Tugade the results

After failing to receive emergency powers from Congress, Tugade got autocratic after being groomed traffic czar. Buying without bidding is still in the bag. A steal!

Mediation is no forum-shopping. In fact, it does not reach the forum of courts.

Fox y Solar

Miss U brought about, not world peace but so many controversies. Duterte almost lost it after his anti-Semitic comments. On the coverage ground, as reported by Biz Buzz in the Inquirer, "Solar Entertainment Corp. of the Tieng family sued the local unit of Fox Television- called Fox International Channels Philippines Corp.- for allegedly violating no less than the Philippine Constitution, which prohibits the presence of foreign owners in the local media industry."

This requires mediation handling commercial cases. That is no commercial.

Archimedes' Tax Principle

Displacement seems to be the name of the game our taxmen are playing.  First they moved to increase the SSS premiums of members to pay for the increment in seniors' pension. Now they
have this brilliant plan again to decrease income tax on low-end salaries which will entail an
increase in excise tax on gas and other products. Blame it on Duterte's drive to fulfill campaign
promises at all cost.

A finance mediator would have made him realize that promises are to be doable and fair to all.     

Interest Thing

After killing a Korean, Duterte's own version of Filipino First policy is now targeting Indian loan providers. Will 5-6 have 2 go?

Where do we go for instant financial assistance, ask the market vendors. Following Covey's "Begin with the end in view, " shouldn't the go-vernment first have no-fuss cash available to people who just want to live by earning it.

Missionary Attitude

St. John Paul II described it as being "aware of who the person is, before preaching to, and teaching him a new or better way."

Mediators certainly don't preach nor teach but from getting to know the disputants and their issues, facilitate their coming to a compromise, a new and better way to resolve conflict.

Just Marred

Some scenes in "Just Married" looked more like this. As the groom's father said,"You don't have pictures of sad days in your photo album."

You bring those to the mediation table.

Choosing Apostles

Having been in HR before, we won't forget a "recommendation of the Galilee Testing Center" that Judas was the most qualified to be the lead apostle. Thank God, Jesus chose on the basis of the future, possibility and availability, according to Fr. Sim, SJ.

Mediation also considers those aspects in conflict resolution.

Worst Back?

Miss U Pia is back in town, and we welcome her. Not so, the threat of martial law again.

Let us both mediate and meditate on it. On the former, a People's Initiative on the Jury System would make even the President answerable to the Sovereign People, if he does not seem to respect both Houses nor the Supreme Court.

Environmental Friends

Not the cause-oriented ones, but those on the lookout for your refuse which they recycle for their own. In ABS-CBN Umagang Kay Ganda's Di ba Teh portion, debate centered on taking on a friend's ex. As moderator Ariel Ureta concluded, "One's trash could be another's treasure."

Sure, if you're out for a discount or heavens, a freebie! 

Burnt in Marriage

According to Oscar Madison of the "Odd Couple," it must be when he was thrown soup.

To keep couples from getting physical, there is mediation.

Matterloading

This refers to reading books, magazines, journals and website articles on current events and theories, according to Ateneo's debater Enrique Fernando III.

For mediators, it could mean the court dockets getting more clogged everyday. And their precise reason for being.

My Coup Runneth Over

Now Nero suspects his Assistant and foreign friend of plotting against him via remote control, the internet and other present devices.

Oh, the tales our guilt concocts and shadows it fears. Or reasons we give to justify our plan.

As in mediation, we never promise what we cannot deliver in the first place.

Oro-cle at MMFF

"Oro" was a golden revelation at the recent local film festival. Instead of focusing on the brutal deaths of miners, greater interest and controversy befell the killing of a dog. Animal rights groups barked at the circumstances, as well as the cover-up surrounding the latter. The arbitrary treatment of the dispute by the organizers was bewailed by the film's director and award-winning star.

That is why mediation is preferred to arbitration for being more empowering, than just depending again on a third party arbiter-lawyer-judge. 

Fanatic

Churchill describes him as "someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."

Mediators are no fans of him.

Buwis It

The proposal to tax cosmetics  was withdrawn by this very creative legislator. Instead, why don't they ask this administration to pay for every cuss word, as agreed upon during the campaign. Other situations are the atras-abante between Duterte and spokespersons, the aggressive posturing, all the deaths so far, all the insults, the jet-setting, and now the martial low talk. Really getting taxing!

