The poor Pinoys and P.Noy's Porsche

Without doubt, Pinoys are very happy to have a very honest President in President Noynoy (P.Noy).

Most Pinoys believe P.Noy’s explanation that he bought his Porsche through credit and that this car was not brand new and hence not more expensive than the 4 million pesos that he spent. Most Pinoys also believe that he deserves to be happy, to enjoy, like everyone else.

Why then so much fuss about P.Noy’s Porsche?

Let us all help to understand and clarify the deeper meaning of P.Noy’s million-peso Porsche for the millions of poor and hungry Pinoys.

There is genuinely a great divide between the ordinary Pinoy and the elected P.Noy. The Porsche captures the reality of that historical and continuing divide among our people.

We have a class-divided society, one that continues from the past, from the  days of colonization to the continuing present. This system of inequality did not originate with our own people in the past but once introduced, the system has been embraced and perpetuated by a number of our people who prefer to think of themselves apart from the masses, the brown indios, today’s millions of poor Filipinos.

While accepting that P.Noy deserves to enjoy the items and games that he loves, that he has passion about, in the eyes of those without food, those without work, those without home, in short, in the eyes of the millions of poor Pinoys, the expensive Porsche is merely a toy for the rich, one among many other toys and games that the rich feel they are entitled to by virtue of their wealth, of their status.

For sure, Pinoys appreciate and understand very clearly that P.Noy had always been and remained honest, even when he bought the not-so brand new Porsche. Wasn’t P.Noy after all being true to his class?

The ordinary Pinoys, however, would like to ask: Could not P.Noy and those in his class ( the haves ) have found joy and fun outside of expensive cars and luxury, almost always imported, items? Could they not have looked for other ways of enjoyment, other types of toys and games, less expensive and more symbolically sensitive to the plight of the millions of poor Pinoys?

Could P.Noy’s joy and passion for driving the fast Porsche been lessened if he just borrowed a friend’s car? Are 6 years too long for him to sacrifice his expensive tastes in exchange for his vow to serve God and our people?

For the poor Pinoys, the millions spent for P.Noy’s Porsche could have translated to food for them. For the extremely hungry and the starving, any amount, no matter how small, translates to much needed food, their lifeline.

However, it is part of our present reality that the elite class has always considered  and been socialized to view wealth and power as their natural entitlements just as the poor have been convinced as well that their poverty and deprivations have been theirs since birth.

 We may belong to the same nation. Pinoys may have elected P.Noy as President. Election, however, does not erase class divisions overnight. History tells us elections have strengthened, even solidified class divisions. 

But change is always a possibility.

Many Pinoys, the millions who cast their faith and hope and votes on P.Noy, genuinely believed that when P.Noy promised a better tomorrow, a better Philippines, millions hoped that meant genuine basic change, sustainable food, secure livelihood, sturdy homes at the very least.

 Can the basic changes be done without reckoning with his roots, with his class, with the continuing inequality that is at the core of the wealth of a few and the poverty of million Pinoys?

When God sent His Son to serve Him and to restore humankind back to Him, as God, He could have insisted on His Son being born in a mansion, entitled to all the wealth and power and all other entitlements, perks and privileges beyond human imagination. However, God’s son was born in a manger, walked to serve the people, played with the poor, the sick, the children, and interacted and healed all those who believed in God.

Cannot the elite of this world see beyond their class, their entitlements? Cannot they take on the inspiring model of God’s humility, lowliness, and service? Cannot P.Noy keep to his vow to serve God and people by crossing and possibly closing in on the great divide created by human-created inequality?

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