By; DONALD SEVILLA
A HAPLESS SITUATION
The seemingly endless price hikes of food, fuel and other basic necessities leave us wondering what did we do to deserve such fate?
We take pride in our province being an island destination, owing to its rich natural beauty that beckons tourists to our shores. Yet despite the influx of visitors to our little piece of paradise, our people suffer economically and bear the brunt of hard times on their shoulders.
When we should be rejoicing at the many foreigners enjoying our beaches and tourist attractions, many of our people are burning the midnight oil barely able to put decent food on their tables.
It does not take a mathematical genius to figure out how to survive on P397 minimum daily wage when the price of a kilo of average fish is no less than P 250 and rice hovers at around P50/ kl. Public transport fares are double the rates we used to pay in the past. Feeding even a family of 2 is comparable to performing a miracle in biblical times.
We are simply left in awe and are amazed at how resilient our people have always been. So what has terribly gone wrong?
Our present situation could be likened to a weighing scale unfavorably balanced that its tip tilts more to one side than the other. Our right hand is grasping fully while the left is empty with nothing. If we continue to stay this course the gap between those who have and those left wanting would be so wide it takes a lot more than effort to bridge it.
A classic example would be the nation of India where the rich are so obscenely rich while a majority of its population in the countrysides are literally dirt poor. It is ironic that the richest billionaires in our part of Asia come from this nation of stark contrasts.
Yet slowly without perhaps realizing it, we are creeping towards this great divide. We are sliding backwards instead of moving forward. But all hope should not be lost.
To stem the tide of this dismal slide, our leaders must act fast and with determination. They must have the political will to go against the interests of their benefactors when the greater good demands.
Governance and policy must be all-encompassing and not only benefit a privileged few. The gains from our economy must reach the grassroots and empower them. Good governance must not be all talk about anti-corruption but about decisive action with clear goals.
While not easy, it takes a lot of hard work and good leadership to steer us in the right direction. But are our leaders up to the task?
Without scratching our heads in resignation, what can we do to bring the price of rice down? How can the ordinary folks, farmers and fishermen benefit from our visitors and share in the tourism pie? Can we make our agriculture sustainable and self-reliant?
If we can’t, we must think things many times over. It seems we have made poor choices again and only have ourselves to blame. Hapless us!