Last year, I wrote in this column about how local government units (LGUs) have become “Santa Clauses” of sorts every Christmas season, partly due to their now-ubiquitous “Pamaskong Handog” drives.
We’re talking about local officials giving out grocery items or rice to residents, as a way of “giving back” the revenue the local government has received during the year.
While the practice is nothing new among LGUs who could afford it before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the pandemic itself paved the way for the institutionalization of such “Pamaskong Handog” drives.
The main reason, of course, was to boost the morale of their constituents due to the economic downturn and lockdowns brought by Covid-19.
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These days, however, the public had come to expect that same level of generosity from our local officials during the Christmas season.
Siyempre, hindi mawawala ang “kumparahan” ng mga Christmas gift na ibinibigay ng mga LGU sa iba’t ibang bayan at lungsod sa ating lalawigan.
Laging kukwestiyunin: bakit ito lang ang ibinigay sa amin, kumpara doon sa katabing lungsod? Bakit bigas lang ang ibibigay at hindi grocery items?
At kung nagkataong walang “Pamaskong Handog” na inilunsad ang LGU, sasabihan pa na “maramot” o “kuripot” ang chief executive!
Lalo na ngayong limang buwan na lamang ang nalalabi bago ang midterm elections sa May 2025, tiyak na magiging plus o minus points para sa mga incumbent na kakandidatong muli, hindi lang kung merong Pamaskong Handog kundi pati na rin kung ilan o gaano karami ang ipinapamigay sa mga residente.
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I pointed out last year that this practice has been responsible, in part, for the entrenchment of the much-decried “traditional politics,” as constituents have become beholden to their local politicians for the annual gifts during the holiday season.
One reason is that it teaches ordinary folks to become "palaasa," or to become a “Juan Tamad” who just waits for the fruit to fall from the tree rather than exerting their own effort to pick up the fruit themselves.
Not only that, I personally think that basing our choice on leaders based on how much “ayuda” they give to us, rather than their performance and public-service record is actually a mockery of what democracy should be.
You know why? Because we’re just perpetuating the now-widespread thinking that our leaders should be elected not on how they can help our country or our city or town, but on how they can help ourselves! You know, the “wala akong paki sa ginawa niya sa kaban ng bayan, mas gusto ko siya dahil may pakinabang siya sa AKIN” mindset.
I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but it bears to be pointed out just the same: huwag nating husgahan ang ating mga pulitiko batay sa laki ng ibinibigay nilang ayuda sa atin, kundi sa kung paano nila nagagawang maging mas maalwan ang pamumuhay ng buong bayan o lungsod.
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