This is the Sinulog Week, the Fiesta of Cebu. It is that time of the year that we Cebuanos should put our best foot forward; after all, we do have a lot of foreign and domestic tourists. I have always believed that we Cebuanos are so blessed because of the Señor Sto. Niño who was brought here to Cebu by Ferdinand Magellan and was given as a gift to Queen Juana. It was not a coincidence that decades later when Spanish Conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu, his soldiers discovered the image of the Señor Sto. Niño among the burnt ruins of the village. All this history had a divine purpose.
More than 400 years later, the Philippines is a nation of 90 M plus people, 90% of us are Catholics. Yet despite our poverty, our greatest resource is our very own people who found jobs in foreign countries, as maids, waiters, nannies, band singers or players. All in all, OFWs contribute more than US$10 Billion annually, which is the envy of many 3rd world countries. Last year was a record for OFW remittances when it hit US$16.4 billion, which is equivalent to 10% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). So do you still wonder why many foreign countries want to cull our population?
While our OFWs send us dollars back home, they also contribute to their host countries with their work, which makes the people in their host countries more productive. Our OFWs also spread their Christian faith within the confines of the homes of non-Christian families. They also help in many European countries where the churches are empty, because many Europeans are losing their Christian faith.
You can trace the blessings of the Lord for Cebuanos in scripture on Matt.6:33, which says, “See ye first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” January is the first month of the New Year and it is the date of the Fiesta of Cebu. Hence, Cebu is so blessed because at the start of the New Year we give seek first the Kingdom of God.
So tonight, to honor our foreign and domestic tourists, we bring you no less than Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama who is our host for the Sinulog Festivities in a very frank and honest discussion of his role as Mayor of Cebu City. Watch this very interesting interview with Mayor Rama on SkyCable’s Channel 15 at 8:00pm tonight.
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The major news dailies came up with a report over the weekend that Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino III assured Filipinos of a “better life” this year under his administration, even though it faces tough challenges ahead. This was in a speech done by Pres. PNoy during the traditional “vin d’honneur” dinner in Malacañang Palace. This statement gives Filipinos an iota of hope that indeed what they wish for in this New Year would truly come in the form of a better life.
There is only one problem in the President’s statement. He said this after allowing the increase in the new taxicab flag down rates to rise from P30 to 40 pesos, including an additional charge for every kilometer. In Metro Manila, Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) rates have gone up, which now includes a boarding fare. I call it a not-so-creative way of finding ways to increase fares and justifying it with new names.
Then for the people living outside Metro Manila travelling to the North via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) or to the South via the SLEX, their rates have also gone up not just by a few pesos, but by hundreds of pesos. This doesn’t include the recently increase pump prices in fuel and increases in power and water usage.
If any, the only cheap thing in this country is human life! Proof of this is the numerous murders and summary killings happening all over the country. This is not to mention that the Aquino administration is hell-bent in killing the innocent babies inside the mother’s womb through its support of the RH Bill! Call it our “Culture of Death” mentality.
These increases have a ripple effect and will certainly hit the bottom line of the ordinary worker. Now if I had the chance to interview Pres. Noy, I would like to hear from him how these increases in fares would make life better for Filipinos. All I see is a huge inflation casting an ominous shadow over our economy. It will be a catch-22 situation, where salaries would soon increase and everything else increases with it.
Perhaps he is thinking of the P21 Billion bucks that he has lodged in the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which he has earmarked for distribution to the poor. Such a huge amount of money will certainly feed the hungry, but it won’t make them better off! I call this a “Culture of Mendicancy!” I’m sure that these are insurmountable challenges for P.Noy to face. I just hope that he is not paying lip service to his promise.
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Email: vsbobita@mozcom.com