Change the ethic form for your dissertation Essay

Change the ethic form for your dissertation - Essay Example In this research, the researcher has done extensive research on the impact of hospitality on tourists from Western countries of the world. The culture of West and that of China are very different and there is a need to explore the factors that contribute to maximizing the level of satisfaction for the tourists. Literature review has shown that it is the intangible services like hospitality that is the core reason of maximum customer satisfaction in tourism industry. The main research objective of the study is â€Å"to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the tourism and hospitality industries of China as perceived by Western tourists and enhance the strong points while overcoming the weak areas so that the industries can be boosted and tourism in the country can reach to its desired position†. Tourism industry has been growing at an exceptional rate and it is expected that it will continue to expand more in the future. The most important aspect that the tourists consider when deciding about their travel destinations are the information gathering process. The tourists use variety of sources to gather sufficient information. As Gursoy and McCleary (2004) have stated that tourist information is the most valuable concept and the two vital aspects that are given utmost consideration comprise of the image that the tourists have about the destination and the selection mechanism that the tourists conduct to make their final destination choice. The study of World Trade Organisation, cited by Enright and Newton (2005), indicated that China’s economy is growing at an accelerating rate and since it is entering the growth phase, it has been successful in attracting various international business organisations either for starting their operations or doing huge amount of investments. Chinese government has made sure that it can attract huge number of tourists by developing effective plans and for

Implications of Oklahoma House Bill 1341 of 2015

Implications of Oklahoma House Bill 1341 of 2015 Kesha Abbananto In looking over the multitude of bills being presented to the 2015 Regular Session of the Oklahoma State Legislature, many could be related to health. Health is affected by so many issues; one could ponder how an agricultural food labeling bill or a burn ban could potentially have negative consequence to one’s health. The amount of legislature presented in the 2015 session was a little daunting but quite educational. At this time, there is no shortage of health related bills in this state. One such piece of legislation introduced deals with an issue affecting children nationwide: smoking while a child is passenger in a motor vehicle. Second-hand smoke causes numerous complications to the health of non-smokers; most of which are completely preventable. Children are vulnerable to the dangers of second-hand smoke, such as: asthma, bronchitis and lung infections (Rees Connolly, 2006). Jarvie Malone (2008) state effects of second hand smoke on children are sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory issues, lung cancer, and heart disease, to name a few. The authors go on to say, although, the issue of an adult’s right to smoke threatens autonomy, the children’s health and well-being should be the primary focus (Jarvie Malone, 2008). Desapriya, Turcotte, Subzwari, Pike (2009) explain that toxin concentrations within a motor vehicle containing cigarette smoke is twenty-three times greater than that of a bar and they further point out that many public areas alr eady discourage or prohibit smoking due to the negative health effects of cigarette smoke. Murphy-Hoefer, Madden, Maines, Coles (2014) report the prevalence smoking in car and home were significantly decreased after Maine passed its smoke-free vehicle law. This result is supportive of the implementation of laws such as Oklahoma H.B. 1341 (2015). Issue Oklahoma House Bill No. 1341 was introduced to the Oklahoma House of Representatives on February 2, 2015, where it was read for the first time in the House. The second reading occurred on February 3, 2015 and it was then then forwarded to the House Alcohol, Tobacco, and Controlled Substances Committee, where it remains. The bill was authored and sponsored by Oklahoma Representative Jason Dunnington. It would act as a new law under Crimes and Punishments within Title 21 and under Public Health and Safety within Title 63 (Oklahoma H.B. 1341, 2015 The Oklahoma State Courts Network, 2014). Bill Summary Oklahoma House Bill 1341 (2015) deals with the subject of an act relating to tobacco use that makes smoking in a vehicle while a minor child is present, unlawful. Violation penalty, defining terms, and effects on driving record are disclosed as well. H.B. 1341 (2015) proposes that no person may smoke in a motor vehicle where a child is present. The result of this violation would be a fine of one hundred dollars. The bill defines a child as a person sixteen years old or younger and defines smoke as â€Å"the burning of, inhaling from, exhaling the smoke from or the possession of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe, or any other matter or substance which contains tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked† (Oklahoma H.B. 1341, 2015). The bill additionally states that the Department of Public Safety will not record points toward the driving record of a person when convicted of a violation of this law. The projected effective date of this bill is