A SONA after the SONA

E tu Fidel? I heard that former President Fidel Ramos is going to deliver his own version of the State of the Nation. I guess he didn't get as much opportunity as he wanted during the time he was president himself. This time he will address a special group, the members of the Philippine Constitution Association in Makati City. This will be the third SONA the Filipinos will be listening to this year. Remember that Vice President Jejomar Binay delivered his own recently, too. But there's a difference, FVR calls his own the “Authentic State of the Nation Address” in other words, ASONA.

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There is big outcry, especially from our Overseas Filipino Workers, against the move of the Bureau of Customs to order the opening of all balikbayan boxes being brought in by Filipino travelers. This has been a privilege enjoyed by Pinoy travelers, whether they are OFWs or not. I thought before that it was allowed to encourage more flight passengers, and give the OFWs an opportunity to send goodies to their families back home. So what they are going to do after opening the boxes? Tax all the canned food and candies and toys in them?

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In Washington D.C. where a former officemate of mine was staying, I wondered why there were some girls staying at her apartment on weekends. I noticed that Saturdays, they were all poring over the ad sections of the newspapers, and I was told they were looking for bargain items they could afford to send home. Each of them had a ready balikbayan box where they kept the items they got from the sales, and when they had a chance to go home for the rare visit, these are the “pasalubongs” for all their relatives. I was really touched by their thoughtfulness in depriving themselves of luxuries they could have enjoyed, just to be able to make their folks happy. And now, these, too, will be opened and perhaps, taxed to the limit? For sure that will discourage them from sending or bringing home such gifts for their loved ones.

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I am not trying to make fun of some sad events, but I'm afraid that practice will also encourage some ghastly ploys that, we often hear some of our kababayans resort to. Have you also heard that sometimes, when an OFW dies and his or her body is shipped home, the relatives abroad smuggle items intended for their folks inside the coffin, even putting on several signature shirts on them, pants, neckties, even wristwatches for the male ones, and jewelry, gowns, new shoes, as well as make-up items for the women? Will that make you proud and say “Unli in da Pilipins” are people who can think of this?

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While the City of Makati in the Philippines has reportedly been spoiling its senior citizens with an alleged budget of some P11,000 for about 68 of them (about half of which have been claimed to be ineligible or dead by some officials recently) Japan, a much richer country where elders are held in high respect, apparently only gives their centenarians – not seniors – a sake dish worth about $69 when they turn 100 years old. The practice was started in 1963 yet and there were only about a 100 centenarians then. Now they have more than 30,000, and a recent report said the government was trying to look for a token that would not too expensive to give them. Surely, the country can afford to give them all their expected dishes?

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Saturday, we travelled to Kabankalan City in the South for our annual “pilgrimage” for the birthday of a dear friend, Atty. Elsie Cordova, once a legal officer of the DBP in Bacolod. Elsie, who has long since retired, is now happily spending her days in their very comfortable home built by their parents which they have surrounded with cooling trees and flowering plants. As in all her birthdays in the past, this was a sort of reunion for her family where she, her sister Evelyn, a dentist, and brother Edgar and his charming wife, Pepsi, were there to help receive and entertain all the nieces, nephews and even “grand-ones” with a very sumptuous lunch featuring Kabankalan's favorites, the alimango and lucon, that seemed to be even more attractive than the big lechon. With so many dishes prepared, there was a lot for “bring home”, and again we left for home with packs of the crustaceans, the lechon, and even the very sweet, boiled “Pilit” corn. Happy Birthday, Elsie! We all hope for more for us to enjoy with you and your very affectionate folks!*

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