Toppling the Wall

By Rolo B. Cena
Arabian Diaries
Dumaguete Star Informer
February 8, 2009

The recent economic downturn has hit not just America but almost all parts of the world. Consequently, all economies have been severed that led to enormous losses.

Tactically addressing to the situation, all governments have arrived at eventual short-term plans of sorts to tackle the financial calamity “of the moment” that has shaved about 25% off the value of most of the world major stock indices and essentially drove Iceland into bankruptcy. Of course, strategic long term plans are in the can to address gradual fallouts especially when this economic disaster does not improve in the long run.

Recently, our government has approved the 2009 National Budget highlighting the billions of pesos in support to OFWs. Notably noticeably, the Administration has clearly indicated their support to the modern-day heroes who literally send home millions of foreign exchange earnings out of the monthly remittance to respective families.

Panasonic, one of the world’s major industrial firms headquartered in Japan, recently announced the closure of twenty-seven (27) factories terminating about fifteen thousand (15,000) employees of which almost fifty per cent are contracted in its Head Office. Consequently, Panasonic Philippines will also encounter the same fate.

In the Middle East, Saudi Arabian Basic Industries (SABIC), one of the Kingdom’s most important and biggest-earning companies announce the laying off of about one-thousand employees all over the globe. And Filipinos are not spared from this; SABIC employs hundreds of Filipino migrant workers deployed all over their branches and sites.

By and in the same token, locally, several BPO companies are slowly folding up; others actually have folded up that consequently sent hundreds of workers to the streets of the politically-and-economically-disturbed Philippines. Despite the negating statements articulated by the president of its association, BPOs continuously and continually sag and the countdown has actually started.

Denial should not be the thing of the moment; it won’t work. Which is why, our government always fails in its move because every time it offends, it denies, matter that has become the “thing of the hour” in our daily affairs, especially in the grapevines; the same matter that has caused atomic explosion in the media that greatly affected and continuously affects our economic and socio-political activities thereby continually harassing the entire Filipino human race by all means.

What everyone should do, and this involves both the government and the people, is to resist the urge this depression brings along to slower pace and hope that the economic maelstrom will bypass our state, our country. Maybe one has never been overly gregarious but this is the best opportune time to take a stab at it.

All of us, again – the government, companies and the people, are in a very unsteady ride. This time is best for companies to reconsider old proposals that may sound alternatively feasible; the Administration to collude with other political parties a plot that will topple down the worst of enemies of the time – the economic depression - that has been plaguing not just the Malacanang Palace but the entire 85-million Filipino community; business sectors to ally and firm up their convictions to be socially morally responsible sectors thereby eliminating business greed that propel them to aggrieve workers; the Filipino people to delete from the lists of “undesirable attitudes” the crab mentality, the “manana” habit, and the “ningas cogon” that actually are not contributing to our individual economic profile and politicians to forgo personal interests in favor of its constituents.

“It’s time to topple down the wall that divides” between and among all of us. This line became a popular remark way back in 2001 when Arroyo assumed presidency of the Republic after the EDSA 2 that overthrew actor-turned president Estrada out of power. However, the same Arroyo breaks this remark and highlights its negative meaning by her own selfish and vested interests in handling the affairs of the country.

Recently, Arroyo was in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) on the invitation of the government. Sources say, Arroyo is on top of handling the improvements of the welfare of the Filipino migrant workers. Good, indeed!

Question: Will this ever happen? Several people from the government have expressed their plans, courses of actions - or simply thoughts - on this but never have succeeded, if they really have acted on it. Why? They forgot to topple down the walls that have been dividing their “political conviction” and “self-interests.” If these people do not learn how to actually topple down these walls of greed, then not even a word a can aptly describe them as political leaders.

And who then are they?

Roaches on the wall!