Have you ever played or at least heard about a Filipino strategy board game called Game of the Generals? This is also known as Salpakan and if you have no idea of what it is, wikipedia has something to say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_the_Generals.

I used to play this game way back in college during breaks usually while waiting for our next class. Me and my barkada would go to our favorite hangout which is either Mang Tolit’s or Mang Tony’s and play this. In this game, there need to be at least 3 people – 1 for the black camp, 1 for the white troop and an arbiter who acts as the judge. While writing this, I cannot escape the memories of the past flashing back. My college years and my friends… It’s all coming back to me now… Am I right, Celine? Wahehe.

Seriously though (Seryus to, Dudung!), I came up with this topic after browsing through my emails for an inbox cleanup yesterday. I went across one mail from a friend and it’s about the joy and the kickbacks of being senators of the Philippine Republic. Only in the Philippines, as they say.

I do not know if this is true but sometimes when you think about it,  there is a great probability that it might be. One interesting question – Why would a senator-wannabe spend millions of pesos during campaigns and battle their ways up against one another for a 35K-salary per month? An average and experienced office worker employed on a reputable corporation and who works diligently to the point that he renders lots of overtimes can have the same monthly rate or even higher but where are his expedition and benz and mansions and swiss accounts? I used the Boolean operator ‘AND’ here to signify that all of those things can belong to one person – a senator. True, there are politicians who come from prominent families (who might have done the kickbacks before) but how about the others?

Okay, let me give you the offer, as per the email. When elected one senator is entitled with 200 Million pesos of pork barrel (the so called CDF or countrywide development fund) plus monthly allowances of 500,000 pesos for Maintenance and Operating Expenses (Rental, Utilities, Supplies and Domestic Travels) plus another 500,000 pesos for Staff and Personal expenses plus plus plus the under the table agreements that usually have money involved. Well, how about that?!!

Now, imagine yourself working your butt out everyday, exerting every pure effort you have just to earn for a living. When monthend comes, your earnings will be deducted. Consequently, your contributions will reach the hands of these men who just sit there doing nothing.

I have always been interested to watch Kara David’s and Howie Severino’s documentaries featuring our fellow citizens living at remote places in the country. Come to think of this, with those pesos alloted for supposedly livelihood projects of the government, why are there still these poor families in places not even reached by basic services such as water, electricity and medicines? Where oh where have our taxes been? No wonder lots of Filipinos left the country just to escape this sad reality. The Philippines has been left behind by our neighboring countries. The reputation of the Philippines back then of a very promising future had long been gone with Singapore and even Thailand overtaking.

I agree, it is not right to blame others but when you analyze it, their work are just certainly questionable. In the end of this game, it will always be the people who lose while those in position will enjoy their winnings. Nonetheless, in the true end of life, there is still one Arbiter who will make the final judgement.