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I really pity our Earth Mother. She spins and spins and yet the earthlings do not bother to take care of her. How many bombs are exploded? How many nuclear tests are conducted yearly, how many road-widening projects are done, narrowing down the sidewalks for the pedestrians, and making MetroManila a place for roads and vehicles, no longer so much for people; and most grievously of all, a consumerist society where the mantra is buy? Please buy this and that.
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If we are really going to be serious about counting the jobless, we should include in the calculation the number of people who are abroad and departing everyday. They are the ones who cannot find jobs here. My heart bleeds for workers and professionals who must leave the country just so they could earn at least as much as P30,000 per month. Everyone seems to aim at that salary level, no longer just P12 thou or P15,000. Why stick to the Philippines only to earn this much anyway?
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However, I have also been thinking, if the government wants to arrest joblessness, it should conduct a vigorous lending program to everyone, especially homemakers who want to earn and not be dependent on their partners for subsistence. I have seen sad-looking partners who seem to envy those who go out everyday to earn their keep while they have to do the routine jobs of washing, cooking, ironing, etc., activities that could turn any man berserk if he does it everyday, I suppose.
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I receive a lot of offers to lend me as much even as P1Million, without collateral, without guarantor. But what is the requirement? Hah! I must have a credit card. You see Folks, the first and last time I had a credit card, I cursed it no end. Why because, the printer which I bought for P15,000 turned out to cost P38,000 after my paying the loan to the lender. I felt very sick but I could not do but pay because of the threat of being sued in court. I think that there should be a limit to charges of loans. The legislative sector should create a law that would put a stop to predatory charges of lending companies. Worse of worsts, when the statemnet arrives, the figures do not state: how much you still have to pay, how much you have paid all in all. If we get a history of the payments we have done, for the total price, we would be able to assess if it is worthwhile borrowing again.
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I wonder why supermarkets do not have price tags on every item. Many times, the cashiers have had to send the bagger to get the exact price of an item I am buying. I am sure there would even be customers who would want to buy an item but would not do so anymore because "nakakahiyang magtanong kung magkano ang item." ("I would be labeled poor or 'kuripot'" maybe the consumer thinks.
Another time, I bought an item with a generic label below to apply for all the products on the shelf. But when I was paying for it, I was told the price was over what the label was.
Isn't that false advertising?
I think that the Dept of Trade and Industry should require all the items to be labeled properly,
Also, it should have a 3-number celfone that people can call up for complaints to be handled easily.
Commerce is what moves a country to progress. If people buy goods, then manufacturers will have a heyday of churning out products all the time and Ms. Kim Henares and her staff would be happy. But if people experience great difficulties buying through legal routes, then they would just patronize ambulant vendors and never mind love of country. We would prefer buying in a jiffy than having a "classy" place to buy from but experiencing such situations as mentioned above.
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By the way, I notice that a great market to go shopping to somewhere here in Quezon City has plenty of seats for weary shoppers. They even wheelchairs for senior citizens who wish to avail of them. (BTW, I take spirulina tablets (KDSI brand only) everyday so that my legs and thighs would stay strong until I reach the age of 100, Folks). And of course, the cashiers are very nice. What just gets my goat are those supervisors with their swishing long hair who take such a great time to come over to punch the registers for discounts to senior citizens. I have told the supervisor already to sweep up their hair so that they can move about more freely. But to no avail. I guess the magnet of TV adverts of shampoos and conditioners is really very strong to them.
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Also, I wonder why there are cashiers who get back at customers who examine the receipts they have paid by excluding one item which has been laid on the counter. They have a good memory of the complainants, Folks.
And should we not bother anymore to go to the Customer Service? In one supermarket, I complained that I lost my mouse, while ransacking my bag for my wallet and I had had to place my things on the counter. I asked to see the CCTV recording but I was told "Hindi puwede." I asked Why. No explanation. Then a week after, all the cashiers were changed in that particular branch. If they did not notice anything wrong, why would they change the staff at all? No explanation until now about my lost mouse.
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Folks, it is March and the rains have come over, making the air cooler over here in metroManila. In the past, March ushers in summer heat. But the rains are always welcome because we cannot afford to have the electric fans running all the time because of the high costs of electricity.
So OFWs and Filipino expats come home and enjoy our country now while the sun is hiding behind gray clouds.
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