The difference between our world and that of government officials

I spent Saturday morning glued to the television watching GMA7-Cebu’s The Visayan Agenda. The show touched on important issues that the government has failed to address and the issues raised yesterday were about education.

Frankly, I was shocked to find out that in Maguikay, Mandaue City, which is a highly-urbanized city, there are students who hold classes under a tree. I thought that these situations only happen in far-flung areas in the province or in mountain barangays. But no, there are students who are deprived of a decent place of learning right here in the city.

I am sure most, if not all, of you have entered a government office. What do you see when you go inside a government office? Air-conditioned rooms, sofas in the waiting areas, and even a television set for visitors. When you go to the area designated for the head of office, the “accommodations” get better. Air-conditioning, a flat-screen or even an LCD TV, surround stereo perhaps, a well-maintained comfort room, probably a pantry, and a dining area for entertaining guests. What kind of vehicles do these government officials use? Top of the line of course! The latest models complete with all the works.

Government officials are enjoying the comforts of their offices which were constructed using people’s money while the people, the ones who pay taxes, the ones who break their backs to earn a living, make do with mediocre facilities, just like the students featured in that GMA7-Cebu show.

Other issues raised in the show were the fact that teachers are not well-compensated and that there is little or no budget at all for daycare centers. The daycare featured in the show was held at the chapel of a barangay and the teacher was only getting P2,000 as honorarium.

Government offices, and even local government units spend so much for advertisements in newspapers, television and radio to announce their achievements, promote sports activities or greet higher officials celebrating their birthdays. These government offices can easily find money to pay for these advertisements and greetings. But they cannot find ways to provide a decent area for a daycare center or additional funds to compensate teachers?

With all the taxes that the Filipino workforce pay to the government, with all the taxes that are taken from remittances of Overseas Filipino Workers, with all the taxes that the government gets from establishments all over the country, and with all the funds that the government gets from all that borrowing, why do we still have these problems?

Looking at the way our government spends money, I can fairly say that finances are not the problem here. Looking at the way our government officials spend people’s money, I can say that the country has the financial resources. Our government just does not prioritize the needs of the people. It is very clear after seeing the education segment of The Visayan Agenda, that education is not a priority of our leaders. They do not care if pre-school children hold daycare classes in a chapel. They do not care if there are high school students who are holding classes under the Sambag tree in a supposed to be highly-urbanized city. They do not care if there are students who walk for miles just to reach their school.

There is a stark contrast between the real world and the world where our government officials are in. Inside their cool air-conditioned rooms, with a flatscreen television and a comfortable, soft-cushioned chair, our government officials cannot think of these problems. They are too busy being comfortable. Let us get rid of these overly comfortable government officials come election time!

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