Idiotic Responses From Those in Authority

Just as criminals are, by nature, a superstitious and cowardly lot so are politicians, by nature, a reactionary and moronic lot. This is true worldwide but no more so than in the Philippines. Let's take a look at some  idiotic responses from those in authority.

Recently, a senior citizen was hit and killed by a dump truck as he attempted to cross the street. The driver says he did not see the old man. The response from those in authority?

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/401122/talisay-residents-told-always-be-careful-when-crossing-roads

Always be very careful when crossing the road and always use the designated pedestrian lane.

This was the reminder of Jonathan Tumulak, chief of the City of Talisay Traffic Operations Development Authority (CT-TODA), to pedestrians to prevent a repeat of the accident that happened early on Saturday morning, September 18, wherein a senior citizen was run over by a passing dump truck.

Exuperio Catubay, 67, was believed to have just come from buying medicines when he tried to cross the street and was hit and run over by the dump truck.

(If you stop in the middle of the road, make sure that you are seen by the drivers [of approaching vehicles] and always make a gesture to signal them that you are about to cross the road to prevent accidents.)

Tumulak is also asking motorists to always practice road courtesy and  to be mindful of the allowed speed limit.

He said that the national highway in Talisay City, especially at the vicinity of  Barangay Tabunok is always a busy area.

People would often cross the street to go to the nearby market or do some errands, he said.

And since the area is often crowded, passing motorists should always travel at a reduced speed.

Jonathan Tumulak, chief of the City of Talisay Traffic Operations Development Authority (CT-TODA) knows that the area the old man was hit is very busy and that people often cross the street. And his solution is for motorists to slow down and for pedestrians to "make a gesture to signal" that they are about to cross the street!

What the heck is a pedestrian lane? Is that like a bike lane which is in the street!? Is Talisay City really forcing people to walk in the street? How about the city build proper sidewalks, crosswalks, and install any necessary traffic lights? How about some real world solutions from the chief of traffic operations instead of idiotic advice like "make a gesture to signal" that you are about to cross the street so motorists see you? What a buffoon.

Traffic is bad throughout the Philippines. Anyone paying attention knows why. Bad drivers, no traffic lights, bad roads, and pedestrians and other obstacles in the street are just a few of the problems. This of course leads to accidents. However, In Cebu City road accidents are "an endless phenomena."

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/399696/road-accidents-an-endless-phenomena-in-cebu-city

Road accidents have become a part of the lifestyle of city residents, said Director Victor Caindec of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7). 

Caindec said the roads in Cebu City were somewhat a mess. 

“Why it happens it can be argued in so many ways. If you look at mobility it is simple to analyze, you have big trucks alongside motorcycles, alongside bicycles, alongside pedestrians moving along a certain speed,” said Caindec. 

The phenomenon of road accidents are caused by the underlying fact that mobility in Cebu City is a challenging aspect of urban development, something that the government has yet to crack. 

While the city continues to struggle with improving the road network, Cuenco can only encourage the drivers to be vigilant on the road and be more careful. 

(Our system now is very subject to abuse. I agree that there should have been planning now in our road system so we will know where particular vehicles are prohibited.)

Road accidents are not a phenomenon. 

a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.

Google/Oxford

While practically everything is a phenomenon we aren't talking philosophical phenomenology here. The situation is practical. We know why accidents happen and the authorities have even offered up solutions. But Director Victor Caindec of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) calls road accidents "part of the lifestyle of city residents." Reminds me of when Sadiq Khan, the Muslim Mayor of London, called Islamic terrorism "part and parcel" of living in a big city.

Another cop played with his toy like a gun and ended up killing his friend. How did PNP Chief Eleazar respond?

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/19/21/pnp-chief-orders-gun-safety-training-after-cop-shot-friend-dead

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said Sunday he has ordered the regular conduct of gun safety training after a policeman accidentally shot dead his friend in Manila. 

The incident is the latest in a series of shootings by policemen. Last year, a policeman shot point blank a woman and her son after an altercation in Paniqui town, Tarlac. In June this year, a policeman shot dead an old woman in Quezon City. 

(I've given a directive to review, check, and ensure the regular conduct of gun safety training for our policemen so they can again be careful in carrying firearms.)

