“Simple-minded people sometimes make more sense and understand life much better than those who claim to be intelligent.”

Last week, I talked to a ‘tuslob buwa’ (a local dish in Cebu made out of a pig’s brain) vendor about her life. After I ate my merienda, Nanay Loring unexpectedly sobbed. I was the only customer then so I consoled her and asked what was bothering her. Nay Loring said she was crying tears of joy and despair. Her youngest son is in the last semester of college and will expectedly graduate in October. I asked what was so depressing of his son’s graduation. She smiled and looked at me. Nay Loring said that she has 9 children and all of her elder sons and daughters had graduated and had already married. She is a widow, and decided not to remarry so she can focus on her children. Her youngest son is the only reason now why she’s still vending whatever she can sell. At first, I did not understand why this was saddening for her, because the normal reaction to this would be joy and elation. Everything began to strike me when she said: ‘Unya, wala na ko’y rason para mumata ug sayo, wala na ko’y rason para makapoy, wala na ko’y rason para mamaligya ug maningkamot. Mingawun ko sa kapoy, kay malipayun ko nga nanrabaho ko para sa ila (Then I’ll have no more reason to wake up early, to get tired, to sell things and to work hard. I’ll miss being exhausted, because I am happy when I work for my children).’
I was very tearful after hearing her say this. A woman with no fancy clothes and devoid of life’s extravagance and treats embraced poverty and tore it everyday of her life. Nay Loring said she lived in a simple wooden house with her children, having only few appliances. She can be categorized under the marginalized sector of the society, but with the way she acted and spoke, being poor was just a label for her. Nay Loring was happy with what she had, with what she was doing with her life. “Nay usa ka sa pinakadatu nga tawo nga nailhan nako (You are one of the richest persons I have ever met). I said after cheering and thanking her for sharing her valuable thoughts.
I have met many Nay Lorings before, people who are surprisingly happy despite scarcity of life’s auxiliaries. These people are just plain contented of what they have, and still consider themselves blessed. On the other hand, I also know a lot of people born on silver spoons, well to do and moneyed. Ironically, these people are the unhappiest. These people have more issues and more problems. Money has made their life both comfortable and miserable, because of the consequences, risks and offshoots that tag along with having so much wealth.
In this light, therefore, money cannot necessarily make a person happy. At the same time, insufficiencies do not necessarily make a person miserable. This is one of the fundamentals of life that we have forgotten. As we became educated, cultured and refined, we subtly buried the essence of simplicity and satisfaction. We veered away from finding happiness because we continuously seek for pleasure. We have molded ourselves to be discontented people, and this was our choice to begin with. Simple-minded people sometimes make more sense and understand life much better than those who claim to be intelligent.
I have put to heart an important wisdom of the ages, thanks to Nay Loring. Yes she was technically poor, but across all other life aspects, she was rich. Nay Loring is a living proof that contentment is happiness and poverty is just a state of mind.

While Supreme Court officials call on the trial court employees’ understanding of the imperative in taxing the benefits and allowances they receive, the former assured that the higher office is working on some reforms for the welfare and betterment of the judiciary workforce. Imposing withholding tax on these remunerations is in faithful compliance of the directive of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

At the 16th National Convention and Seminar of the Philippine Association of Court Employees in Davao City last week, Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Perez and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez underscored some improvements in the administrative processes that are to benefit every employee of the Supreme Court primarily, from the first level courts to the High Tribunal. This is vis-à-vis the sad fact that trial court employees, from the justices down to the judges and the rank-and-file will not anymore be receiving these monetary benefits and allowances in full amount.

Justice Perez disclosed the effort being done by the SC for now, seeking reconsideration from the taxing agency on these fiscal impositions. Such Motion for Recon is yet to be resolved by the BIR, thus tendering a continued enforcement of such withholding tax on all bonuses and allowances and be reflected in the income tax return. In the meantime, he urged on all trial court employees to take on the positive work attitude such as “Be Informed, Be Inspired and Be Industrious.”

Court Ad Marquez wowed the court employees in the convention with his report that finally the SC has got a health provider for the lower courts following a successful bidding. He did not, however, disclose the name the health provider pending approval of the award to the winning bidder. This, he said, is aptly attributed to the efforts of the immediate past president of PACE, who now holds the position of executive vice-president of the organization.
Deputy Court Administrator Thelma Bahia, DCA Raul Villanueva and SC Finance Management Office chief Caridad Pabello spent time with trial court employees to give updates on the reforms being instituted in the judiciary from personnel to property and financial concerns.

Government Service Insurance System representatives disclosed another scheme that will hopefully ease the billing and collection system involving loans and premium payments of members and pensioners. To be implemented starting this July, the electronic or e-bcs, a web-based application, is introduced to enable GSIS to send its billing statements for premium and loan amortization to government agencies electronically, and accept payments online. This will hopefully reduce the risk of late posting and delayed payments due to the insurance agency.

They stressed the need for active members to take note of their respective business partner number which is among the data required by the GSIS in processing loans, such as consolidated loans, and other transactions with the agency.