November 1, 2015. Policy Initiation The model design that would most effectively produce the desired results is the Kingdon model of agenda setting and policy formation. This model was developed in 1984 by Professor John Kingdon. He established three streams; problem, policy, and political that can facilitate government policy changes. When these three streams come together, a window of opportunity opens (Furlong, 2016). The identified problem is the harmful effect secondhand smoke has on children in motor vehicles. Children usually do not have a choice of who they ride with and whether someone in the car smokes, yet they are at a greater risk of second-hand smoke damage due to a faster breathing rate and immune systems that are less developed (Clinical Digest, 2012). Even when windows are roll down the car window, the levels of toxic matter exceed maximum limits set for safety. The policy stream is the proposed law of Oklahoma House Bill 1341 (2015). Research in the area of negative health effects of secondhand smoke to children support the need for mandates created for accountability of persons who smoke around children in the confines of a vehicle. Violation of this mandate should result in a fine. The political stream is supported by non-smoking laws already passed by legislatures such as: Oklahoma Statutes on Smoking in Public Places and Indoor Workplaces which includes childcare facilities, the focus on preventive health measures in Obamacare, and for growing concern for the health rights of those that do not have a say in their exposure. With the converging of these three streams, the window of opportunity for H.B. 1341 (2015) is open and it is likely public opinion on this subject will support change. Implementation This bill could potentially change and/or improve the health of children in Oklahoma. The long term effects of healthier children will be healthier adults, thus projecting a future decrease in health care cost would be acceptable. Passing this legislation will be a step forward in protecting the rights of those who do not have a say. H.B. 1341 (2015) is currently in the House Alcohol, Tobacco, and Controlled Substances Committee. At this stage in the process, there is still time for nurses to become politically involved in support of this bill. Lanier (2016) suggests strategies individuals can participate in advocacy of legislative change. Lobbying legislators by mail, social media, or personally are examples of advocacy. Since the bill has remained in the House Alcohol, Tobacco, and Controlled Substances Committee from February 3, 2015 to present, contact with this committee would be reasonable, followed by contact with your area Representatives. Tips for communication in writing to a legislator, if a nurse chooses, include professionally worded personal letters with professional credentials and contact information added. Research articles that support your position on the bill are encouraged attachments. Phone calls or email can be used when making initial contact or follow up (Lanier, 2016). Social media is an additional method of communication (Lanier, 2016). Organization online platforms, networking sites, blogs, and online media are great ways to draw support or attention to a topic and an efficient way to disperse information. Additionally, in-person meetings are effective and can make a lasting impact on legislators, staff, and professional and layperson alike. If an in-person meeting is scheduled, remember to include credentials when identifying one self, structure your time well, and do not assume the legislator understands technical medical jargon (Lanier, 2016). Lanier further recommends to providing a one page summary of key points and to send a thank you note or email after the meeting (Lanier, 2016). Education can and should be used in all of the above venues. Nurses can offer unique perspectives and insight to various topics due to the nature of their profession and all that nursing addresses when it comes to patient, community, and global issues. Nurses can also join professional peer committees and groups so one voice becomes many. The American Nurses Association is one such professional group that is politically active. The uniting of nurses to focus on specific issues is an effective way to support positive legislative change in healthcare. Implications Stakeholders in H.B. 1341 (2015) are in one of two groups; pro-tobacco stakeholders or anti-tobacco stakeholders. Both sides have interest in the outcome of this bill and those groups are listed below as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2008): Pro-tobacco stakeholders: Tobacco growers Tobacco processing companies Tobacco manufacturers Cigarette manufacturers Advertisers Smokers or right-to-smoke supporters Anti-tobacco stakeholders: Government agencies like public health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State tobacco control programs Health care insurance providers Local smoke-free programs and laws Smoke-free associations and supporters Healthcare professionals Child health protection groups and supporters Oklahoma H.B. 1341 (2015) would include anyone who smokes in a motor vehicle while a child is present, children that are in vehicles while someone smokes, the healthcare system, and any of the above listed groups. Excluded from this bill would be non-smokers, those that do not smoke while children are in the vehicle, children who do not ride in vehicles with a smoker, and those that do not care to get involved. Evaluation The evaluation of policy is a normal event in the political arena. Government funded programs, non-profit organizations, and many private foundations require regular evaluation of programs or policies to ensure programs are conducted properly, that set goals are being met, and that the outcomes are desirable (Sudduth, 2016). Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and nurses are accustomed to evaluation and have used this method to measure things such as programs, goals, self, clinical-based outcomes, and effectiveness of treatments. The evaluation of policy is a natural extension of this skill and one that comes in handy in politics. The evaluation of the bill presented in this paper, is listed below in five responses: The problem that needs to be addressed is children being exposed to second-hand smoke in motor vehicles, where they cannot get away from it. Although there aren’t effective tools for stopping this from happening at this time, laws have been made to limit or outlaw smoking in some public areas and facilities. Advantages of this bill are that it will not cost the state any additional funds to initiate and enforce this law and much of the public should accept this law due to the health risks to the child. Other positive outcomes are that fines from violations of the law should increase state funds and health risks from second-hand smoke should decrease as a result of this bill being signed into law. Disadvantages of H.B. 1341 (2015) are that some of the public may not support the law due to feelings of rights infringement and fines may prove too costly for some violators. The effectiveness of this law is only as good as the enforcement of said law, enforcement of not smoking in a vehicle with a child may be difficult to enforce. Also, police may be tied up ticketing this population, instead of fulfilling other lawful duties. Fines for smoking while a child is in the motor vehicle can be an effective tool in reducing this issue. However, law enforcement officer time directed toward upholding this law could leave other, more pressing matters unattended. Additionally, enforcement of this law may prove to be difficult, as smoking can be easily concealed. Conclusion During the course of this class and in writing this paper, I have realized how little I knew about politics and the amount of advocacy available for nurses to partake in. I have learned much but have volumes remaining to learn. The need for nurses to be advocates beyond the bedside is dire and educating nurses beyond nursing school of these opportunities are a must for effective healthcare changes to culminate from support and efforts of the profession. Participation in local or work-related political oriented events would be one way to increase knowledge, awareness, and empowerment of nurses. Issues like H.B. 1341 (2015) are easy to understand, easy to support, and the benefits to a child’s health is evident in research. These points make exposure to this piece of legislation the perfect starter for nurses that are new to politics. The issue of smoking in a motor vehicle while a child is present is an international issue. Although this bill will only be an enforceable law in the state of Oklahoma, similar laws have already been passed in other cities, states, and countries. With the educational information available concerning this subject, I’m hopeful the importance of this issue is noted so this law will find support by legislators. The confinement of a car combined with smoking produces increased health risks for children. With all of the potential dangers out there, passing H.B. 1341 (2015) can help in controlling preventable health issues children face when subjected to second-hand smoke in a motor vehicle. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Evaluation toolkit for smoke-free policies. Retrieved May 16, 2015, from www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/secondhand_smoke/evaluation_toolkit/pdfs/evaluation_toolkit.pdf Clinical digest . (2012). Smoking in cars likely to be harmful to child passengers’ health. Nursing Standard, 27(11), 14. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.okbu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=c8hAN=2011758286site=ehost-livescope=site Desapriya, E., Turcotte, K., Subzwari, S., Pike, I. (2009). Smoking inside vehicles should be banned globally. American Journal Of Public Health, 99(7), 1158-1159. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.160127 Furlong, E. A. (2016). The Impact of Social Media and the Internet on Healthcare Decisions. In J. Milstead (Ed.), Health policy and politics: A nurses guide (pp. 50-54). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Jarvie, J., Malone, R. (2008). Childrens secondhand smoke exposure in private homes and cars: an ethical analysis. American Journal Of Public Health, 98(12), 2140-2145. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.130856 Lanier, J. K. (2016). The Impact of Social Media and the Internet on Healthcare Decisions. In J. Milstead (Ed.), Health policy and politics: A nurses guide (pp. 87-90). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Murphy-Hoefer, R., Madden, P., Maines, D., Coles, C. (2014). Prevalence of smoke-free car and home rules in Maine before and after passage of a smoke-free vehicle law, 2007- 2010. Prevention of Chronic Disease, 11. 130-132. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/pdf/13_0132.pdf Oklahoma H.B. 1341. (2015). Retrieved April 25, 2015 from http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB%201341 Rees, V.W., Connolly, G. (2006). Measuring air quality to protect children from secondhand smoke in cars. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 31(5), 363-368. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17046406?dopt=AbstractPlus Sudduth, A. (2016). The Impact of Social Media and the Internet on Healthcare Decisions. In J. Milstead (Ed.), Health policy and politics: A nurses guide (pp. 196-207). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. The Oklahoma State Courts Network. (2014). Oklahoma Statutes Citationized. Retrieved May 16, 2015, from http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/index.asp?ftdb=STOKSTlevel=1