A cop shoots his friend dead and PNP Chief Eleazar says he wants to "ensure the regular conduct of gun safety training for our policemen so they can again be careful in carrying firearms." The implication here is that this is not already happening. If PNP officers are not undergoing regular firearm safety training that is a huge problem. It seems doubtful that is the case. But then again there is that drug war movie, On the President's Orders, where the cops are shown to have not very good firearm skills.  

The brief clip is from 3:23-6:40. The cops are told to fire one round and then holster. They fire 5 rounds instead!

Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia issued an order that all workers must wear personal air purifiers. She was quickly lambasted for this decree because of the expense it will add to the poor and because even the DOH issued a statement saying such devices are inutile and possibly dangerous. Her response to those critics?

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/400635/gwen-challenges-critics-of-air-purifiers-if-you-have-other-ideas-run-for-governor

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia challenged critics of her recent mandate for workers in air-conditioned environments to wear personal air-purifiers to run as governor. 

“I will just continue with what I believe is right for the province. If you have other ideas, run for governor,” said the governor in an interview after the Caravan of Provincial Government services in the town of Moalboal on Thursday, September 16, 2021. 

“Maybe the people might choose you, and then at that time, if you are governor… then implement your own policies,” she added. 

As an elected official who was “chosen by the millions of Cebuanos,” Garcia said she will take responsibility for her decisions. 

“I am the one who has the mandate. You may have your ideas but you were not elected. You were not chosen by the people. This is my responsibility. Kamo nga mo insister sa inyong mga idea, maayo mo kay inyong responsibilidad inyo ra’ng kaugalingon tingali inyong pamilya. Ako, milyon ka milyon nga mga Cebuanos. So, I have the mandate, and I’ll take responsibility for my decisions,” the governor said.

Garcia explained that wearing personal air-purifiers will serve as an “added protection,” apart from wearing face mask, from the COVID-19.

“They should wear a mask, but as an added protection, basta aircon, kay kapila na bitaw na. You know, we’ve heard so much of this virus, it stays [in places where there’s no] proper ventilation, the air droplets that can stay for hours,” she said.

This dumb lady cannot even defend her actions. She gives no data showing that these devices are effective. That's because such data does not exist. 

https://www.ptvnews.ph/doh-wearable-air-purifiers-ineffective-vs-covid-19/

Vergeire also said these purifiers could even cause more harm to people as they might lead to complacency or a sense of false security.

Instead of offering any rational defense of her decree Gwen goes full Cartman and says, "I'm the governor and I'll do what I want."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpF9O0R873I

All these people are ridiculous. Is there anyone in authority that has any real solutions to the problems plaguing the Philippines?

Filling up a Liter Bottle of Red Horse With Gasoline

I have written a few articles about the illegal gas trade in the Philippines but I thought I would take it a step further and see the depths of stupidity to which people can fall. As an experiment I thought I would see if the local gas station would fill up an empty liter bottle of Red Horse. 

As I approached the place this guy walked past me with his very own soda bottle full of gas.

This was basically a sign from heaven in confirmation of my question. Of course they would fill up my empty Red Horse bottle. They even had a funnel ready for the purpose.

As Rafiki lifted up Simba so I lifted up my empty bottle of Red Horse and told them to fill it up. With no compunction they obliged.

What more can I say here? This whole situation is stupid. These people are stupid. Watch the video below.

 

Burning Electrical Wires

I was out for an afternoon run when the sky darkened and I knew I had to return home quickly before the downpour began. On the way back I saw smoke emanating from the sugarcane fields ahead and I figured they were simply burning the fields as is normally done after a harvest. But the closer I got I could tell something was off.

For one thing the smoke was thick and black much unlike the smoke of a burning sugarcane field which is thin and gray. For another thing the smoke was concentrated in one area. It was obvious someone was burning something they should not be burning. When I finally got a look at the burn pile I was shocked beyond belief.

They were burning a jumble of electrical cords! 

There was a man sitting in a truck and a guy who seemed to be about 14 or 15 tending the fire. I asked him why he was burning electrical cords. He said because he was poor and his family did not have money to pay for his tuition. I asked if someone paid him to burn these cords. He said no. That did not make any sense so I pressed for more information but to no avail.

