By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
The “racketeers” in our midst?
During our small family gathering commemorating the death anniversary of Oyong Ando.
Last Monday, January 26, the air lanes were agog over the many awards given to the LGUs nationwide: to mayors, vice mayors and councilors. It was the topic of radio programs from Monday to Wednesday of last week.
I first listened to dyTR’s CUENTAS CLARAS, OPEN FORUM, NEWS MAKERS programs apil ang ka
Sendoy’ nga mid-afternoon program and all of them discussed the said topic. And up to this writing, it is still the same topic on the radio.
As i see the awards, mura ra gyud sila ug duwa sa hubot-hubot. Remember the hubot-hubot scheme in our neighbourhood of old? Mao nâ karon ang panghitabo. Makalilisang nga awards ang giapod-apod sa mga opisyales sa GOBYERNO. And people are ready for their words of congratulations to the awardees. Apil na pud ko ini – me and my gullibility.
Do you still remember the hubot-hubot game of our old neighborhood store of yesteryears? At that time tag singko ang bili sa hubot-hubot. With the present awards, mura man ug tag duha’y singko na. Imagine the thrill you have ug makahubot ka ug labaw sa singko? That was clean fun. And you got the kind of joy coming from a child.
In relation to this, last Monday, we had a small family gathering at our Blue Apartelle in Taguihon, Baclayon, Bohol. This was to commemorate the death anniversary of our Oyong Ando. The gathering was supposed to be held at the Karaang Balay, but the edifice is undergoing a major roof and wall repair. The house is moe than a century old built in 1895. You can just imagine the dust covering the walls. After scraping, the natural color of the wood and the beauty of its grain became very visible. Thank you to our lead carpenter, Roel Magdugo.
And so, our center of conversation that night was about the mga gikatahapang RACKET NGA MGA NAGPANGHITABO SA ATONG PALIBOT karon. Sama pananglit sa: AWARDS, sa AFAM NGA PAMANHUNON, ug sa uban pang paglingla sa katilingban.
Ang we see all these posted on the Facebook pages of netizens. We seem to have our modern day Pied Piper. Bitaw, kadaghan bang mga opisyales nga mga awardees. Are they victimsof a scam?
Award marketeers focus on the ego of the people. The alleged scammers touch the ego of the “victims” without the latter knowing that they are caught in the trap. Luoy pud. The modus operandi is rampant and yet our officials are ready for their congratulatory resolutions.
Unsa man pud bahin kining AFAM? This is now the term used by the modern people for those men who become husband prospects for our young girls. Why do the girls get an AFAM as a husband? IT IS BECAUSE THE GIRLS BELIEVE THAT THE AFAM IS A VERY GOOD SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AGAINST POVERTY. For the young girls today (not all), the AFAM is manna from Heaven who can uproot them from whatever form of financial problem they have. The AFAM is their hope for a better financial status in life. Maayo unta ug tinuod pud ni. But this is starting to be a scam. Why? It is because stories have it that the AFAM will promise the girl that he will come to the Philippines on one condition – that the girl will first send him a certain amount of money as he would tell her that his deposits in the bank could not be withdrawn as of the moment.
Is this a condition of true love? Is the proposal a real manifestation of a deep relationship? Ang babaye na man hinoon ang mohatag ug kwarta in the guise that the man’s money could not be withdrawn from the bank due to some technicalities. The girl would not even mind the age difference even if the gap between the man and the girl is very wide. And the girl and her families and relatives, including the AFAM would simply say, “Age does not matter even if matter is already aged.” Is this not a kind of scam?
Mga sano ug mga sana beware of the racketeers in our midst.
The Isabelo and Restituta Oppus Ancestral Home at Baliaut, Baclayon, Bohol.