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Province abbreviation

Being a bum is not easy. I'm now part of the millions of Filipinos called unemployed. But I always try to use my time wisely and be as productive as possible. One of my products is the one you see below. It is a table of the Philippine Provinces and NCR cities with their corresponding two-letter abbreviation, as I propose. I thought of doing after coming across a website which is about USA's state abbreviations. I thought of making one for the over 70 provinces and a handful of cities.

Nothing serious here but if the postmaster general will see this and adopt it, why not?

Province Proposed Abbreviation

Abra AB

Agusan del Norte AN

Agusan del Sur AS

Aklan AK

Albay AL

Antique AQ

Apayao AP

Aurora AU

Basilan BS

Bataan BT

Batanes BA

Batangas BG

Benguet BE

Biliran BI

Bohol BO

Bukidnon BK

Bulacan BL

Cagayan CA

Camarines Norte CN

Camarines Sur CS

Camiguin CM

Capiz CZ

Catanduanes CD

Cavite CV

Cebu CE

Compostela Valley CP

Cotabato CO

Davao del Norte DN

Davao del Sur DS

Davao Oriental DO

Dinagat Islands DI

Eastern Samar ES

Guimaras GU

Ifugao IF

Ilocos Norte IN

Ilocos Sur IS

Iloilo IL

Isabela IB

Kalinga KA

La Union LU

Laguna LA

Lanao del Norte LN

Lanao del Sur LS

Leyte LE

Maguindanao MG

Marinduque MQ

Masbate MS

Misamis Occidental MC

Misamis Oriental MI

Mountain Province MP

Negros Occidental NC

Negros Oriental NR

Northern Samar NS

Nueva Ecija NE

Nueva Vizcaya NV

Occidental Mindoro MO

Oriental Mindoro RM

Palawan PW

Pampanga PM

Pangasinan PG

Quezon QZ

Quirino QR

Rizal RI

Romblon RO

Samar SA

Sarangani SR

Siquijor SI

Sorsogon SO

South Cotabato SC

Southern Leyte SL

Sultan Kudarat SK

Sulu SU

Surigao del Norte SN

Surigao del Sur SS

Tarlac TA

Tawi-Tawi TW

Zambales ZM

Zamboanga del Norte ZN

Zamboanga del Sur ZS

Zamboanga Sibugay ZY

Caloocan CL

Las Pi�as LP

Makati MK

Malabon MB

Mandaluyong MD

Manila ML

Marikina MA

Muntinlupa MU

Navotas NA

Para�aque PQ

Pasay PY

Pasig PS

Pateros PT

Quezon City QC

San Juan SJ

Taguig TG

Valenzuela VA

That's it! Any comments?

Kahanga-hanga

Kahanga-hanga ang mga magulang na pilit pinagkakasya ang kinikita upang maibigay ang mga pangangailangan ng mga anak

Kahanga-hanga ang mga OFW na tinitiis ang sakit na mawalay sa pamilya mabigyan lamang ng magandang buhay ang kanilang pamilya

Kahanga-hanga ang mga guro na matiyagang ibinabahagi ang kaalaman sa mga kabataan sa kabila ng hirap at kakarampot na sahod

Kahanga-hanga ang mga manggagawa na patuloy ang pagkayod kahit na may mga paniniil sa kanila mula sa mga mapagsamantalang amo

Kahanga-hanga ang mga magsasaka na sa ilalim ng mainit na araw ay hindi nagsawang magtanim para may makain ang bawat Pilipino

Kahanga-hanga ang mga mangingisda na nakikipagsapalaran sa laot makapag-uwi lamang ng isda at lamang dagat

Kahanga-hanga ang mga kababaihan na patuloy na itinataguyod ang pantay na karapatan sa lipunan

Kahanga-hanga ang mga kabataan na hindi nawawalan ng pag-asa para ibangon ang lugmok na bansa

Kahanga-hanga ang mga Pilipino na nakikipaglaban sa mga mapagsamantalang pamumuno, mala-diktador na pamahalaan

Thank you!

I would like to thank all my friends and family who remembered, who cared to remember, who forgot and eventually remembered, [and let's included those who forgot and never remembered, and those who did not care to remember, hahaha] that God sent me to this world twenty one years ago today.

Thanks for remembering my birthday!

