Things are looking up for people who still love to read actual newspapers at this time when news are available in the newspapers’ websites and on social media.
Last week, two circulation area managers from the Philippine Star visited the capital town briefly to offer for distribution their broadsheet and tabloid Pilipino Ngayon.
Ogie Cambe and his companion Billy, both members of the Circulation Managers Association of the Philippines, were keen on bringing back the two newspapers after the long-time distributor in Catanduanes decided to abruptly quit the business.
Already available in local newsstands and at select malls and grocery stores are broadsheets Philippine Daily Inquirer and Daily Tribune as well as the tabloid Bulgar.
Residents of Virac población who want to have their daily dose of newspapers delivered for free should contact the new provincial distributor, Edwin Gianan, at 0920-653-4800. The same goes for school libraries, LGU offices and government agencies who desire to enter into subscription contracts.
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We apologize to loyal readers and concerned agencies for our failure to accommodate two news articles due to space limitations. The omitted items will be published in the next issue.
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With regards to the statement issued by the Catanduanes State University on what it feels were “malicious imputations” in the Tribune article on the university’s expenses for hotel accommodations, meals and snacks during meetings and conferences, the statement should have been addressed to the Commission on Audit.
The entire report, including the description of the expenses as “excessive and extravagant,” came straight from the Annual Audit Report for transactions entered into by the university in 2022.
The Tribune never added anything else, malicious or not, to the audit report, the publication of which is part of this newspaper’s duty to bring to the attention of the public anything that is relevant as far as the performance of local governments and government agencies is concerned.
Anyway, the articles are based on just one part of each government entity’s audit report, specifically Observations and Recommendations. There are eight other parts in each report, including annexes on which some transactions’ supporting documents are detailed.
Anyone who has internet connection can access the Annual Audit Reports for 2022 and prior years at the COA website, www.coa.gov.ph, and go directly to the Annual Audit Reports section. Go directly to the Annual Audit Reports section for National Government Agencies.
They won’t need to wait for the publication of the audit reports of the other towns or agencies.
Such reports are usually published by COA in the website by June of each year.
And no LGU or government agency, except for CatSU, ever complained about the COA’s publication of what the university complains is an initial report.
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THE CHOICE. At a university there was a dean who cared about others and showed exemplary behavior. One day an angel appeared at a faculty conference.
The angel said as a reward for his good deeds that God would give him his choice of eternal riches, eternal wisdom, or eternal beauty.
The dean chose eternal wisdom without hesitation.
“Good,” said the angel, disappearing into a cloud of smoke.
Everyone present turned their gazes to the dean, who was illuminated by a faint halo.
A colleague whispered, “Tell me something.”
The dean, who had gained eternal wisdom, sighed and said, “I should have chosen eternal riches.”