece of paper?

That is the hundred-million peso question, my gulay!

New license plates

With the appointment of an LTO officer-in-charge, it is my fervent wish, together with many others, that the LTO may pretty soon issue me my new car plate.

It has been six years that my car has been sporting that old green plate -three years during pre-pandemic and three years during pandemic.

Every time I have my car registered, I feel cheated because the LTO does not issue me new license plates.

I have asked around, and the Philippines is about the only country that does not issue enough car plates when people register their vehicles.

What I cannot understand is that while the LTO had issued new car plates to some, I still have not been given my new car plates.

There had been many LTO managers, together with new Department of Transportation secretaries, but, Santa Banana, I still have to see my new car plates! Romualdez’ leadership

In my previous column, I commended the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez for pushing the enactment of the legislative agenda of President Marcos.

My gulay, it is not yet one year since the cousin of the President assumed the speakership, and out of 412 house bills filed, the legislative agenda, particularly the much debated Maharlika Investment Fund, has already been enacted into law by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The House had earlier enacted the MIF, and now the House again adopted the Senate version in the final reading.

The waterway separates democratic selfruled Taiwan by only 160 kilometers from China. China claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary, and has in recent years ramped up military and political pressure on the island.

Last week, the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong led two other ships through the Taiwan Strait, in a show of force after Beijing conducted aerial and naval exercises around Taiwan in April.

The US 7th Fleet announced Saturday its destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Montreal were “conducting a routine Taiwan Strait transit on June 3 “through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.”

According to the US Navy, “Chung-Hoon and Montreal’s bilateral transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

While US naval ships frequently sail through the strait, the recent bilateral transit is rare – the last a joint US-Canada passage through the strait occurred was in September

While US naval ships frequently sail through the strait, the recent bilateral transit is rare – the last a joint US-Canada passage through the strait occurred was in September 2022

2022. On Sunday, China’s defense minister defended sailing a warship across the path of an American destroyer and Canadian frigate transiting the Taiwan Strait, telling a gathering of some of the world’s top defense officials in Singapore that such so-called “freedom of navigation” patrols are a provocation

So much goodness

RECOGNIZING and celebrating the goodness in life is a powerful way to foster gratitude, positivity, and happiness.

Whether we choose to acknowledge the small pleasures in our daily routine or take the time to appreciate the people and experiences that bring us joy, celebrating the goodness in life can help us maintain a positive outlook and feel more content.

By focusing on the positive aspects of our lives, we can also develop greater resilience and a deeper sense of purpose and meaning.

Celebrating life’s goodness can take various forms, from expressing our gratitude to others to engaging in activities that enrich our lives.

Ultimately, it is a way to honor and cherish the beauty and richness of the world around us.

With 5.2 million cards as the primary deliverable, that difference adds up proportionally.

But, according to one source, that may not matter after all as Banner allegedly, according to rumor, has all the backroom connections it needs for a shot at the hundred-million peso government contract.

Between a rock and a hard place

Santa Banana! It’s a classic “between a rock and a hard place” scenario.

A true lose-lose situation.

Tugade apparently got wind of this underhanded maneuver, and his refusal to be a part of the ploy earned him the ire of a dominant force in the DOTr —whom our source hinted as a retired high-ranking military official who allegedly invested on the pricier bidder.

Whoever it is, they evidently have enough influence to unseat a Cabinet

Much earlier, Romualdez inked an alliance with the country’s major political parties ensuring the “UNITEAM,” Santa Banana, in the House! Stalwarts of several political parties under the “supermajority” coalition of the Marcos administration have officially formalized and further solidified their alliance in the House amid rumors of another plot.

My gulay, I said it that that photo of the Speaker making “mano” and kissing the hand of former President and former Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, spoke more than a thousand words, dispelling everything about a coup plot, in addition to the firm denial of GMA herself of a coup plot after her “demotion” from senior deputy speaker to a mere deputy speaker.

So, my gulay, everything is well as it ends well, with the Speaker getting the firm assurance his term will last until 2028.

