Twenty-Twenty

Finally, the government has found a way to set the price of rice at 20 pesos per kilogram. We have long waited for this. It was promised to the Filipino people three years ago. We saw it try to take off. Then, it fizzled down. But, hope was not lost. The President, from time to time, reminded of this great promise. He would hint that his people are working towards making it a reality. Now, it’s here. We could finally buy a kilogram of rice for 20 pesos. That’s one red bill with Manuel Quezon’s face on it, two ten-peso coins, four five-peso coins or twenty one-peso coins that you took from your piggy bank. (When was rice at 20 pesos per kilo? Was it the 90s? Was it the 80s?) Camarines Sur is among the local governments which would initially benefit this new phenomenon of progress. This will be available starting May 2. By the time, this paper would be in circulation, that rice would be out in stores already.

But, don’t go rushing to your friendly neighborhood sari-sari store at the street corner. I don’t think you could get it there. This P 20 per kilo rice will be available at KADIWA Centers, and I just found out that KADIWA stands for Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita. if our family of five has a gross income of higher than PHP 13,873 per month, and we could still afford the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, healthcare, and education, we could not buy that rice. If I am below 60, I could not buy that rice. If I’m together with my spouse, I could not buy that rice. If I don’t have any disability, I could not buy that rice. That’s because “the P20-per-kilo rice will only be for indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities, with a cap of 30 kilos per month”. What does “cap of 30 kilos per month” mean? Is an individual or a family allowed to buy only 30 kilos of this 20 peso per kilo rice in one month? Would a family with a gross income of less than Php 14k use up almost half of their monthly cash for rice? Maybe. So, what do we do? We ask a friend who is indigent, senior citizen, solo parent or PWD to buy the rice for us; or forget about it and buy the regular higher than Php 20 per kilo rice in the regular stores.

This KADIWA Centers remind me of the Gloria Labandera rolling stores back in the 2000sNot only is this affordable price inaccessible due to the limited number of stores, selected places of availability, the commodity is also available to selected sectors. These local governments are considered to be vulnerable. )I presume that they mean “economically vulnerable”.) Wait, does that mean Camarines Sur is a poor province and is in need of social welfare assistance? Is CamSur the poorest among the Bicol provinces, since no other province in the region is included? Of course, the indigent, senior citizens, solo parents and persons with disabilities need assistance, and should be high priority for affordable commodities. But, the exclusivity only indicates that this P 20 per kilo rice is not really the affordable rice that then candidate for president BBM promised and the public fell into, hook line and sinker; but a social welfare aid for marginalized sectors in economically vulnerable provinces in the nation.

The timing leaves me mumbling to myself, “really? Why now? Why not earlier?” why not later”. Conspiracy theorists may craft suspicions that this program is Malacanang’s attempt to sway public opinion of satisfaction and approval towards the administration, especially with the Vice President elevating in positive ratings and the President, Senate President and House Speaker all declining in negative ratings in surveys. Are they trying to attract people to favor the President with P 20 kilo rice? Is this a ploy to get people to vote for candidates endorsed by the President? Couldn’t they have started this program earlier before the campaign period, before the Duterte arrest? Couldn’t they have waited a little while, just a few weeks more to start this after the election, to avoid misinterpretations? That would have been just two weeks after the election. On the other hand, why wait? This is an immediate concern. Indigent families, senior citizens, solo parents and persons with disabilities in economically vulnerable places are in great need of P 20 per kilo rice, and they need it right now.

Deuteronomy 15:7: “you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.”