A Beauty Pageant for Muslim Women

A beauty contest for Muslim women? This was the first reaction I got when I asked my friend if he knows anything about the World Muslimah 2013. Unlike the more famous Miss World and Miss Universe, World Muslimah is ordinary beauty pageant. This contest was for Muslims only and the contestants wore headscarves and floor-sweeping gowns that covered their chests and shoulders.

Only on its third year, the pageant crowned Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola of Nigeria the Annual Award in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, 18 September 2013. Ajibola and the other top finalists shared their thoughts on the importance of motherhood, the dangers of the Internet, and the value of Islamic finance. They were vying for the "crown of modesty," a golden statue of a woman giving thanks to God and an all expenses paid trip to Mecca.

Unjustifiable Bonuses of SSS Commisioners (Last Part)

There are several questions that we were trying to answer yesterday regarding the bonuses accorded to several senior Social Security System (SSS) officials, but failed to find a justifiable good answer. We will try to do that again in this post.

Susie Bugante, SSS vice president for public affairs, keep on mentioning Executive Order No. 24 signed by President Benigno Aquino III to defend the large bonuses amounting to about PhP 10 million for Chairman Juan B. Santos, Chairman; SSS President and SSC vice chairman Emilio S. De Quiros, Jr.; Diana V. Pardo-Aguilar; Daniel L. Edralin; Eliza R. Antonino; Marianita O. Mendoza; Ibarra A. Malonzo, and Bienvenido E. Laguesma.

Unjustifiable Bonuses of SSS Commisioners (First Part)

Let's examine again the issues hounding the country's Social Security System (SSS) at this time by stating the following facts first:

• SSS has an unfunded liability of about PhP 1.07 Trillion as of December 2011.
• The unfunded liability of SSS is expected to increase by about 8 percent annually.
• SSS registered a double-digit growth in its net revenue in the first semester of 2012.
• SSS Investment Reserve Fund (IRF) now stands at close to PhP 390 billion from PhP 290 billion.

Be a Lawmaker, Not a Plunderer

Lawmakers are expected to write new laws, review and amend existing laws. There is nothing more that is expected from and definitely nothing less. Life would have been simpler if they just follow this dictum, but obviously greed creeps in.

There is no plausible explanation or justification why the legislators should be involved in identifying if not implementing government projects. Who told them to provide scholarships or medical allowances to their constituents when it is clear as day it is the role of the executive branch.

Pork By Any Other Name

Did Malacañang offered bribes or incentives to lawmakers using the so-called Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) to convict former chief justice Renato Corona? We all know the answer to this question, right?

Unless you are trying to pretend that you are blind and brainless, then the obvious answer is no. Why? Because Senator Bongbong Marcos who did not convict the chief justice received funds from DAP on December 2011, while Senator Pia Cayetano who convicted Corona did not receive anything in 2012.