WE DON’T WANT YOUR MONEY

October 9, 2015

CODE-NGO

Let’s face it. Everybody needs money. You have to have money before making money. No matter what the overused cliché says, it isn’t love that makes the world go round. It’s money. If it was love, then everything would be free and we’d be more overpopulated than we already are.

But why the constant arguing about money. In perspective, if everyone pays their taxes and dues, then that would be the income for the development of the country. The government would be able to allocate the budget fairly and improve our roads, facilities, hospitals, schools, drainage systems and waste management systems. Furthermore, government would be able to improve our living conditions. The unemployment rate would go down; everyone would be literate; poverty rate would diminish. It seems like a perfect world. But then again, does the Philippines really lack money?

Take a look at the pork barrel issue. The Philippine society has money. It just so happened that the money fell on the wrong hands who divided it into several hundred bank accounts to avoid suspicion.

The Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB) is a new proposition from the government and is said to be a surefire procedure for civil society organizations (CSO) and local government units (LGU) to be able to propose strategic economic and social development. It seems like a good system: the LGUs and CSOs in partnership submit their project proposals; the regional CSO-government teams review, collate and forward the proposals to national government; the higher authorities allocate portion of the national budget to accommodate the plans; the funds will be released to the appropriate national government agencies for project implementation. In some cases, the LGUs or CSOs are approved for implementation, given that they are eligible and were able to meet the requirements. Seems simple enough.

But there are a few points to think about. In the municipality of San Pablo and Alaminos in Laguna, things are just starting out. The implementation of BUB-approved projects has already begun this year, and the people are trying their best to cope with the new procedures and to comply with the new requirements.

Mainstream media has really done the publicity of BUB quite well. They promised a better system for acquiring funds for development projects and that the proposals from the communities will be accommodated as best as possible. They have done their homework well, researching about the municipality and its respective procedures and the relationship between the LGU and the CSOs. They have done their part, writing and publishing about the areas in need for improvement so that people will know about it.

It stops there, though. These articles will be published online or in newsletters and people could read these, if they came across these one way or another. Then what?

“Puro kwentuhan lang. Mahirap pag ganun [We’re only telling stories. It’s difficult if we stop there],” says Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Network secretary Marissa Makahilo Aguilar.

She stresses that CAPIN and other organizations are always short on funding. It is inevitable. And year after year, she has been the key person interviewed by researchers and reporters writing about the situation in Alaminos, Laguna.

Unfortunately, she has not seen any real action. The writing and publishing pushes through, the information is out, but does anyone come down and really take time to help?

“Patriotism, we want to see a better future for our town,” declares Mrs. Aguilar. “Yes, we don’t have money. But we don’t need that. What we really want is inspiration for people to volunteer, inspiration for people to care for their town. Writers should inspire people through their articles. Inspire them truly so that they will come and help.”

The people in the LGUs and CSOs are volunteers, in a sense that even though they are always in short of funding, they choose to stay. They choose to devote their time to work for the development of their beloved town. Even though they lack people, they shoulder the tasks to finish projects. Even though they lack funds, they shell out money from their own pockets to accomplish their plans. They do it because they want a better condition for their town. They want to see their children and grandchildren live in a better society than what they have experienced. They work for the improvement of their town because it is their home, their sanctuary.

It is always heartwarming and wonderful to see new people take time to join and work for their homeland. New volunteers who answer to the calls of social development are always warmly welcomed in the community.

“Inspiration, ‘yan ang totoong pera [Inspiration, that is the real money we need],” Mrs. Aguilar finishes with a twinkle in her eye.

Jacqueline Arielle Ong graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. She was one of CODE-NGO’s volunteer writers deployed in Summer of 2014.

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