He also apologized profusely and killed the fire by tossing water on it. 

I was sure they would dump the charred wires in the field but when I returned a few hours later there was nothing but a pile of ash.

The guy in the truck never said a word to me as I talked to his son. I presume that is their relationship, unless he was the one paying the guy to burn the cords.

Anyway, this incident was very bizarre and I was completely disgusted. This is not just burning leaves or garbage at your house. These two people drove off to what they thought was a secluded area, it is not, and illegally and foolishly burned a huge mass of electrical wires. And it's really not about the law. No one in the Philippines cares about the law anyway. These people would not have been fined or jailed even if the PNP had witnessed their crime. The point is the ethics of it. You just don't do this. You do not burn electrical wires out in a sugar cane field. If you don't understand that then you are a lost cause. Allow me to present to you the shopping cart test of civilization which works on the same principles.

Can you pass this test?

Inmate Directed PNP-PDEA Operation From Inside His Cell Says NBI

Remember that PDEA-PNP misencounter back in February where both agencies end up firing at each other in public near a mall during what was supposed to be a regular buy-bust operation? Well, the NBI now has an answer as to why this happened. It wasn't the fault of either the PDEA or PNP but the fault of a sneaky drug lord who was directing the whole operation from inside his prison cell.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1436189/occidental-mindoro-inmate-dictated-tempo-of-drug-transaction-that-led-to-pnp-pdea-clash-nbi

An inmate at the Sablayan Penal Colony in Occidental Mindoro, right from inside his cell, “dictated the tempo” of the drug transaction that led to the deadly shootout between police officers and anti-drug operatives in Quezon City last Feb. 14, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Two police officers, a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operative, and an informant were killed in the shootout between agents of the PDEA Special Enforcement Service (SES) and the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) of the Quezon City Police District.

Police maintained that they were conducting a legitimate buy-bust operation. They tapped Jonaire Decena, who was later revealed to be a detainee, as a poseur buyer, transacting with a certain James Tan.

Calls, video chats, and online messages between them were presented during the hearing.

According to Bacani, the Philippine National Police (PNP) submitted to the NBI a copy of the video call conversation between Decena and Tan. The NBI traced the call to the Sablayan Penal Colony.

It was an inmate there named Melvin Magallon, also known as Pawpaw, who first talked with Decena.

“But the picture in the cellphone of Mama Jo [that is, Jonaire Decena] was not that of Pawpaw,” Bacani told the committee in Filipino.

Bacani said James Tan was only used as a cover, but it was Magallon who was “dictating the tempo” of the transaction.

“It appears that he [Tan] was put there, but the one dictating the tempo is Pawpaw or Magallon,” the NBI official said.

In reaction, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the committee chair, pointed out that this was the reason why he was persistent in pushing for the reimposition of the death penalty — in order to stop drug dealers from operating even behind bars.

“If we had the death penalty, this Pawpaw who is imprisoned in Sablayan, would have been executed. Then there would have been no misencounter between PDEA and the PNP,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino

“We are being fooled by drug lords in prison. That’s why I appeal to my colleagues to reimpose the death penalty on high-level drug traffickers,” he added.

The gist of this tale is that a prisoner in Mindoro was running and directing a PNP-PDEA operation by using a fall guy. They even made video calls to each other. How was a prisoner allowed to make video calls when phones are not allowed inside prisons? Who cares!

Former PNP Chief and now Senator Bato sure does not care. Instead of rightly blaming corrupt BuCor officers and inept policemen he actually belittles the PNP by saying, "We are being fooled by drug lords in prison." Amazing. Is the PNP really so stupid as to be taken in by drug lords in prison? According to Bato they are. Who is running the show? It's like Con Air where the prisoners are actually dictating what is happening.

But it's not enough for Bato to belittle the PNP. He goes on to say, "If we had the death penalty, this Pawpaw who is imprisoned in Sablayan, would have been executed. Then there would have been no misencounter between PDEA and the PNP." He actually makes this instance of miscommunication between the PNP and PDEA, as well as obviously corrupt BuCor officials, into a case for the death penalty. That is a pure deflection from the issue of the incompetence and corruption of all agencies involved.

