WHY WE CAN NO LONGER BE PARTNER WITH SOME OFFICIALS OF DIVISION I
They know we have been providing this training for so long now. Just a couple of weeks ago, we did the same for the Division's secondary teachers. And despite the shortcomings common to some people in that division, it was a success.
It was not easy to disregard the clamor of the teachers. After all, The New Ranao Star through its Media Resource Team has already gained the recognition and respect of the public on this particular field.
But then, we have realized that there are people in the division whose primary concern is personal interest above public service for which they are being paid.
We cannot tolerate partnering with people who are used to corruption and using others for personal aggrandizement.
In the last workshop, each secondary teacher-participant was required to register P450.00 each and the workshop organizers raised something like P81,000.00 if there were 180 registrants of the workshop as they said.
Our agreement with the Division focal man is that he and his group, on the one hand, and Ranao Star Team on the other were partners. And we will divide into equal shares any net proceed. Yet he gave our team only P4,000.00.
Yes, there was no written contract — supposed to be duly notarized as others had to throw the blame on us for not doing so — but the announcement in the posted tarpaulin itself manifests that we are indeed partners.
Asked why only that amount of P4K, the focal man said "marami kumuha na mga matataas." So that's it, Mga matataas daw. Grabe naman. But we don't believe him, not anymore.
We should have listened to one of our colleagues who warned us about these people. My colleague, by the way, said it is dangerous to deal with them.
Indeed, there is a truth in it. Each participant is asked P1,100.00 registration thus when they came to us to use us again, we told them that we had to charge them higher and we give them the best of our team. We will give them hard copies of all our lectures and they would not regret.
Sad to say, despite bigger registration fee, they would only give us the same they gave us during the last workshop and so we refused.
And then our friends said what they are using now as modules in the first day of the workshop are those of Ranao Star's including my lectures. Nakakahiya.
Anyway, it does not matter to us. What is important is we know already those officials who may be doing their thing the schools division superintendent is not well aware of.
Especially when one or two officials we know will go heaven and earth, rain or shine, whatever it takes and come what may, provided they land at the helm of the division.
Imagine, nasa malayo pala si SDS Pangandaman tapos sabi ng isang ranking official, lahat daw ng mga pangyayari sa messy journalism workshop ay desisiyon nya? Kaya nagalit tuloy ang SDS when we taked to her.
Pero palagay namin magaling ang present SDS at hindi nila kaya. Kung may mga akusasyon sa kanya ito'y dahil ginamit siya at hinahanapan ng butas ng mga tao gusto pumalit sa kanya.
So let's see ano sunod na kabanata.
Para naman sa mga teachers na nadisappoint dahil hindi kami ang nadatnan nila doon at sila diumano'y inaantok sa loob ng workshop, kami po ay humihingi ng paumanhin. Hindi ho namin kaya magpagamit para sa kapakanan ng iilan lamang na opisyales sa division nyo.
Asahan niyo ang Ranao Star ay mananatiling "independent" at tumutulong paano malaman ang mga katiwalian ng mga opisiyales sa gobierno.
So help us God and guide us.
Ameen.