The Impact of Absent Fathers in Black Female Upbringing Essay -- Famil

A father’s role in a child’s life is extremely important when it comes to a child’s development. With so much emphasis placed on young black boys needing their fathers during crucial developmental ages, the rate of our young black girls growing up without fathers is staggering and overlooked. What is an absent father? The definition is quite simple; an absent father can be defined as a father who is not present in the life of their child whether it is physically, emotionally, or both. Although the absence of a father is detrimental in any child’s life, the absence of such in a young black girl’s life is even more crucial. The absent father in a black girl’s life leads to, in some cases, promiscuity and teenage pregnancy, poverty, and emotional affects such as feelings of unworthiness and unable to be loved, fear of abandonment, and issues with rejection and commitment. The ways in which they view the opposite sex, the outside world and their self are forever tainted as a result of missing the key element of a father. I do not have any memories of my own father as a child. I met him when I was about fourteen years old. My mother and grandmother, with the help of my uncles and aunt, raised me. Although I had strong positive male role models in my life, there was always the void of my father that I dealt with on a daily basis. I can remember at a young age, before blowing out the candles on my birthday cake, I would wish that my father would show up to my party. I had elaborate daydreams of him coming back into my life and doing things with me like I saw on television. It never happened. While walking to the train station one evening my uncle casually said to me â€Å"there’s your father† as if I saw him on an everyday basis. I didn’t... .../p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2572_v121/ai_13358877/ Ellis, B.J., et al. 2003. Does father absence place daughters at special risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy? Child Development 74(May/June):801-821. Hogan, D., P., and Kitagawa, E. M. (1985). The impact of social status, family structure, and neighborhood on the fertility of black adolescents. Am. J. Sociol. 90: 825-855. Kost K, Henshaw S and Carlin L, U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity, 2010. Stanton, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Center for Health Statistics."National Health Interview Survey." Hyattsville, MD, 1988. Toppo, Greg, â€Å"Obama urges absent fathers to re-engage in children's lives†. USA Today. 19 Feb, 2011. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-06-22-obamafathersday22_ST_N.htm

Features of Health Plans

There are five different health plan options that are available for people that want health coverage. Indemnity Plans let a patient see whoever they would like to see with no limit and there are pre-agreements required for few procedures. Preventative care is usually not covered with the plan and there is higher costs deductibles and can be a co-insurance. Health Maintenance Organizations or Homos only allow people to see providers that are within the HOMO system. The primary care physician has to make all referrals and manages all the care.There are no payments for out of plan non-emergency services but some care requires pre-authorizations. This plan features low escapements, there is a limited provider organization and pre- caution care is covered with this plan. Point of Service or POS plans will let a person see either network providers or out of organization providers. If a person sees a physician within the organization, the person will see a primary care physician. There feat ures of this plan are lower escapements for network providers; higher cost for out f organization providers and this plan covers pre-caution health care.Preferred Organization Provider or POP plans have higher costs out of organization providers that are seen. Preventative care coverage changes within the plan but is available. With this plan, a referral to another physician specialist is not required. There are some pre-authorizations required for other procedures and some fees are Involved or can be discounted within this type of plan. The fifth and last plan is Consumer- Driven Health Plan. This plan Is usually similar too POP plan but does have it differences.This plan increases the patient's Information of health care costs and the patient pays directly to provider until the high deductible Is met. I believe that the plan that offers greater financial benefits Is the HOMO. This plan has a limited network but doctors have a low payment plan. As far as a plan offering greater cov erage benefits I would think that the either Preferred Provider Organization, Point-of- Service, or the Consumer-Driven Health Plan; would be considered since we could choose a physician either from within the organization or outside of the organization.