In the book “So Much Goodness . . . Stories and Thoughts in My Life Journey,” Bert Cacayan gives us a glimpse of the author’s struggles and triumphs towards becoming a better person and achieving a full life.

The book is a composite of essays, poems letters, parables, and stories celebrating goodness. For purposes of this review, I divide the book into two parts, namely, the first part is a collection of poems reflecting the author’s beliefs, principles, and feelings on a variety of subjects.

The second part is an anthology of literary pieces featuring selected friends who touched and contributed to enriching his life.

In the first part of this two-part series, I will focus more on the poems and other literary pieces of the book which Bert Cacayan composed during his bout with COVID 19.

The First part of the book is a collection, an anthology, of poems about the author’s innermost thoughts, reflections, and musings about life, hope, and deepest emotions.

In these first chapters of the book, the author expresses in the form of poetry deep emotions about life and hope, experiences, whether positive or negative, as navigates the journey of life.

Through his words, these poems touch on various aspects of human existence, including the challenges faced, the moments of joy, and the quest for fulfillment.

They provide a powerful reminder of the human ability to overcome adversity and to find hope even in the midst of despair, bringing to light the beauty that can be found in life’s complexities. Amidst all this, the author verbalizes in a poetic form and prose, how goodness triumphs.

Cacayan expresses poetically the importance of remaining connected with one’s roots helps to preserve our cultural heritage, and promotes a sense of community and shared identity

One of the poems is titled – Be Humble Yet Be Brave – which is bravely and courageously turning into something positive all challenges, all adversities and negativities that we are faced with.

As the cliché says – when life gives you lemons, learn to make lemonade. Life can be full of struggles, and it’s easy to become jaded and cynical.

However, some individuals manage to remain humble and good, despite the difficulties they face.

They understand that life can be hard, but they don’t allow it to define them or change their character. Instead, they remain committed to doing what is right, even when it’s not easy.

They recognize that everyone is fighting to China.

In his first international public address since becoming defense minister in March, Gen. Li Shangfu told the Shangri-La Dialogue that China doesn’t have any problems with “innocent passage” but that “we must prevent attempts that try to use those freedom of navigation (patrols), that innocent passage, to exercise hegemony of navigation.”

The Chinese vessel overtook the American ship and then veered across its bow at a distance of about 140 meters in an “unsafe manner,” according to the US Indo-Pacific Command.

The US added a Chinese J-16 fighter jet late late last month “performed an unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” while intercepting a US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, flying directly in front of the plane’s nose.

Those and previous incidents have raised concerns of a possible accident occurring that could lead to an escalation between the two nations at a time when tensions are already high.

The US has noted that since 2021 – well before Li became defense minister – China has declined or failed to respond to more than a dozen requests from the US Defense Department to talk with senior leaders, as well as multiple requests for standing dialogues and working-level engagements.

Li said that “China is open to communications between our two countries and also between our two militaries,” but said, without mentioning the sanctions, exchanges had to be “based on mutual respect.” their own battles and that kindness and understanding can go a long way. By staying humble and good, these individuals inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of positivity and hope in the world.

In another literary work, Detachment is the Ultimate Sacrifice, Cacayan extols the virtue of detachment from worldliness as the most profound form of sacrifice. Choosing to live a life that is not centered around these things can also be seen as a form of sacrifice, as it may involve giving up certain opportunities or experiences that are highly sought after by others.

For example, someone who chooses to pursue a career in the arts or in social work may not make as much money as someone who works in finance or law.

Similarly, someone who chooses to live a simple life in a remote area may not have access to the luxuries and conveniences that many people take for granted.

However, for the author, the rewards of life without fame and fortune can be just as valuable, if not more so.

In the poem of Roots and You, Cacayan expresses poetically the importance of remaining connected with one’s roots helps to preserve one’s cultural heritage, and promotes a sense of community and shared identity, which can be very important for individuals and society as a whole. Staying connected can also help us to understand ourselves better.

By learning about our family history, for example, we can gain insights into our own personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses.