Instead of advocating getting rid of corrupt officials and making sure the PNP and PDEA are coordinating with one another regarding operations Bato's solution is to "Kill 'em all." And no wonder coming from the man who first directed Duterte's bloody war on drugs and said when a 3 year old during a drug bust, "Shit happens."

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/07/08/1933018/bato-sorry-shit-happens-remark-says-it-again-anyway

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police, clarified that he made the wrong choice of words when he commented on the death of a three-year-old girl in a drug bust operation.

Last week, the neophyte senator said "shit happens" when asked about the demise of the girl, which drew criticism from rights groups.

"I will recall my word. Instead of 'shit' let us change it to 'unfortunate incident' (happens)," Dela Rosa told ANC' "Headstart" Monday.

What a sleight of hand from ol' Bato. He takes back the word "shit" and substitutes "unfortunate incident" without changing the meaning of his sentiment. It just looks better.  And that is what the PNP is all about when it comes to cleaning up corruption, looking good as opposed to being good. 

Will there be an investigation into exactly how Pawpaw was able to get a cellphone to make video calls and direct a PNP operation? Will there be real change within the BuCor, an agency Bato once headed and promised to clean up, or will there just be the status quo? I think we all know the answer.

Still More Coronavirus Signs and Situations

The pandemic is not going away. It's here to stay for good. That's what the government has told us. Along with the pandemic comes ridiculous and questionable safety measures set in place by moral busybodies.

For some reason everyone is under the impression that alcohol will kill the virus. Every time I enter a store a security guard spritzes my hands with an annoying mist which I invariably wipe off on my shorts. Apparently some people have been dousing an ATM with alcohol before they use it.

A REMINDER TO OUR VALUED CLIENTS

Pouring of alcohol or any liquid directly on the ATM is strictly prohibited.

We assure you that this ATM is already disinfected.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

They must have seen customers doing this through the camera on the machine. The government is fully to blame as they have set forth all these protocols about keeping safe and washing with alcohol is high on the list.

Here is something that is most definitely NOT safe.

What's going on here is that these security guards are blocking the only entrance and exit to the building in order to take people's temperatures. The other door is STILL pad-locked! This whole exercise is pointless because in order to enter the stores upstairs and downstairs you STILL have to be scanned and sprayed with alcohol. They have created a major fire hazard and an annoying headache as now there is an unnecessary logjam.

Eventering stores has become a little tricky these days. Most of the have log book and a lot of rules to follow.  One store says you must scan a QR code to enter.

In order to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, you are required to scan the QR code below before entering this premises. 

Two things. One is, what about those who don't have the internet? I don't and was not able to log in when I scanned it.

Second of all it's just not true. You do not have to scan that code to enter the store because to enter the premises in the first place you already have to be scanned in since this is a store inside a store. An employee even told me to just go in and that I did not have to scan it. So what's the point? Believe me when I tell you that the narrow aisles in this store make social distancing impossible.

Another barricade to entering stores is the number of people allowed at any time. It varies from store to store.

What is the scientific basis for these restrictions? All 4 of these boutiques are the same size. It's just arbitrary nonsense.

Here is a sign I came across which is pretty weird.  This is for a bank, mind you.

Reminder on 

wearing of Personal 

Protective Equipment (PPE)  

already EXPOSED to HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS 

OR HEALTH RISKS

PLEASE REMOVE HAZMAT SUITS

and BOUFANT CAPS

BEFORE ENTERING THE BRANCH

Are they serious? Are there hospital workers walking around wearing PPE outside of their jobs? How ridiculous a notion! By the way who is to say that my face shield and face mask have not been exposed to the virus?

Some of these COVID-19 precautions are real head scratchers. I think this situation at the supermarket is the most puzzling I have seen yet.

This is the meat counter at a local supermarket. A barrier has been set up which means now you have to lean over and shout what you want and then hold out your basket so they can give it to you. Above the fish and pork is this sign:

CUSTOMER SAFETY FIRST

Due to  the increased alert of the COVID-19 virus, we would like to request for our customers to refrain from touching or sniffing our fresh and poultry products to prohibit the spread of the virus.

Thank you for your understanding.

