54th FICCO Annual General Assembly Pics

View from Gym entrance

Registration Area

Opening Prayer

FICCO 54th Annual General Assembly

This is the cover page of the 54th FICCO Annual Report.

The theme for this year is "Forging On Amid The Meltdown" (Padayon sa Pag-asdang Tiliwala sa Kalisdanan).

The 128 pages Annual Reports details the FICCO's reports to the General Assembly.

Table of Contents

1. 2009 General Asembly Schedule
2. Chairman's Message
3. Annual General Assembly Program
4. List of Elected and Appointed Officers in 2008-2009
5. List of Managers
   
6. List of FICCO Staff
7. Minutes of the 23rd Annual General Assembly
8. Consolidated Board of Directors Report
9. Consolidated Loan Releases
10. Budget - Asset and Liability Target
11. Budget - Statement of Operation
12. Budget - Capital Outlay
13. Mutual Aid Fund Report
14. Education Committee Report
15. Audit and Inventory Committee Report
16. Audited Financial Statement
17. Summary of Acquired Assets

Also included but not printed on the Annual Reports is the Mutual Benefit Association Report.

DEMOCRACY?

Posted by Enteng Romano at eLagda – 06 March 2009

This year’s EDSA anniversaries (both I and II) will best be remembered for its non-celebration. Thanks to GMA who not only downplayed it, but trivialized it.

I agree with FVR, who was visibly irked with the non-appearance of GMA and vanishing trick of VP Noli, when he said, “What appointment could be more important on this day (February 25) than the commemoration of the restoration of democracy?”

But then, you have to ask, “What democracy?”

Is there any Filipino who still doubts that GMA spoke to Garci? Even GMA herself tacitly admitted it when she said, “I am sorry.” The Garci tapes contained damning pieces of wiretapped phone conversations. In one, GMA asked Garci to guarantee a 1 million winning margin. In another, they talked about the abduction of a teacher to silence her. The most natural thing to resolve this was for Congress to go through impeachment to either clear or find GMA culpable. But they found the complaint insufficient in substance and dismissed it. They have reduced the issue to a numbers game. In succeeding years, a Malacanang stooge would file a bogus impeachment complaint to immunize her for at least a year. They have prostituted the process and reduced it to power play.

Is there any Filipino who still doubts that COMELEC officials colluded with suppliers to defraud the government of billions of pesos in the election automation project? The Supreme Court itself declared so and directed the Ombudsman to run after the culprits. But the Ombudsman exonerated them leading to a situation where you have a crime without criminals. They defied the Supreme Court and got away with it.

Is there any Filipino who still doubts that Abalos, FG, and GMA are involved in the NBN-ZTE scandal? A picture is worth a thousand words, and a picture with the three of them golfing at the ZTE headquarters in China says a lot, especially since the ZTE project was quickly changed from a BOT to a government-to- government contract soon after the game. Besides, how do you explain GMA’s trip to China, “coming and going like a thief in the night” (Malacanang Press Office’s own words) to seal the ZTE contract as witness, doing the signing at the airport, breaking all diplomatic protocols? And yet, no charges have been filed against any of the principal players, even after GMA admitted that she belatedly knew of the irregularity. In contrast, Jun Lozada and his wife Violet have 10 live court cases against them. They have perverted the justice system, using the agencies of justice to persecute anyone who dare go against them.

Is there any Filipino who still doubts that GMA distributed money to congressmen, mayors and governors at Malacanang in November 2007 to buy their support? Among Ed Panlilio himself showed the money and an ABS-CBN news footage showed Congressmen leaving the meeting with loot bags similar to the one given to Among Ed. If it is true that GMA was truly unaware of the dole-outs, then you would expect that the Taray Queen would unleash her wrath on whoever was behind it for doing it right under her nose and making her look like a fool. Nothing of that sort happened. KAMPI – the president’s own party, owned up to the cash bonanza, and no one was ever charged, reprimanded, or even slapped in the wrist. They think all Filipinos are dumb to accept such a tall tale.

Is there any Filipino who still doubts that Jocjoc Bolante architected the fertilizer scam, with the blessings of his patrons? Two independent Senate investigations concluded so and recommended the filing of plunder against him. But the Ombudsman is taking its sweet time in filing the charges. Under public pressure to catch a big fish, the Ombudsman hurriedly filed graft charges against Neric Acosta of Bukidnon – a known critic of GMA. Ooooppps. Wrong aquarium. What the public wanted was a big fish from the Palace aquarium where there are plenty of sharks. They must think plunder is a joke. That explains why they pardoned Erap so soon.

Is there any Filipino who still doubts that FG is involved in the rigging of road projects? The World Bank Department of Institutional Integrity concluded so, and they had two witnesses who attested to it. But FG could not attend the Senate hearings. He has a heart condition and to testify would be too stressful. (And a round of golf with millions of pesos at stake is not?) They have just set a precedent in jurisprudence. Henceforth, all accused with heart conditions cannot be compelled to testify. They can either check in or get a certificate of exemption from St. Luke’s Hospital. They must think they’re above the law.

Of course, they invoke due process and rule of law as their refuge. For such are the ways of democracy. Well... they have succeeded in perverting democracy to a point where you can hardly recognize it.

I think this nation is long overdue for a change. Even the administration agrees. But the kind of change they espouse – charter change, is really just a ruse to extend their terms and perpetuate themselves in power.

No, more than change, this nation is long overdue for a revolution. And I think it will happen soon, through the ballot or by the bullet.

The signs are clear.

The judiciary was designed to play a passive role in governance, acting only on pleadings presented before it. But when you see a Chief Justice proactively initiating reforms on human rights and leading a Moral Force movement, you know something is wrong with the system.

When you have the two chambers of Congress competing with each other in leading investigations of never-ending scandals – the lower chamber to insulate its patron at the palace, and the upper chamber to provide a stage for its presidential aspirants… you know that they will come to a head sooner or later.

When you read a full page ad by associations of retired and active officers declaring that they are united behind an incarcerated comrade, you know that something more than just a senatorial bid is brewing.

When you view all of these against a backdrop of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos losing their jobs, and hundreds of thousands of families moving below the poverty line… the old palace line that they are working hard on the economy supported with their fudged numbers simply will no longer cut.

And when you factor in the people’s sentiment about their president – 46% disapproval and 45% distrust ratings, you know you have a powder keg just waiting for the fuse to be lit.

The political equilibrium is precariously unstable brought about mostly by the abuses and excesses of the ruling class. The inviolable law of physics is finally catching up with them… for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The Americans bought into Obama’s promise of “change we can believe in.” I think the Filipinos will buy into anybody’s promise of “change we can live with.” I still remember how people rushed to the side of government to defend democracy during the Oakwood mutiny. Is there any Filipino who still doubts which side people will rush to, this time around?

Are there Filipinos who still care about democracy? Many. But not the farce that we see today. We all yearn for the one that is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Panahon na para sa pagbabago. Now na!

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: enteng romano
To: pshs72@yahoogroups.com; kappaep@yahoogroups.com; ph-humanities@yahoogroups.com; ang_bagong_pinoy@yahoogroups.com; egolfers@yahoogroups.com
Cc: moral-majority@yahoogroups.com; moral-majority-forum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, March 6, 2009 4:40:38 PM
Subject: [Moral-Majority] DEMOCRACY?

Fw: [Moral-Majority] DEMOCRACY?
Monday, March 9, 2009 9:07 AM
From:"Gani & Tessie Daba"
To:"ficco main chief accountant"
Cc:"Rene Michael Banos"