loyalty pay

I was told by our admin officer months ago that I was one of
those to be given loyalty pay this year, as the cut-off was October.
I entered PMS on October 1996 and thus have served it for 10 years
now.

I was surprised when the cashier told me today that my name
was not on their list. When I asked personnel why, I was told that
I'd get my loyalty pay next year as the cut-off for this year had been
moved to September.

I wonder why...

sayong
11-28-06 4pm

see more, hear more, feel more

--
====================
Shang Yi

Credo in unum Deum
For He that is mighty has done great things for me - Luke 1:49

Lands, rents and ownerships

During break at my German class tonight, my teacher said
that foreigners renting and owning lands in the Philippines through
their Filipino wives, bring up the prices of rent and lands. Because
of this, poorer Filipinos could hardly pay rents and may in time be
left with no lots to buy. And it doesn't matter if these foreigners
happened to be "former" Filipinos or those with Dual Citizenships.

My classmates Tranqs said that foreigners with one-hundred
percent ownership in business here, like Jollibee bring what it has
"sucked" from the Filipinos and invest abroad (China).

I contested that foreigners are only allowed hundred percent
ownership in businesses that are capital-intensive. I don't think
fastfoods and restaurants are under this category. And whatever
Jollibee is doing, it is still a "Filipino" company. Diversifying is
a legitimate business strategy.

I argued with my teacher that with or without foreigners,
the prices of lands and rents are bound to go up because of
commercialization and economic development. I also argued that even
if these lands are left alone, it doesn't mean that "poor" Filipinos
can or will buy them.

Whatever the argument is, the fact is that the economy moves
when people buy lands to develop, maintain, commercialize, pay taxes,
etc.

Dual Citizenship is not to be cursed. With or without this
law, former Filipinos who are born in the Philippines can own lands.
Anyway, that's what I gather from one of my researches some time last
year.

I don't love foreigners. But I don't like bias arguments
that have little facts to support them.

sayong
11-23-06 11:45pm

Christmas is in the lights

I am glad to finally see Rockwell decked with Christmas
lights. I might not have noticed it last night for I arrived late
from watching Casino Royale at SM City Sta. Mesa. But I am certain
that it wasn't lighted last Sunday when my mother and I went to
Glorietta.

Though there were already Christmas lights in Makati last
Sunday, it didn't seem happy or bright enough. The same goes for the
other places we passed by going home.

But tonight, I saw the lighted Rockwell. And when I went to
the balcony to get a better look, I noticed that many of our electric
posts are already decked with green, red and yello Christmas lights.

I feel better just looking at them.

sayong
11-23-06

lease on life

I brought ice cream and "bibingka" (also called flat or rice
cake, as it is traditionally made from a batter of ground rice flour,
eggs and coconut milk) to the office today and one of my officemates
asked me why.

Ich erklärte ihr, dass heute der erste Jahrestag des
Operation ist, der die Zyste in meinem linken Eierstock entfernte.

She couldn't see the point of celebrating the day one had
been operated on.

Aber mein Grund ist wirklich einfach. Any day that one is
given a new lease on life is a day to celebrate.

sayong
11-22-06

shopping for gifts

From what I saw tonight, it seemed that not many people took
advantage of the 3-day sale in Glorietta and Greenbelt in Makati. Or
perhaps, a lot of people already went there last Saturday and Friday,
in order to free their Sunday to watch Manny Pacquiao's match with El
Terrible Morales. And a great but short game it was, too. I feel
sorry for Morales, of course, who, it would seem from his interview
after the match (with a good-looking interviewer), would be retiring
soon.

Anyway, I didn't check items that are marked 50 to 70
percent off. Chances are, the original price of most of these items
run to one thousand pesos and up. As I was buying so many items as
Christmas gifts, it wouldn't be practical. I ended up buying products
that are not on sale.

sayong
11-19-06 11:30 pm

free tickets

I got home from a get-together with high school classmates at 2am today. My classmate Vilma and her husband brought me home.

Obwohl ich schon müde bin, kann ich noch nicht geschlafen.

My classmate Bong took care of the bill at World Music Room Family KTV and gave tickets for the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales' "The Grand Finale" match on Sunday. One can use the ticket anywhere. I
didn't take mine.

Ich glaube, dass das der Unterschied zwischen Männer und Frauen veranschaulicht. (And this, I believe, exemplifies the difference between men and women.)

While many men would pay any amount to get hold of any of these sold-out tickets, a woman could afford to give it away.

Bong said that these people pay for the experience. Although I can understand it, my practical nature can't appreciate it.

Meine Prioritäten sind einfach verschieden. I'd rather watch the match from TV at home and be able to do my household and other chores in between fights rather than spend half my day glued on the
silverscreen. That's what I did during Paquiao's latest fight. I cleaned my biggest aquarium during commercials. At least, I was able to get something done that day.

