Hitting the jackpot!

Everyday Jojo and Nora walk out of their tenement building where so many former “squatters” have been residing for decades. They still live with people we call “living under the poverty line.”  But unlike many of their neighbors Jojo and Nora aspire and work hard at improving their situation in life. Jojo restores cars as an all around mechanic/welder, Nora works hard as a lady guard while their son goes to a “state” college, hoping to someday have his own computer repair shop or be an app developer.

Every time they draw a salary, they know that taxes will be deducted, but they take no comfort in the thought that part of their taxes goes to the Conditional Cash Transfer that is given by the government to many of their neighbors right in the same building. They are not selfish or self-righteous people. They are simply unhappy taxpayers who see with their own eyes how the Conditional Cash Transfer is being abused in their very neighborhood.

Aware of the abject poverty of people, it pains Nora to see or hear her “poor” neighbor use part of the CCT funds they get to bet on “lotto.” In a bizarre and sick way, it’s as if the CCT beneficiaries were giving back to the government by patronizing lotto! As Jojo pedals his hand-me-down mountain bike from his boss or takes a tricycle to the main road, his neighbors whiz by in their nice new motorcycles acquired through an initial down payment courtesy of the CCT funds. Some people even use the CCT funds to make their monthly payments. Every weekend when they could be resting, they instead have to put up with blaring karaokes and out of tune drunks enjoying an Emperador, Ginebra or Matador made affordable by the CCT funds. Yes, the Conditional Cash Transfer has brought a lot of change and the biggest change is that it has created a welfare state full of unemployed drunks hoping to win the lottery on two wheels. That’s called “hitting the jackpot!”

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After his stellar performance at taking out colorum buses and punishing irresponsible drivers and operators, I don’t think LTFRB Chairman Winston Gines would simply do an about face or throw out all their hard work because the bus operators claim there is an urgent need to rationalize franchises and routes. As an experienced lawyer, Gines knows for a fact that you cannot simply write “Documents to follow” while allowing operators to violate existing laws and ordinances. In other words, what the LTFRB and the Chairman is presently doing defies the law and logic.

If the LTFRB is really serious about rationalization, that process can be done on a computer or on top of a desk. It’s all about inventory, accounting, and forecasts. In fact logic dictates that before any new franchises are issued, the inventory and rationalization should first be completed so the LTFRB knows where the excess units are and where there is or will be shortages. Why would Gines impale himself upon a legally flawed premise and a public relations nightmare?

Given his initial zeal, I am convinced that Gines has received instructions from a higher power or authority to accommodate bus operators and to issue franchises, in spite of the fact that the entry of such buses and trucks into Metro Manila would wreak havoc and would be vigorously opposed. Call it a conspiracy theory, but nothing else explains why the LTFRB would give out franchises knowing they would be challenged and opposed? Given the witch-hunts for corrupt officials, Gines would be an idiot to sell out their anti-colorum campaign.

My suspicion is that someone else made a deal or someone powerful is looking into cornering or acquiring lots of franchises before the end of the P-Noy administration. The rationalization plan would be the first step in sorting out which routes and franchises would be of high value or profitable in the future. Meanwhile, allow the bus operators to enter Metro Manila and collect their expressions of gratitude, knowing they’ll be arrested or harassed. That way, the owners will be inclined to slowly give up or sell their franchises for a song. Just like the board game, someone could have a monopoly of the bus franchises, the same way a police general in the past was suspected of owning the majority of franchises during the Cory-Ramos era?

As far as the LTFRB is concerned they continue to do their job, collect the fees and stay within the boundaries of the law. Although they advise operators to sue the MMDA and local government, I’m sure that Chairman Gines knows enough about the Local Government code to know that “You can’t win against City Hall.”The real question is who is holding a gun to Gines’ head or planning to control the board?

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I’m glad to discover that many people have started to pay attention to the importance and potential of agriculture as a serious and profitable business even for the corporate types. About 2 weeks ago I was invited to a post event dinner hosted by GO-Negosyo boss and fellow columnist Joey Concepcion. What was different in the event was it was all about agriculture, many of the guests were serious investors in agriculture and several people were recognized and awarded plaques for their endeavors.

I was so excited about this turn of events that I enlisted to be a trainor-lecturer for one of their future events in order to guide and spare newcomers some of the growing pains and financial loss that befalls the bold but ignorant. During the dinner, I also gave a reminder for the bosses and investors in the crowd that we all need to launch campaigns and advertisements promoting “Nationalist Consumerism.” Filipinos need to get behind locally produced products especially in agriculture because if we don’t do it now, the ASEAN Integration for 2015 will run us over.

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