A Life in the Day of Juan Ponce Enrile

A life in the day of Juan Ponce Enrile By Bibeth Orteza, Philippine Daily Inquirer 26 February 2012 Source: http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/151905/a-life-in-the-day-of-juan-ponce-enrile (Editor’s Note: The author set out to observe a day in the life of her husband’s uncle, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, as he presides over what is one of the most important trials in the country’s history—the impeachment of the Supreme Court Chief Justice. Graciously welcomed by her subject into his home and allowed to tag along to the trial, she came away with much more than just the details of a daily routine.The star of the moment obliged her with a sometimes tearful recollection of his life, enough material perhaps for a scriptwriter like the author and a director like her husband Carlitos Siguion-Reyna to turn into a riveting movie. ) 8:15 a. m. THE MAN of the house is still in his bedroom. Sally Moneda, his cook and personal assistant of 26 years, reminds his clos e-in aide, Julius Gumban, not to take away the newspaper as â€Å"he has not read Bernas [constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, who writes an opinion column in the Inquirer–Ed]. The books under the stairs include the New King James Version of the Holy Bible (quick reference edition); â€Å"Spiritual Politics† by Gordon McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson; â€Å"His Excellency, George Washington† by Joseph J. Ellis; â€Å"1,000 Places to See Before You Die† by Patricia Schultz; and â€Å"The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World† by Joel Krieger. Also â€Å"Presidential Plunder, the Quest for the Marcos Hidden Wealth† and â€Å"Struggle and Hope,† both by Jovito R. Salonga, right next to five books written by Ferdinand E.Marcos during his martial law years. On the flyleaf of â€Å"The Marcos Years,† the former president had handwritten a dedication to the man who would remain his secretary of national defense until 1986 when a People’s Power revolt, aided and abetted by the latter, toppled his dictatorship. â€Å"Sept. 10, 1972, on the eve of my birthday To Johnny, who has contributed to the achievements of the Marcos years in a large way. † 8:25 a. m. Bing Rosales, sent to study reflexology for two years after showing aptitude for the therapy, leads her boss down the stairs. He’s good to us, so we pray that nothing bad happens to him,† she says. â€Å"Good morning, good morning! † exclaims Juan Ponce Enrile. First, his blood pressure is checked. It is normal at 126/60, from a high of 190/90 the previous afternoon. It shoots up every now and then so he has to take maintenance medication. He really should sleep early but just the other day, he didn’t hit the sack until 4 a. m. , he says. His bedtime varies, depending on the amount of reading he feels he has to do because, he says, he has to study and weigh things as well as he can. You see, I am not the court. Th e Senate is the court,† he says. â€Å"I sign the subpoenas, but I need the permission of the court. There is equal weight among the rights of the respondents, the policy of government, the impact of the decision on the public, on the business sector, on everybody. (If we) block disclosures on the basis of loyalties, the public will think we are covering up. People don’t really know the law as much as they do their doubts and their suspicions. 8:30 a. m. Breakfast is a sausage with a dab of mustard.Sometimes it’s a bowl of oatmeal, eaten with inihaw na pusit (dried squid), or rice with scrambled eggs and tuyo (dried fish). Some mornings it is pan de sal (roll) with cheese. Enrile is told this paper has referred to him and defense counsel Serafin Cuevas as the â€Å"superstars† of the ongoing trial. He shrugs, â€Å"I don’t know what that infers. † He likes to pore over his cases alone, he says, and tests the validity of the opinions of other s against his own study of all the issues involved. â€Å"I make my own trial brief,† he adds.In the years when he was practicing law, he says, he would first check a case for any violations against the Constitution, and then study the laws that could apply, given the facts, the pleading or the complaint. â€Å"I was fortunate to have met brilliant minds in and out of court,† he recalls, such as Vicente Francisco, Jose W. Diokno, Alberto Jamil, Rod Jalandoni, Claudio Teehankee, among others. At 88, he can still name his professors at the University of the Philippines College of Law where he received his law degree in 1953. Jose Espiritu for corporation law, Emiliano Navarro for criminal law, Enrique Fernando for constitutional law, Peping Campos for negotiable instruments law, Norberto Quisumbing for trial technique, Bienvenido Ambion for torts and damages, Mrs. Laurea—I forget her first name (it’s Norberta)—for contract law and family relations, J uan T. Santos, â€Å"who   made us memorize the Rules of Court from cover to cover, my goodness. † He asks Sally for coffee and continues, â€Å"My grades were good, but I didn’t become a bar topnotcher.I answered the exam questions both ways, and for that I got minuses. † Enrile placed 11th, with a rating of 91. 