By next week, the third month of the year is gone. We have been busy with a lot of things lately. But this is not an excuse to neglect this journal thing. It's a question of finding the time, or is it a matter of will? Surely being busy is not an excuse. I must find the time to write, reflect ... It warms the heart to know 101 visited the journal this month. And to think I had only one entry!

What were we busy about in March? Let's see. First week, I went back to an old action item that I had really to dispose of. That was revising the draft Medium term development plan 2004-2009 of Bohol province. I had to put in the poverty reduction focus in each of the sectors. Well, I was able to do the revisions in five days' time.The ball is now with the sector heads. They are also awfully busy with a lot of things, but I hope they will be able to come up with the final draft by early next month.

The AusAID education sector mission came. We had to rush some references for them. We also gave the mission a copy of the proposal we drafted a year ago for the retrieval of school dropouts. This case of so many unemployed youth, in addition to school dropouts (6-14 yrs old), really needs to be addressed. Someone will have to match the abundant idle land with this phenomenon of having unemployed youth in the hundreds joining the labor force each year but finding no job at all.

Then I had to rush an accomplishment report for the unit and a proposal for availing volunteers from the Korea Overseas Volunteers program. I found time to direct the work being done on the formulation of a staff development plan for the 15 provincial agencies. This involves establishing the database for all of more than 600 regular employees of the Provincial Government. If we can have the plan and implement it in a 12-year period to coincide with the time frame for the poverty reduction framework, it can motivate employees to work harder; their career path will be clearer.

Lito de Vera came to attend a national conference of DED (German Development Cooperation) volunteers held here in Bohol. He dropped by in the office with a colleague. I know this guy from way back during our brief stint with NEDA. Our posting there was paid for by UNICEF.

On 07 March, Tony Irving, Arnold Seloterio and I met with the Purok Development Volunteers of our village. It was a Sunday, but all the volunteers turned up. The PDVs do not receive any honorarium. It's a great thing they come even on a Sunday. We usually meet with the 12 volunteers from the six puroks on a Sunday. That was their choice.

I found time to act as judge for an essay writing contest among first year high school students in Tagbilaran City.

For the month, I am back to the routine of riding in the van that brings children to school as early as 7.00 a.m. I know the doctor will again complain since I have had no time for my usual brisk walking up and down the hill. Still, I found no time to write on this journal regularly.

I hope I can do better next time...