The second part of the book, which we shall feature in the second part of the series, Cacayan gives a collection of stories about friends and other close associates who touched his life in the course of life’s journey.

Night-time shopping booms as Zimbabwe inflation soars

HARARE, Zimbabwe—After the sun sets in Harare, the streets of Zimbabwe’s capital suddenly burst to life.

Carts, cars and trucks turned into makeshift, unauthorized, shops sell anything from potatoes to babies’ nappies on the pavements of the city center.

Shopping is best done at night in times of hyperinflation and economic hardship.

Cash-crunched Zimbabweans are increasingly turning to informal vendors for their groceries shopping as, with little or no overheads, street hawkers can afford to undercut big supermarkets.

“Everything is always cheaper outside,” Blessing Steven, 23, a taxi driver, says, buying a bottle of juice for $0.50 at a roadside stall rather than in a supermarket where it costs $1. “I save money.”

The juice vendor, Shingirirai Goriondo, 23, claims that he gets more customers than the retail outlet he operates in front of.

“All beverages I sell here are being charged double there,” he said, pointing to a branch of supermarket chain Foodworld.

Inflation has shot through the roof in recent weeks as Zimbabwe prepares for presi- dential and parliamentary elections expected in August.

Officially standing at more than 280 percent in April, analysts estimate the inflation rate is in fact somewhere over 700 percent.

No light, no police

Economists blame the crisis on a steep depreciation of the local currency on the black market—where most trading takes place.

Only last month, the Zimbabwean dollar was trading at around 1,000 against its more coveted US counterpart.

Today, one greenback costs between 3,800 and 4,000 Zimbabwean dollars on the street—although the official rate is 1,888.

The situation has created price madness in supermarkets.

AFP reporters have in recent days observed staff changing price tags on goods every morning to try to keep pace with the exchange rate.

This has brought back memories of 2008, when hyperinflation was so out of control that restaurant-goers would see the price of their dinner change before they could finish eating it.

The government has resorted to various expedients to stabilize the economy, including issuing gold coins and launching a gold-backed digital currency —but so far to no avail

Back then, the central bank even issued a 100-trillion-dollar note—now a collectors’ item.

The government was eventually forced to ditch the local currency and adopt the US dollar as legal tender. The Zimbabwean dollar was revived in 2019, but it seems to be suffering from much the same ailments as its previous incarnation.

Most Zimbabweans prefer to do business, get paid and hold their savings in US dollars.

Many who earn a salary in local money, rush to currency exchange shops on pay day.

“It is now expensive to purchase groceries from the supermarket with our own currency,” said Tarisai Bera, 36, buying a range of toiletries from a hawker.

Kerbside shops take only greenbacks and prices there “rarely change”, said Bera.

Street trade gets busier after dark because there is less police to go around. Most hawkers are not allowed to operate.

“If we come earlier...we might end up having our goods confiscated and fined,” said Julius Munyanyi, 46, a vendor. Election largesse

The government has resorted to various expedients to stabilize the economy, including issuing gold coins and launching a goldbacked digital currency—but so far to no avail.

The central bank’s main interest rate is currently at 140 percent.

Ex-finance minister, Tendai Biti, now an opposition politician, has blamed his former office’s current holder, Mthuli Ncube for much of the chaos.

“Treasury, the natural gate keeper has become the gate crasher,” Biti tweeted last week.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has instead pointed the finger at US dollar-loving businesses.

“Zimbabwe dollar-earning workers are now being forced to buy basics priced exclusively in foreign currency,” Mnangagwa wrote in a weekly newspaper column earlier this month.

Others, like economist Prosper Chitambara, believe Mnangagwa’s pre-election largesse might have something to do with the crisis.

Public workers received a 100 percent pay rise in March.

Whatever the reason, business is thriving for street traders like Munyanyi.

“Customers find it viable to buy from us. We literally don’t have competition,” he said.

Buying from a supermarket is “throwing away your money,” quipped Mike Mashuro, 51, after purchasing a bottle of cooking oil from Munyanyi’s stall. AFP