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Thursday, July 01, 2004
Wenceslao: Symbolism and Arroyo’s oath taking
By Bong Wenceslao
When rain fell early morning yesterday and the winds lashed at the trees and shrubs around our house in Minglanilla, I thought the planned oath taking of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro would go kaput. The weather, with typhoon Igme frolicking up north, seemed not ready to cooperate.
Things were no different in Metro Manila. Women reporters covering the pre-inaugural address of the President at the Quirino Grandstand had uneasy time with their hair blown by the wind. But the ceremony did push through, after which President Arroyo and Vice President de Castro proceeded to Villamor Airbase for the trip to Cebu.
I actually imagined what it would have been like had the oath taking not pushed through in Cebu as planned because of Igme. All the preparation—at the Capitol, etc.—would have gone to naught, with millions of pesos flowing to the sewers. It would have been historic still, but in a negative sense. Many would be scratching their heads.
But surprisingly, the weather momentarily changed for the better (or there could be a more sensible explanation to it, like the sun starting to exercise fully its dominance as noon approached). Thus, by the time GMA and Kabayan took their oaths before Cebuano Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. at the Capitol grounds here, it got hot.
It all depends on how one interprets events. When I got married a few years ago, there was a drizzle and the sky was gloomy. But our elders considered it a blessing. Should we take it that way for President Arroyo’s rule? Or should the symbolism be like this: trials and difficulties early on and, at the appropriate time, the sun shining brightly?
Don’t ask me about the President’s announced Ten-Point Program. My attitude during the few inaugural addresses can always be summed up in three words: Let us see. The point is, no president in this country stayed true to form. Besides, what the President said—more jobs, better life overall—was already repetitive. What is important is praxis.
For a Third World country whose backwardness is a result of an exploitative and oppressive neocolonial setup, I would have hoped for a better deal for the majority of farmers, workers, the urban poor, etc. But that would require something more than just a president taking over but an overhaul of the entire setup, and, possibly, some blood spilt.
Since many are not prepared yet to go through that process, we go to the alternative, which is pray that Arroyo will make good despite the limits imposed by the current setup. Since South Korea and Malaysia are up front and Indonesia and Thailand are overtaking us, maybe she can fend off the challenge of Vietnam. Or can she?
P.S. Some politicians have shot down the bid of hotelier Patrick Gregorio to be the next secretary of tourism. Here’s Jonji Y. Gonzales giving us a reason or two why Secretary Obet Pagdanganan should stay:
“Around one million tourists visited the country between January and May, a 31.8 percent increase in tourist arrival over the same period last year. This increase occurred during Pagdanganan’s watch. If this continues, we could have 2.5 million tourists in the country this year, which would be an all-time high.
“Pagdanganan brought with him 18 years of marketing management experience as senior executive of Uniliver. Marketing experience is an asset in the tourism industry. He may be lacking in charisma, but he is hard working. While governor of Bulacan, the province enjoyed the highest family income in the country. As agrarian reform chief, he surpassed the annual targets.”
(e-mail: khanwens@yahoo.com; text: 0927-4912362)
(July 1, 2004 issue)
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