Of free rides and discount cards

A band-aid is a small plaster placed on top of a wound in the hopes of healing the surface. Once it is removed, the pain goes away but the real problem doesn’t. This is how I see the government's initiative to fuel prices. These are all band-aid solutions.

The free rides did help the ordinary commuter. I have experienced this first-hand during a recent trip to Manila. I didn't spend a peso on the MRT-3 which traversed the long EDSA. However, the burden is with the agency running it. Of course, the transportation department had to pay the employees running the facility on top of overhead expenses. For sure, they also ran out of money to shoulder these.

In Cebu City, the government doled out discount cards for public utility drivers. They can avail of ?2-?4 discount in selected gasoline stations. The program is said to run until the end of the year. This means the local government will subsidize the cost on behalf of the drivers. However, it isn't really a solution at all. Given the small discount, the high prices of fuel is still a burden. But as Cebuanos would say, "Maayo nalang" (better than nothing).

We should not settle for these kinds of solutions. From the looks of it, the best way for us to cope with oil prices is to suspend the tax hounding it. The national government should intervene and suspend excise tax along with value-added tax for the time being. The ordinary Filipino could save up to ?10-?20 when these taxes are not implemented. This would give a reprieve to the skyrocketing price per liter. If they are so worried that they will lose a chunk of the treasury's income, maybe a realignment of expenditures should take place.

The government spends millions on a daily basis; some are expenses that ordinary Filipinos are unaware of. If they truly have the heart to help their fellow Filipinos, then they must act on this immediately. Some regions already have gasoline stations where prices are reaching ?100. Certainly a horror for the Filipino.

I'm sure there is so much to look forward to in the next administration. It would certainly be a plus factor if the next leaders would pass a resolution, order, or a law acting on this issue. Otherwise, the old man driving a jeepney will have to stop driving for quite some time. The old woman selling fish at the market shall have a little to no customers until prices stabilize. They must realize we are not just in a crisis but an emergency. This must be addressed quickly with real and concrete solutions.

The ordinary Filipino must also stop wasting fuel. If there is no need to drive somewhere, or even leave the house, then staying at home is the best thing to do. More like quarantine again, isn't it?