During the first year of PDU30’s presidency, there was that ambitious announcement. Neighborhood usurers would soon go bankrupt as the government was allocating an amount to lend to their usual customers at almost negligible interest. But the high hopes did not materialize as the budget for it was just a billion pesos. That small amount was for the millions and millions needing some money to tide them over to the next time they could lay their hands on some cash. Not to do business with, but in order to survive. In short it was a joke. And so it was.
The current administration did not express any pretense to that effect. In a way, it is even worse as there was nothing new to hope for in the new national budget.
Our money– yes, yours and mine–called taxpayers’ will flow through the usual holes. The biggest ones are those leading to pork projects, euphimistically called development initiatives. But not really. They are meant not to trickle down to your pocket and mine, collectively referred to as those of Juan de la Cruz.
The disbursements will be to make sure local politicians are happy and assure national support to the topmost powers-that-be.
So as usual, our money will not be efficiently used. Not to alleviate the sufferings of the poor. Not to achieve a more equitable availability of economic opportunities. Not to increase employment for the jobless. It was for all intents and purposes meant to keep the status quo going.
The poor, you and me, will remain the way we were. The rich will still be up there and would even be higher or more unreachable. We can only dream about it. Nothing more.
So sorry if you ever dreamed of a better New Year. For this country will remain as Godforsaken as it used to be.
Are we just being negative? We are just calling a spade the way it is.
But we will survive the way we always did all these years. In essence, what we are saying is don’t rely on government. We just have to rely on ourselves. If we will end up being better the next 12 months, there will be no one to thank for but perhaps God and ourselves.
The good thing about our circumstances is, our brains will expand and our abilities will become better. While the bad karma of those riding on our backs will continue to pile up. In hell, they will surely remember us.**