After the Presidency

The Philippine Daily Inquirer's editorial today is about the possibility that the incumbent president will run for a lower office, say as representative of the 2nd District of Pampanga. The editorial raised several issues like legal, political and moral issues. The editorial sees the "congressional option" of the president is the last option in order to escape prosecution and other controversies involving herself and her family.

Yes, legally, there are no barriers which hinder the president from running for a lower office. Fr. Joaquin Bernas, in one of his columns in the same broadsheet, discussed, citing the records of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, that there was no prohibition in the Constitution, rather it was clear that a former president may run from barangay kagawad to vice president.

Politically, I think it is indeed the president's best option, at least she is still in power. I just don't get the statement of the House speaker which was quoted in the editorial regarding the "epitome of power." According to him, the presidency is the epitome of power. It will no longer serve the president well with relatively less power. However, isn't public office public service and not about power? But again, with political considerations, a representative is still a representative, a public official, elected, and powerful.

One may argue, as the editorial did, that the president will not be protected even by invoking the parliamentary immunity enshrined in the Constitution. Yes, she will not be. So why run? Again, this brings us to "power." Power, of whatever amount, will surely help protect her, in the most she can in the least that she has.

So it is resolved that she can ran, for whatever purpose she wants to. Most will suspect this move is be related to her plans of being the prime minister. But that is a different topic. Now, what about a president who did not finish his term? Can he run again?

Birthday wishes. Hahaha!

1. The Pelican Brief DVD [granted]

2. David Archuleta CD album

3. A Time to Kill novel [granted]

4. New pair of eyeglasses

5. The Client [granted]

6. The Chamber

7. The Rainmaker

8. The Runaway Jury

9. The Partner

10. The Street Lawyer

11. The Testament

12. The Brethen

13. A Painted House

14. Skipping Christmas

15. The Summons

16. The King of Torts

17. Bleachers

18. The Last Juror

19. The Broker

20. The Innocent Man

21. Playing for Pizza

22. The Appeal

23. The Associate

24. New set of earphones for my MP3 player

25. John Grisham movie set (The Firm, The Rainmaker, The Chamber)

Supreme Court dismisses petitions vs con-ass

SC Dismisses Petitions to Nullify “Con-Ass” Resolution
Posted: June 16, 2009


The Supreme Court en banc, in a unanimous resolution penned by Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, has dismissed the “con-ass” petitions for being premature and for lack of locus standi.

The Court refused to exercise its jurisdiction over the two consolidated petitions filed by concerned citizens Atty. Oliver O. Lozano together with Atty. Evangeline J. Lozano-Endriano, and Louis C. Biraogo, which both asked for the nullification of House Resolution No. 1109 calling for a Constituent Assembly in Congress, because “the fitness of petitioners’ case for the exercise of judicial review is grossly lacking.”

The Court’s power of review “is limited to actual cases and controversies dealing with parties having adversely legal claims, to be exercised after full opportunity of argument by the parties.” The resolution further explains that “The case-or-controversy requirement bans this court from deciding ‘abstract, hypothetical or contingent questions.’”

The petitions filed were found to be premature or unripe for review because it lacked the showing of any proven “adverse injury or hardship from the act complained of.” The court also notes that “no actual convention has yet transpired and no rules of procedure have yet been adopted.” In fact, “no proposal has yet been made, and hence, no usurpation of power or gross abuse of discretion has yet taken place.” Thus, “the House has not yet performed a positive act that would warrant an intervention from this Court.”

Furthermore, petitioners Lozano, Endriano, and Biragao were found to have no standing to sue because they have no personal stake in the case. The claim that they are all concerned citizens and taxpayers do not warrant them a personal stake, as “a taxpayer’s suit requires that the act complained of directly involves the illegal disbursement of public funds derived from taxation.” In the case at hand, there has been no allocation or disbursement of public funds yet.

Neither can they claim locus standi based on “an issue of transcendental importance or [by showing that a] paramount public interest is involved,” because “the possible consequence of House Resolution No. 1109 is yet unrealized.” Locus Standi is a constitutional requirement – the Constitution mandates courts of justice to settle only “actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable.” And “while the Court has taken an increasingly liberal approach to the rule of Locus Standi, it is not an open invitation for the ignorant and the ignoble to file petitions that prove nothing but their cerebial deficit.” (italics mine)

Ten justices concurred with the Chief Justice. One justice took no part while the other was on official leave. There are currently two vacancies in the High Court.