Enough!!!

Pain, anguish, anger, discontent - name it - I felt all of those altogether, many, many times with the misfortunes (natural or man-made) being inflicted on our country and our people now and in the past.

The recent tragedies are just a repeat of past national tragedies. Did we (particularly the people in government) learn any lesson at all? Sadly, NO. It breaks my heart to see on tv the bereaved families of the victims of the mv Princess of the Stars. Wailing, waiting, hoping against hope, that their loved ones would be found -alive or dead. There are no counselors or psychologists to help them cope with the trauma of losing their relative or friend. They have a very simple request today, That Sulpicio Lines (the owner of the ill-fated ferry), take them to Romblon, for them to identify their victim kins, before they are buried in common graves. What they didn't know is the bodies are being buried as they are being found, because of the stench of death, which could cause health problems in the places where they are recovered. The management people of Sulpicio Lines has not given a nod to this request(as of this writing).

We have a number of forensic doctors who can ably establish the identity of the victims before they are buried, but no one has taken the initiative to seek their help. The frogmen/divers were able to enter the ship, but were not able to work because they didn't have underwater flashlights/floodlights.

PAGASA, the weather forecasting station, is in need of more modern equipment, to be able to predict typhoons faster and more accurately. I'm sure something could be done to solve the problem of flooding, too, which happen even after a light downpour.

In the seventies, our very own, IRRI (International Rice and Research Institute), trained people from other countries on rice production. We also exported rice, as we always had rice surplus. Look where we are now. We don't export , but we IMPORT rice at present, as we are experiencing an acute rice shortage all over the country. People queue for long hours to be able to buy three kilos of NFA rice which cost only 18 pesos/kilo, compared to the commercial rice which are sold at a price range of 35 - 50 pesos/kilo.

Indigents are given the run-around before they are able to avail of free medicines and medical treatment. The same thing happens when they ask for assistance to bury their dead. In schools, lack of classrooms, teachers, books, even toilets, are perennial problems. Gasoline and diesel prices have been steadily going up by 1.50 pesos/liter/week., with no end on sight. We have a double-digit inflation now. What props up the economy is the billions of dollars of remittance by OFW's and others who send money to their relatives here.

We can count on our fingers, the truly honest officials and employees in the government . For us taxpayers, the present situation, makes us think hard how our taxes are being spent.

Despite all the woes, I'm so thankful that God blessed us, Filipinos, with resiliency, with patience, and with an indomitable spirit that carry us day in and day out through the hard realities of life. Nothing could compare to our vast natural and human resources, just waiting to be tapped, and put to use.

Let's pray for truly good, charismatic, and dedicated leaders for our beloved country and our people.

I know that day will come," maybe this year, maybe next year, maybe _ _ _ _ _."