Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Covington: There's some small print By Gary Covington Looking In
MONEY matters first and I thought my luck was in this month with Davao Light implementing GMA's electricity subsidy -- a P500 prezzy for what Malacañang terms "marginal" customers. I'm marginal, have been all the year. No air-conditioners, no microwave oven -- I was looking forward to a couple of months of free electricity. Imagine, therefore, my surprise when the October bill plunked into my letterbox as per usual.
Down I pedaled to Davao Light where I discovered -- fancy that -- that there's some small print.
Basically the subsidy is based on last May's power consumption for which there will be an invoice and for which there will be an account number. But it isn't there - if your account number has changed for any reason since May 2008 then forget any subsidy. New meter? House burnt down?
Change of name? All demand a new account number and it doesn't matter if you've been using only a teaspoon of electricity all year -- new account number, no subsidy. Sorry. Next please.
Now I reckon that's a slimy, slippery, sneaky bit of small print. Almost as bad as airlines offering tickets for P10 a throw and hiding the P10,000 fuel surcharge under an asterisk in the corner of the ad. Somehow GMA's munificence doesn't seem so munificent does it?
Next -- The SSS, as part of their anniversary celebrations, have promised me a one-off P500 handout on top of my usual Filipino state pension (Yes, I've been here that long). I wonder if I'll be lucky -- or whether there'll be some more small print.
Overseas news now, have you seen the latest bit of idiocy to emanate from manic Manila's halls of power? "Regulation of fiestas sought in Congress." Let’s take away some of the ordinary folks' pleasure and merriment in the name of saving money.
Tell you what guys, if it's saving money you're after how about cutting down on those expensive PR trips to the provinces. Get rid of the 10 vehicle 4x4 convoys with police escort and all paid for out of the public purse. Cut down on the fancy meals in posh hotels and overnight stays at five star hotels and resorts.
Why not cut down on your own pleasures before taking it away from the people?
Television and, apart from the early evening local news, I've quit watching entirely. Partially because the current crop of shows are abysmal, mainly because I never know when anything's on. Where did Channel 23's CSI go? Half way through a season and pouf! Gone.
I've tried ringing up Kapamilya up there on the hill -- it's they who put out Channel 23 -- and get nowhere. Channel 23 is run from manic Manila, they say. Nothing to do with us, we only re-broadcast. Out of our control. Not us.
Lastly, lastly and this week's horrible word -- running a close second to cremains -- is deathcare, as in (see giant billboards) St Peter Chapel's Deathcare Week with its special offers and so forth. Honestly -- the Philippines has to be the only nation which celebrates death more than it does life.
