Target: i-knock out ang ekonomiya!

Mahirap nang matumbasan ang karangalan at lahat na karangyaan sa isang boksengero gaya ni Manny Pacquiao. Hindi lamang pambihirang record ang kanyang accomplishments bagkus ito’y bahagi na ng kasaysayan na patuloy pang umuusad.

Dagdag na pinahanga ako ni Congressman Pacquiao sa kanyang matatag na paninindigan laban sa RH Bill. Isang baguhang mambabatas na ang tanging puhunan ay “boxing title belts” pero matatas na nakipag-debate sa mga beteranong kinatawan gaya ni Congressman Edcel Lagman.

Pero biglang gumuho ang aking pagtingin kay Pacquiao nang ito’y ‘hayagan’ na nagpagamit sa mga militantevat makakaliwang labor organizations sa usapin ng P125-wage increase.

Sang-ayon ako na itaas ang sweldo pero dapat i-akma ito sa tamang konteksto.
Maigting na pang-ekonomiyang krisis ang dinaranas ng ating bansa. Pinalala pa ito ng mga pandaig-digang kaganapan. Pero lalo itong inaagnas ng mga anay na gustong magpabagsak sa ating republika!

Maagang bahagi ng 1970s, kinilala ang Pilipinas bilang “booming tiger economy of Asia”. Pamantay tayo noon sa iba pang umuunlad na bansa. Subalit, ang pagsulong na ito tungo sa pag-unlad ay tahasang naudlot sa pagkatatag ng maoistang CPP-NPA.

Pinakita ng mga pag-aaral, na sa maagang bahagi pa lamang ng 1980s mahigit na 4,000 mga kumpanya at negosyo ang sumara dahil sa welga ng mga militanteng unyon. Dahil din dito, mahigit 1.7 trillion dollars ang nawala sa ating ekonomiya “direct and consequential investments”. Sa panahong nabanggit, inamin ng National Security Council na “2% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP)” ang nalulusaw dahil sa insurgency problem.

Resulta: milyon-milyon na mga Pilipino ang nawalan ng trabaho!

Sa kanayunan, hindi makakausad ang mga development projects dahil sa revolutionary taxation o ekstoryon ng mga teroristang NPA. Karamihan ngayon ng mga apektado ay damagsa sa mga urban centers (Manila, Cebu, Davao at iba pang mga lungsod) sa pag-asa na makahanap ng trabaho. Subalit – balintuna sa inaasahan, naging dagdag lamang sila sa bilang ng mga un-employed, under-employed, dagdag na iskwater at dagdag na kumplikasyon sa halos sasabog na, na lobo ng mga panlipunang suliranin!

Ang “pagbaha” ng mga unemployed at under-employed ang siyang dahilan sa paglaganap ng murang labor force. Ang dahilan: malinaw pa sa sikat ng haring araw ---TERORISMO!

Kaya, ang usapin sa pagpapataas ng sahod ay hindi mabibigyan ng sustainable solution sa pamamagitan ng paghihiyaw ng “P125 wage increase”! Habang ginagawan ng kaparaanan ang usaping ito, dapat tutukan ang pag-resolba sa pinakamatagal nang insurhensiya (42 taon) sa ating bansa.

Matoto sa mga aral ng kasaysayan, hindi na sasakay lamang sa mga maiinit na isyu upang “sumikat” pero tameme sa katotohanang ginagamit lamang kayo ng mga mapanlinlang na pwersang gustong i-knock-out ang ekonomiya upang tahasang masisira ang ating Republika! (kadre_porras@yahoo.com)

More help for Pantukan Victims

As President Noynoy Aquino extends his condolences to the families of victims in the massive landslide in Barangay King-king, Pantukan, Compostela Valley Province, joint efforts both from the national and local government and stakeholders became evident.

In a press conference on Monday, April 25, 2011, National Defense Secretary Voltaire T Gazmin , Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje, ComVal Province Governor Arturo Uy, Pantukan Mayor Celso Sarenas, Commander of Eastern Mindanao Command Lt Gen Artur Tabaquero, 10th Infantry Division Commander MGen Jorge Segovia and 1001st Brigade Commander Col Roberto Domines converge to talk about the recent updates in the retrieval operations and the forced evacuation.

According to Sec. Paje, they were sent by the president to personally verify the situation in the area.

“The president wants to know on how to comprehensively handle the situation”, Paje added. He made sure that the residents will be relocated to ensure their safety especially after the discovery of a 70-meter fissure that could possibly result to another tragedy if rainfalls continue.

Governor Arturo Uy elucidates that he will impose no habitation in the area for the other portion of the mountain may collapse anytime.

“We will continue in searching for the other missing persons. We will not stop unless we find all the victims who might have been buried in mud”, Mayor Celso Sarenas said.

Lt Gen Tabaquero said that they will continue their efforts in assisting the agencies to continue the search and retrieval operations. “Until you need our help, we will help”, he assured.

Sec. Gazmin was pleased with the cooperation among agencies both from the national and local government. “All agencies were involved in helping together for this mission and not just the concerned agencies”, he added.

Locals flooded the area as they also want to extend help in the search and retrieval operations. Although this would hasten the operation, the local government forcibly wants them to evacuate immediately for their own safety.
Meanwhile, MGen Jorge Segovia said that insurgency has been a detriment for the small-scale miners forcing them to rely in mining despite danger just to alleviate their living. He also added that insurgency is formed in mining thru extortion which has been affecting the miners.

“There are NPA units in Pantukan of which three barangays were affected already by them”, Segovia said who was also present in the conference. He added that they will determine this to properly address the matter.

“We will strengthen our Peace and Development Outreach Program to this area as part of our program in winning peace”, he ended.