Tambuling Batangas Publication March 13-19, 2019 Issue | Page 4

OPINYON March 13-19, 2019 Lingguhang Pahayagan ng Lalawigan ng Batangas na inilalathala tuwing Miyerkules / PRINTING PLANT: Sinag Publishing & Printing Services, National Highway, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City, Laguna. Tel nos. [phone] & [phone] / Subscription fee: One year P360.00 Six Months: P180.00 / Commercial Advertising rate: P160 per column cm / MEMBER: Publisher’s Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) / Raia Jennifer E. Dela Peña Managing Editor / P.L. Villa, RC Asa Contributing Editors / Shara Jane Falceso, Rachelle Joy Aquino, Jacquilou Lirio, Maria Carlyn Ureta staff writers / Ruel T. Landicho Lay-out Artist/ Ms. Corazon D.P. Marcial, Amber D.C Vitto Legal Consultant. email add: [email protected] & [email protected] …And action! IF Bong Revilla has an upcoming movie and Jinggoy Estrada has an ongoing tiff with his half-brother JV Ejercito, what sort of drama does Lito Lapid have to boost his bid in the upcoming elections? Ejercito is seeking reelection and the other three are staging their comebacks to the Senate. They join 58 others wishing to bag one of 12 available seats. One can only imagine the mad scramble and we hope it does escalate into stampede proportions. In politics, one does not have to look too far for real entertainment. The news is sometimes chock-full of role-players and performers — and some are “award-winning” in a completely different way. Someone should have gotten a rotten tomato award for last year’s rice shortage, for example. Another should have gotten the frying pan award for a dastardly attempt to insert pork in the national budget. Meanwhile, there is always a pretender clowning around or, as a break from routine, the occasional drama ingenue. It makes one think: do we really want to put the nation’s future in the hands of certain personalities we call leaders? When we had action stars in the Senate and even an action star in Malacañang, for example, was there much action going toward the country’s progress? But did the box-office queen rake in progress for the province she has led for years? It’s all about performance and sincerity because, as any acting coach would tell you, performing a role should come from the heart. The role of a leader requires the same commitment and courage to aim for the stars even if there is always the possibility of a flop. Being a leader, lawmaker, public servant or whatever you want to call it needs that unnamable X-factor that pull, but most of all, the talent to expound on a vision. Think Bong Go and his Malasakit Centers slowly but surely gaining ground across the country. You can’t sustain your so-called causes if you are only mouthing the words and don’t really believe what you are saying. It follows, then, that no matter how many bills you author, they do not mean as much as those that you saw through to their fruition. So, did the dramatic actress, boxer-celebrity, matinee idols, leading ladies, comedians and character actors prove themselves worthy of applause, er, votes? Such a question begs for answers, especially since the action stars mentioned above are gunning for another chance to serve the nation. As Jinggoy remarked during his 56th birthday celebration in San Juan some weeks ago, “Why is he (referring to senatorial reelectionist JV) depriving me of the right to serve the people? I also have the right to do what I want to do and to serve the people properly.” A right is a right, it is true, but is he Mr. Right? Again, the voting public must find the answers from within. Meanwhile, the campaign season is heating up and for sure, the recognizable faces among the 62 Senate hopefuls will receive a fan welcome as there will be those looking to be entertained by these sorties and debates. Some of the unknowns, if you listen to them, should have a chance to be heard more while others who are almost fixtures in the political landscapes need to stop talking. It would be wrong to assume that being in show business is always a positive thing for those running for office because history shows several failed bids by very popular actors and actresses. Fame does not translate to winnability, unless Freddie Aguilar makes it. Those failed bids show that voters can distinguish who is capable and who is not, no