Superstition or coincidence?

"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency." Bill Gates

By Alex P. Vidal

LOS ANGELES, California -- I talked to businessman Adriano "Rey" Golingan, Manny Pacquiao's spiritual adviser two nights before the Fight of the Century on May 2 at the MGM Grand, while we were at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Gen. Santos City-based Golingan, a friend of former San Joaquin Iloilo mayor Daisy Sibya, said he asked the 36-year-old eight-time world titlist if there was still a chance for them to pray the rosary a night before the bout against Mayweather Jr. like what they have been doing in the past.
"Pacquiao answered me that when he prays he goes directly to the Lord now," Golingan narrated.
"So there's no chance anymore for us to be praying again for the intercession of Mama Mary?" he allegedly told the people's champion.
Pacquiao did not answer him, he said.
On several occasions in the past, I saw Golingan lead the praying of the rosary at least two nights before Pacquiao's battles against Juan Manuel Marquez (second and third matches), Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz, Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley, which he had all won.
In 2010 when Pacquiao incurred back-to-back losses to Timothy Bradley and Marquez (in their fourth meeting), Golingan said Pacquiao did not anymore pray the rosary.
They did not pray the rosary before the Mayweather Jr. fight, but Pacquiao read the Bible several times together with his pastor friends.
I'm not insinuating something. 
The story was narrated to me personally by Golingan himself two nights before Mayweather Jr. scored a lackluster 12-round unanimous decision against Pacquiao. 
Was it a superstition or a mere coincidence?

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IF  the system can be adopted in the Philippines, we can save a lot of taxpayers' money and finance social and health programs and activities for the poor.
Automation and paperless transactions.
The United States government has eliminated paperworks in most of their agencies, a move that enabled them to save money and reduce their expenses.
We learned this when we arrived on April 27 and when we recently went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew our driver's license.
Like other foreign visitors who arrive via air or sea, there was no longer need for us to complete paper Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record or Form I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Record.
Our application or renewal of driver's license will not be accommodated if we don't bring the downloaded and printed copy of our I-94 Admission Number along with all of our birth date and legal presence documents.

PASSPORT

Several years ago, we only presented our passport and the forms we filled up in the DMW. 
Not anymore today. No copy of I-94 Admission Number, no identification card or driver's license.   
If we need to prove ourr legal-visitor status—to employers, schools/universities or government agencies—we can access our CBP arrival/departure record information online.
CBP now gathers travelers’ arrival/departure information automatically from their electronic travel records. 
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection explains that because advance information is only transmitted for air and sea travelers, CBP will still issue a paper form I-94 at land border ports of entry.
Meaning that if travelers need the information from their Form I-94 admission record to verify immigration status or employment authorization, the record number and other admission information they are encouraged to get their I-94 Number.

STAMPS

Upon arrival, a CBP officer stamps the travel document of each arriving non-immigrant traveler with the admission date, the class of admission, and the date that the traveler is admitted until. 
If a traveler would like a paper Form I-94, one can be requested during the inspection process. 
All requests will be accommodated in a secondary setting.
Upon exiting the U.S., travelers previously issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender it to the commercial carrier or to CBP upon departure. 
Otherwise, CBP will record the departure electronically via manifest information provided by the carrier or by CBP.
The automation has streamlined the entry process for travelers, facilitated security and reduced federal costs. CBP estimates that the automated process will save the agency $15.5 million a year.