The Dinner of OZ

If there is a “Wizard of OZ”, I finally figured out what he usually has for dinner.

I never thought I’d see the day when I would eat “Skippy”, then “Kanga” and then “Roo”. After all that, I hopped over to the next set of food presentations and tried out the crocodile. The evening would have been complete if I got my hands on an Ostrich, but the lamb, the cheese and the grapes proved to be a bit much for my tum-tum.

Yes, I finally ate all of the above. Skippy, Kanga, and Roo all represent the kangaroo burgers and the rest of the exotic Aussie food they’re currently serving at the Manila Peninsula. I call them exotic since it’s fairly unheard of for average Filipinos to dine on Crocodile Dundee’s nemesis, but I get the impression that all the food I tasted last Wednesday at the Pen are commonly popular among “OZs” or Aussies.

Thanks to our friend Sonja Vodusek-Vechio General Manager of the Manila Peninsula, my wife Karen and I had an unexpected introduction and education on exotic OZ cuisine. Normally I would not be too adventurous on my dining choices, but the presentation and preparation of both the event and the food was so elegantly presented at the kitchen that people simply went through all the selections without a hint of reluctance.

I expected the kangaroo burger to have a distinct aroma or taste, but to be honest I needed to sample 3 mini burgers before getting a clear idea of what “Skippy” tasted like. Our local “Baboy Damo” or “Usa” has more of the unmistakable scent and taste compared to kangaroo. The Crocodile had a fishy taste but I was told that if you threw a “croc on the Bar-b” it actually tastes more like chicken. Too bad I can’t shoot one to find out the difference. Of course, lamb will always be a favorite, but when you get them fresh, young and straight from the packers, chances are you’ll overshoot your calorie limits like we all did.

If you want to have an elegant adventure try out what I dub as the Dinner of OZ at the Manila Peninsula, IF they still have it.

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After two weeks of bold and high profile crimes, the authorities have once again found “someone” to blame and “someone” to make money from.

You would think that after a series of embarrassing crimes committed in broad daylight, the police would at least tell us exactly how the crimes were committed and how robbers managed to bring high powered weapons into malls during the “Gun Ban” period.

Instead, some officials of the PNP particularly those handling “Security Agencies” tell us that the crimes were a result of security lapses and security guards lacking sufficient training. Therefore, they will now impose MORE training for security guards assigned to shopping malls and high value targets. Of course! Blame it on people who can’t defend themselves or talk back!

What they’re not telling the public, is that security guards pay for their training and certification. A housewife I know is connected with a security agency. She had to buy a license from someone for P3,200, then she was told that she needed to undergo training if she wanted to be posted in a proper assignment. That cost her P4,600 and several weeks of “training” consisting mainly of marching around, standing around in assembly and office procedures and protocol. She of course had to pay for her uniforms and accessories such as shoes, badges and patches, which cost her a couple thousand more. Then she had to wait for months before getting an actual assignment that paid below minimum.

The Lady guard has long been hoping to be posted at a shopping mall primarily because there is a lot to do. She won’t have to stare into nowhere all day or fight off mosquitoes all night. At a mall she will constantly be having human contact, roving around from floor to floor and watching out for banned items being brought in or out of the mall. What she was not counting on is that being in a mall now has the same level of risk as being assigned to an armored van. A mall assignment could get her killed.

Now comes the PNP about to tell them that they have to put in even more training. To begin with, I can’t help wondering or doubting that the “extra training” is either going to be a rehash of existing training programs, or something that the PNP still has to put together or invent. Sadly the PNP officials behind the call for further training are not transparent enough to tell us who is paying the bill. Of course it’s the poor security guards!

It’s a lot easier to blame those who can’t defend themselves. It’s a lot easier to blame security guards that everyone take for granted, no one listens to, and no one defends. Hell! Even their party list group has done nothing or said nothing on the matter of below minimum wages, unpaid overtimes and high risk work conditions.

Like a “broken record” I once again ask the leadership of the Philippine National Police; gentlemen, why are you so silent about the severe lack of police personnel that has reached crisis proportions? Why have you not elected to go public on the need for the government and for congress to address the shortage that is now the single greatest threat to our peace and order as well as security? Why are you afraid to speak up?

Please stop blaming security guards and security provisions for the bold and brazen crimes around us. The criminals are not scared, they have no fear, because they are convinced they can get away, because there are not enough cops around.

Let us stop living the lie. We have police officers but we don’t have a police force in the truest sense of the word. It is not the PNP’s fault, but their calculated, politically correct silence, makes them responsible.