The Tainted Prestige of National Artists

The National Artist Award is the highest award given to an artist with all the benefits and prestige due to a man of arts. National Artists are respected not just by their own ranks, but by the people, for their talent and contribution. But this time, the award was tainted with politics and political pay offs the Arroyo admistration is known for.

 

The growing protest against the award given by Mrs. Arroyo to four awardee does not represent the peoples objection on their (the awardee's) contribution to arts and literature, it merely shows the apparent and ever diminishing trust and confidence of the people on the presidency of Mrs. Arroyo.

Blocked Fenced Sidewalk

This fenced sidewalk is where Bayani Fernando wants us pedestrians to walk. People inch their way through posts and cables when going to and from the SM City North EDSA's SKY GARDEN and across EDSA. What a mess during rush hour. And by the way... how about those persons riding in wheelchairs?

People like Bayani Fernando wants to put the city in order at the expense of ordinary people. They want the world to see how beautiful Manila is by covering the slums with colors known for MMDA. This sidewalk is just an example of how hard it is for the ordinary people to live in the city. They have to walk for hundreds of meters just to get to the nearest bus stops.
Travellers from the province has to spend another half kilo of rice at least when going to Manila because the only bus stop is still another ride when they could have alighted nearer. Of course, his reason is to put the city in order, but he is not pro-poor. He only thinks of the rich car owners annoyed by passing pedestrians. He only thinks of how the world will negatively describe EDSA.
Not to mention the iron fence business... of course.