Job less

Over Christianity Works, heard this reflection about Job in the Old Testament. His faith was tested when he lost family, health and wealth. Friends tried to comfort him but became "sulsultants" instead. Only God was able to restore everything to Job, with even a doubling effect after he did not doubt.

Mediators are like God's little elves trying to spread peace in the world.

Here Lies

This tombstone intro, the joke goes, was for lawyers.

But they say, "the worst lies we tell are the ones will say to ourselves." These, mediators untangle.

Takes One

Catholic Express's Betsy Kerekes in "How to Marry an Idiot" wrote:

It seems many people have this as their goal. The amount of couples getting divorced proves to me that many have already become experts...

As they say, don't look for the Right Idiot. Be the Idiot first.

Missed U

It's that time of year again for Steve Harvey. How can we forget him? Aside from Messing with Colombia, he appears regularly with Little Big Shots. In one quip, he was asked about the song White Christmas. His take on it? "None of my family is coming over."

Indeed, laughter is the best mediation.

Human (Womb) Trafficking

Some desperate housewives were stopped on their trips to go abroad and become surrogate mothers. They have gone lower than taking care of other children.

The government better act fast before OFW gets to stand for Order For Womb.

Training Animals

It is such a joy to see trained animals- a pug skateboarding like his Californian master, a piano teacher's cat acting like another student, a mustang who turned to the art after seeing his owner paint the fence...

Harder to train people in peace-making.

P-Noy told you so

Something's gotta give, or rather the current member-employees/employers for SSS to be able to give the pension hike to its retirees. A palace official blamed the previous administration for still bringing it up to P-noy's desk. And who did the same thing this time around? More so, Duterte painted himself in a corner by promising this during the campaign.

The Turn-over Committee between administrations could do well to ease the incoming across the pitfals, if only they would listen.

Resilience

Filipinos may brag about being its face to the world but Queena Lee-Chua says we all need it in everyday life, and not just in times of calamity.  She quoted "God Is Always Hiring" author Regina Brett as stating,"The secret to any job isn't to leave when you get bored or restless or irritable, but to stay and make it better. Sometimes, we simply need to stay put and call it holy ground...A better solution is to change you, not the job. When you change you, the job auomatically changes."

Mediation is another form of resilience, away from "away" and the usal litigation.

Don't worry, be unhappy

Over breakfast, watched Umagang kay Ganda guest Pangilinan give an insightful tip on staying together: never expect to be happy always. Twenty times over 23 years, they wanted to separate, but figured it wasn't a better alternative.

Now we know why he is an inspirational speaker and not a senator.

Korean won

Not in any contest, but their PWD's money goes a longer way.  In a RED HBO feature, a brother claims the family puts the telephone under their special sibling's name for 50% off, so with petrol and toll fees. Parking is free for them, too.

PH SSS retirees, eat your heart out, or is it heat out?

Bridging Continents

GMA NEWS TV showed a bridge in Iceland connecting North America to Europe.

Easier feat than reconnecting disputants.

Handa sa Kasal

Preparing food for the holidays, an Umagang Kay Ganda host likened it to getting ready for marriage. It starts with quesong (cheesy pambo)bola and ends with ham(onan).

After all the callos, they go to mediation.

Museum of History of Ideas

This is located at the University of the Philippines branch in Manila.  While renewing my court-annexed mediator accreditation at the Supreme Court across the street, rallyists were posted by the media vans with placards telling de Lima to answer charges against her pending at the adjacent DOJ.

That history dates back to her stint as the Chair of Human Rights investigating then Mayor Duterte.

Benedict

Aside from Eggs, other associations are Arnold and Saint. The latter two are a study in contrast. While Arnold was a traitor, Saint Benedict, a strict abbot was thrice "poisoned but was saved three times by divine intervention (this is the reason
 why his name is invoked in cases of food poisoning and other stomach-related sicknesses)."

Everyone is given the chance to be a hero or a heel.

Ka Lihim

This title of a Cabinet Secret-ary ought to be changed, too. It gives them the mandate to keep secrets, especially about the President's health physical or mental.

Freedom of Information to our rescue!

Looking Forward

That's what SSS pensioners are, to their P 1, 000. increase/ month. What is delaying the increment is the move by SSS to increase the monthly premiums of currently employed members at the same time.

Win-lose some.