About two or three weeks ago we were cursing BENECO for the frequent “brownouts”.
When Typhoon Carina came, BENECO redeemed itself. Even if the wind was howling, there was still electricity, at least, in our place. Perhaps it was only when there was no other remedy that the brownouts occurred.
Certainly, there were some dangers to that. Electrocutions and other accidents due to open live wires like fire were probable. That’s the downside. But everything has a negative side. It was the risk we had to take.
If we wanted safety, the best way to assure that was to cut off the power whenever the wind started howling. But what a life it would have been. Better to take the risk, and BENECO obliged.
Who are we to blame for us having to take dangerous risks in order to have relatively continuous electric power? Our leaders, national and local.
With the billions of the people’s money being wasted through corruption and incompetence in government, that amount would have been more than enough to modernize our power systems. While it might be a pie in the sky to dream of a practically “no-brownout” situation like some parts of Germany, at least the same should be greatly minimized.
Even having underground electrical lines in a small city like Baguio appears to be an impossible dream. What is impossible about that? Nothing. But since the corruption everywhere is impossible to control, thus, a big part of the content of our coffers is being drained out, so it is an impossible dream.
If corruption did not go all the way to the top, we might have some hope. Sadly, things are how they are.
The midterm elections are almost upon us but there will not be much change. For we the ordinary citizens are a big part of the problem. We are so cheap. We sell our votes easily for the proverbial few pieces of silver. **