Pnoy's fight against graft is getting stronger and bearing fruit

Contrary to popular perception, the fight against graft and corruption is actually gaining ground, thanks to the tireless efforts of these men and women who now serve the Aquino administration. 

For one, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) thru the leadership of Commissioner David has managed to lessen the incidence of graft in the bureau by rotating their personnel and keeping in the freezer or filing cases against erring personnel. David, a military man, has already kept in check, numerous cases of graft in the bureau.

The Immigration bureau also successfully conducted entrance examinations meant to hire new blood for the bureau. Years ago, when the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) decided to put a stop on graft, they hired new blood and re-organized themselves. Now, the BIR is now one of the agencies with less graft and corruption cases. Fact is, in the graft and corruption fight, the BIR right now is the model to emulate. 

The DOTC or the Department of Transportation and Communication is now a very highly organized and highly efficient organisation, thanks to the efforts of Mar Roxas, Jeary Sison and the bunch of undersecretaries who now put in check the previous graft practices of people there. 

The only blight spot in the DOTC is the Land Transportation Office (LTO) whose personnel continues to do their graft-y ways. 

There are still some form of graft at the Department of Agriculture, yet, compared with the previous dispensation, operators there are now afraid of entering into multi-million deals. 

Other agencies who have turned a new leaf is the Department of Energy, the Tesda, the POEA and the OWWA. Yes, procedures at the POEA and the OWWA remain underpar, but they are in the right direction.

I highly commend the men and women of the Social Security System or SSS, the GSIS or the Government Service Insurance System and the Department of Foreign Affairs passport division for improving their services. Yes, the long lines are still there at peak hours, yet, they are manage-able. I just applied for an SSS ID and it only took me about ten minutes to get one. Kudos to the patriotic men and women of the SSS!

I will restrain my praise to the Bureau of Customs. Some say I criticize the bureau because of personal interests. What? I am a private citizen with no business whatsoever at the bureau. The information I get come from Patriots working inside the bureau of Customs. They are the ones who tell me about what's happening there. And I write about it--without adding anything, even an opinion. 

Repatriation of 17,000 OFWs in Syria

Government should monitor the developments in Syria because of its direct impact on the lives of 17,000 Overseas Filipino Workers. The Department of Foreign Affairs already alerted Filipinos in that Arab country due to the increasing violence happening there. If things get worse down there, this overwhelming number will add to the increasing volume of OFWs who lost their jobs during these past few months.


Statistics from the National Statistical Coordination Board says that around 5,000 Filipinos lost their jobs in the first quarter of this year. With the impending repatriation of OFWs from Syria, expect this number to balloon for the next few weeks or so. 


President Aquino approved a 4 billion peso budget as assistance for displaced OFWs. The funds were distributed to TESDA, OWWA and POEA. The question really is---where are all these funds now? Are these being intelligently spent for the welfare of these OFWs?