DOST Secretary Mario Montejo on Proposed Salary Standardization Law IV

Wazzup Pilipinas!

To The Hardworking Men and Women of the DOST:

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) supports the proposed Salary Standardization Law IV that is bound to increase the basic salaries of civilian government personnel including S& T workers nationwide.

Likewise, the DOST unswervingly upholds the spirit of RA 8439 which recognizes & properly compensates the efforts of S&T workers in laying down the cornerstones of development in the country.

We will continue to support further moves to safeguard the gains of RA 8439 or the "Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and other S & T Personnel in the Government".

In line with these, certain provisions to further strengthen the SSL 4 ,particularly in safeguarding the Magna Carta, have been discussed together with your employee representatives and already forwarded by the DOST’s legislative liaison group to our fellow workers in government presently working on the proposed SSL 4.

I would like to assure everyone that the concerned members of the legislature and that of the executive have accepted these proposals warmly.

Therefore, as the SSL 4 reaches a crucial stage in the bicameral conference committee we trust that the committee composed of members from the Senate and the House of Representatives would arrive at a win-win solution that would address the vital issues and arrive at a final version acceptable to all parties.

To the DOST family, let us keep up our dedication to our work as we hold on to what is just and fair to us as government workers who toil very hard to move the country forward.

Duterte-Cayetano Says Philippines on the Brink of Becoming a Narco State

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The tandem of presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano today warned that if the disorder brought by illegal drugs will not end, the country will become a narco state. The tandem commits to end the "drug chaos" for the benefit of the Filipino people.

In a statement, Duterte said the country is showing alarming signs of becoming a narco state. "In the national capital region (NCR) where the country's capital is situated, the government admitted that 92 percent of barangays are already infiltrated by illegal drugs. If Manila, the country's seat of power, is helpless to address this, what more the other parts of the country where government presence is weak?" The tough-talking mayor said.

Duterte also noted the presence of international drug syndicates in the country, such as the Sinaloa drug cartel, a Mexican-based group considered the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the west.

"This is a clear national security threat. This is an invasion of a new kind. Drug lords, domestic and foreign, have declared a war against our families and children, and the government is helpless about it," Duterte said.

The duo said if elected, they will implement a combination of national, regional and international strategies to combat drug trafficking. "On the national level, we will strengthen and capacitate our security forces. We will cleanse the ranks of the police and military of the corrupt, provide better salaries and incentives and modernize their anti-narcotics infrastructure," Cayetano explained.
"We will also strengthen the five pillars of our criminal justice system. Drug trafficking thrives best in countries where there is grave insecurity and injustice," Cayetano added.

Luminescence Dreamscapes 2016: 18th Solo Exhibit of Maria Victoria Rufino

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Peninsula Manila presents Luminescence DREAMSCAPES 2016, the 18th solo exhibit of new mixed media by MARÍA VICTORIA RUFINO.

Opening Cocktails on Tuesday, 2 February 2016 at 6:00 pm to 8:00 p.m. to be held at The Gallery, of Peninsula Manila. Proceeds will benefit Child Protection Network Foundation. Exhibit runs from Feb 3 to 7, 2016 Gallery hours: 10am-7pm

María Victoria Rufino - Filipino artist, writer, concert producer and businesswoman – graduated with honors from Marymount Manhattan College, New York with a Liberal Arts degree, major in Theater Arts and English Literature.

Born in the Philippines, she attended high school in Barcelona, Spain and Rome, Italy where she graduated valedictorian.She studied painting in both the Western and Chinese tradition (Ling Nan) under various masters in Manila and New York. She has held 17 solo exhibitions in Madrid, Spain; Paris, France; San Francisco, California and Manila. A regular columnist for Business World newspaper, her first book, “Beyond Brushstrokes”, an anthology of profiles of significant Filipinos (Bookmark 1995) was launched at the Ayala Museum, Manila. She has written essays for various award winning anthologies and publications. “ROMANZA” a book of poetry by Virgilio S. Almario (RIO ALMA) National Artist for Literature, with translation by Marne L. Kilates, and artworks by Marivic Rufino was launched in Manila, 2009 and at Museo Nacional de Anthropologia in Madrid, 2011 together with her solo exhibition.

As President and executive producer of Maverick Productions, she has produced dinner theatre plays in the Philippines, and musical concerts in the United States, Italy, Hongkong and the Philippines. In 1990, she won a national award ‘Gawad CCP for “Best Television Special” from the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Ms. Rufino has served as Board Member and Vice president of Alliance Française de Manille (1998-2005). She serves as vice-chairman-director of Philippine Red Cross - Makati City Branch of Rizal Chapter.