It’s Just Another Day

The second week of the ongoing Overseas Absentee Voting ended this evening. While there was a slight increase in the number of voters who cast their votes this week compared to last at the embassy here in Riyadh, still it is much lower than we expected. But the sight of three company buses transporting voters to the embassy was a good sign, and we hope the remaining two weeks will really see us more company buses bringing in more voters.

Ask anybody, especially government officials, what they think is the reason why the turn out of voters have been very low, the most common answers you will get are that: many overseas Filipinos think that since this election is not a presidential election it is not so important; many think that it is useless to cast their votes because these will not be counted anyway; and many say ‘nakakatamad naman kasing pumunta sa embassy’.

At one point I did believe that may be those are the valid reasons. But this afternoon, I realized that those earlier statements may not be the reasons at all..

In relation to our Go Out and Vote campaign here in Riyadh, we designed a campaign ad that centered on why we should cast our votes. The message was conveyed by the following lines that were printed on the poster/flyer:

Ipaabot ang nagkakaisang tinig
Gamitin ang karapatang marinig
Ang Boto mo, pahalagahan mo.

We had the poster designed by a young OFW for free, but the printing of the four color poster cost us SR 2.50 each for the A4 size, and SR 50 for the A3 size. Thursday night we have the number of posters we needed ready.

This morning we started placing those posters in areas around Riyadh where many Filipinos usually hang out especially during weekends. In one supermarket the Filipino cashier commented: “Nag umpisa na pala ang botohan?” In one restaurant one employee asked, “Taga Comelec po kayo?”; while a jolly barker in the fastfood center said, “huwag kayong mag-alala kabayan, akong bahala dyan”, referring to the poster that we stuck on a suggestion box.

When I heard the supermarket cashier said, “nag-umpisa na pala ang botohan,” I asked myself how many Filipinos like him are not aware that the overseas absentee voting period has already started two weeks ago; maybe a hundred, or maybe a couple of thousands? Could this not be the main reason why there is a low turn out of voters?

What really made me smile was the question from the waiter at the Thai restaurant. When asked, “taga Comelec po kayo?” we simply said we are not from Comelec, but are from various OFW organizations. But he’s got a point. Bakit nga ba kami ang nagdidikit ng mga OAV posters na yon at hindi ang mga taga Political section ng embahada?

Commissioner Tuason proudly announced during the OAV Forum at Intramuros last March that the OAV cost per voter this year compared to that of 2004 is very very much lower. That of course was great for the budget department. But given the experience of 2004, the Comelec could have spent some amount on information materials like posters and flyers. If posters were sent to the Posts a month before the start of the voting period, and the Posts are able to distribute these to the major companies and community organizations, as well as display some in areas where Filipinos usually hang out - like what we did today, chances are the turn out could be better than what we witness now.

But if Comelec cannot even send postal voting materials and voters ID on time, can we expect them to be able to think of those little, yet very important, things?

It bleeds my heart when I think of how little the government cares about us who are sacrificing to be away from home just to keep the Philippines survive. Perhaps when the bleeding stops, time will have been ripe.

But for now, today is just another day.

Taxing the Modern Day Heroes

We have been reading from various reports, both of local and foreign agencies, that it is the OFWs who are keeping the economy of the Philippines afloat for the last two decades. For this alone, the presidents of post Edsa 1 should thank the late President Marcos and Secretary Blas Ople.

The reports speak of billions, not just millions, of dollars brought into the country by this segment of Philippine society year after year. And each year that amount continues to increase. Compare this amount with the total annual foreign investments that the government is able to generate, and we will all agree that the foreign investment is just a drop in the pool.

But look at the tax holiday and exemption privileges that are granted to those foreign investors, and compare the same to the privileges granted to us OFWs. While the foreign investors send their income to their home countries, our remittances stay in the Philippines, where it continues to fuel our economy in motion.

Now tell me, should we not be afforded better tax privileges than those foreign investors?

What is funny actually is as WE continue to bring more dollars into the country and help strengthen the peso, OUR real income also continue to erode. From 56 to 48 that is eight pesos lost for every dollar we earn - all for the sake of the Philippine economy! That of course may not be considered taxation. Sacrifice is a better term.

Sacrifice it is indeed. My wife always tell me, " ang laki na ang nawawala sa income natin; baba ng baba ang dollar, hindi naman bumababa ang presyo ng bilihin". I am sure those words of complain are familiar to many of us here. And what is our routine reply? "Wala tayong magagawa ganyan talaga, sakripisyo na lang total ikagaganda naman ng bansa natin yan".

But if the economy has really improved, why don't we feel it? Why have prices of prime commodities, transport and basic services not gone down? Why are there more families suffering from starvation?

While WE feel the pains brought about by the economy we helped to strengthened, the elite businessmen in Makati, as well as the foreign investors, are enjoying the fruits of OUR labor. Sila pa lang ang nakikinabang from the gains the economy WE helped propel has brought about.

It is really frustrating, if not unfortunate, that from the many things that could be done to show a token of appreciation to US who have contributed in keeping the Philippine economy afloat, all the present Administration could think about is how to extract more taxes from US.

If this is the kind of agenda that the Administration has in their platter, then the more I'll say NO to Team Unity; NO to Taxes!

Go Out and Vote

Two days from now, registered overseas Filipino absentee voters will start to cast their votes for the twelve senatorial positions being contested by about thirty candidates. In addition, they are also to vote for one party list candidate of their choice.

In Hongkong, pre-election activities included a mock poll of senatorial candidates where the Genuine Opposition team proved to be the candidates of choice. In the US, the OFs were kept busy pushing the Comelec to approve the certificate of candidacy of Ted Aquino, while here in Riyadh members of the OFW Congress opted to launch a “Go Out and Vote” campaign.

Saudi Arabia is home to about a million overseas Filipinos. It is sad to note however that of that huge number, only a little over 100,000 are registered absentee voters. That figure may even go down considering the possibility that some of those who registered for the 2004 elections may have left the Kingdom already. It is therefore the objective of the Go Out and Vote campaign to ensure that majority of the registered absentee voters are able to cast their votes during the one month voting period which starts on April 14.

Aside from the registered absentee voters, the Go Out and Vote campaign also encourages all overseas Filipinos to advise members of their families, relatives, and friends back home to go out and vote during the May 14 election. The OFW Congress leadership believes that real OFW power still rest back home – among OFW family members and relatives. It is therefore important that this power block be tapped to ensure that the ones elected are only those who have shown real support and commitment to the cause of overseas Filipinos.

During the launch of the campaign two weeks ago, the profiles of the senatorial candidates were presented to the attending Congress members. Printed copies of those profiles will be distributed to community leaders and/or company representatives for further distribution to OFWs in their respective organizations/companies. Included also in the campaign materials are the list of genuine party lists groups, as well as those deemed as fake and are just fronts of a few interested individuals out to bastardize the party list system and screw the party list representation in the House.

The campaign materials also include pro-forma text messages which the OFW is encourage to send to members of his family and friends.

Ano pa ang hinihintay mo? Sabihan na si tatay, si inay, at si bunso: “Lumabas, Makialam, at Bomoto sa Mayo 14 – ang boto ninyo, ay boto naming mga OFW”.