Diff’rent strokes

Why not ask the US of A put up a military base there instead of additional EDCA sites purposely aimed to address a potential Taiwan Strait conflict?

How our top national leaders reacted to the latest Pulse Asia survey which showed a steep plunge in their performance approval ratings provides a study in contrasts.

Though likely un-studied, it gives us a mirror to their personalities.

I borrow the title of today’s column from the popular though short-lived (by American standards) early 80s sitcom which sometimes dealt on serious issues pictured in light vein.

The day after the release of the survey, the president was in Taguig to dispense sacks of rice to recipients of the 4Ps.

Though the survey results may have been unpleasant, the president took it in stride, and in humble tone accepted that this was “not surprising.”

“People are having a hard time. The rice issue – that is a burden really…”

“You can’t blame the people. They are suffering… That’s perfectly natural. It’s not a surprise – let’s put it that way,” he added.

And on the same day, he announced the lifting of the controversial price ceiling on rice, started in early September, which had obviously failed to dampen the inflation rate, with the PSA itself and the Pulse Asia research confirming that food inflation, particularly that of rice, was the public’s main beef, as the index rose to 6.1 percent in September.

The president’s DA and DTI appointees expectedly stated the price cap worked, and said prices would not go up again because the palay harvests have begun. We hope.

Such brown-nosing over a failed market intervention does not square off with the small number of retailers “nationwide” which DSWD, given DTI’s list of retailers, was able to help through the 15,000 peso “ayuda.”

How explain the small number of beneficiaries who availed themselves of the “ayuda,” around 20,000 rice retailers nationwide after a month, while the DA proudly exclaimed there was 95 percent compliance just a week after imposition?

Even the masa cannot be fooled by such pompous pronouncements.

Truth to tell, the lowly ‘masa’ never felt so outcast from society as when they are forced to buy bad rice at P41 to P45 simply