Decentralization, A Way Out. Part 5

Some people suggest that, since Malacañang's APP program is nothing but a costly propaganda gimmick for the administration, it instead be used to teach the poorest of the poor how to fish. This is a tall order.

How can we tell desperate people how to fish when fishermen themselves are starving? And I do not just refer to the fishermen along Manila Bay, Laguna Lake and in provincial waters. Look at the PUB, PUJ and taxi drivers nationwide. Look at the former workers of the once flourishing garment and shoe industry in Taytay, Rizal, in Marikina City. Aren't they all in the same sinking boat where survival, not fishing is of utmost concern?

People will go fishing if the water's not murky, or if no storm's abrewing or if there's fish in the waters. Frogs just flourish by themselves when conditions in a pond are favorable. People too will, and unlike frogs they may choose to multiply goods, not their kind. Gloria bashing and search for truth only describes the pond. It does not make it more livable.

A point will be reached when the truth may cause desperation, rather than positive action as when we realize that the ZTE-NBN deal is just the tip of an iceberg of corruption. What would you do if your realize that the pond you live in is wider and is more polluted than the Pasig river?

I admire the guts of Sen. Pimentel for proposing something which he thinks would alter the conditions of the pond even if it might turn out to be not be a very sensible idea. It came just when I gave up trying to contact him. I just wanted him to keep his local government code alive and kicking. Now that he is too preoccupied with a preposterous idea, who can I turn to?

There is nothing but dead silence from our senators. Half of them are too poorly funded that they do not even have a staff to acknowledge mails. The other half lead by Senator Pimentel just bounces back undelivered. They simply cut their ties with reality. At least Senator Gordon has people who refer us to his own site. This is why I just can’t buy the obsession by some supposedly knowledgeable sectors to assign sloths by region. Bicol has five and it is as poor and as neglected as any region could be.

Cha-cha will have its time, but for now I just want more local autonomy in our country. Not that I feel comfortable with LGU's ability to handle more power and resources. It's just that it's easier to train and police them than Imperial Gloria or any of her successors.