Unconscionable extravagance

Despite the understandable criticisms against the “dolomite beach” project along Manila Bay, proponents of this white elephant seem to have no qualms about wasting humongous amounts of taxpayer money by continuing this undertaking.

What makes the wastage more unconscionable is the double whammy being visited on our hapless people who are bearing the brunt of economic difficulties owing to the loss of income as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Thanks to the novel and noble efforts of Ana Patricia Non, the community pantry project that provides necessities for the poor is being emulated in many parts of the country. Unfortunately, the campaign has been red-tagged by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).

Why is helping the poor and the needy seen as a crime or a subversive act?

How many poor and sick Filipinos, on the other hand, could have been fed and made well by the P19 billion allocated to the NTF-Elcac and the P389 million spent on the dolomite beach project?

The analogy in the editorial “Obscene waste” (4/24/21) of a household spending money to beautify the lawn instead of using it to buy food for the hungry and medicine for the sick in the family is most apt.

RAMON MAYUGA
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