And this Sunday, I intend to shop for more Christmas gifts :)

sayong
11-18-06 3:20am

521 pass CEO exam

The Manila Bulletin published the list of Career Executive Officer
Examination passers today, with a brief article.

It seems that my officemate heard wrong and instead of seven percent,
13.17% passed the exam. Whatever, I am just glad that God made me
pass it :) I hope that He would also guide me through the rest of the
process. It's still a long way to get the CEO eligibility but I'm
glad to be done with the first phase.

Below is the article from Manila Bulletin
(http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2006111579702.html).

One may check the names of CEO exam passers at Manila Bulletin's
website (http://www.mb.com.ph/BDPR2006111579715.html) or the website
of the Civil Service Commission
(http://www.csc.gov.ph/EXAMRESULT/CEOE062506_pass.html)

sayong
11-15-06 6:40pm

====================
Manila Bulletin
November 15, 2006

521 pass Career Executive Officer exam

Only 521 or 13.17 percent of the 3,955 examinees passed the written
phase of the Career Executive Officer Examination (CEOE) conducted
last June 25, 2006, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) disclosed
recently.

The Career Executive Officer Examination (CEOE) is the unified
third-level examination system adopted jointly by the CSC and the
Career Executive Service Board (CESB).

The CEOE is a four-stage examination system composed of a written
test, assessment, interview, which shall be optional, and validation.
The resulting eligibility is called the Career Executive Officer (CEO)
Eligibility, which is needed for appointment to third level or
executive positions in the government.

The CSC said the 521 examinees of the written phase will proceed to
the next stages of the CEOE to be scheduled by the CSC and the CESB.
The CEO eligibility shall be conferred on applicants who will pass all
the stages of the CEOE.

The National Capital Region, the CSC reported, has the highest
percentage of passers vis-a-vis its examinees pegged at 21.29 percent
or 283 passers.

Other regions of the country with a notable passing rate against their
number of examinees include Western Visayas (Region 6) with a 16.13
percent passing rate, Central Visayas (Region 7), 14 percent; Central
Luzon (Region 3), 12.82 percent; Cordillera Administrative Region
(CAR), 12.15 percent; and Northern Mindanao (Region 10), 10.78
percent. Eastern Visayas (Region 8), with only 5.61 percent, has the
lowest percentage of passers.

Meanwhile, 118 examinees qualified for the Supplemental Written
Examination (SWE), which shall be given to examinees who failed in
only one area of competency but nonetheless obtained the aggregate
cut-off score. They shall be given the chance to take and pass the
test in the area of competency where they failed to be able to proceed
to the second phase of the CEOE.

The areas of competency include verbal ability, analytical ability,
and managerial ability. The complete list of SWE Qualifiers may be
accessed at the CSC website www.csc.gov.ph .

Complete list is on Page 18.

CEOE passer

God again blessed me and made me pass the Career Executive
Officer Examination :)

The test result was just published today at the
http://www.csc.gov.ph/

I thought that I wouldn't make it :) And I wrote about it
after I've taken the exam last June 25.
(http://sayong.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_sayong_archive.html) I said
then that it would be a miracle if I passed the exam.

Former officemates and officials I met after the exam didn't
pass. According to one of our agency's officials who is also with the
Career Executive Service Board (CESB), only 7% passed.

God is really gracious :)

sayong
11-10-06 11pm

Wunder von Bern (The Miracle of Bern)

Ich sah heute nachmittag mit meiner Mutter, meiner kleiner
Schwester, ihrem Sohn, seinem Kindermädchen und meinem Patensohn
Timboy den Film „Das Wunder von Bern".

Er begann um 5.15 obwohl der Prospekt sagte um 4.40.

Der Film hat sich auf die Familie von das Kind Mattes und
seiner Freundschaft mit Fußballspieler Helmut Rahn konzentriert.

Er war schön und interessant.

Sie können ihn noch am Dienstag, Freitag und Sonntag in
Shang Cineplex gesehen.

sayong
11-11-06

1990-IV-1-b 

1990-IV-1 

wedding

I'm going to a wedding tomorrow.

Unfortunately, it's not my own yet :)

But Perhaps, I am not so regrettable after all.

In one of the weddings I attended, the priest said that
married life is a path filled with pitfalls. And the couples would
need all the luck, love and prayers. Thus, he said that when we greet
the couples, "congratulations", we should also say "best wishes".
They would need it.

Anyway, I've been practicing on make-up last night. I
rarely make-up my face and when there's a need, I usually have someone
do it for me.

The result may not be so professional but I think that I did alright.

sayong
11-08-06 6:55pm