Consumers Domain
By Ian Seruelo

Balinghoy , the state of education & health

“You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table”
—by U2 from “Crumbs from Your Table”

A very heartbreaking incident happened a week ago in the town of Mabini , Bohol .   Close to 30 elementary pupils died in probably one of the worst case of food poisoning in the country.   Caramelized cassava, or what we commonly call balinghoy , was supposed to be their snacks during recess.   But as it turned out, it was to be the very carrier of the poison that snatched their young lives.  

All parents know the depths of the pain felt by those who lost their little angels.   It would seem like a bad dream.   One moment you send your kid to school, the next moment you see her or him frothing to death.

So much has been said and written about this unpleasant event .   Now, this column would like to see through it for this incident is actually a picture of the real distressing situation of the state of education and health in the country.   This is a picture of the realities experienced by the majority of the poor Filipinos.  

The school in the barangay lacks even a basic canteen, well, aside from teachers, books and other educational facilities. Children eat anything that their meager allowance could afford. They get sick and worse poisoned. They will be sent to a hospital in the vicinity, which also lacks doctors, medicines and proper facilities.

What makes this author tremble more in disgust is the way these sorts of things happen and the government's seeming insensitivity to these concerns and its utter lack of vision to address these problems where they really matter.

I say insensitive and lacks vision because while the government seem to be doing something on the investigation of the incident and the provision of assistance to the victims, it fails to see through the tragedy.   It seems that the efforts are only focus on what can be seen above ground – the balinghoy plant – and not the roots (pun intended) of the problem.

I mean, after this incident, would we be waiting for another terrible episode, investigate, make some statements, provide assistance to the victims and that's it.

As a response to what happened, Pres. Arroyo according to news reports ordered that more funds be released to basic health care.   She also offered the use of the presidential plane to bring samples to Manila so the investigation can be concluded quickly.   This according to Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye is because Malacañang wanted fast results as it did not want a repeat of the tragedy.   How? I still can't figure out.    

What is clear is that this is all non-sense Malacañang propaganda talk.   How could it release more funds to basic health care when the budget it prepared, submitted to and was approved by Congress showed real decrease in the budget for such.  

Is the Arroyo administration now guaranteeing that all public schools will be improved ; their facilities upgraded including canteens and ensure an effective monitoring of sanitary standards?   Truth is the budget for 2005 also shows real decrease in the budget for education and infrastructure.   

The government should put its feet where its mouth is.   This is clearly another lip service aimed to appease the victims and the public and project that the government is doing something.

If this government is really serious in saying that it does not want this tragedy to happen again, then it should provide more resources for it – that is increase in the budget of education and health care.

Now related to this, what annoyed me was the speech delivered days ago by newly appointed Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima before a convention of a group of business people.   He said the Church should declare tax evasion a sin.

“How can it not be a sin if it robs Filipinos of opportunities to avail health care services, of enjoying more roads … I hope the Church would clarify among its members that tax evasion is a sin , ” Purisima said.

I am not against declaring tax evasion a sin – it should be.   In fact it should be considered a heinous crime.   But it seems that Purisima is selective in this declaration.  

Now here is my suggestion – how about we ask Purisima , as the Finance Secretary, to approach Pres. Arroyo and ask her to declare as sin and heinous crime the payment for fraudulent, onerous and behest loans such as the BNPP ( Bataan Nuclear Power Plant) and the IPP (Independent power producers) contracts at the expense of spending for health care, education and other social services.   

(For comments and suggestions please email ianseruelo@yahoo.com or send text message to 0919-3486337.)