WHAT?

1. A beautiful scenery on the major roads of MetroManila and all other cities in the Philippines. Unfortunately, Calamba is so ugly I cannot even recognize its historical value anymore. Manila is foggy of soot. Quezon City is full of billboards. Only Makati and Global City seem to have a sane atmosphere. 

2. I think that architects in the  country should start flexing their muscles and insist that billboards should not cover the beauty of their artistic works. Why not limit the size of the billboard only up to the first floor, and should not cover the 2nd floor and up? In this way, we could still know the historical dates they were designed and produced. Now why this penchant for history -- that is because we are human beings, not robots who have just been placed on earth to eat, sleep, work and make love. We need to use our minds, to think of beauty and goodness. 

3. A scenery that is bereft of families with cariton as their homes. Why until now there has not been a consistent program to place them in houses, I cannot understand. Why doesn't the government rent homes and place them there, room by room? It is so depressing when we see human bodies, young and old lying on cemented pavements, asleep or drugged, you will never know. 

4. An atmosphere that is oxygenated, not where we have to wear masks the whole stretch of streets from Quezon City to Manila in order to protect ourselves from the soot.

5. Road islands, or curbs that are planted with flowers and herbal plants not converted into parking lots for backhoes, environmental trucks, steel frames, and all kinds of paraphernalia used for construction, etc. It is really another depressing sight Folks that we have to contend with, and you can see for yourself that stretch underneath the overpass crossing Santolan, or that portion after the Post office, or even that space under the overpass in the crossing of Kamias and Edsa. Truly, our officials could have gone abroad and seen for themselves how beautiful the sights are in many other countries, whether Asian or western. How come we cannot do that?

6. A consistent and persistent program of stopping smokers from smoking in public, especially along pedestrian sidewalks. I could see how these smokers look so arrogant, as if they owned every inch and cranny here. Also, all barangays should have a program that will survey the households where there are smokers and ferret them out to put them under the quit smoking programs, if there is any, and if there is none, then to start one. 

7. Many a times I have had brushes with these men and I tell you to do that every day, ten or twenty times a day is truly upsetting the mood for the whole day. Why because you know there is a solution but you just feel helpless over the low priority placed on such an issue. 

The garbage trucks in our barangay come at their own sweet time. We only know they are there when they start honking. But on the days they are supposed to be there, you cannot find them. And suddenly, as you feel happy doing something for the day, there they are sending their awful smelling trucks down the main highways, would you believe right there around the Quezon Memorial Circle at 8 o'clock in the morning when everyone wants to reach their offices fresh and smelling good? Why is this happening at all? Are garbage collectors more important the people who pay taxes so our officials could have their salaries on time?

when restaurants fail to give exact change up to the last centavo. Take note, American franchisers. Your cashiers have the tendency to undercut the change. 

when cinemas have to dictate only two days and up to 4:30 pm only when senior citizens can watch movies. Supposing we want to watch with our grandchildren who come home late in the afternoon on Fridays? Supposing we want to catch an animation movie at 7pm. with them. Why can't we do that? I think the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) have to put up more flexible hours for us to be able to enjoy the cinema with our relatives. 

Also, why can't the OSCA include in the list to be given discounts, oats, raisins, biscuits, soya milk, such items making our relaxing days more enjoyable? For people who have devoted their most fruitful years to make this society livable, don't we deserve more benefits?

Also, why not have a particular point at bus stops where the elderly, the pwd, and pregnant women can stand and wait for their rides? Many a time, we have had to race  or compete with more able-bodied students for a seat in the jeeps and buses. 

Then why can't we get discounts when we want to buy gadgets like celfones which we need for communicating with our loved ones? Instead, we are made to wait for gifts to be given us in order to enjoy one. Last December, my son who died last July 28, according to the reckoning of the Singaporean police, told me, as he was handing out to me the laptop with the touch screen, "Ma this could be the last expensive gift I am going to give you." I thought that was because he was going to lose his job and he might transfer to a lower-paying one. Instead, it was his last because he was going to depart from this earth, or he was made to depart?

Anyway, Folks the title of this article is ...WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT OWES US.