Proposal

Silliman University president Ben S. Malayang III's plan or suggestion for consideration in keeping tuition fees reasonable should catch the attention of parents and relatives sending their children to the University's Elementary Department. The school plans, "assuming no new mandated increases for all year levels, is to keep its students to pay the same tuition they are already paying this year, to next year when they advance to their next level. In a sense, this is an increase in that the student this year will be paying higher than the anticipated lower tuition next year.

The bottom line is that no student, in any level this year, will be paying next year tuition higher than what they are already paying this year." The current school year's tuition fees for Grades 1, 2, and 3 are 19,096.35; 17,435.25 and 16,643.55 respectively. For next year, the grade 2 pupil will still be paying P19,096.35, which is 1,661.10 more than the anticipated lower amount or an increase of four percent. While the 3rd grade student will still be paying 17,435.25, which is 791.70 more or equivalent to a four percent increase. Consequently, in five years the tuition fee will be standardized at 19,096.35 for all levels. This is a very creative approach to rationalizing and standardizing the tuition fee and will be discussed in the next general assembly of the Parents' Teachers' Association.

* * *

The proposed "The Force" political coalition of re-electionists senators has made the national political scene interesting as the proponents say this is a result of their not needing to be limited to the Administration versus Opposition or GMA vs. Erap tussle. In a way they may have a point, but they risk of missing the point of the election, which is GMA's administration versus the now apparent not yet unified opposition. Senators Angara and Lacson should have learned their lessons from the consequences of their decisions during the last national election. It is not who was right or wrong in their political differences the last time out but what is needed to be done for the coming political exercise is of value. For them jockeying to land into to the limited political seats and for those that have the responsibility of making the hard decision of selection, we bid you "Bayan Muna!"

* * *

The legislated minimum wage increase of P125 per day is a backward step of ten years and adversely affects the gains made by our Regional Wage Boards. The demand for higher wages is a continuing and natural demand throughout the life of an employee. The fulfillment of the demand needs also to be considered in the light of the employer's capacity to pay especially for those who are on the micro and small business enterprise level. The legislated wage hike at this time is a real threat to the sustainability of more than 50 percent of our business enterprises today.

* * *

Here is one ancedote I received from my sister that I am sharing to help others find inner peace with a smile. "By following the simple advice I heard on a Dr.Phil show, I have finally found inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started. So I looked around my house to see things I started and hadn't finished; and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Cardonay , a bole of Baileys, a butle of Kehuha, a pockage of Tim Toms , tha mainder of bot Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescake, some saltins an a bax a cholates. Yu haf no idr who gud I fel. *Peas sen dis on to dem yu fee ar in ned ov inr peace."*