Oil prices rising unabated worldwide

We have all certainly taken a hit this summer. Not only have temperatures risen to staggering and sweltering new heights, but also the prices of just about everything have continued to go up around us. The heat is making it impossible not to use air conditioning or electric fans (just to stay alive) and our electricity bills have skyrocketed – thanks in no part to Meralco raising the cost of electricity twice in the last two months – making bills go up by as much as 30 percent.

Also due to the heat, we are dehydrating faster and consuming more water increasing our water bills too. Basic goods and groceries have increased in costs and it just seems that all around us the prices of the necessities we need in life have gone up – without any compensation to what we are earning. In other words, we are all making the same amount (if we are lucky) and spending so much more.

And of course, I can’t forget to include the rising cost of oil. This affects everyone and it’s happening on a global scale. Oil everywhere in the world is increasing in costs and I don’t see any reprieve in sight. Here in the Philippines we feel it sting the most when it comes to gas and power – especially in Metro Manila where you are almost guaranteed a one to two hour drive just to get anywhere. A full tank of gas costs almost double what it used to, but it now takes us twice as long to get to where we are going.

I’m not surprised that public transportation workers have been desperately appealing to the government for help. They have to pay so much more for gas now and the fares they have been charging just don’t cover it. However, the commuters also don’t want to pay more because they are already paying more for everything else in life. The increase in oil prices is a serious problem that is affecting everyone in a wide variety of alarming ways.

Despite the fact that we have at least begun to explore alternative energy sources like geothermal, solar, and wind; we haven’t invested enough in these alternatives to make much of a difference on the impact of the price of oil. The little that we have put into alternative energy is no match for our rising population and the sheer number of Filipinos living and working and consuming gas and energy in the country. Again, we have arrived late to the party and have put off looking for sustainable options until it was too late.

I’m sure I am not the only one who is saddened and alarmed by the rising cost of living in Metro Manila. I’m curious where this so-called “economic progress” the government keeps talking about is? The middle class and the masses certainly do not feel it. All I can see is that the working class are suffering from the costs of goods and utilities with no end in sight.

Is there any viable solution to these problems? Right now it might still be “bearable” for some but the eventual state of our economy is bound to affect the president’s “Build, Build, Build” agenda unless he can find a way to protect the industries and the employees. How can we find a solution to the astronomical increase in prices of everything around us?

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We are all grateful for the amazing job our troops did taking down the terrorists in Marawi, but of course despite a victory and a decisive step forward it’s not always as simple as winning battle to end the terrorist threat. Even if you are able to strike a devastating blow on the Islamic capital, it’s only a matter of time before the terrorists begin popping up in other regions of Mindanao. They are like mushrooms – exceptionally difficult to contain.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. confirmed that the terrorist groups, particularly ISIS, have been trying to recruit in Mindanao looking for easily molded and groomed supporters to join their cells. While this is certainly a cause for alarm, the general also shared that despite their recruitment efforts, he feels confident that support for these groups and their ideals are waning as evidenced by a spike in the number of those who have surrendered.

In fact, Galvez, who was in Mindanao for the first year anniversary of the Marawi rebellion, said that members of the various terrorist groups in the region have continued to yield despite the reports of recruitment. The surrenderee count is currently at over 40. He believes that this number will continue to rise due to the counter terrorist narrative that has begun to spread in the region. Hopefully he is right. It might be too much to wish for peace in our lifetime, but I suppose nothing is impossible.

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I hope that the government is successful in implementing the National ID system. This is something that will be good for all voting age Filipinos, many of whom don’t have proper identification, and will become the only ID that we need. While I understand the concerns that some people have voiced about data security and potential backlash on personal privacy, the policymakers who have been vocal about supporting the system share that it is no different from all the other ID systems in the country – the only difference is that this time this is the only ID we will need.

I hope that if the bill is passed and signed into law we are able to find an exceptionally trustworthy company to run the National ID system and ensure that no data hacks or privacy leaks occur. If we can do this, and do it right, we’ll be making government IDs much more convenient and easy for everyone.