The middle class

TWO weeks ago, the provincial government laid out its strategy to help alleviate poverty in Pangasinan.

Specifically, the goal of the Espino administration is “ to convert every household into a production unit through integration and consolidation, urging Pangasinenses to engage in a common livelihood activity and act as an integrated economic unit to attain a more economically improved means of generating additional income that will help ease the living condition of the people.”

While it is heavy in semantics that may be difficult for the man on the street to digest, it is a laudable direction to arrest an increase in the level of poverty incidence. Simply put, it is an effort to promote entrepreneurship in the grassroots level. It refers to economic activities that need small capital yet a lot of commitment on the family members to make a venture succeed. It is quite true that opportunities still abound in the communities. To name a few, there are opportunities in food and tourism. Outsourcing of services by manufacturing and service companies present equally good opportunities.

Without a doubt, s strong middle class is a potent force in a community’s economic growth. It is the backbone of the American and other developed countries around the world and so it shall be in Pangasinan.

We only hope that the Espino administration is clearly intent on delivering the essentials to make entrepreneurs out of employees, farmers and the jobless. Credit and training must be made available to those who are prepared to take the challenge.  Without these, this development thrust might just as well be another rehashed lip service to governance.

 

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‘Last two minutes’

WHEN a President questions the decision of the Supreme Court, he is a lost lamb.  But as the Good Book says, he needs to be found and guided back to the right path a.k.a. tuwid na daan so that democracy could throb forever.  Same thing when the President wants the Constitution amended in a veiled move to perpetuate his self in power.  The Good Book likewise counsels us that the President is the nation’s No. 1 servant.  Thus, when we see our servant gone astray, we rebuke him and remind him that all power in government emanates from the people, is by the people, and is of the people.  OK, he seemed to have listened as he has gunned down his second presidential bid.  But will he also withdraw his prayer asking the High Court to reverse itself on the constitutionality issue of the President’s disbursements of billions in public funds?

It’s the President’s so-called “last two minutes” in office as his term expires in 2016.  If he makes a mad dash to the tape armed with the baton of his promised reforms, let’s cheer him on.  As we love to say, better late than never.

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