“Communication technology has become borderless.”
Santa Banana, even as experts now say we are at low risk for COVID-19, here comes the Omicron variant of the virus, said to be more contagious.
But can we stop Omicron from entering the country, especially now with the Christmas holidays approaching? OFWs will surely be coming home for the holidays. I can only remember earlier attempts to ban flights, but the virus spread, anyway.
Let’s just hope and pray that Omicron will not be too infectious, especially now as Christmas and New Year are just around the corner.
Israel and Japan, for instance, have banned the entry of all travelers. It’s a bad move, many say. But I believe it’s the only way to ensure that the Philippines will not be infected with Omicron.
How can we prevent inbound international travel of all persons, regardless of vaccination status or point of origin?
At our age, my wife and I are definitely just staying home.We prefer to be on the side of caution. We have seen it all.
**
There has been a change in chairmanship of the MTRCB or the Movies and Television Ratings and Classification Board chairmanship with a Davao City- based lawyer-member of the board as the new chairman, replacing Rachel Arenas, who I believe had been doing a good job.
Arenas is a friend and for this reason I hesitated to write about what I really think about the MTRCB. Now that she’s out, I will say I think the agency should be abolished.
The Philippines is about the only country in the world which still censors movies and television, and gives ratings and classification of movies and TV shows. Recall that the MTRCB was initially a censors board. But, my gulay, how can you censor movies and television when with a flick of your finger you can watch all the movies and television shows worldwide?
Under Rachel Arenas, with the law creating MTRCB its mandate, even news programs have been rated and classified as “General Patronage” or “With Parental Guidance.” I consider that silly since you can watch news all over the world without any rating and classification.
Modern technology has made news, movies and television borderless. I also believe that movies and television producers are mature enough not to be showing restricted productions contrary to the morals of the viewing public.
On movies, my gulay, how can the MTRCB rate and classify Netflix and HBO and others. The classic “Game of Thrones,” for instance had shown total nudity and even sex scenes, but did the MTRCB even rate and classify it? This is what I mean that when it comes to communication technology the world has become borderless making it impossible for any country to rate and classify what people can watch on television screens.
The MTRCB is actually a dumping ground for political proteges. The best example for this is the replacement of Rachel Arenas whose incumbency did not rate any comment from anybody. Miss Arenas did a very good job by helping non-government organizations or NGOs communicate government policies to the people.
I’d like us to take a second look at the 1987 Constitution granting only to Filipino citizens of being involved in mass media. I believe that it’s about time that we realize that this provision in the Constitution is outdated. Just like in movies and television, mass media has also become borderless. It is time we opened up mass media to the world.
I know my proposal may not sit well with Filipinos involved in mass media, but we have to catch up and learn from the modern technology of others.
**
My family visited our departed at the Loyola Memorial Park. We usually do this after November 2 to avoid the rush during All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day.
If we look at the contract we signed with the Loyola Life Plan when we bought those grave sites at the park where our departed ones would be buried, it clearly states that Loyola Memorial Park provides “perpetual care,” meaning that the park does all the cleaning and clearing of all debris in the grave sites.
But, the irony of it all is that for many years, we have been paying some people to clean the grave sites and manicure the grass. But, when we were there that day, Santa Banana, even the sidewalks and cemented pathways to the grave sites were full of holes making the people unable to walk to the grave sites. What “perpetual care” Loyola is talking about when there is none?
What is worse is that Loyola Life Plan is now bankrupt after one of Puyat grandchildren ran off with the money of the company. I had a lot at the Manila Memorial Park which I sold. In comparison, Manila Memorial Park indeed has perpetual care, every grave site is clean with the grass well-manicured. I learned that this is true in other memorial parks.
I am writing this to warn people when they buy memorial plans, and to always see if “perpetual care” is indeed observed.
**
WARNING: The so-called “Ponzi” scams have hit Metro Manila again. These are the scammers that promise windfalls if you join. This is also called the “pyramiding” scams, where the scammers promised you a windfall at the start until this narrows at the top where the scammers disappear.
The bad thing about this scam is that people greedy for money don’t ever learn from it. It’s not only the gullible that are victimized, but also the rich.
**
Is the Comelec blind? Presidential aspirants are already campaigning contrary to the early campaigning law with motorcades, with so-called visits to the province and ads over television. But the Comelec seems to ignore them. Why?
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