Another economic growth only for the rich and the powerful

The millions of the people are not excited at all with government's much heralded so-called 6.3% growth in the fourth quarter of 2015 and the alleged 5.8% over-all economic growth for last year. They do not care about such economic indicators in high-sounding jargons that have nothing to do with their worsening poverty, with their hunger and fear, their lack of hopes for a better future. The people remain skeptical, cynical and adamant, no matter how the government's drum beaters would capitalize those economic ratings to prop up their candidates' poor political showing. The people are not stupid. They know that economic growth means more money to the taipans, to the bankers, the owners of electric, water and telephone monopolies, and nothing for the poor. The people are not blind. They see that in this country even surveys are manipulated to condition the minds of the masses. And so, any claim of growth is suspect. A plain propaganda that alleviates not the pangs of poverty and social injustice.

That so-called economic growth only means that the government can collect more taxes from the business and industry sectors. It only means more money for foreign investors, for fly-by-night alien speculators and thus more money too in the pockets of corrupt customs and internal revenue officials, more bribe money and kickbacks for government purchasing officers, more billions of public works contracts to be sources of corruption in high places, and more money for the boys who keep the bureaucracy the haven of the inept and the corrupt. But there shall be no increases in minimum wages, there shall be no increase in pensions of old retirees, there shall be no reduction of tax rates for the middle class. The President would veto anything for the poor. The President is an ilustrado, an haciendero, he does not know what is compassion to the poor.

High economic growth only means more mega malls and more high rise condos rising right in the midst of colonies and colonies of squatter areas. The people are being regaled with ostentatious display of wealth, while the working class remain contractuals, casuals, underpaid, overworked, overtaxed, and denied the kind of public and government services that they have paid for. They are deducted SSS premiums but the SSS commissioners and executives only reward themselves with multi-million allowances and bonuses, while the workers' claims for disability benefits are delayed and are denied for the whimsical reasons. The SSS forecloses the mortgages of workers who are out of jobs but allow hundred s of high-valued condo units to lay idle due to plain ineptitude. Thus the workers do not believe that there is growth in the economy.

The rich and the powerful get all the fruits of economic growth while the poor suffer in the face of government neglect. The workers pay premium for PAG-IBIG every month without escape, but the housing officials squander their money in allegedly shady deals that cause billions of losses.  The workers pay for medical care  but PhilHealth officials and personnel do not show mercy and compassion in the processing of claims and allegedly,  hundreds of hospitals remain unpaid in billions of debts. Thus many hospitals are reluctant to serve PhilHealth members due to the gross negligence of these inept and lazy people in PhilHealth. These people do not care about economic growth because it does not have any effect on them.

Thousands of OFWs are being exploited, harassed, hoodwinked and subjected to all forms of injustices by many recruiters, traffickers, middlemen and brokers who exact a lot of money from them. They do not benefit at all from such economic growth. Many are languishing in jails in foreign lands left alone by neglectful ambassadors, consuls and labor officials. There are many victims of trafficking in Kota Kinabalu, Labuan in Kuala Lumpur and in Sarawak. The economic growth has not improved their view of the government. These Filipinos are left alone to fend for themselves. High economic growth is a puzzle to them, an enigma, if you will. For their pains and sufferings have even worsened.