THE year of the black water snake bodes well for the Philippine economy, said feng shui master Aldric Dalumpines.
Dalumpines, who was in Cebu last Monday to share his insights for 2013 with the Rotary Club of Cebu Fuente, said snakes have a lot of colors, such as gold, green and jade, depending on the element.
As water is a dominant element this year, this could signal abundance in wealth and opportunities.
“It will rain and flood money worldwide. But if your signal is not geared toward receiving, you will not really receive your luck,” he said.
As communities prepare to celebrate the Chinese New Year this weekend, feng shui masters like Dalumpines find themselves busy dispensing advice.
His comments on the economy sound like a blend of forecasts and interpretations of the news.
Optimistic comments about Philippine economic growth are rampant after the government declared 6.8 percent growth in the gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2012, and a probable 6.6 percent for the whole year.
Dalumpines also mentioned “three major infusions”, which can help the Philippine economy grow more and earn additional revenue for the government: the “sin tax” law, the Reproductive Health (RH) Law and the mid-term elections in May.
President Benigno Aquino III signed both the RH Law and Republic Act 10351 (An Act Restructuring the Excise Tax on Alcohol and Tobacco) last December. The Department of Finance has projected that the sin taxes would add P184.31 billion from this year to 2016.
As for the RH Law, Dalumpines’s view is that it would pour more money into the economy, through the products that health centers are now required to acquire and the and information, education and communication programs the government needs to do.
Spending in relation to the May 13 polls is also expected to be good for the economy.
Dalumpines said he knew of at least one politician who has spent P70 million on slippers alone.
Dalumpines, however, acknowledged that too much money in circulation could also hurt some sectors of the economy.
“Everybody wants more money and that’s the negative side of the year of the snake.
Literally ahasan (betrayal). A fight over money will always exist,” he said.
The feng shui master said Cebu has the potential to grow the way Hong Kong has, but warned against the push for flyovers.
For practitioners of feng shui, he said, flyovers “catch fortune” and keep it from benefitting people. He associates flyovers with “sickness, pollution and false decision-making.”
He recommended wearing an arowana ring to “attract positive energy.” (Bernadette F. Balungcas, USJ-R Mass Comm Intern)