E-salute and Pasa Lord

These are  some of the innovations started by the Pope during his recent visit to the Philippines. By night and even by day, cellular phones Smart, Globe or Sun were raised in his direction as he passed by. Then, at Communion during Holy Mass, people passed the Sacred Host to communicants behind them who couldn't move forward.

Mediation , per se, is likewise a new development in the judicial system. Truly keeping up with the need of the times, too.

Papal In-hospital

That was a distinct possibility last Saturday when, in the drizzle, Tacloban officials in raincoats went about shaking/kissing the hand of the Pope, who was unprotected from the rain. His raincoat came belatedly while he was way up on this Popemobile.
So one wonders about their sincerity when these same officials express concern for the victims of calamity or poverty, when they couldn't even feel such for the Pope. So much also for the vaunted Filipino hospitality!

Mediators have to watch out for these inconsistencies between disputants' claims and their behavior.

Papal Mediator

Letters of concern handed to Pope Francis made him like an "Isumbong Mo kay Tulfo" program or a sort of Carta of Appeals. From aging prisoners to other current issues,  the papal intervention was sought. Truly a Filipino culture of "padrino" for after all, he is the Holy Father!

This reflects our country's lack of empowerment to address the people concerned. Mediation is a small help toward just that, empowerment.

You're A Canadian in CDO

Remember the oldie that went "I'm an Englishman in New York"? Well, there is a real and updated version in Cagayan de Oro. From a British Commonwealth member country, a Canadian citizen is now whooping it up in the hinterlands of Misamis. How did he get there? Well, of course he met some Pinoys working in, where else but abroad, in nearby Hongkong!  He has eaten balut and ridden a carabao, among other things.

Mediation likewise traces such journeys of persons and their disputes, literally if not figuratively.

Chick-en Eggheads

The increased rates on the els (elevated trains for Chicagoans) of the LRT / MRT have produced chicken-and-egg situations. Riders feel improvements in service should be done first before the increase. DOTC and the trains' management say they need the increase precisely to improve service. Another chicken, GMA (not the network but the one with the net worth!) was supposed to increase these rates but held off in order not to increase her downfall momentum.

Similar interlocking situations are all too familiar in mediation. Mediators do the Scouts' task of untying these Grandma's knots in human relationship.

Die Hard

Not about Bruce Willis, this refers to bad habits. In this case, really bad. An escapee from prison was caught red-handed, snatching! Again.

Some people never learn, can't help themselves, and could be what we dread in HR, incorrigible.   This goes for lying, blaming, and other scourges of mediation.

Twists of Failure

With the cable-ready tv decommissioned for a while, we discovered much improved teleseryes on local channels. "Forevermore" is particularly insightful. Despite the usual theme, conversations are light and well, conversational and current, not the kilometric type of yore. A domino effect of situations occurred when an eccentric and plain nasty adult female guest asked for a nanny. Our bida to the rescue. However, she is asked to watch over the sleeping brutey, so is groggy the next day and (byuti nga) spills the breakfast beverage on the guess-who!

Sometimes mediators have to do some forensic work on causes of the effects facing them. So as not to err more.

Intentional Ligaw

That's not wooing. It refers to victims of gunshots during the holidays who were not all by accident. It seems some were premeditated to happen under the cover of the peste-vities.

Mediators have to be wary likewise of the relation between time and motion. Not for work procedures, but regarding alibis and such of disputants.

Lampang Shanghai

New Year's celebrations worldwide were marred by the stampede in Shanghai,
China involving mostly youth scrambling over what were originally thought of
as paper bills thrown from atop a building.  Some points to consider:

1) What a waste of young lives at the start of the year!
2) What was that paper thrower/group thinking? or motive?
3) What an ominous event marking the Year of the Sheep!

Mediation rises above the path of least resistance- self-absorbed acrimony, lawyers, and court suits.  That is its stamp.

Chris Brownie Point

The curious case of American singer Chris Brown's losing his passport and therefore, unable to perform at the Philippine Arena last New Year's Eve got a lot of people either angry, disappointed or understanding. Others were consoled by the fireworks instead.

You will hear similar fantastic alibis in mediation, too. Of course, the other side would be incredulous. It is then the role of the mediator to sift the chaff from the grain of truth.