Aside from the bad grammar I have to ask, "Who is sniffing the meat!?" I have never done this and I have never seen anyone else do it. What is the science behind this anyway? It's just more annoyance as you literally have to stand behind a barrier and shout your order as loud music blasts over the speakers. That fact that everyone's mouth is covered with a face mask which obscures your speech only increases the frustration.

Oddly enough the fruit and vegetable section is not roped off and that is the one section where everyone is touching and sniffing the product to find the best ones. I am pretty sure this is the only store with this restriction. Here is SM's meat section.

Is this lady at risk for spreading COVID-19 because she's selecting her own chicken? It's preposterous. The whole idea of roping off the meat section to prevent the spread of COVID-19 boils down to busywork. Someone was forced to come up with an idea to make them seem useful.

Do you know the symptoms of COVID-19?  Well here they are:

Sore throat, Headache, Shortness of Breath, Fever, Cough, Diarrhea, Sneezing, Fatigue/Weakness

Wait a minute. Diarrhea, a gastrointestinal disruption, is a sign of having the respiratory illness COVID-19? It turns out...maybe. As with all things COVID-19 (masks, face shields, etc) the science is far from settled. The scary fact is that most who contract this virus, which has an over 90% survival rate unless you have existing co-morbibdites such as diabetes and obesity and heart trouble, will show no symptoms.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53320155

Diarrhea does happen to be a symptom but a very uncommon one according to the WHO. Strangely enough it is the first sign to show in some patients. The most common symptoms according to the WHO are:

Fever, Dry Cough, and Fatigue.

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/coronavirus-disease-covid-19#:~:text=symptoms

Headache, Chill, and Sore Throat are, like diarrhea, on the list of least common symptoms. Shortness of breath is on the list of symptoms of severe COVID-19. Sneezing is nowhere on the WHO's list of COVID-19 symptoms. 

What are we to really make of this list except that is more propaganda and scare tactics from the DOH especially in light of the fact that most carriers of the virus have no symptoms?

Well that's it for now. I am sure as the days go on more silly signs and situations will emerge and I hope to report on them.

SM's Jungle Safari in the Mall is Actually Bizarre COVID-19 Propaganda

What will they think of next to get people used to the idea of wearing face masks and face shields while out and about in public? SM recently erected a display of jungle safari animals that doubles as COVID-19 propaganda.

Take a look at Mr. Baboon here.

The sign is a bit obscured by the light but it reads: 

Mr. Baboon washes his hands regularly for 20 seconds to keep the virus away.

Where does he get the anti-viral soap? Does he wash his hands every time he scratches his big red baboon butt?

 If Mr. Baboon doesn't want to catch the virus then why doesn't he stay home like Mrs. Monitor Lizard?

Mommy lizard is staying at home to watch her kids. Mom cooks delicious meals to make sure we don't go out.

I like the seamless shift from third person to first person. Monitor lizards eat bugs among other things and wouldn't you know it but the same people pushing the COVID-19 face masks scare are the same people who want everyone to eat bugs and much less red meat all in the name of going green and saving the environment.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/t-magazine/eating-bugs-food-restaurant.html

You know who does not eat and never will eat bugs? A lioness.

I make sure I wear a mask when I need to get food.

Have you seen anything more stupid in your life? This is bad propaganda. Why would a lioness, who needs her large teeth to catch her food, wear a mask when she needs to get food? She wouldn't!! She and her cubs would starve.

Let's not forget social distancing propaganda. That task is left to the meerkat, one of the most social animals on the whole savanna. Talk about irony!

We make sure we keep a 1 meter distance between each other.

A 1 meter distance? How will the meerkats do that in the crowded burrows in which they live? They won't. 

There are no other signs for the remaining animals. For instance we do not get to see the innermost thoughts of this elephant who has a face mask on his trunk.

Seeing as how elephants use their trunks to drink water maybe he is thinking:

Please help! With this face mask on my trunk I can't drink. I am going to die!

This zebra might be thinking the same thing.

Imagine being a wild zebra and going to the local watering hole with mask covering your snout and mouth so you cannot drink and you cannot smell any danger on the wind. You would be dead. All of these animals would be dead if they were wearing face masks. 

