2010 total debt of the national government: 4 trillion pesos plus

One thousand pesos is not that hard to imagine and to count. One million pesos however is already quite difficult to think about and to count for the ordinary Filipino. But one trillion pesos certainly requires so many more numbers to use and to count. How about contemplating and counting no less than four trillion pesos plus? This would require a rather good accountant helped by a pretty good calculator, to take note of and count. There are definitely relatively few Filipinos who know how a trillion pesos look and weigh. But this is not all!

The national government has all the leisure and the pleasure of incurring all possible internal and external debts, readily and easily giving these its sovereign guarantees when so needed and required. And whereas according to the Constitution of a Republican Democracy, sovereignty resides in the people, it is infallibly the People of the Philippines who are obliged and expected to pay all said debts. Is that not cute? This must be contrary to even but elementary logic: A government known for its incurring big debts and famous as well as for its tested expertise in graft and corruption, extravagance and wasteful spending – yet the Filipinos have no option but to pay for the debts through their direct and indirect taxes. But this is not all!

Let it be assumed that there are 100 million Filipinos now counted among the living. By the way, it is said that there are now much less hungry people in the Country whereas many of them already died. Just as some kind of a mathematical exercise, divide a 4 trillion peso debt ( which is in much more) among 100 million people who are much less ) – and it will not only be interesting but also terrifying to know that every Filipino, infants and children, young and old, elderly and sick, has to pay for a whopping 40 thousand pesos each for debt incurred by this still ruling national government. Is this not nauseating? The result can cause desperation or even inspire some kind of an Edsa event. But this is all!

Millions of boys and girls, not to mention young people do not go to school for lack of resources and/ or on account of the feeling of futility. Millions of adult men and women find no work or have no profitable ventures. Millions of elderly and sick Filipinos do not benefit from sufficient and dependable social welfare services. Is this not frustrating? Meantime as this national government is fast becoming anti-population by bowing to strong pressure from anti-population foreign interests, the fact is that it is the remittances of people as Overseas Filipino Workers – who are population – that keep the Country economically afloat. But is this all? Nope! There are so many curious as well as suspicious things that can still happen in this otherwise blessed and promising Country before and after May 2010.

OVCruz, JCD
January 6, 2010

novel firecrackers

It is not a secret that Filipinos by and large have not only an innovative drive in doing things but also a creative spirit in redoing themselves – their outputs included. And this some kind of an in-born trait extends from the ingenious way they have in living their admittedly difficult day-to-day lives, to the surprising and even delightful way they continuously reinvent their products. Let it be noted that such inventive and fanciful disposition is more often than not, endowed with a certain fun, not to mention their being naughty as well.

A case in point is that on the occasion of the last 2010 New Year’s eve, this report came about in whispers and confidence: There were new firecrackers on sale for the brave and courageous, for the intrepid and defiant. But, these firecrackers of recent vintage were not found with their usual public displays. It was even said that they were sold in whispers, and purchased with a commitment to some kind of secrecy. Never mind the price whereas what was more important was the profound glee they brought about for the big “bang” they gave.

The carefully absconded and surreptitiously sold “new” firecrackers were definitely not without their proper inherent connotations. It was said that their respective brand names were enough to say that those who buy the unique firecrackers should not fool around with them – with the earnest instruction that there must be an “all clear” signal before any of them were lighted and thereby exploded.

The novel firecrackers were said to be three in kind hereafter mentioned according to their reported ascending order of loud unique “bang” – with their also ascending price tags: First, “BIN LADEN”. Second, “AMPATUAN”. Third “GOOD-BYE GLORIA”.

This is not to say that such opted nomenclature or brand names are fair or otherwise, disrespected or otherwise. They all have certain common implications: One, they all say something rather critical and fatal even. Two, they all imply something specially discredited and deplorable. Three, they all forward something rare as extraordinary awful in being and unacceptable in standing.

There seems to be no record how many of the said firecrackers were sold/bought, how much they were enjoyed by those who fired them as well as those who saw and heard them explode. But with such appended names to those firecrackers, it is hard to imagine the awe and apprehension they made, and the commotion and impression they cause when fired. And understandably so!

OVCruz, JCD
January 4, 2010