Persida Acosta

Perseguida, en sequida if my Spanish lessons serve me right. Talking of conflict of interest on the part of DOH and UP- PGH, she has to likewise come clean on being at the beck and call of DOJ and a rumored new house.

Per cost

A Better View

Our Daily Bread's Jennifer B. Schuldt states that while "my tree-climbing days are over. I suppose it isn't very safe - or dignified...," but "the higher I climbed, the more I could see."

Like Zacchaeus, disputants have to see the better, and not the bitter view.

Sara

There were two in the news recently. The first was the hometown in Iloilo of the OFW kept in the freezer for over a year. Then the mayor of Davao got out of the oven where she was placed by the House Speaker.

One was forever silenced; the second spoke out. Mediation could go between the Mayor and the Speaker.

Steve Wynn's

Comments from the owner of Wynn's Resorts & Casinos  are down-to-earth. Describes himself as "frustrated, anxious and unsatisfied" with Trump. To be fair, he said Hillary was also "in a bubble." A third choice would have steered away from their populist promises and dealt with the problems of America realistically.

A mediating candidate.

Opening Doors

The blockbuster impact of Black Panther in today's cinema had a pioneer in Charlie Sifford. Our Daily Bread states that "he became the first African-American playing member of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour, joining a sport that, until 1961, had a "whites only" clause in its by-laws.

Mediation is another door-opener of compromise possibilities. 

Priorities

With the MRT, Benham, rice, price etc. Crises that we are facing, what does Congress propose? Mobile number for life!!!

Mediation sets issues according to importance or urgency.

The Lucky One

He was Logan, a marine who survived the war and brought his experience with bomb-sniffing dogs to his post-war life as a kennel staff.

Like mediation sifting the conflict for grains of goodwill.

Make Create Innovate

In an episode of this CNN show, they featured a microchip with a "brain" that can get an ambulance even before an accident occurs.

Mediation can only prevent a repeat of the conflict by arming disputants with the attitude and skill to avert future ones.

Just Deserts

No double "s" there. It is the place of purification from "Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David" to "Luke Skywalker's initiation in Star Wars," says Bishop Robert Barron.

Much like mediation.

Be the Miracle

The man born without limbs was rejected at birth even by his mother. But he is now a motivational speaker world-wide, aside from being a family man.

Mediation is somewhat like a miracle too that motivates disputants to work on their issues.

Ephphata

Be opened, said Jesus to the blind man's eyes.

Mediators say the same to the disputants' minds.

Can't Take It Back

The Februrary 8 sharer in Our Daily Bread reflected "I couldn't take my actions back." Justification of our irritability, impatience or anger runs counter to the Proverbs "challenging us to think about how to respond when people get in the way of our plans." Proverbs 12:16 warns us: "Fools show their annoyance at once."

Preventive mediation 101

Hidden Figures

Finally found this very meaningful movie on women at WB cable network last night. They were three smart black cookies working at NASA in the 1960's of JFK and Martin Luther King. Aside from the near impossible dream to be a supervisor and an aeronautical engineer, the problem of their analytical geometrician friend was the lack of a bathroom for colored women in her office building.  Yet, she was part of the team that brought John Glenn to orbit!

After finding the reason why she was taking such long breaks, her boss tore down her bathroom sign, saying, "We all pee the same color!"

Make-up Artist

Instead of bringing an actual one on her foreign trips, perhaps the DOT Secretary can bring a figurative one, a mediator. The latter can explain to travel groups our Duterte-inflicted wound to the Boracay tourist industry.

Harry

Not Wales but Connick is a more peaceful "nightcap" than Stephen Colbert's humorous rants on Trump. Harry is positive and soft sells goodness in persons like athlete Tim Tebow who displayed "John 16" below his eyes during a game. He also worked with children in the Philippines, especially Sherwin who was made to feel cursed with his leg deformity. His book is titled "Shaken."

One-man mediation team!

PH wins over China

Aside from the languishing win over China at the Tribunal over UNCLOS, PH does it again- at singing!

At least this time, PH took possession of the trophy!

Blanket Raise

That's what Duterte did when he doubled the pay of the PNP. Undeserved reinforcement is meaningless and ineffective, except to probably win blind loyalty. Worse, it reinforced negative behavior like sleeping and drinking while on duty!

So in mediation, there should be fairness to all.

5-4-1

That's the latest code for revenge. Duterte vows having 5 NPAs killed for every militaryman downed. He even offered P 20, 000. to the lumad indigenous people for every rebel murdered.

Mediation: Impossible

Imagine

Annie Leibovitz recalled that she had initially wanted only John Lennon for a cover photo. However, he insisted on having a fully-clothed Yoko Ono join him in his birthday clothes. That very day, he was shot to death.

Mediators, listen and trust your disputants.

PASA load

Not the good news from friends sending mobile points. The Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association's bad news after TRAIN is the jacking up of prices on goods bought by all commuters/ consumers.

Decreasing income tax at the lower brackets led to taxing more people on gas and goods. Bad move.

Irony

Parading war readiness on the anniversary of the end of World War l on 11 November - that is the plan of Trump, in response to co-parader Lord Flaunturtoy of North Korea.

Is there mediation in hell?

Till Death

The Dengvaxia scare has turned gloulish. From anxiety regarding its efficacy and complications, there is now the push and pull of autopsying supposed victims.

The main parties, DOH and the families of children vaccinated, have been joined by PAO acting like lawyers of disputants.

Joint Gain

North and South Korea's joint team to the current Winter Olympics bodes well toward the resolution of their history of conflict. 

In mediation, both parties can start agreeing on doable common interest.

Jalapeno

Wag talikuran ang problema.
Caught this punny message on a GMA News TV cooking show.

Mediators' battlecry to disputants.

Supremacy

That seems to be the conflict prevailing in government today. Who trumps who? Duterte suspends the Deputy Ombudsman of that independent body that appealed to the Supreme Court, which sustained them. To no avail, Duterte digs in.

Disputants have to listen to the mediator to facilitate the settlement.

Designated Survivor

During CNN's coverage of the State of the Union Address of Trump, learned that the designated survivor hidden away from the occasion, is usually the Secretary of Agriculture.

In divorce, it is the children.
In mediation, they are both the disputants.

Art Imitating Life

2nd Avenue's Madam Secretary's episode on the kidnapping of an American in Sudan hit close to home. The US Secretary of State discovered that China was involved because the victim learned about its exploration of the resources around Khartoum. Threatening to reveal his findings led to his release.

Knowledge is power even in mediation.

Anti- Social Media

The Senate hearing on fake news or dis/misinformation became mud-throwing time between PCOO and media. Even affected senators joined in the fray. Senator Poe mediated by saying that it was not about her.

Mediators are just to facilitate the settlement between disputants and not take sides nor take it personally.