The world is enamoured with new US President Barack Hussein Obama, a phenomenon never before witnessed since Camelot’s John F.Kennedy became the youngest US chief executive to occupy the White House.
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, who sang “My Country tis of thee “ at Obama’s historic inaugural, remarked before Larry King’s CNN interview that “my country has a love affair with Barack and so is the world “ referring to him as “: that young black man elected as president “.
I could not but agree with Aretha that everybody’s affection for Obama is indeed universal because it transcends race and colors , from young and old
alike and even ..ideologies or religion.
It goes beyond admiration and adulation. It is anchored essentially on his message of hope and truth. For most Americans, his coming, like the messiah, signals salvation..a reawakening, a resurrection of a new America.
With high optimism, we certainly wish Obama’s ”honeymoon period “,( the usual first 100 days in any presidency) will last beyond that and produce positive results for America and the rest of the world.
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A LESSON LEARNED: On the other hand, while the whole planet is going a-gaga over Obama, a subaltern of Philippine president Gloria Arroyo was singing a different tune. Instead of offering his felicitations to the US president, executive secretary Eduardo Ermita declared that the new president can learn some lessons from his boss, Mrs. Arroyo.
This somewhat sour note was met with disbelief and protests especially from the country’s opposition leaders .
Makati city Mayor and chief opposition leader Jejomar Binay sarcastically said Arroyo can teach Obama lessons on repression of human rights while senator Panfilo Lacson said Mrs. Arroyo can instruct Obama on how to avoid being impeached while in office, referring to several unsuccessful attempts to unseat the lady president.
Or maybe, why not “How to win re-election “ through the use of a telephone by simply saying “Hello Garci “? Or do a Houdini in escaping numerous scandals involving billions .
Poor Ermita, after a long and glorious service as a military officer and a gentleman, he must have been tainted by a politician’s blood.
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ECONOMIC STORM: As expected, President Obama inaugural speech dwelt on the hardships Americans and the world at large will be facing in the days to come. He did not promise quick solutions or painted a rosy picture of the road ahead but rather warned that they are in for a tough hard times and that Americans must be ready to make sacrifices.
Hardly had the euphoria of the January 20 inaugurals settled down when the US received news of another massive layoffs, this time involving more big names in business.
As of this writing, Home Depot, the reno-cum hardware giant is set to eliminate 7,000 jobs (but its Canadian operations will be unaffected) while
heavy equipment leader Caterpillar (the world’s largest bulldozer and excavator maker)will phase out 20,000 jobs and 12,000 employees.
Texas Instruments will lay-off a total of 3,400 workers representing 12 per cent of its work force. The company is the second largest maker of computer chips and has a manufacturing facility in Baguio city which is also
doing away with at least 1,000 Filipino workers.
Other big companies suffering job losses include of course General Motors (one of the three ailing big Detroit-based auto titans),Sprint Nextel, and Pfizer (maker of Viagra).
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EYE OF THE STORM: According to foreign business experts based in the Philippines, the country will now feel the domino effect of the worldwide financial crisis. They said the Philippines will be near the “eye of the global economic storm “.
Already the department of labor has reported a total of job loss of 23,485 as a result of the global crisis since October of 2008.Of these, 4,042 were from jobs lost abroad such as Taiwan, South Korea and parts of the Middle East and it is still increasing judging from the stream of arrivals of OFWs displaced in their employment abroad.
Recently, Intel, a computer technology company based in Cavite is closing down shop, which meant a 1,800 workers lay off. Add to this an impending
mass lay offs of government employees, where positions that are considered redundant or duplications are to be done away with to save government funds.
The government, specifically training oriented government agency like TESDA are busy providing skills and vocational programs for displaced workers both in the Philippines and from abroad. This is to provide them with alternative source of qualifications for more in demand job assignments.
Despite this however, President Arroyo stubbornly refuses to declare the country in recession when others like the US, Canada, Japan and Great Britain and other nations have already did.
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MILESTONES: We would like to welcome a new columnist for Balita, Ms. Nori D. Sagun, a friend and former colleague of so many years. Nori is a multi-awarded Broadcast journalist who started as a reporter-writer and became to be one of the most sought-after TV producer and director in the 1980s. Along with this writer, Nori was one of the pioneers in the defunct Channel 4-Maharlika Broadcasting Network (MBS).
Presently, Nori teaches journalism and other media subjects in several universities in Manila.
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Happy birthday to Ms. Arielle S.Soriano, Jan.28 and belated happy birthday to Bobby “Maupay“ Ribo.
The next Philippine Press Club (PPCO) celebrity Star night will be held on Valentine’s Eve Feb.13, at Casa Manila at 7:30pm with guest stars Inah Canlapan, Cassandra Malabanan. Nicole Ramos (Miss Little Philippines ) and guests talents from Studio six. Tickets can be obtained from the gate at casa manila on the day itself.