In the face of the food and fuel crises the country is currently experiencing, the response of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration has been to dole out money all over the place: from outright cash through its Ahon Pampamilya Pinoy program, to electricity subsidy, fertilizer subsidy, fuel subsidy and other stop-gap measures ostensibly targeting the poorer sector of society.

What is lamentable is that this administration has effectively politicized these doles and state charity by prominently displaying Arroyo?s face on tarpaulin streamers conspicuously placed at branches and offsite cash counters of government-owned Land Bank of the Philippines where the electricity subsidy is being paid out. Infomercials shown by government-owned television stations prominently make mention of these programs as having been made possible through Arroyo?s efforts, while those hapless TV talents thank her for those subsidies.

Administration propagandists even have the gall to continue their ?Ramdam ang Kaunlaran? [The Progress Is Felt] script when in fact this should have been turned into something like ?Ramdam ang Kahirapan? [The Poverty Is Felt].

Arroyo?s propagandists should face up to reality and stop insulting the Filipino public.

While it is just right to extend assistance to the marginalized sectors, Arroyo and her administration paymasters should be reminded that these are essentially public funds and not her own or her family?s private money. These are money primarily coming from taxpayers; money collected in the form of withholding taxes, professional taxes and value added taxes on a host of products and services, and other taxes and fees generally paid and shouldered by the middle class.

These programs funded by the taxpayers themselves should not be used just to raise Arroyo?s performance and popularity ratings in the next round of surveys. Nor should these funds be used to prop up the image and the chances of administration presidential and senatorial hopefuls in 2010.

FERDIE T. SIBAL, 18 Green Leaves St., Capitol Green Village, Tandang Sora, Quezon City