Believe it or not there is one animal, besides the monitor lizard, which is not wearing a face mask. The monitor lizard is secluding herself at home so that is understandable. However this giraffe is without excuse!

Does Mr. Giraffe think being so tall precludes him from any chance at getting the virus? Actually none of these animals are at risk because the climate they live in is not favorable to the virus.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54418613

That's part of an article about why Africa has not been as hard hit by COVID-19 as everywhere else. If these animals could read I would direct them to https://cv19.fr/eng/english/ to learn more about the ineffectiveness of face masks at stopping the virus.

Now perhaps this jungle display is just harmless fun meant to get the message out all in the name of safety and perhaps not. What is certain is that this pandemic is being used as a means to further the economic and political agendas of those who run things.

https://time.com/collection/great-reset/

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to think about the kind of future we want. TIME partnered with the World Economic Forum to ask leading thinkers to share ideas for how to transform the way we live and work. 

"The future we want?" Who is this "we?" Do you attend annual Bilderberg meetings or prance about in the woods at Bohemian Grove every summer? I know I sure don't. 

Don't think the Philippines is out of the purview of the World Economic Forum. It is not.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/archive/philippines/

If you want to know more about the Great Reset and the Fourth Industrial Revolution and what may be coming in the future then I direct your attention to the following video. 

The Truth About the Manila Bay White Sand Project

Ever since the news broke that the DENR had dumped a massive load of litter on the shores of Manila Bay in order to beautify it I have been collecting news stories so that at a later point I could put the pieces together of this silly and awful story. It really was an absurd decision to dump crushed dolomite sourced from Cebu all over Manila Bay to "beautify" it. 

There are a lot of dumb stories like this one:

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1115063

Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso on Thursday thanked the national government for the rehabilitation and beautification of the Manila Bay shoreline, saying it will attract more tourists and investors and will create more jobs for the people. 

“Maganda yun kasi urban eh, highly urbanized tapos bigla kang me beach (that is very nice because it’s a highly urbanized city then you have a beach) that’s a good attraction for the city, the business, employment and the people as habitants of the city,” Domagoso said in an interview over ANC on Thursday. 

Domagoso said the “beach nourishment” project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in a portion of Manila Bay’s shoreline is a welcome development. 

“If a year or two or five from now, our next generation will experience what our lolos and lolas (grandparents) experienced in the heyday, times of Manila when the Manila Bay is clean and there is a beach in the area, siguro yun ang regalo natin sa next generation (that could be our gift to the next generation),” he said. 

He said this is not the first time that crushed dolomites are being used for shoreline beautification, citing the Monte Carlo, Monaco in Europe, the Plantation Bay Resort in Cebu, and several other big hotels that used dolomites for their man-made beaches. 

To protect the crushed dolomites from being washed out, Domagoso said DENR has applied engineering mechanisms. 

However, he said the city government of Manila will file charges if the rehabilitation of Manila Bay is proven to have violated environmental laws. 

He added that Manila is willing to spend money in the future to help preserve the rehabilitated Manila Bay.

This article really touches on what is wrong with the so-called Manila Bay beautification project. There is so much nonsense and baloney in the above paragraphs I can't even break it down properly. Dumping crushed dolomite on a small section of Manila Bay and treating that event as if now Manila Bay is clean and beautiful and will attract investors and tourists is RIDICULOUS!!

Why would pouring crushed dolomite on a beach entice investors to spend millions of dollars in the Philippines? This is an incredibly dumb assertion to justify the unjustifiable. Investors want a functional government and economy to protect their investments. Foreign investors especially want to own their businesses and not share it 60/40. Everyone wants endless red tape and runarounds eliminated. They don't care about crushed rocks on a beach!

A group of marine scientists from the UP did a write up about the stupidity of this situation.

http://www.msi.upd.edu.ph/?fbclid=IwAR0t3SKIpPO9mE9nDqUE4QPdAgdXCCc5B2O3968bgnp0PALXBxsKITRTbdg

There are no short-cuts to a cleaner environment.  The use of crushed Dolomite sand will not help solve the environmental problems in Manila Bay.  At most, it is a beautification effort that is costly and temporary.  The task of cleaning and restoring Manila Bay may be daunting but it needs to be done for future generations of Filipinos to benefit from its many uses.     

