Enough of those cliche “beauty pageant wishes” this Christmas season: “World Peace!”. We all know that’s impossible. Heck, the End of the World will be heralded by a ethno-politico-religous war! Today, however, when I ask kids what they want for Christmas, I get answers like “love in the family”, or “Totoong diwa ng Pasko”, or “Peace in Mindanao”! Hang on — backtrack —Peace in Mindanao?! Since when have children been losing their sincerity at such a young age? Mind you these are seven, eight, nine year old kids! At that age, I was wishing for remote control cars, a piano, and a giant crocodile toy for Christmas — and never have I thought of things as noble as peace in Mindanao =.= (Children, this isn’t recitation so you may give not-so-ideal answers, ok?).
So this time around, for the first time, let’s go realist. My wish list, is thus:
#10. Charter Change. Revise the Philippine Constitution! Particularly that provision providing for the qualification of Philippine president (improve the standard!); also add a parliamentary form of government, and another provision further institutionalizing political parties, oh and make that political parties in a biparty system. Hah.
#9. Clean Water. Pockets of Paranaque have been waterless for decades now (water truck deliveries have become the norm therein), and hopes of being connected to Maynilad pipes have been bleak, until recently when the roads have seen side excavations, hopefully to place water pipes there.
#8. Cheaper Public Transport Fare. The jeepneys have already reduced their fares, and the student fare now costs P6.00 minimum. That is why FX’s should also bring their minimum down to P10 from P15, and ideally my trip from BF to Manila should cost P30 maybe even P25, not P35. Gasoline and diesel have dropped P22 since the oil crisis of 2008, but FX drivers and operators have refused to come down since. Start ringing the LTFRB.
#7. Paved Roads. With Asphalt. Come on, that shouldn’t be very hard to make, is it, congressman? With sixty million pesos in your Pork Barell, one kilometer of smooth, black road is just like your Ford Expedition, or your Chrysler, or your house bright with Christmas lights on every inch. Oh, there’s a spot you missed… ay, pundi lang pala. I am just tired of running over those road bumps and holes in it, one would think we are really a poor country in the level of Somalia. Somalia! (We do have funds for those roads!). One kilometer lang!
#6. Lollipop Lights. Mayor Lim, please fix those lollipop lights by former Mayor Atienza along Roxas Blvd! I know how hard you are trying to imitate your predecessor in city beautification, but trust me, repair those lollipops and you will revamp your image as a killjoy old man. You overdid yourself in Nagtahan bridge and Baywalk, by the way (ask Mayor Atienza for tips; he is an architect after all).
#5. Refurbish the City Hall. City Hall with a captial “C” and a captial “H”. It is supposed to be the epitome of the Philippines’ local governance, and somehow, it still looks dilapidated in its 73 years of existence. With a few new paint jobs, new tiles, new bathrooms (and probably a new mayor), City Hall will be a beauty once again, a building that would not only resemble a casket (it does from above), but would also symbolize good governance.
#4. Fewer Jeepneys on the Road. Let’s face it: there is a surplus of jeepneys in Metro Manila, and 90% of the time, if not 95% of the time, they are the cause of heavy traffic. If there weren’t a surplus, jeeps wouldn’t be queueing in the middle of the road looking for passengers every hour of the day. It may sound elitist, but I am just being a realist. Jeepneys are the most sluggish man-made machines out there: they are big, long, and slow, and use junk for spare parts. And we are overrun! The Land Transportaion Franchising and Regulatory Board should reduce the number of jeepneys allowed to operate in a week. (Don’t get me wrong, I ride jeeps everyday going to school too).
#3. Higher Tax on Smokes. 40% of smokers live in Asia, much of whom are in China and India. But this should not take away the spotlight on the Filipino addiction: most of Filipino smokers are youth (I am one myself, hehe). What I am saying is that the only way I, or many of my peers (who don’t earn money anyway) will stop smoking is when prices of smokes become extorbitantly high that our allowances would not allow us to buy them. Make smoking a luxury (we can’t afford), that way, buying it would really make people guilty because it would entail spending so much money, and government earns revenues while people live a more healthy life.
#2. More Criminals Put to Jail. And kept there. Seriously. Foreign confidence in the Philippines will never improve if small fries are the ones only ever chucked in prison. Although I acknowledge that Estrada’s granting of pardon did help unify the nation somehow (it erased the EDSA 2 and “EDSA 3” rift), criminals like him should be kept in jail regardless of age, political importance, or political clout. Put ex-COMELEC chair Benjamin Abalos in jail, for example, and watch investor confidence sky rocket in the Philippines.
#1. Cheaper Texting! Who wouldn’t be agreeable to that? (The service providers, I suppose). 70 centavos per text would be nice; I would also like the service providers to eliminate network bias (more expensive text / calls to other networks). I do appreciate however their promos of unlimited texts for 24 hours or whichever denomination/day available, and the lmited unlimited calls at night.
That makes my round of Christmas wishes. They are not idealist because they are attainable. No mushy wishes of world peace or more love or peace in Mindanao! (Not that the latter is impossible, no). It’s just that these are virtually attainable and can be made at an arms reach, in the decision of a few or more of a couple of individuals (Except for number 10).
SO everybody, I hope your wishes come true, I hope mine does in a couple of years, but I’m sure peace in Mindanao will not come in less than 10 years (or more). Merry Christmas!
Pitasyo 