The Iran-United States war seemingly still far from being resolved. Apparently, US President Donald Trump has no exit plan when he started the Middle East conflict. The choke point in the Strait of Hormuz effectively increased the prices of fuel.
The latest news indicate that pump prices of gasoline and diesel will reach P100 per liter. Oh! Wow. Retro: The first time I became an owner of a vehicle, a second hand American car, the price of unleaded gasoline was 38 centavos. The mayor then in Angeles City was the late Eugenio N. Suarez and Apung Dadong Macapagal was the president of our country. Jeepney fare then was ten centavos. Yeah, I know it was long time ago and life was easy. Fast forward. Today, price of diesel is ever increasing every Tuesday of the week pesos per liter and unleaded gasoline is more than eighty pesos as of this writing. Pero sabi nga, parang spaghetti pataas ng pataas at kung bababa kapirangut.
Fuel prices went up to the roof since President Duterte became the Malacanang tenant and my good friend Al Cusi became energy secretary. BBM government should look for a solution by way of instituting a stabilization fund to halt the spiral of fuel prices. Economists have their own language. And possibly you and me, most of the time can’t understand their reportage to the public. Like saying that ‘the base effect from last year’s inflation environment is wearing off and the prices of basic commodities will likely settle at a certain percentage higher than last year.
My drinking buddies at lalam manga in Apo road in L& S subdivision will never know what it means because most of whom are trike drivers and small time merchants. All what they know is that their daily earnings which can hardly meet the daily expenses. As a matter of fact, the general public-upper, middle and lower class- are complaining of higher prices. Maybe not a whimper from those living in Forbes Park in Makati.And those who were recipients of maletas.
Do you still remember some years ago the market price of the lowly garlic, a very common product of Nueva Ecija province reached almost P400 per kilo. And again vegetable prices in public markets zoomed so high like a kite. The net effect of such situation is smuggling. Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar seems not capable of finding a solution. In the early years, when I was still in my shorts, and my mother Beatriz was running a carinderia in the public market of Porac, I can even ask for free some pieces from the corner store. How in heaven's name that happened?
It is not only onion prices breaching the roof but many basic market commodities. And economic students are taught that prices and wages are related. A family of four, the father earning P800 per day can't send the two kids to school if they are renting an apartment. The water and electric bills are monthly concerns. Medicines and transport fares, plus,plus... The P800 will not last a day.
Most of the government leaders, senators, congressmen, etc.were born rich. They grew up in an upscale communities where there are maids whom they can ask what kind of food they wanted to eat for dinner. Same thing with the cabinet members, agency heads and even magistrates. When interviewed by media their hearts and concerns are for the poor. But I suspect that is only for sound bites. Lip service, they call it. Malacanang claims it has big savings. The poor have nothing to bite dinner time.
