Curses and Plan B

Just before the “siyam-siyam” or series of red rainfall alerts and floodings, I wrote an advance column about Filipino sentiments that have started to come out in the open. The piece started out like this:

I have observed two thoughts now being openly expressed by many Filipinos, and not necessarily just the poor. The first thing I observed is Filipinos are now openly expressing the day-to-day “repression.” They suffer from government in terms of fees and tax burdens, etc.

The grievances have become more specific about how “the system” or lack of it has made Filipinos the equivalent of tax mules who have to carry the burden of taxes in order for a corrupt and inefficient government and bureaucracy to act as if doing something amounting to nothing good for Filipinos.

The second more common sentiment among middle class people is their Plan B that many have been considering, researching or actively devising to live anywhere but here. It is no longer about income or comfort, but a mix of hopelessness and anger.

Before the floods and exposed thievery of the Marcos administration, people were merely being critical or bitching about government and its many ills as an expression of righteous indignation and believing something good may still come out of criticizing the wrong.

But lately, what I have been hearing are detailed and specific grievances that go beyond the price of rice, gasoline or corruption.

Unlike before when only a small handful took the time to criticize government, there are now a combination of groups and personalities representing the masa, the media as well as apolitical personalities not just bitching but teaching Filipinos about government, economics and political realities in the Philippines.

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Fast forward to yesterday morning, after the “siyam-siyam” and over a week of floodings, I have seen and heard more and more Filipinos openly curse and scream profanities publicly and online, specifically at all congressmen and, of course, the usual suspects – namely PBBM and Martin Romualdez.

The curses and mura hurled at PBBM, members of Congress and the Marcos Jr. administration manifested not just indignation but pure hatred. I cannot blame them, especially those who have been living in the bone-chilling, humiliating and sickening Waterworld that the Philippines has become.

Comments such as “Sana kunin na lang kayo ni Lord” have been replaced with unfiltered expressions of anger and hate – from “P.I. ninyo,” S.O.Bs, thieves, bastards and even more graphic and hate-filled curses referring to officials as prostitutes and genitalia.

I heard someone use every curse word known to every Filipino – from the Spanish curse word referring to vagina down to heartfelt prayers for all of them to die, all in one short blast!

The people I listened to were ordinary housewives, lolas, angry wage earners, economists, scientists, lawyers, entertainers, street vendors and the like, it was evident that the silent majority is no longer staying silent or resilient. They are mad – and so are we!

You would have to be a hypocrite or mentally imbalanced not to be angry at all the video accounts of floodings, stranded commuters, residents grabbing on to nylon cords not to be washed away by rushing canal waters and even people who could not go home after work.

Everybody can quibble over needed flood control, absence of government help and rescue, but what I saw as a glaring example of incompetence was the failure of government to suspend work in the private sector in advance of scientifically determined disaster.

After decades of siyam-siyam, typhoons, etc. the government has not established a policy that includes the private sector, schools, offices and companies when suspension of classes and offices are declared. The private sector is always left on its own and the last to leave work in a typhoon.

Will the corrupt CongTractors and members of Congress try to write a law that every time PAGASA forecasts severe weather, classes and work, both public and private, are automatically suspended a day before the problem instead of the “kanya-kanya” discretion system.

Just to cover the desperate needs of daily wage earners, such suspensions should entitle affected workers to half a day’s pay, which can be covered by DOLE just like they did during COVID.

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The second thing I observed last week was the open frustration of lives going nowhere, no hope. Just last week, I listened to Gen Z’s, all of whom educated in expensive colleges, compare experiences and frustrations.

“I feel I am wasting my life here (Philippines). Just going to work wastes so much of my time in traffic and eats up so much of my money. I feel like I am getting nowhere.”

I knew one of the Ate’s in the group and for her part, she has made several attempts at saving money to go to Japan and find work in animation or retail.

Last week, I caught an interview on Facebook that featured stand-up comic Alex Calleja and something he said caught my attention.

“Kung magiging successful ka sa Pilipinas, kahit marami kang pera, hindi mo rin siya magagastos ng according dun sa worth ng pinaghirapan mo eh. (For proper context pls watch the full interview: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19SPKGPivn/)

The interview really reflected the sentiments of Filipinos nationwide who have been robbed and abandoned by so-called leaders. They are not leaders. They are traitors and/or thieves.

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