The Tall Order
By Mon Datol
The Philippine Courier
Toronto, Canada
How many more deaths caused by landslide of stinking garbage would the Filipinos endured before realizing that it is their own calling that killed their loved ones? The recent tragedy in Baguio City where a whole family was buried alive when a mountain of thrash from the top of hill collapsed and covered several houses below was a grim reminder of a similar event that happened in Payatas, Quezon City at the height of another storm. Plakadong-plakado.
Just think of it. Being buried in a mountain of garbage? It’s an absolute stain that nobody could ever eliminate. Something was wrong here. Look, the garbage dump was on the top of a hill and the houses were below it? Shouldn’t it be the other way around, the people on top and the dump below?
How would the Baguio City government answer it? Allowing the private garbage contractors to just dump their garbage on top of hill rather than transporting them somewhere down the Pines City? Para mas malaking tong-pats? Hayan ang sukli ng korapsyon sa basura. Daming namatay ng matabunan ng basura. And some government people even blame typhoon ‘Mina’ as the culprit in this tragedy.
Pambihirang patis!
*****
The government should really look again at the kind of garbage disposal system in the Philippines. Did the passage of the Clean Air Act that stopped the burning of garbage in incinerators, and which led to the establishment of many garbage dumps, a number of which have reached their saturation point really helped the garbage problem in the country?
One of these garbage dumps is the Payatas deposit, which is now turning out to be another Smokey Mountain. There should not be a garbage dump in the middle of a city, but the QC government is just closing its eyes to the danger the Payatas dump poses to scavengers and to the general health of its people.
Posibleng mauulit na naman ang nangyaring pagguho ng basura sa Payatas ilang taon pa lang ang nakakaraan na kumitil sa mahigit 300 buhay duon. Bakit ayaw humanap ng QC government ng malilipatang dump sites outside the city? Will Mayor Bistek wait for another tragedy before looking for alternative dump sites? ‘Langya naman ang ang ilang opisyales natin …
Di na natuto.
*****
Daming garbage dumps models all around the globe for our public officials to look into and study which suits best for the Philippines. Daming siyudades sa ibang bansa, na pinupuntahan ng ating mga ‘mambabatas’ ng libre pamasahe at gastusin, which are using garbage for reclamation and others use these thrash for power generation, like what Antipolo City, where Metro Manila dumps its garbage, is doing right now.
Matagal na ang biogas sa Pinas pero, hindi ito ginagamit ng todo ng gobiyerno. Biogas is the methane produced by decomposing organic matter. It accumulates among the rotting trash in a dump. The biogas is mined by srticking pipes into the thrash lound and the gas comes out of the top of the pipe. Natural gas na iyon. Pangluto na sa kusina, pamalit sa LPG gas na binibili sa halagang P900-P1000 per cylinder. Laking tipid, di ba? Marami na ring gumagamit ng biogas sa mga probinsiya na naga-alaga ng baboy. Nakita ko ang mga ito. Basta maayos ang pagka-gawa, walang leak ang amoy ng etsas ng mga baboy. Pang-kuryente at pang-luto ang biogas na galeng sa mga thrash. Bakit kaya hindi palaganapin ng gobiyerno ang biogas? Walang kita rito? Walang bilyong tongpats tulad sa pag-angkat ng langis at gasoline? Nakngteteng talaga.
Corruption breeds corruption.
*****
Congratulations to Gian Carlo Bobila for topping the recently-concluded World Championship of Performing Arts (World COPA) singing competition held in Hollywood, California from July 14- 25, 2011 where he brought home 5 gold medals and 5 plaques of excellence in a dominating performance of a vocalist in that very prestigious singing competition. Manang-mana sa ama ‘o sa ina? Gian is the eldest and only son of three children of lovely couple Dr. Nestor and Lilibeth Bobila. Pls. read the article about Gian’s exploits in that Olympic of Singing Event somewhere here on this spread. Hahanga kayo.
Mabuhay ka, Gian!!!
*****
I can’t figure out why President Noynoy Aquino can’t issue an apology to the victims of the Luneta Massacre. Kasalanan daw ng isang tao LANG (hostage-taker Police Officer Mendoza) ang pagkamatay ng maraming Chinese tourists, kaya’t hindi dapat mag-sorry ang 90 million Filipinos. Para bang sinasabi ni PNoy na kung gusto nating mag-sorry sa mga relatives ng mga victims, eh ….
Mag-Presidente muna kayo!
*****
Nakakabuwang ang statement ni Deputy chief of mission Julian Camacho na kayang mag-overall champion ang Pilipinas sa gaganaping 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia from November 11 – 22. Camacho believes the Philippines can repeat as overall champions in the 26th edition of the biennial meet. Camacho and his co-deputy Romeo Magat recently arrived from Indonesia to attend the chef de mission meeting last week.
Muntik na tuloy himatayin si POC secretary-general Joey Romasanta sa prediction na yon ni Camacho, ah. Humingi tuloy ng paumanhin si Joey sa mga taong nakarinig ng tinuran ni Camacho. Personal umanong prediction ni Camacho yon at walang kinalaman ang POC sa tinuran nito na isang …
Suntok sa buwan!
****
FPJ is Fernando Poe, Jr., my favorite Filipino actor of all time. He died in 2004 of heart attack. He lost the 2004 presidential election to Mrs. Gloria Arroyo. I believe FPJ won that 2004 presidential poll. He got zero votes in Maguindanao, which is unlikely, because FPJ is the iconic actor to brother Muslims who would ‘kill’ anybody that would hurt and kill FPJ on screen.
Lumabas na tutuo ang dayaan sa elections ng manalo sa vote-recount sa 2007 elections si Atty. Koko Pimentel at nadiskaril niya sa Senado si Migs Zubiri, na kaagad nag-resign after knowing na mananalo sa recount si Pimetel. So, kung nagkadayaan nga sa 2007 election, paniguradong nagkadayaan din nuong 2004 presidential elections at si idol FPJ nga ang tutuong nanalong Pangulo ng Pilpinas nuong 2004.
So, ibigay ang narararapat ke FPJ! Mabuhay ang 14th President of the Republic of the Philippines!…. Teka, patay na nga pala idol ko, ah.
Sayangggg….
What do you really expect from a country whose people have no idea at all what discipline means or how important common sense is. Our entire system of government is nothing but a hot bed for everything that is wrong about a country. Our justice system only favors those who can afford to buy their freedom, a man who gets caught stealing a loaf of bread because he needs to feed his hungry children will be in jail in no time, yet those who steal millions of the peoples money are allow to spend it with no consequence. The ills of our country are created by the people themselves by allowing corrupt politicians to decide on their fate. This latest tragedy will not be the last, people will continue to live in places like this with the blessing of their own government. Ganito kasi ang isipan nating mga Filipino, sabihin mong huwag nilang gawin ito dahil masama, ang sagot, ano ang pakialam mo, at kung sabihan mo naman na hindi tama iyan, ang sagot, puwede na yan, at kung wala na talagang magawa para malutas ang problema, ang sagot, ay bahala na. Ngayon alam na natin kung bakit ang ating bansa ay napag-iiwanan ng mga bansang dati ay kulelat lang sa atin.