BY:DONALD SEVILLA
THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN
Que pasa Bohol? Our revered island paradise, land of our birth
endowed with nature’s bounty and beauty, is at a crossroads in its
journey towards a bright or gloomy future.
While we had withstood our share of lockdowns and the pandemic,
we are again being tested for our resilience and indomitable spirit to
fight against our shortcomings.
With the numerous woes we face from the high prices of fish in our
markets, expensive power rates and cost of fuel, to our struggles
with our daily staple, we are led to ask, what have we done wrong?
The problems we face are an offshoot of the things we did and do.
Being away from our home province gives us a glimpse of life
outside our shores. By comparison, touring the markets in another
city can give us an idea of how its people survive daily to make
ends meet.
Here in Tacloban City’s central market, the prices of fish are
noticeably lower. For easy reference, goods in the supermarkets
here are priced relatively lower than ours back home. Spam Lite, a
popular brand of processed meat product, is sold at P218/can which
is much cheaper than our supermarkets.
While we in Bohol are reeling from the expensive prices of food
and basic commodities, other places fare reasonably better. So what
gives?
Running the affairs of government is not simply based on lofty
ideals and election campaign promises but on sheer grit and
determination to get the job done.
Public service is hard work borne out of a passion to serve not just
to lead. Is our beloved Bohol suffering from a lack of able and
competent leaders?
The reins of governance have been at the new administration’s helm
for half their term. But what have we got to show?
Tacloban and Leyte may not be a renowned tourist destination like
our beloved province but it seems they have a more affordable
standard of living than us. Are we suffering the adverse effects of
our tourism? Que paso Bohol?