Let us eat cake

SOME YEARS ago, I was with a group of like-minded friends talking about politics, which, next to show biz, is one of the most popular subjects for small talk in these islands.

Our talk turned to Makati and to all the allegations of corruption on the part of then Mayor Jojo Binay. “But at least he gives birthday cakes to senior citizens,” one of us pointed out, while another chimed in with “he may be corrupt, but schoolchildren are given free school bags and uniforms.”

“He may be corrupt, but at least…” seemed to be the theme of our conversation until we all paused and one of us exclaimed: “Have we come to this? Do we now excuse corruption in our officials simply because he gives free birthday cakes to seniors?”

Ridiculous as it seems, the free birthday cakes seem to have attained a stature akin to a measure of good governance, a metric to decide an official’s fitness for office. Have our standards fallen so low that we now tolerate the theft of public money in exchange for paltry “rewards” like cakes and school bags?

Some might argue that at least the free cakes are proof of an official’s “caring” for his constituents, even if at the same time he steals from public coffers. Other local officials, after all, steal money without even making a show of providing basic services, not to mention cakes to celebrate seniors’ birth anniversaries.

But isn’t it sad that we have become so used to our poorly performing public officials that we are cheered by small gestures and PR gimmicks?

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DON’T look now but the birthday cakes given to the senior citizens of Makati have themselves become a political flash point.

With the suspension of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, who basically continued all the policies and perks instituted by his father, his replacement, acting Mayor Kid Peña, announced that he would have the search for a new birthday cake supplier done through bidding to ensure it would be free from allegations of corruption.

Reports had been circulating that the supplier of the cakes, which were found to be “overpriced,” was actually a member of the Binay family, hiding behind a dummy. Senior citizens of Makati had also long been complaining about the quality of the cakes, which they said was dry and tasteless. Although, as one recipient put it: “Who cares how it tastes? At least we get one for free!”

Now acting Mayor Peña has assured that the new bidding would not only be open and aboveboard, it would also be participated in by two of the country’s biggest and best-known cake shops: Goldilocks and Red Ribbon. He promised to “ensure the best quality yet lowest price for the city’s elderly.”

In a news report, Peña was quoted as saying that “some of the bidders are famous for their quality products and excellent service. We would like to get a bake shop that’s new, tested and trusted and can supply cheaper but quality cakes for our elderly.”

The same report said that after the flag ceremony, “the acting mayor handed out samples from Goldilocks to two senior citizens celebrating their birthdays.”

So is the new Makati City government slogan now “let them eat cake”?

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IT’S unfortunate that the scrutiny and extent of public interest in the performance of the Binay clan as officials of Makati has been limited to the quality of the free birthday cakes.

Despite all the time and publicity expended on hearings probing the alleged overpricing of Makati public buildings and the kickbacks that are said to have gone to Binay’s pocket, the issue that seems to resonate the most with the public are the free cakes.

Indeed, in reaction to the Vice President’s boast that he would duplicate the “success story” of Makati all around the country, many have voiced the hope that they, too, would soon be receiving a free birthday cake.

The cakes, after all, are not just cakes. They are concrete (and edible, it is hoped) proof that “government cares.” That, no matter that a vast bureaucracy ensures the cakes’ delivery (and keeps track of wakes and funerals of constituents), they convey the message that they are known personally to the city’s (or country’s) top official.

Surveys indeed have shown that a voter’s choice of a candidate often hinges on whether he or she had personally seen the candidate or, better yet, shaken hands with him or her. This is not always possible for the millions of voters out there, which is why TV and radio campaigns strive to establish a warm and personal connection between the candidate and the viewers/listeners, in the hope that the ads will succeed in creating the impression of a “personal relationship.”

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WE Filipinos do take things personally.

High-minded and high-concept campaigns may focus on issues and scorecards, but the majority of our voters seem to base their preferences on how “likeable” and “relatable” the candidate is.

This is why so many actors and public figures end up in government. Charm, after all, is the name of their game, and winning hearts and fan loyalty are the hallmarks of their appeal.

Of course, after the elections, when we have sufficiently recovered from the thrall of a fevered campaign, we begin to rue our choices, wondering why “they” fell for a candidate’s spiel when it was obvious the candidates were unqualified, or else unsuited for the post they were seeking.

But in the runup to elections, all we seem to care about is cake.