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A lucky nation

M. L. Tan

When Erap thundered, "Sinuswerte kayo" the other day, actually meant to berate people who want a snap revo, oops I meant, election, I thought, "Oo nga. We Filipinos are so lucky." We really should be more appreciative of the gains made in Erap’s all too short term. Let me run through my list:

The economy’s grown and Erap’s made sure it’s growth with redistribution. I don’t know why the farmers are massing up again to protest the lack of land reform. They have to be patient. Can’t they see that Erap’s been so busy, especially the last week, handling the urban poor’s housing problem and handing out so many titles?

Then there’s the dollar exchange rate, which has been steadily gaining the last few weeks, soaring to almost P50 to a dollar, the highest ever in our history. This has been such a boon for our 6 million or so overseas workers and their families, and will encourage so many more Filipinos to leave the country, work hard and earn dollars.

Talking about numbers, who needs those expensive Kumon math drills for children when Erap’s administration can give us so many home grown examples that kids can relate to. Use the exchange rates for multiplication drills, and change the multiplier every day depending on the new exchange rate.

For division, here’s a sample exercise: If you win P150 million in a mahjong game, how will you divide the balato? There are all kinds of possibilities here. Divide it by four families, for example. Or 24 senators, but make it a bit more difficult by substracting the ungrateful ones. Now make sure to point out to the kids that gambling is bad but it’s okay if the balato goes to support medical missions and other acts of charity.

Talking about mahjong, we have to be really grateful for the proliferation of so many forms of recreation under Erap’s administration. He introduced new ones like bingo-2 balls but without disrupting the traditional games like jueteng, masiao and casino games. Such a pity the moralists have pressured him to shut down government gambling joints.

Can’t people appreciate the educational component to these games?

Let me see now about Erap’s other legacies, ah este, contributions. Look at how he’s generated employment, especially for our men. He’s revved up not just the Armed Forces of the Philippines but also the Cafgus and security guard agencies. And look at how, under his administration, we’ve seen a strengthening of civil society, with the unprecedented expansion of NGOs like the Abu Sayyaf, the NPA, the MILF, the MNLF. (Don’t forget how the Abu Sayyaf attracted so much aid, and in dollars yet, into Mindanao.)

Erap’s launched a quiet revolution in changing our lifestyles, and in ways that tap into Filipino resiliency and innovation. This is most striking in terms of architecture. Note how more people are learning to build homes, minimalist style, along walls and under bridges. Our schools have also been redesigned, teachers now leaving stuffy cramped classrooms to hold classes under trees so students can better appreciate nature.

The impact of Erap’s administration is far-reaching, extending even to our diets. We are now witnessing a gastronomic revolution, as Filipinos lead the way for fusion cuisine, raising to the level of art the 2001 methods of preparing instant noodles (for starters, let me share some variations: with Erap rice, with non-Erap rice, without rice, with patis, with patis and toyo, with vetsin and patis, etc.)

(Why does that chorus of street waifs in Oliver Twist keep coming to my mind as I write this. Remember the scene where they hold up their bowls and sing, "Food, glorious food!" )

Just to show you Erap is truly pro-poor, my physician friends tell me that they’re getting fewer and fewer poor patients now, which leads me to conclude that low-income Filipinos have become healthier now. Maybe it’s because they walk more now instead of taking public transportation. Or maybe it’s because the instant noodles are now fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Erap’s brought good cheer into our humdrum lives. Think of all the jokes that have Erap-ted. Think, too, of how he’s contributed to the cellphone industry with millions of text messages exchanged each day about his administration. Erap has indeed ushered us into the age of electronics and information technologies.

Erap’s nation-building extends to the way he has upheld cherished values such as love of families, loyalty to friends. He’s taught us what it means to be generous and forgiving, especially when it comes to the Marcos dictatorship. And although I don’t have survey statistics to back me up, I think he’s contributed as well to a religious revival with more and more Filipinos flocking to churches and mosques.

Erap does us proud. It used to be that we’d get featured in the international press only when there was a typhoon or earthquake. Now we have become a favored destination for international mass media and it’s rare that the Philippines and Erap doesn’t make it into the front pages.

I’m going to have to stop here because I’m running out of space but I think I’ve done my share to remind Filipinos that we have much to be grateful for. Sinusuwerte talaga tayo. Enough with the bickering. Let’s have those snap elections so we can reaffirm our confidence in this great president.