Why just bunkhouses?

President Aquino sounds firm in the statement from Malacañang that he is not going to stop the proposed hikes in premiums of the Social Security System and Phil-Health. He reportedly said these measures are intended for our “social protection”. In other words, like the father who has just spanked his son, he is saying “This hurts me more than it hurts you,” because it is for our own good.

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Maybe his people will believe him and accept the impending added burden on their finances, if they were not so suspicious of the way government agencies take care, or spend their money. It seems to many, however, that these agencies often forget that the funds they are handling are actually owned by the people, their members who contribute part of their earnings every month to them. And when they hear about such profligate acts of their officials, like those who vote themselves bonuses of millions as board members, or who go abroad and buy art pieces costing several million dollars, now can they help being resentful?

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In the meantime, Manileños are now bracing themselves for the observance of the Black Nazarene procession, the annual devotion of thousands of Filipinos, particularly those from Metro Manila and some Luzon provinces. This is an observance that has not lost its devotees, who only seem to increase as the years pass. On that day, January 9, even schools in Manila are closed, because streets become impassable due to the masses of people who converge in the areas the procession will pass, to catch a glimpse of the dark-skinned representation of Jesus, and, if they are lucky enough, or blessed enough, even get a chance to touch the image itself.

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It is such a major event that thousands of policemen are fielded to keep order, and people from all walks of life, especially those with problems over their health or livelihood, make it a point to be there along its way, to seek help from the image, believed to be miraculous by many. I don’t think there is any type of devotion to equal this. Well, maybe the celebration of the feast of the Santo Niño, or Holy Child, in Cebu is also a great gatherer of devotees, who are, however, not as passionate or determined as those in Manila.

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The American state of Colorado has started the formerly unbelievable decision to legalize the sale and use of marijuana, or “pot”, and will other states be far behind? This seems to follow the trail of the approval of same-sex marriage that was legalized in some states, and has since caught on, with other states also allowing it. What we are now apprehensive about is, how soon will other countries, among them the Philippines, follow suit? Initially, it had been believed that only the use of marijuana for medical purposes would be allowed. Now, it seems, anything goes.

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Maybe the use of marijuana will follow the course of tobacco, or smoking. Time was when, tobacco, the leaves of which had been brought to Europe through the galleons of long ago, was also considered dangerous, and illegal. But, as the years went on, and the supply got bigger and bigger, as well as the group of users, their governments gave in, and smoking became more popular, and people no longer considered it dangerous or sinful. Let’s cross our fingers on this.

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Here we go again. Now it is the construction of bunkhouses intended for the people left homeless by typhoon Yolanda that has become controversial, with some sectors airing suspicious that the project is being shortchanged, and that the structures are overpriced. So who’s getting the difference in price? Building officials? Are they as notorious as some we hear of here? But the Public Works secretary, stung by the accusations, has declared that there is no overprice whatsoever, and that, if such is proven, he will immediately resign from his post.. See what you started, Secretary Jericho Petilla of Energy?

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But why bunkhouses at this point? Hasn’t our government received millions of dollars in donations from abroad that could be used to build real homes for the victims? Why don’t they determine who really had houses that were demolished by the storm surges, and help the owners rebuild something more permanent, so their lives will have some normalcy back? The Finance Department could probably devise a scheme to make those donations available as no-interest loans, with the amount depending on the expected capacity to pay of the beneficiaries. But bunkhouses – surely those living in them may never shake off the feeling that they are just temporary residents there.*

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