A holy reset

While the whole world only sees “fuel crisis,” economic disruption and the potential of Trump’s world war, some people are now beginning to say the word “reset” or returning to the original way or plan God had for us.

Either it’s symptomatic of Holy Week reflections or people are finally realizing that we might only be at the start of the Middle East crisis going into a full-blown war.

At a recent dinner, someone pointed out that because we really didn’t learn the lesson from COVID or a pandemic for that matter, perhaps it is by divine design that we are literally on the brink of having to relive every difficulty, hardship, fear and anxiety that we “resiliently” experienced in the past.

My friend Sam reminded everyone about having to line up back in the 70’s at your barangay to sign up in order to get government issued coupons that entitled you to buy 20 liters of gasoline. Then you take your container or vehicle with your coupons and fill up your quota!

While walking along a street in our barangay, I noticed the back of a street sign where someone had scribbled: “I miss lock down.” We might not be kept indoors but at the rate things are going, chances are we won’t be going far by car in the next year.

We survived the typhoons, floods, earthquakes, financial crisis, SARS, COVID, African swine fever, even demonic politicians and government officials who have robbed the Philippines, BUT we never learned and did anything about them!

I just realized that we respond by “stopping.” We stopped doing projects, we stopped spending money, we stopped restoring or fixing material possessions, we freaked out on scams, worried about fault lines, but crisis and security experts might say we are as vulnerable as ever. How about you?

In the words of the philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”

Clearly the whole world was fooled into believing we deserved a break; everyone was excited about the year of the Fire Horse and all sorts of signs that it would be a good year. Well, the horse just kicked us in the butt.

Last week, so many news channels featured different parts of the world where people had to sleep in tents at a gasoline station so they could be in line when the fuel truck came to deliver. Other news clips showed folks with containers hoping to stock up enough fuel.

No thanks to US President Trump, innocent Cubans are living in darkness and hardship just because of a fuel blockade Trump imposed to redirect viewers’ attention away from his failed policies and pronouncements in the Middle East, the same way he used Iran to deflect the Epstein files controversy.

The world has seen so many megalomaniacs during the 30’s and 60’s who caused the death of millions regardless of nationality and continent. Sadly, there are even more mad men today and the present generation is no brighter than their predecessors.

Just like in the past, we are once again being reminded to conserve fuel, save on electricity as if we all did not know any better. How can we splurge on fuel that has doubled in price and electricity that has always been the second most expensive in Asia?

Once again we see the hypocrisy of Philippine politics giving dole-outs to the poor tricycle drivers, jeepney drivers and Grab delivery riders. If the idiots in government had simply pushed electric public utility vehicles and solar charging stations, we would not have to give “ayuda.”

Some folks were quite upset that LGUs have been giving ayuda to tricycle drivers since they charge so much more per kilometer compared to jeeps and buses and make quite a profit when they take on three passengers on trips that are usually less than three kilometers.

Someone also claims that unlike jeeps, TNVS vehicles and buses, those tricycle TODAS are not subject to regulation by the DOTr but are under LGUs, who baby them or protect them because they are the number one instrument used for campaigning! Did TNVS drivers get ayuda already?

By the way, electric vehicles are selling out faster than you can imagine, and it is a perfect example of embracing a solution that will create an even bigger problem. All those electric vehicles need power but there are not enough charging stations.

Do the DOE and DOTr have sufficient data and analysis as well as an actual plan on how to regulate and manage availability, sustainability and safety of these vital services without competing with the existing system for consumer and commercial load?

Reviewing our unlearned lessons, there are only two directions to go to. One is to pay dearly because we failed to plan, prepare and invest; the other is to suffer and go without. Remember Proverbs 6:6-11:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer, no ruler, yet it stores its provision in the summer and gathers its food at harvest.

“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come to you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”