Ms. Ric
15 Aug 2007

 

 

I could never agree with your unicameral parliamentary system of government, Mr. Oriel, for the sole reason of my simplemindedness.

By choice, I’ve lived in my adopted community with a population of barely 6,000. With one stop light in town, three banks, three gas stations, one grocery store, we’re considered “big time” compare to the neighboring districts.

The closest domestic airport is about an hour away but our roads do work, and I do have the option of driving, taking public transportation or even walking anywhere unhindered by potholes, uneven pavers, or never ending construction.

And even way out here in the boondocks, I can still exercise my right as a citizen of this little district and vote for local as well as national issues without the fear of being swallowed up by a bigger district, or worst, being stifled by any one system.

In contrast, your simple Canadian parliamentary system allowed the elimination of 360 municipalities in Ontario alone, which is nearly half of the province’s total, from 1995 to 2001.

Yes, I guess life would be a little simpler if you can just do away with localities with a simple strike of a pen. (Not quite the same simplemindedness I had in mind Mr. Oriel.)

“Poor urban planning and lack of foresight and long range plan” has become the norm in the Philippines. Let me rephrase that. We have the propensity for getting way over our heads when it comes to planning and/or budgeting. (And I am not talking about palatial bathrooms.)

The notorious road problems we have all over the Philippines are just a drop in the bucket.

To be closer to home, let me cite another example. There are children in Pangasinan whose classroom is so uninhabitable that they had to move the class outdoor. This school (Alcala’s Macayo Elem.) wasn’t ravaged by the current series of storms, but rather a left over aftermath of previous storms the previous year.

One would think this would make it to the local, provincial, or national government’s priority for funding, but I guess this project, along with others like it, is not ambitious enough.

No, Mr. Oriel, a mere 700 million pesos will not cure the nation’s endemic ailments, but on that same token, I can’t help but wonder how many classrooms in Pangasinan will PhP700 million be able to repair.

I wonder how many Pangasinense children will PhP700 million save if booster shots are offered free of charge.

I wonder what kinds of impact will PhP700 million make to Pangasinan families if there is such a thing as housing assisted programs.

I wonder how far will PhP700 million stretch to as far as offering career-training programs free of charge to all Pangasinenses in need.

Chalk it up to simplemindedness again, but I cannot comprehend the logic behind this superfluous Alaminos project and how fast your favorite president unabatedly endorsed its funding when everywhere you look in our province alone is a testimony to a dire need for change.

Simply put, a change from substandard living to an acceptable way of living.

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