THE MOUNTAINEER

Vanity fair
EDISON L. BADDAL

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- The latest State Of The Nation Address of President Arroyo reeked of fortitude and verve in the face of uncontrollable inflation besetting the nation.

This, given the country’s economic hardships as a consequence of the rise in prices of oil and food in the world market that impacted on local prices of oil and food. Bucking personal unpopularity as she battles one of the worst economic meltdowns to hit the country is simply awesome. Against all odds, she further risked unpopularity by standing firm on the implementation of the reformed VAT.

She rationalized undercutting such opposition from various spectrums of society like the church and militant groups, by citing the sound economic foundation to evolve from the continued implementation of the VAT. Intended as a long-term answer to the prolonged economic crunch that our country is undergoing, she declared that VAT is presently making headway in cushioning the heavy impact of the crisis on the poor.

She cited the national government’s subsidization in electric bills of million lifeline customers recently of major electric providers like Meralco as one of the beneficial effects of VAT including the erection of more school buildings, agricultural modernization projects to raise income of marginal farmers among others.

In principle, she deemed the unpopular VAT to be a virtual windfall of sorts being a major source of funds for significant projects that will nerally redound to the benefits of the poor. As to how this will make a dent in the improvement of the quality of life of the poor is anybody’s guess. ***
One thing that riveted my attention on TV was the razzle-dazzle of designer barongs of the honorable congressmen and senators as they moved idly about in the lobby of the congress building while awaiting for the arrival of the president to deliver her SONA.

Later, with journalists’ cameras clicking frenetically for the photo-op, they sauntered jauntily on the red carpet as they followed the president into the refurbished interior of the august hall. Their outfits, certainly priced in several thousands having been designed by famous designers, were equally matched, if not outdone, by the designer clothes worn and ostentatiously displayed by their wives. The scene-stealing outfits which enhanced the voluptuous bodies of the wives were accentuated by expensive accessories. ***
In like manner, the female Senators also cut a dash of what they had nothing to say of their fat wallets and huge bank accounts, by being dressed in pricey get-ups. One female senator even went beyond the prim and proper dress code for her exalted government position by wearing a backless gown that exposed a lot of bare flesh on her back.

It also exposed a lot of flesh on her front neck and upper chest as her cleavage gaped wide below the neckline. Nevertheless, nobody can doubt about the enormity of her wealth given the fact that she once lodged a million-peso electoral protest with the supreme court following her disastrous defeat as a vice- presidential candidate in 2004. ***
It was height of dowdy dressing in stark contrast to the patriotic and somber atmosphere of the occasion. Inappropriately, the nationalistic atmosphere of the SONA was transformed into a fashion show by the legislators and their coterie. Conversely, these highly esteemed people betrayed their utter insensitivity to the current crisis saturating the country. In a similar vein, it also betrayed their lack of sympathy and empathy with the worsening deprivation of Filipinos of their basic needs engendered by uncontrolled inflation which has ratcheted up from 11.2 percent in June to 12.2 percent in July.

Such a quintessence of vain glory is a transparent reflection of the kind of values that these show-offs imbibed and possess. Such indifference was borne by the fact that they were virtually insulated from the crippling and maddening effects of the economic crisis because of their charmed and privileged lives.
E'ither it was done to impress the masses, consciously or not, one apparent truth bore out: the height of indifference and insensitivity to the morass of the millions of Filipinos by the high and the mighty. If anything, it was a show of selfishness underpinned by plumb greed, inhumanity and consuming individualism.