Lighting up the Aeta community

By Herbert Vego

 

WE used to look down on the typical Aeta (Ati) – a nomadic black ancestor from the mountain, homeless, begging for survival in the urban center.

The good news is that there are Aetas today who are no longer that primitive. By the grace of the Iloilo City government, for example, there are now 24 families occupying modest but concrete homes at Barangay Lanit (Jaro district). By whatever means, they flex their muscles raising and selling vegetables and livestock, among others, for a living.

They may look dirty – especially their shabby playing children — but they know how to take good care of their health without relying on conventional medicine. We have yet to hear of an Aeta dying of Covid-19. More on that later.

Shame on power pilferers! Our Aetas don’t even have to tap electricity from better-off neighbors. They are now among the proud paying customers of MORE Electric and Power Corp.

In the words of MORE Power spokesman Jonathan Cabrera, “They raised only four thousand pesos for their bill deposit. Thereafter, for being a lifeline customer, each household spends less than ten pesos for 20 kilowatt-hours or less per month.

“Very proud sila kay may ila na nga kaugalingon nga kuntador kag indi na sila makabig nga nagapangawat kuryente.”

To MORE Power President Roel Z. Castro, it is a fitting indicator of the passion of Ilonggos to count themselves as a portion of the cogs that would “level up” the city in accordance with Mayor Jerry Treñas’ wish.

In its one year of operation, MORE Power has eliminated more than 10,000 illegal electrical connections that weigh heavily in the computation of systems loss. With less systems loss, the company could focus on reliability, competitive power rates, and customer satisfaction.

Castro reminded us that since the bigger portion of the power bill goes to the power-generating companies, the latter charges excess pilferage to both the distributor (MORE) and consumers.

“Without system’s loss,” Castro said, “we could further lower the power bill.”

 

CHINA’S PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY

OUR nervous people are so afraid of catching Covid-19 that many are willing to be jabbed with the China-made Sinovac. The President has repeatedly thanked China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for airlifting 600,000 doses to Manila.

“The brand does not matter,” a vaccinated woman excitedly told a TV reporter, short of echoing the gratitude of President Du30 to his Chinese counterpart.

Does it not matter that we are helping China rise in the targeted post-Covid world, akin to winning a war without firing a shot?

It does, according to  Melina Delkic in the New York Times yesterday. Commenting on Chinese President Xi Jinping, she said he intends “to secure China’s prosperity and power. As the Communist Party leader, Mr. Xi will soon unveil a confidential blueprint for navigating China in the new global environment before the Communist Party-controlled legislature, the National People’s Congress.”

I agree. This early, there is nothing confidential about the apparent intention of China to make use of our territories in the Spratly islands in case of war with the United States and its allies arising from her determination to take control of the South China Sea.

By occupying Spratly islands within Philippine territory, China has actually bared its military defense plan. But since Spratly is easy to target because it is out in the open and unoccupied by Filipino civilians, China’s armed elements could turn our country into its main base for offense and defense.

The conjecture is not without basis. It is no secret that Chinese military planes and ships have been transporting undisclosed cargo in Davao.

That reminds me of that video-recorded gathering in Davao City where President Duterte joked  before the Chinese ambassador ang businessmen about our country becoming a “province of China.”

What a cruel joke!

Beware of that joke which must have been a wish for “protection” in the event somebody moves out of power.