When The Fishes Are Gone

The Cuaming Example

In the late 80's I had the pleasure of visiting a small island near Bohol called Cuaming. It wasn't Boracay, but I fell in love with its natural beauty. White sand, crystal clear water that stretched out forever. Just a few meters away from the beach, you would find coral reefs, and fishes you would only find in the gigantic aquarium at Oceanpark Hong Kong. The islanders' main source of income was fishing. And there was an abundance of it to sell and for personal consumption. The folks who lived there could afford to send their children to the universities of nearby Cebu with the income generated from their harvests. And, at that time, they didn't need to go far in order to have a plentiful catch.

But, Cuaming fishermen used illegal means in acquiring their produce. Most of them used dynamites and cyanide. They used these openly and even shared materials with each other. You would hear explosions from nearby fishing boats all day. Stories were casually shared of tragedies that resulted from mishandling of the bombs. The men of Cuaming harvested the sea using every means available to them; unmindful of the consequences of their actions. They never imagined that one day, there won't be any fish left to catch.

Now, the corals are all dead. Decimated by their poison. The fishes are gone. The new generation of fishermen from the island need to travel to distant waters to catch fish. With no fish to catch, they find it hard to survive the cost of daily living. They don't look back at their own follies though. They blame the government instead for their pitiful plight.

The SSS As Our Ocean

At first glance, the veto on HB 5842 seems callous. The bill proposes a two-thousand peso increase to the pension of some two million Filipinos. Yes, I agree it is quite disheartening to many; including my own parents. But, if we look a little closer, the action of President Noynoy Aquino actually makes sense. Especially, if you look at the timing of this whole episode.

We should put into perspective that 2016 is an election year. Almost all of the members of Congress are standing for elective posts. It is again the season when politicians love to play with populist agenda and legislation in the hope of gaining pogi points. It is a time for grandstanding! A time to give false hope to the masses! Our lawmakers were already made aware that this bill is not financially feasible in August.

They have been told that Social Security premiums need to be increased from the current 11% to 15% in order to make this a viable option. But, increasing the premium would anger the majority of workers; who are incidentally, voters. The president didn't offer false hope. It was the lawmakers who peddled this lie; not Aquino.

As a result of his actions, Mr. Aquino has drawn the ire of the beneficiaries. And I admire him for having the balls to do the right thing, however unpopular. That is political will! Signing the bill would have been the easiest thing to do, considering that his term will end in a few months. He could have approved it and let the next two administrations sort out the resulting mess. His chosen successor could also capitalize on this for his own campaign. But no! The president chose to look at the big picture. A future where present contributors to the SSS will have access to the benefits they deserve. This proves President Aquino is beyond politics. You wanted a straight path? That's your proof! It may be harsh to some, but that is the right thing to do!

It is in my best interest that the SSS survives beyond 2029. I am a stakeholder of the system. I too deserve to receive my monthly pensions when the time comes. I thank the president for looking after my future, and for not giving in to the myopic views of the selfish politicians. For making sure that there will still be fish to catch after 2029.