matter who they are. Under the Duterte administration, especially, people have seen that fame (or infamy), looks, a pedigree or high education are no guarantees for success in the polls. The elections, after all, is not the box-office. And Filipinos today prefer real action, not make-believe. Ni Teo S. Marasigan Corporate Social Responsibility: Business as Usual BAGO pumutok ang kasalukuyang krisis pampinansya at pang- ekonomiya, may isang praseng sikat at patok sa negosyo, akademya at midya: ang Corporate Social Responsibility o CSR.Ito ang pagkakawanggawa ng mga korporasyon at negosyante, na kadalasang malalaki, sa lipunan. Minsan, nagtanong si Angela Stuart-Santiago, kilalang blogger, kaugnay ng CSR ng ABS-CBN: Bakit, aniya, hindi na lang nito ibalik at paramihin ang mga programang nagbibigay sa publiko ng impormasyon at opinyon hinggil sa maiinit na isyung pambansa? Naalala ko nga, noon, kahit ang dating Mel and Jay ay tumalakay sa isyu ng mga base-militar ng US sa Pinas. Sa ganitong tanong, itinuturo niya ang mahalagang batayang materyal o pang- ekonomiya ng CSR: Kailangan, kitang-kita ang kita o go na go ang negosyo ng mga korporasyon at negosyante. Kailangan, halimbawa, na manatiling kaunti ang mga programang makabuluhan ng ABS-CBN para makapaglunsad ito ng maliit na programang pang-CSR na gaya ng ipinapakita ni Gng. Santiago ay kwestyonable o maliit lang ang pakinabang sa publiko. Katugma ito sa kritika ni Slavoj Zizek, pilosopong Slovenian, sa ”CSR” ng mga sikat na malaking negosyante sa US na tinawag niyang ”mga komunistang liberal.” Aniya, ”Pwedeng nilalabanan nila ang suhetibong karahasan, pero ang mga komunistang liberal ang mga ahente ng istruktural na karahasan na lumilikha ng mga kalagayan para sa suhetibong karahasan. Ang [George] Soros na nagbibigay ng bilyun-bilyon para pondohan ang edukasyon ay nakawasak sa buhay ng libu-libong tao salamat sa kanyang mga ispekulasyong pampinansya at sa gayon ay lumikha ng mga kalagayan para sa pag-usbong ng kawalang- pagkilala (intolerance) na kanyang kinokondena.” Sa hirap ng buhay sa bansa, maipagpapasalamat na ng iba ang CSR ng mga korporasyon at negosyante. Pero mahalaga pa ring mailantad ang materyal o pang-ekonomiyang batayan nito – na posible ngang napagtatakpan o napapaliit sa mata ng publiko ng mga hakbanging pang-CSR. Hindi ko alam kung may CSR si Henry Sy, halimbawa, ang sikat na may-ari ng mga mall na SM. Kung mayroon man, katas ito ng pagsasamantala niya sa napakaraming kontraktwal na kababaihang manggagawa sa SM, pagbarat sa sahod nila at paglaban sa pag-uunyon nila sa pagtanggap sa nakakaraming manggagawang miyembro ng Iglesia ni Cristo – na kung bakit naman nagbabawal sa mga miyembro nito na mag- unyon. Tila aktibo ang Shell sa Gawad Kalinga. Mabuti na rin sa isang banda. Pero bistado na ang modus operandi ng kartel ng langis sa bansa: Mabilis magtaas ng presyo kapag may palusot na pwedeng idahilan, pero mabagal at barya-barya lang magbaba kapag alam na ng mga mapagbantay na dapat magbaba ito ng presyo. Sinasabi pa sa publikong nalulugi gayung ang ibig lang sabihin ay hindi nakakamit ang target nitong tubo sa isang panahon. Sa isang artikulong tila tumutuldok sa ”CSR” ng mga kompanya at negosyante sa US dahil sa kasalukuyang krisis, nagdagdag pa ng punto si Katha Pollitt laban sa ”pamimilantropo” nila: ”Sinabayan – at tinulungang bigyang-katwiran – ng paglakas ng pamimilantropo ang mga kaltas sa buwis, lumiit na mga serbisyo ng gobyerno at tumitinding kawalan ng pagkakapantay-pantay.” Noong kasikatan ng CSR, binihisan ito ng mga teorista at publisista nito ng unibersal o panghabang- panahong pilosopiya – tulad ng din ng ginawa noon sa ”globalisasyong neoliberal.” Ngayon, sa pagputok ng malubha at matagalang krisis pampinansya at pang- ekonomiya sa buong mundo, huhulas ang pilosopiyang ito na parang kolorete sa mukha ng agnas nang bangkay. Hindi ito ubra kapag ”business unusual” tulad ngayon. Ubra lang ito kapag ”business as usual” – na masama rin, o napakasama, para sa marami nating kababayan. ”Ang kailangan talaga natin,” ani Pollitt, ”ay hindi ang pabugsu-bugsong mga hakbangin ng kabutihan kundi ang tuluy-tuloy na mga hakbangin ng pagkakaisa.” Pwedeng idagdag: hindi para manlimos ng mumo ng mga mayaman at makapangyarihan o magpasalamat dito, kundi para agawin at angkinin ang pag-aari at kapangyarihan nila. 26 Marso 2009