72 percent, in the 1954 bar examinations. If that’s not impressive enough, consider this: He got a perfect score in commercial law. An argument with professor Vicente Abad Santos caused him a â€Å"3† in civil law. â€Å"I didn’t know he was so sensitive. That was five units so bumaba ang average ko (that lowered my average grade),† recalls the man who would have graduated magna cum laude of the UP College of Law class of 1953 but had to settle for cum laude.When student and teacher met again, it was as secretary of the Department of Justice and head of the Board of Pardons and Parole, respectively. â€Å"I gave you a low grade even if you deserved a higher one because you so irritated me,† Enrile recollects Abad Santos telling him. â€Å"Never mind, I am now your boss,† he recalls answering. â€Å"We then became friends. † All his teachers, he says, were good to him, including the ones at Harvard University where, on full scholarship, he earned his Master of Laws with specialization in taxation and corporate reorganization. 9 a. m. I do not wish them to mark me absent at the legislative session,† he says, so he leaves home earlier than most people would expect since the impeachment trial doesn’t start until well after lunch. After taking some time to read the briefs and curriculum vitae of two ambassadors scheduled to pay him a courtesy visit this day, he breaks his silence. â€Å"I never expected to amount to anything. † For a caminero (laborer) like him who made 75 centavos a day smashing rocks on the road from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m. , to be able to get a good e ducation was nothing short of a miracle, he says. At the Harvard Law School, studies attered to him more than anything else. Again, Enrile is able to recall his graduate school professors: Paul Freund for constitutional law and conflict of laws (â€Å"one of the brightest professors ever at Harvard†), Milton Katz for international law (â€Å"he became the director of the Economic Cooperation Administration or the US Marshall Plan in Europe†), law school dean Erwin Griswold for basic courses in income taxation, Stanley Surrey for international taxation (â€Å"he became US Treasury assistant secretary†). â€Å"For corporate reorganization I had Ernest Brown. I could not understand a thing he was saying [in class],† recalls Enrile. My God, I did not know accounting at all! So I forthrightly admitted I had a problem following him. † The professor lent him two books and told him to come back only after he had read the books. â€Å"I did exactly that, an d only then did everything sink in,† Enrile says. â€Å"That was when I learned what corporate reorganization really entailed. † While at Harvard, the Ilocano scholar received a monthly allowance of $170. He managed to have $700 in savings by the end of his stay. â€Å"I didn’t go out much, except for few times with Paeng Salas, Ado Reyes and sometimes Beniting Legarda,† he says.At the time, too, his romance with a girl from Iloilo had just ended. â€Å"Her letters simply stopped,† he says. â€Å"I presumed she had found someone. I presumed wrong. I would find out she never married and that, shortly before she died, she wanted to see me. † He didn’t have to nurse a broken heart for long. While in Massachusetts he met a girl from Costa Rica and, shortly thereafter, marriage was being discussed. â€Å"Her condition was for us to live in her country, where her family had sizable land holdings,† recalls Enrile. â€Å"I said no. I h ad just met my father. He was as happy as I was to meet him.How could I agree to live in Costa Rica? † 9:20 a. m. Enrile swings by the legislative session in the same hall where he is to preside later and is marked â€Å"present. † Senate President Pro Tempore Jose â€Å"Jinggoy† Estrada is presiding over a group that includes Vicente Sotto III, Franklin Drilon, Gregorio Honasan, Ralph Recto, Joker Arroyo, Ramon Revilla Jr. , Antonio Trillanes IV, Manuel Villar, Manuel Lapid, Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano, Teofisto Guingona III, and Francis Escudero. Out of their robes the senators are easily recognizable. Senator-judge Juan Ponce Enrile as presiding officer at the Corona impeachment trial.INQUIRER file photo A short elevator ride takes Enrile to the Office of the Senate President, which has been his since the 14th Congress started in November 2008. He responds to morning salutations from employees not by merely nodding but by verbalizing a hearty â€Å"magandang umaga rin! † In his