Gov’t, one of three calamities facing nation

We are confronted by three calamities: typhoons, earthquakes and the Philippine government. We are run by a government of political dynasties established by superrich families who seem not to know the real problems of this country. We are now a country earning P135 billion a year from our oil and gas fields, with enormous revenues from value added tax, sin tax, real property tax, special education fund tax, business permits, licenses, and taxes from so many foreign mining companies that are exploiting our natural resources, even destroying our hills and mountains and farms, and poisoning our waters. The government conceals these revenues from us to maintain a very expensive Congress.

Despite so much revenue, we cannot help our poor Filipino youth who desire to get a college education. Out of 100 high school graduates, only 10 will get a college education, most of them coming from clans of rich politicians and middle-class families, the latter having to borrow money on high interest rates from banks or usurious money lenders. What is so pitiful is that after graduating from college they can’t find employment in their own country.

Fortunately, we have the world waiting to employ our professionals and skilled workers. We produce and export them as overseas Filipino workers (our only stable export “products”).

We can provide free college education if our leaders stop robbing us of the enormous revenues government is exacting from our terrorized taxpayers. We have to pay taxes that so-called public servants steal, otherwise we will be slapped with court cases.

This country is so miserable because the rich politicians keep enriching themselves with people’s money while making the poor poorer.—DR. ASTERIO G. SAQUING JR., Bambang, Nueva Vizacaya