I can’t believe another year has just swept by.
While on the one hand, the country experienced milestones in terms of individuals making their mark internationally and making the country proud – Charise Pempenco, Ariel Pineda, and of course Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand this year also marked the worst economically for the Arroyo administration – worst scenarios of hunger, worst statistics of individuals ratings themselves as poor, downward trajectory of the GNP, slumping export markets, falling direct investments and job loss.
Is the government to blame? Of course it is – the government’s always to blame, especially one that is scandal-filled. An analysis directl relating corruption to poverty has even made print.
Amazingly, in spite of its horrid reputation, the Arroyo administration still managed to (1) get GMA on the Forbes list of most influential women in the world and (2) escape conviction on many issues, most notable the NBN ZTE scandal and the Fertilizer Scam which remain unresolved to this day, even if Joc Joc Bolante has made it home and to the Senate hearings.
Rallies only made noise – none of the issues really heard. They made the papers but effected no great change.
One thing that did not need a rally but was fortunately stopped was the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain wherein GMA almost gave a third of our country away to the MILF just to push for charter change and perpetualte herself in power forever. Fortunately, the Supreme Court did not allow this to push through, giving us hope that there may still be a body of government independent of Arroyo’s dictates.
Predictions for 2009? It will be the same old thing – the poor will stay poor or get poorer while the rich will stay rich or get richer. Only there will be more noise, with politicians trying to break into the limelight in anticipation of election season. Life goes on.
Posted by margauxsalcedo 