The launching of the Malasakit Program

There came a time when we are asked to interview people whom we have never met before, but we featured them in our talkshow Straight from the Sky because they have a message for us Cebuanos. Yes, they are missionaries from the Holy Love Ministry in Ohio, which is located in an 83-acre site in Maranatha Spring. Pilgrims flocked to this city after its founder Maureen Sweeney Kyle claimed that she has been getting messages from the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Lord Jesus Christ himself. Of course we must also be careful as these so-called divine messages are not approved by the Vatican. But just the same, our guests have a special message for us Cebuanos especially for the protection of the unborn!

So tonight we have with us Pastor Michael Flynn, Molly Finn, and Peter Kisuule of the Holy Love Ministry. Watch this interesting show on SkyCable's channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV's channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.

***

Today, Pres. Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte will be in Cebu City to grace the official launching of the MALASAKIT Program in the Visayas at 2 p.m. at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. I first knew about the MALASAKIT Program when I interviewed Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino last month. This program stems from a directive from no less than Pres. Duterte to help the poorest of the poor in a one-stop shop area that will be identified in partner hospitals or agencies like PhilHealth, PCSO, DSWD, DOH, or Pagcor.

This program proposes to help facilitate and streamline medical financial assistance and government processes extended to those who need it most. Inaugurating this facility is merely the beginning of this program. We in the media will certainly be watching how the MALASAKIT Program is implemented to help the poor.

Another program to be launched today is the MALASAKIT Tech2Teach that aims to help Business Process Outsourcing companies, the University of the Philippines, and DepEd fast track the computer literacy program for all public schools through the donations of computers from various BPO companies. This is a very noble goal; after all, graduates from public schools need to become computer literate before they can be hired by BPOs. But above all, the teachers in all public schools must also teach their students how to speak better English because like it or not, English is the language of the business world.

At this point, we congratulate the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas for launching the MALASAKIT Program. I'm sure that Pres. Duterte will be proud you made this program work in so short a time.

***

The talk of the coffee houses of Cebu last weekend was that altercation between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Court Sheriff El Cid Caballes right across the Provincial Capitol building. I don't need to go into the legalities of this particular case, but that altercation could have been avoided if only Mayor Osmeña had a cooler head. I mean, who is the court sheriff to fight the Mayor of Cebu City? Come on, did the sheriff threaten the mayor with bodily harm? Mind you, the mayor did not have to manhandle the sheriff, or was he merely emulating what then Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte also did a few years ago?

The problem with Mayor Osmeña is that he bullies small people like Caballes who is obviously scared to fight back. But like it or not, Caballes is merely a messenger with a written order from the judge. There is no doubt that Mayor Osmeña is trying to portray himself as a champion of the poor and oppressed. However, in doing so he has also trampled on the jurisdiction of our courts of law.

Mayor Osmeña conveniently forgot that in our democracy, there is separation of powers between the branches of the government. He belongs to the Executive Branch while the Judiciary is separate and independent from the Executive. It will be interesting to note what the judge who ordered the sheriff to that area will do. Will he be scared of Mayor Osmeña? Abangan!

***

For email responses to this article, write to [email protected]. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.

[email protected]