WE MAY have been called to play many roles in our lives, but beyond doubt – and I know that you will agree with me – that the role that requires the most courage, the most resolve, the most strength, is being a mother.
So, to all mothers and women…Remember that you are made for times like this and you are meant to survive even during the most difficult times.
To lead with great heart is inherent within every mother and every woman. That every trial, every difficulty, can be turned into an opportunity to lead with both strength and empathy. And this is what we all need to have – the kind of strength that draws from a deep well of love, compassion, humility, courage, and integrity.
(Vice President Leni Robredo on online trolls saying that she “lacked courage and resolve because I was only a ‘mother’ and a ‘woman.’”)
Budget bloat
HERE WE are, borrowing more than what we need, but we have a huge amount of unspent items from the budget every year … Why are we appropriating or enacting the appropriations measure but we are not able to utilize the full potential of the budget?
If you plan poorly, you will not be able to utilize the appropriations as fast as enacted. Agencies don’t have any idea and the heads can attest to this, that sometimes there are items in the budget that they don’t know how to implement because they were inserted by legislators without consulting them.
So, the result is projects are not implemented. If they are not implemented, there will be unused funds.
(Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on the continuing underspending of the national budget which leads to billions of unused funds.)
First bike
I OFTEN wonder whatever happened to my first bike. The bike that was my companion during those first years when my family had lost everything and I sold wares at the market every morning. That bike reminds me that success can be achieved through hard work, frugality, integrity, responsiveness to change, and most of all, boldness to dream.”
(John L. Gokongwei Jr., 1926-2019)