office, there is time for chitchat before the diplomat guests arrive. He knows exactly where he is in the conversation, so much so that one has to interrupt him and ask how he keeps his focus. He seems taken aback by the question, as if wondering why his focus is a concern. He answers nonetheless. Even before I sleep, I anticipate what is to come, what I’m to encounter. I make up my mind about certain decisions, the direction I’m going to take, and that’s it—unless someone can persuade me to the contrary. But I do not close my mind. I am not against hearing other positions. I need to be sure I am not making an error in judgment when I arrive at my present position. † 10:45 a. m. The diplomats arrive, and Enrile receives them in the conference room adjacent to his private quarters. After an hour, he returns with a brisk stride that says so much about his morning exercises and calisthenics. I sometimes dance, even by myself, while watching a dance DVD. I sweat and I get to stretch,† he says. â€Å"Every now and then I drop by the 365 Club at the Hotel Intercon. It’s no longer what it was in the days of Ka Doroy [then dean of newspapermen Teodoro Valencia–Ed. ] and Mesiong Yabut [former mayor of Makati–Ed. ], but I still have friends there. My sister Armida is also a member. † The relationship with Armida Siguion-Reyna has an interesting back story. The boy who was given his mother Petra’s family name, Furraganan, found out who his father was while he was getting ready to join the guerrillas in the last World War. Anakka iti ruar. Ponce ti nagan ti tatang mo. Maysa nga abogado. Awan ditoy, adda didiay Manila,† his mother had confessed to him in Ilocano. (You are my child out of wedlock. Ponce is your father’s name. He is a lawyer. He is not here, he is in Manila. ) From that day on, Juanito went by the nom-de-guerre Valentin Ponce, the first after his day of birth, which is Feb. 14, and the second, in honor of his father. Juanito had two older brothers Eduardo and Eligio, sons of his mother by her first husband Martin Paddayuman, who died early.He also has five younger siblings from his mother’s marriage to Macario Rapada of Ilocos Sur. They were Marciana, Melanio, Luisa, Juliana and Ireneo. The family tree gets more complicated. One day he was invited to the home of Vicente Alvarado, his father’s neighbor in Aparri. â€Å"There I was introduced, without any warning, to Nena, Teresing, Edeng, and Carmeling,† says Enrile. The girls, it turned out, were his father’s children by Rosario Martinez of Cagayan, along with a son named Mario, whose boat had been torpedoed by the Japanese on his way back to Manila to marry his girl.So there before him were four more Ponce-Enriles. Soon he would find out about Nancy, another half-sibling from their father’s liaison with Maria Balisi of Aparri. As far as h e knew then, he had seven half-siblings by his mother and six by his father, whom he had never met. 11:50 a. m. Executive Assistant Tala Maralit walks in with Majority Floor Leader Tito Sotto. Enrile waves the senator in and they huddle. Senator Trillanes comes in next, with a procedural question. It’s a short, quite cordial exchange. 12 noon The Senate President is not one to lunch alone.Four others join him for a Chinese meal of clear soup, steamed garoupa, steamed shrimps, crabs with black-bean sauce and bok choy sprinkled with garlic. He continues with his recollection. â€Å"So I had met some paternal siblings. † Late in August of 1945, Alvarado returned from Manila, with a message for Juanito. â€Å"My father wished to see me, and I was to go with him to Manila at once,† recalls Enrile. In the city, he was brought to a house in Sta. Mesa. After a week, he still had not heard from the father who he had been told wanted so badly to meet him.He would soon dis cover that one of his roommates, William Balisi, was a full brother of the same Nancy whom he met in Aparri. William was therefore also his half brother. William whispered to the young probinsyano that he had disappointed their father, which was why he was doing errands in that household, in addition to holding a day job at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. â€Å"Don’t be like me,† Enrile recalls William telling him. â€Å"You study hard. † William then informed his younger half-brother that there had been a misunderstanding of sorts and it didn’t look like the Sta.Mesa Ponce-Enriles were going to introduce Johnny to their father. Johnny would have to go see the old man on his own, but how? He hardly knew his way around town. â€Å"Listen carefully now, this is the way to Papa’s office,† William instructed him. From Sta. Mesa, all the way to Legarda, to Azcarraga (Recto Avenue), to R. Hidalgo, to Quezon Boulevard, Enrile found himse lf in Quiapo where he was struck with a baton by an American sentry. â€Å"I had no idea what