You don't need to read that report. The concluding paragraph is enough. Anyone with a lick of common sense would have come to the same conclusion.

Bypassing all the other stories about the Manila Bay white sand project (such as the Cebu provincial government being unaware that dolomite was being mined and transported to Manila and apparently no one takes the time to actually read the budget before it is passed) let's cut to the chase and to the truth of the matter about the Manila Bay white sand project.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/30/20/manila-lgu-sets-up-portable-toilets-in-tondo-to-stop-or-minimize-open-defecation-in-manila-bay

The local government of Manila City said Wednesday it teamed up with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to install portable toilets in Parola, Tondo to stop or minimize open defecation affecting Manila Bay. 

Mayor Francisco 'Isko Moreno' Domagoso and DENR Director for Administrative Service Rolando Castro on Wednesday signed the supplemental memorandum of agreement. 

Under the "Kubeta Ko" project, the local government will install portable toilets in Parola, Tondo for the use of informal settler families in the area. 

The DENR allotted a total of P10 million to the City of Manila for the said project, with an additional P5 million to "cover operational costs" during the duration of the project. 

"Kubeta Ko" will be using the viable portable, container-based toilet technology developed by Loowat, Limited. The said company also managed to secure funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation for the project. 

The project will be implemented for a year.

That headline alone tells the whole story. Manila Bay is literally full of human feces and garbage. And the morons in charge think dumping crushed dolomite sourced from Cebu onto the shores of Manila Bay will change a thing?  It won't! 

Dining Out In The New Normal

I don't go out to eat much but I've noticed that doing so these days requires a lot of paperwork. You have to fill out a form with your name and address and phone number in order to help with contract tracing. If someone with COVID-19 is traced to the same place where you went for a burger or a pizza then you can be contacted and tested. Here are a few samples.

McDonald's

Dunkin' Donuts

Chowking

Greenwich Pizza

Bob's

Mang Inasal

This restaurant has trays for the form and the pen used to fill it out.

All pens must be sanitized.

Starbucks has the same set up. Fill out a form and place the pen in a box to be sanitized.

Jollibee also has a form to fill out but that is only if you want to eat inside the restaurant.

Another option for customers is to sit in the parking lot and eat in their car. It's rather simple of course but Jollibee has explicit instructions and even designated spaces for dining-in-car customers.

It would be fun if whoever delivered your order did so on roller skates.

A few weeks later this particular Jollibee and the Greenwich Pizza restaurant above modified their set ups so that not only does one have to fill out a form but one also has to take their own temperature.

You stand in front of that machine and get scanned. The genius of this contraption is that it frees the security guard from having to scan every patron.

If you are dining at a restaurant in the mall you might have to go wash up. Yes there is a new normal in the mall's toilet set-up.

I understand why they closed off every other urinal but why the stalls? Each stall is its own private room. What is more social distancing than being in your own private room? This is just dumb.

If you need to retrieve money from the ATM to finance your meal well that situation is also pretty dumb.

Why did they cover it in plastic? Everyone will still be touching the same buttons. The same germs will be spread. Nothing has been gained by this. It has an aura of safety and prevention but is just plain dumb.

All those forms are for contact tracing. But how does that work exactly?

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1863484/Network/Feature/What-is-contact-tracing-and-how-does-it-work-with-Covid-19

THE goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and prevent them from spreading it to others. 

Health experts say contact tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing places to reopen more safely.  

But the process isn’t easy. 

After a person tests positive for the virus, a contact tracer would get in touch with the person and attempt to determine where they have been and who they were around. 

The focus is on close contacts, or people who were within six feet of the infected person for at least 10 minutes or so. Those people would then be asked to self-isolate, monitor themselves for symptoms and get tested if needed. 

For those showing symptoms, the tracing process would start all over again. 

Contact tracing is done in a variety of ways around the world. But a common issue is that determining who a person has been around can get harder as gatherings with friends and family resume, and as bars, restaurants and other places start reopening. 

There’s also pressure to act quickly. Ideally, most of a person’s contacts would be alerted within a day.

How will these forms be able to assess just who has been "within six feet of the infected person for at least ten minutes?" They won't. But if you want to eat out the forms must be filled.