The middle class of our society, in Metromanila and other urban areas in the whole country exhibited its outrage not at the hefty sum milked from Philippine coffers but at the gall of those unscrupulous people, legislators and officials of government included, in the Million People’s March of 2 weeks ago that protested the recently exposed pork barrel scam.
There were no shouting of angry slogans, no fired- up speakers inciting joiners to move as one in attacking the problem- rather, the atmosphere was one that was more relaxed and gave chance to everyone to choose from among the various activities of the day that dealt with the common issue which was the pork barrel scam that went public after whistleblower BenHur Luy spilled the beans on her relative and former employer Janet Lim- Napoles. After going into hiding for 14 days, the lady Napoles has surrendered to no less than the President of the Republic and is now in detention in a military camp in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija awaiting trial on the illegal detention case filed against her for the alleged kidnapping of BenHur some months back.
Game din the men and women in the March to walk the muddied grounds (gentle rainshowers fell from darkened clouds from time to time on that day and the few days before) in front of the Quirino grandstand in Luneta- pleasant were their faces and smiles were not rare as these people who shared one sentiment mingled, exchanged ideas and opinions, and started what would hopefully be camaraderie that would bind them in future marches to express their sentiments stronger and make these felt by the rest of the republic.
When the March ended by early afternoon and the marchers left the site, the Luneta administration was happily surprised- wala halos kalat and the cleaning crew hauled in a mere truckload of garbage lang daw and that’s very surprising. Yes, this group was a discipline lot, they carried whatever garbage they accumulated home and dumped it there for the barangay garbage team to collect next day.
Rare were the times in the past when the middle class became so agitated that it took to the streets and away from the comfort of its middleclass comfort zone to let everyone be aware of its feelings.
Because of this, everyone took notice- the elites in politics and yes, the more active components of our masses.
Ilan na ngang ulit naloko at patuloy na niloloko ang mahirap na sector ng bayang ito. Parang everyday occurrence na pinabayaan na lang nang kalaunan. Panu naman kasi, the bigger part of this sector specially those who live out of urban centers, have not yet been empowered- hindi pa namulat kaya hindi pa nagiging maangas.
But the middle class can not be ignored once it has decided to make its presence felt- itong mga nagiisip na mga estudyante ng ating mga unibersidad and yes, including politically- mature high school kids, mga professionals, and mga may kakayahang maghimay- himay ng mga isyu nakaka apekto sa kawawang bayang ito.
I know that our politicos ay very serious na sa pag isip isip bitawan ang pork barrel because of the uproar that woke up our middle class and made them decide to join the March, an activity that gelled from the ideas of 2 or 3 private citizens (internet loudmouths, so they describe themselves).
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Pity our poor farmers and fisherfolks once more. Forever na lang ba silang laging dehado sa buhay na ito? We oftentimes read and see in the news ang mga magsasakang iniisahan ng mga middleman in the trading of their rice, vegetable, fish and other harvests. That’s the reason most of them remain poor daw.
Ngayon naman, with the Pork Barrel scam divulged, sila na naman ang major victims. So many fake nongovernment agencies have received funding for supposed projects to benefit the tillers of the land and workers of the sea. Sabi daw sa project proposal submitted and approved by kung sinu sinong legislator bibigyan ng fertilizers, seedlings, trainings at kung anu- ano pa an gating mga magsasaka. Nang ilan sa kanila ay mainterview pagbulaga sa dyaryo ng scam na ito, sabi nila, wala naman sila natanggap at ni hindi nila alam na may proyektong sila daw ang beneficiary. In rare cases when good were actually delivered, it turned out naman na walang bisa ang mga pataba sa lupa dahil pulos tubig lang pala ang laman ng botelya.
Eto pa ang mas malala, even the dead have been violated in the pork barrel scam. Yes, beneficiaries who were already six feet under the ground when project proposals were being submitted for specific legislators’approval were included in lists submitted.
A case in point was the findings of a special audit of the Commission on Audit which looked into the records of a Php10million pork barrel allocation of Negros Occidental Congressman Julio Ledesma IV to the Kaisa’t Kaagapay Mo Foundation (KKFI). The funds allocated were supposed to provide livelihood technology kits and seedlings to farmers in that area of the province of Negros.
COA discovered that one village chief- beneficiary was already dead 2 years before Ledesma’s project was implemented. In addition, a number of village chief- beneficiaries denied having received anything from the project which ran from 2009 December to 2010 April. They also claimed that the signatures attached to their printed name in the lists were not theirs.
Queried for comments, the good congressman said his signature on the project documents was faked; he had no comment on the other 2 projects which received funding from his pork. Through his lawyer Dan Pondevilla, he said he had no hand in how the government agency to which he transferred his pork spent it to implement the project.
My neighbours are imagining that legislators involved must already be quaking in fear. Some may be wracking their brains out, thinking of possible ‘palusots’ to bail their ‘good names’ out.
There are more mysteries that will be uncovered as the pork barrel scam is being thoroughly investigated. The public braces itself to receive more and bigger revelations from COA, NBI and the Blue Ribbon Committee of Congress
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And finally, 5 September to 5 October is Teachers’ Month in the Philippines.
Teachers specially those working in public schools, are most unacknowledged here in our country.
The Department of Education says that it employs 583, 812 teachers nationwide, each spending at least 1, 200 hours a year teaching pupils and students rain or shine. There are stories of teachers walking a number of kilometres, crossing rivers, and climbing hills to reach their respective schools somewhere in the remotest parts of provinces where they will be met by their young pupils, very excited to be in school and eager to learn what their teachers will impart in their lessons for the day.
Next to motherhood, I believe that teaching is the noblest profession. In my town in Camiling, Tarlac, I would feel so proud as I walked with my Ninang Piling when I would go to her for school vacations- everyone we meet on the way to market would greet her, ‘naimbag nga aldaw, madam’. ‘Good morning, madam’- she was regarded as kagalang- galang, a heroine even, because she was a teacher in the town elementary school. She taught the farmers’ and other simple people’s children- in later years, many of these kids became professionals, many more became prosperous, and many din moved out of town. Ninang grew old but she was still ‘Madam’ to her former pupils who came to visit and the rest of the townsfolk who remained her neighbours.
I say, THANK YOU to all the teachers who selflessly imparted knowledge and values to me so that I will become the person that I am today.
THANK YOU TORONTO!