jaywalking was,† he recalls. He then walked straight to Carriedo, crossed Avenida Rizal, passed the Ideal theater, walked towards the Sta.Cruz bridge, walked around Plaza Sta. Cruz, found Dasmarinas Street, turned left around the corner and went on until he reached Plaza Cervantes. â€Å"And there it was, the Edificio Soriano. I entered the building from Plaza Cervantes. I saw people standing in front of a door on the right side of the corridor. I stopped and watched. William told me to go to the seventh floor of the building. As I stood there, I noticed people rushing out of the door as it opened, and people outside rushing in before the door closed. It was my first time to see something like that. I was afraid I would not get out from there alive.No one had told the boy from Cagayan about the wonderful contraption called the elevator. On the wall facing the elevator door on the se venth floor were the words â€Å"Dewitt, Perkins, and Ponce-Enrile Law Offices. † Juanito approached Santiago Gampued, the telephone operator behind a desk in the lobby, and introduced himself. â€Å"I want to see attorney Alfonso Ponce Enrile. I am Juanito Furraganan. † He was made to write his name on a small piece of paper and told to wait. Gampued returned shortly and motioned him to a narrow hallway that ended in front of a polished wooden door on the northeast corner.Seated behind a large desk cluttered with piles of paper was a man Castilian in appearance—light complexion, bushy eyebrows, hair almost all white, thick eyeglasses over his high-bridged nose. The man stood up upon seeing him. â€Å"He was of medium built and as tall as I was,† recalls Enrile. â€Å"I’d have thought him urbane, if I knew the word then. And imposing. †Ã‚   Although his face was somewhat haggard and marked with lines, Enrile thought him good looking. â€Å" He walked towards me, I met him halfway,† recalls Enrile. â€Å"He stepped forward, raised his arms, put them around me, held me tightly and said, ‘I am sorry, my son. † 1:45 p. m. Gumban has walked in and out of the office twice, perhaps to remind his boss of the time. He sees what he sees and backs out. The Senate President is crying. He apologizes, but is unabashed. â€Å"I break down every time I recall the first time I met Papa. † In October of 1944, he says, he was being beaten up by the Kempetei almost every day, and had no way of knowing if he was going to live or die. â€Å"Now, September of 1945, I find myself being hugged by the father I had only much recently found out about, and he’s telling me I’m not going back to Sta. Mesa. I’m to ride with him to Malabon.He is driving a black, three-seater Chevrolet convertible sports car,† says Enrile. The car stopped in front of the steel gate of a large compound that held a tw o story semi-concrete house a few meters away. They get off. They are met by a handsome woman, two girls and two boys much younger than Johnny. (Raquel, the oldest girl, happened to be with their maternal grandparents in Pinaglabanan. ) â€Å"Papa goes†¦ Papa goes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He removes his glasses, wipes the tears off the lenses and, half-laughing, half-crying, says, â€Å"Papa said,   ‘Mama, Mida, Nene, Junior, Toti—this is Juanito.He is my son. From now on he will live with us. ’† Enrile was 21 when he was enrolled a high school junior at St. James Academy in Malabon. After his senior year, he had to take a validating examination for all high school subjects from first year to the first semester of third year as his academic records were incomplete. After high school, Juanito was accepted at Ateneo de Manila for his two-year pre-law studies, and graduated cum laude, despite having to work as an assistant librarian in his father’s office .By this time, so many shovels and picks away from his caminero days, he was getting paid P120 a month. The library proved to be most memorable for the advice that came from his father’s senior partner Clyde A. Dewitt, a former Thomasite: â€Å"If you aspire to be a trial lawyer, master the rules of evidence. Gain the habit of knowing thoroughly the facts of every case you handle. Study the case from the viewpoint of the other side as much as you study your side. Learn the technique of cross-examination by heart.You acquire that skill, not from reading books, but from actual practice in the courtroom. To be a corporation lawyer, you must have a thorough knowledge of corporation law, a familiarity with business practices and a working knowledge of accounting. † Before Enrile entered the UP College of Law, his father instructed Mariano Carbonell, a senior lawyer in the same office, to file a petition to judicially change his surname. 2:14 p. m. The Presiding Officer, Sen ate President Juan Ponce Enrile, calls the Impeachment Trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona to order.