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As a young(er) reporter covering the DFA in the mid-90s and earning
about P6,000 month before taxes, I had to carefully map the cheapest
route from home to work. The day’s commute shouldn’t cost me
more P60, otherwise I’d be in the red.
It’s not easy to believe that there are still
people who earn that little, or even less, today. And with the
minimum jeep fare at P8.50, I cringe to think how big a chunk of
their salary goes to transportation.
But I am a daughter of parents who operated a
jeep. That, and a little carenderia on Columbia Street in Cubao,
paid for college.
So now, while I curse together with scores of
others how oppressive the recent hike in transport fares are, I
understand how crucial—and at the same time inadequate—that P1
increase in the minimum fare is.
But still, the recent fare hike—P1 for jeeps
and ordinary buses, at least P2 for aircon buses and P10 for
taxis—undoubtedly hurts.
The increase in one’s commute budget would
ultimately eat into the family’s funds for food and groceries.
Tcht.
It’s not as if we can just slash one and
funnel savings to the other. A great number of people do not have
enough for food as it is.
They can walk short distances, although I am
inclined to believe many already do this.
Ride a bike? They would need extra money to buy
a bike first. Cut the budget for the cell phone load? Yup. That
could help.
Divert all funds going to vices like cigarettes,
liquor, women and gambling? Definitely.
I am not confident anybody would do this,
though. And I’m not sure I want to advise people to cut all funds
going to all forms of entertainment. Some of it, perhaps.
Life would seem more unbearable and desperate
without any form of entertainment, even if it is only derived from a
bootleg copy of the latest B-movie. (I do not mean to belittle
efforts against movie and music pirates. There are studies that
proceeds from business such as this help pay for bombs and firearms
that kill and maim innocents here and abroad.)
Filipinos are known as a happy people that pick
itself up effortlessly after a catastrophe.
It’s been misfortune after misfortune for us
as a country and yet we limp on.
I suppose this particular characteristic is what
feeds authorities’ confidence that the country will not descend
into anarchy despite the rising cost of food and fuel and the even
more difficult life it gives the people.
The military’s chief spook, Brig. Gen. Romeo
Prestoza, was quoted in the news last week that food riots are
unlikely erupt here because 1) it is not in our culture; and 2)
“if you are determined, you won’t grow hungry.”
That’s good if it is only food we need to
spend on. It’s not even like there’s a lot of space inside Metro
Manila for vegetable gardens or that gardening doesn’t come with
its own set of expenses.
I understand Prestoza was answering a question
fielded to him. But comments like that just get my goat.
It’s like saying as long as you have something
to eat, you can continue living. Food should be enough.
Nourishment—particularly if it is inadequate
in quantity and quality—alone cannot be a satisfactory gauge of
the quality of life.
As a greenhorn who earned P6,000 a month before
taxes living with parents who paid for the food, bills, rent and
some other incidentals, I admit life hadn’t been too difficult.
But I could see that other people had more and I was offended that I
didn’t have as much.
Imagine how people who have even less feel that
they need to deprive themselves some more because of the increasing
cost of goods.
johnnavg@hotmail.com
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