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The
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)
has asked the President for a restudy of the value-added
tax on oil, and the oil-deregulation law for possible
amendment or outright scrapping in the hope to ease the
escalating price of oil which, in turn, influences the
prices of basic commodities in the market.
The
position of the CBCP should be welcomed. But I hope that
the CBCP stand, which reflects that of the hierarchy of
the Catholic Church, will also remain open to the
realities of the economic programs of the government.
This
issue may be popular, especially to the opposition, but
let us hope that they will give substantial latitude to
the President and her economic thrusts as the President
is trying to balance the capacity of the government to
plan its programs to reach the greatest majority of our
people.
Let us
remember that the issue of galloping oil costs is
actually an issue that no government today has yet found
an answer.
****
The
world’s richest countries in the G-8 group are cracking
their heads over this issue in their meeting in Japan.
How much more for a nonoil-producing country like ours?
Even the
greatest power today is reeling from economic depression
and its once-powerful dollar is falling in value. That
is why we should look at this problem dispassionately
and not let the people panic some more.
****
Perhaps
it is an appeal to our sense of nationalism or humanity,
but I was struck by two programs which have touched the
raw nerve of our present-day concerns most bluntly.
First is
the “search for RP patriotic doctors,” which aims to
encourage more doctors of medicine to remain in the
country and serve our people, instead of going abroad
and aggravating the brain drain.
On the
same vein, the Chief Justice is looking at the proposal
to compel all lawyers to render free legal work for the
poor. Whether this will be tax- deductible or
compensated in other forms, it is a novel idea that will
certainly provide more legal access to the poor on top
of the pro bono services offered by the Public
Attorney’s Office of the Department of Justice.
What we
are witnessing here is a plea to our medical and legal
professionals to sacrifice some time in the spirit of
patriotism that the mother country will somehow benefit,
even for just a while, the labors of the private sector
and the government to create a competitive edge in our
academic system at a time when our people are slowly
deprived of professional services by both the legal and
medical sectors.
At the
rate our young professionals are immigrating for greener
pastures abroad, the day will come when our courts and
our medical facilities will be paralyzed for lack of
capable personnel. While many of our poor in distant or
sometimes isolated communities suffer from lack or the
total absence of medical attention and legal services,
the well-to-do can always afford to go to the cities
where most of these professionals congregate.
The poor
simply cannot. It may be just a question of economics,
however, in a deeper sense, all of us, professionals or
dropouts, have a social responsibility to perform.
****
It is a
time of great concern for the economic watchdogs of the
country. The price of oil is continuing its frenzied
rise, nearing the $150 mark and sending jitters among
countries outside the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries.
As a
result, the peso is weakening and is sliding in the face
of high dollar demands from corporate. The stock market
is also declining in the face of the various negative
economic indicators. And on the bright side, the Finance
Department is expecting a tax windfall of more than P19
billion this year due to the oil-price surge.
The
administration is looking at this factor brightly
because it will help offset the cost of government
interventions in many areas.
And what
is happening in the corporate arena? A number of oil
companies have shaved off P1 from pump prices that may
not be substantial but a rollback just the same.
The
Philippine Airlines is now offering a buy-one, take-one
scheme for prospective fliers to bring in the passengers
during the slump days. This marketing strategy has long
been a feature of Cebu Pacific, while other airlines
have offered some kind of discounted fairs now and then.
It is an attractive marketing strategy and we, weekend
fliers, welcome it. |
