Our human frailties

THE peso and the stock market showed dramatic performance and the economy is seen to end with 6% growth. Young Filipino dabbling on science unlocked the challenged to convert noise pollution into electrical energy. Elsewhere in the globe, Egypt and Ethiopia lock horns over water that flows in the river Nile while Brexit is still what preoccupies the United Kingdom. In the US Pres. Ronald Trump is still facing impeachment threat but may likely find happy compromise with China to put an end to the trade squabbles between the two countries. Pres. Rodrigo Duterte cut short his visit to Japan, on account of muscle spasms leaving behind Davao City Mayor Inday Sara to represent him in the rest of the ceremonies following the enthronement of Prince Naruhito as Emperor of Japan.

 

Many other significant events were unraveling around the world. Back home prime time TV indulges Filipinos with the feud of the Baretto sisters and the siblings themselves divulge their penchant for the rich and famous which tells us that what brought about their unreconcilable conflict is Atong Ang and who knows who else. This despite the efforts of the Presiden of the Republic of the Philippines going all out to mend their differences.

 

Now I understand the famous quote from Sen. Leila De Lima when she described her relationship with her driver and what happens in the “kubols” in the state penitentiary as “frailty of a woman”.

 

Like “Ang Probinsyano” the salacious episodes in the Baretto sisters’ acts are not about to end as yet. ABS CBN has succeeded in imbibing voyeurism and nobody cares anymore about the African Swine Fever, the re-emergence of Ebola virus in Africa and the tremor that shook Mindanao. It’s only Marjorie we’ve seen as yet, Claudine and Gretchen and their children have yet to come up with their respective true confessions.

 

Nobody bothers anymore about how Metro Manila water utilities and MWSS will address the shortage of water supply but the whole damn obstructionists will not waste a second the moment Digong says he will build another dam. No one also seems to wonder why it will take the government more than a year to repair LRT2. It took China less than 4 years to build 1,500 kilometers of twin railways for their speed train that linked Beijing and Ningbo. And I heard an LRT official and its contractor taking pride in announcing that LRT 2 operations will normalize towards the end of 2020!

 

Government authorities, and I mean the Department of Agriculture, are in limbo why despite the NFA buffer stocks and unbridled rice imports the prices in the retail market are still extremely high. To date, they still are in a quandary. President Duterte already gave them a hint: “Just shoot the erring importers and the traders”. Of course, that’s hyperbole but the DA and NFA should learn by now that that means to go out of your air-conditioned offices and do your work instead of the usual rigmarole and

“papogi” on colored TV. In the meanwhile the poor farmers are in the askance: Why have the prices of palay and corn have gone so low.

 

What a malady we are in. We love Kardo, we can waste hours of productive activity watching noontime TV and we salivate on news headlines that should only be the interest of Sigmund Freud.