Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy September 18,2014
What is behind Aquino's trans-Atlantic jaunt? Could it be to project him as a world-class statesman worthy of international note for his sage of handling peace and emergency situation?
How will Aquino respond, if asked how he has cared for the Yolanda victims? One can only speculate.
If Aquino is looking for work for jobless Filipinos, he may have gone to talk to the wrong people in the wrong places. Except for Germany, whose economy remains more vibrant than the rest of Europe, the countries on his itinerary are in economic decline, with record-high unemployment rates. The only jobs available there are low-paying ones rejected by the natives.
People in the trans-Atlantic trip. I am sure have heard of the country’s much ballyhooed economic growth, but they must also have heard of its crude shift to one-man rule, its unending corruption scandals, its shabby infrastructure, its infernal red tape, its permanent traffic jams, its electric power shortages and second to none public utility prices, and its ever-widening poverty and inequality indices, and ever increasing human rights abuses.
Banking on the “colonial mentality” of many Filipinos, Aquino could use his five-nation visit to procure the impression, no matter how false, of strong foreign support for his “continued stay” in office beyond 2016. No one can discount the possibility of Aquino telling US President Barack Obama after he crosses the Atlantic that his government supports without any qualification the US and European sanctions against Russia, and whatever action Obama chooses to take against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He could even propose that his government be considered a major non-NATO ally, just like Mrs. Arroyo did when President George W. Bush invaded Iraq.
If this is a campaign to open the European market to Philippine products and services, as officially announced, the Europeans will want to know exactly what we have to export apart from our skilled and unskilled manpower, which now contributes $25 billion a year to our Gross Domestic Product.
As far as we know, our manufacturing is dead. We manufacture nothing but outrageous political lies, corruption scandals and man-made calamities. These add to our natural calamities, the most devastating of which has been super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, which drew the whole world to our side, but whose financial donations have gone undisclosed, unaccounted for and kept in shady bank accounts, while some of their relief items were allowed to spoil in transit or in storage or distributed to the wrong parties.
Nevertheless, I cannot help but wonder what B. S. III could be saying to his Spanish, Belgian, French, German and American hosts on this 12-day trans-Atlantic trip. I am sure they all have heard of the country’s much ballyhooed economic growth,
But how can he do it? The entire government is a mess, Metro Manila is a permanent traffic jam, getting to Heaven, quips a wag, is now easier for a reprobate than for a law-abiding citizen to get an MRT ride, power blackouts turn daytime into midnight, and local government officials can frustrate an important project approved by the national government. In its latest report, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranks the Philippines as “the most restrictive” among 64 economies.
Now, Mr. President, what are you up to with this PhP31.9M trip?. Are you just doing a fishing expedition for salvation of your sinking political boat? Your salestalks on your PPP is seen by us as putting the country in deals which the everyday street Filipinos will be the losers in the long run. You might as well have stayed in the country and saved the money for something more benefical to the people.
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