Pockets are happy and overflowing, while Filipinos are drowning and dying; worst during the season of giving and loving.
The Philippines need and demand a government that is transparent, accountable, and rooted in service not business; there is no room for corrupt hungry individuals who try to satisfy their endless thirst for money while sacrificing the lives of Filipinos. As the country approaches the season of Christmas which holds a very special place in Filipino tradition, controversy sparks in the air following the issues regarding ghost and substandard flood control projects leading to heightened typhoon impacts and aggravated aftermaths leaving thousands homeless and breathless.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon reported to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) at least 421 flood control projects that were found to be ghost projects roughly around 5.26 percent of the 8,000 inspected across the country. Additionally, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) submitted over 95 boxes followed by 3 more batches containing documents regarding alleged ghost infrastructure projects to the fact-finding body. The bag of money fed to the pockets of corrupt government officials and partner construction companies could have fed thousands of individuals, built numerous home, developed infrastructures, improved and quality public service such as healthcare, and increased wage for Filipinos. The effects of these corruption were mostly felt by the marginalized and poor Filipinos. As the holiday season is fast-approaching, many are left mourning to the death of a loved one, starving stomach, thirsty throats, and a longing for something above their heads which the devastating typhoon combined with corrupt officials procuring such occurrences.
Last November when Typhoon Uwan hit the lands of the Philippines, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported roughly around 482,614 people who had been displaced, Zamboanga Peninsula recorded around 1,085 houses that are partially damaged and 89 totally destroyed; Typhoon Tino who also landed in the same month reported around 165 deaths and 500 injured. These are not simply statistics, it is a reflection of what happens when people are robbed of the service they deserve, when their own government steals their money, and prioritizes personal interest over national welfare. Ordinary Filipinos as of this moment should have been thinking what they would do on the Christmas holiday, instead, they are haunted by the endless thought of how they would survive each day homeless and without food to eat.
Recently, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Chief Cristina Roque insisted that a 500 pesos worth basic Noche Buena would be sufficient including items like cheap ham, macaroni salad, and spaghetti. They even added a price list and items for which you can purchase for 500 pesos. Ordinary Filipinos are already suffering from the calamities they went through and yet there are this high profile individuals who justify the inequality and corruption happening in the country, pacifying the anger of Filipinos with nonsensical arguments and even incorporating the sacred Christmas season with their scheme to glorify the resiliency of Filipinos with the attempt to bury the issue regarding corruption and accountability.
Moreover, economic watchdogs such as Ibon Foundation stated that the 500 pesos budget for Noche Buena is unrealistic, they even prompt that DTI itself made an error in its estimation resulting in a plot that represents propaganda instead of true care for the Filipinos. The DTI ironically suggested a random sum of money or a feast like Noche Buena, to a budget that can't even fund a one-day food of a Filipino Family. They are not only enraging the Filipinos but are also undermining the true importance of Christmas and its true meaning for Filipinos.
This series of corruption and pacification has caused lives of thousands of Filipinos especially for the marginalized section. The Christmas season which were supposed to give a paramount of joy and happiness for Filipinos but are replaced by tears, grief, and nightmares. Now more than ever, the Philippines needs a transparent government in order to track all the expenditures coming from the taxes of the people. Accountable leaders that take proactive solutions and not pacifiers who use different propaganda to justify their wrong actions.
To put everything into account, the number of deaths and houses destroyed is more than enough proof that the public service has indeed became a form of business. This holiday season, the only amount of joy left for Filipinos has also become a cold, gloomy reality that they have to face thinking about survival instead of happiness. This serves as a wake up call to restructure the government, reimaging the people holding seats and power, ensuring that whoever possesses the authority is someone who serves for the people. These should be a turning point for the Philippines to move more progressively in the future as the year comes to an end. During this time of the year, happiness and love is what should be sparking across the country, but the same cannot be said for ordinary Filipinos, as the only thing beaming with joy are the pockets of corrupt individuals.
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