What money?

I was reading back issues of the Philippine Inquirer in the net (taken from The Philippine Star, updated January 23, 2009)a while ago and I came across an article regarding the pork barrel. I'm sure almost all pinoys are well aware that most of Philippine money go down the gullet of certain crocodiles never to be seen nor heard of again. (Maybe this time, we can have a full report?)

I found it incredulous--appalling! Revolting is the right word; I think I'm going to be sick! I have neighbors who go hungry not voluntarily and there are kids who go from house to house asking for garbage daily! Not to mention the countless ubiquitous street urchins and FAMILIES living on a street not far from a government
hospital!

The Congress ratified P1.415 trillion budget for 2009 (although it was still open for amendments..) Different sectors were allocated some amount as follows:

DPWH P129.9 billion
DTC (Dept of Tansportation and Communication) P25 B
Education P158.3 B
PDAF P9.7 B
Economic stimulus P10B : == Talinong Pinoy P500 M
== Kabataang Pinoy Educ and Skills Dev't P1B
== Training assistance for laid off workers P1B
== School buildings P3B
== Medicines/med supplies P1B
== Food production P2.5B
== Bantay Kalikasan and Bantay Dagat P1B
Congress budget===P7.4B
Each senator gets==P200M
Each House member== P70M

With that much money, why is it that the government has been saying that there's no budget for whatever needed to be addressed after Ondoy? Meanwhile, NGOs are busily distributing goods to the evacuees. (Strange isn't it--the public were immediately able to collect what was necessary and proceeded to assist the needy... No buts, no excuses.) Then, as if they forgot saying that there's NO MONEY, each senator parted with one million each with the exception of one who found it in himself to be munificent and donated--was it 13 million pesos? Yes, this occurred days after Ondoy decimated the metro.

How can some people get millions while all they do is waste the public's money in squabbling about a certain person's sex scandal, or pin point to X's involvement in past scrapes when all along, he was also involved in it? Aren't they supposed to be drafting or reviewing laws for the betterment of the people?

I have always thought that my country is the land of milk and honey, but it is being run by @#$%!?!!!. In a few months time, we will be electing a new set of public officials. Have we learned enough so that we will be wiser with our choices? Or shall we remain apathetic and let the dogs have it their way?


Two hundred million pesos for one person, and there's the pdaf too or is it already included? Tsk. Tsk. That much money can send many children to school,and provide the much needed employment across the board--regardless of social status. When are we going to realize the need to distribute resources fairly?