Catanduanes Forum

Are we ever dreaming of being financially free?

Then we have to compete in the globalization! But, how ready are we to provide the necessary requirements? The requirements are really easy and can be enumerated in bullets. But I will not do that just now as Rev. Rolvin Romero is waiting for it for his speech at CSC! Make your own list, Rev! Fat luck!

Globalization needs globally competitive products. Products that are unique and can only be supplied by Filipinos. Can we do that?

Oh yes! I don’t need to copy from my seatmates to know that those carvings I saw in Cambodia and in the Kingdom of Laos, my Nanang Conching na ki Banga, they sell! Inanay! They sell! Por dios por santo those Kursong in Vietnam! Tang Awe in Katamban makes better ones!

Hah… you should see the agahid in Vientianne and the “kigaron” or “kilaraw” or whatever you call them! Hellojo has the stomach to hold them in my tourist bus to Thailand instead of getting them in the luggage compartment down there… but chose to hold them in his lap like they were pieces of golden Buddha! …and with matching snobbish grin to tell everyone in the bus that he’s got a prized possession as a gift to his number two! Hah… wait till he sees how Tang Bening in Macutal and Nang Nisa in Guinsaanan make them! He’ll surely make them pendants for his concubine’s necklaces or his earrings!

So do we have those unique products? Sure, you only need to travel around Catanduanes to compare that those selling in Shang-mai or Phathaya in Thailand are poor copies of what we have!

Beauty is the product of people who are committed to and in love with what they are good at!

I was invited by Luz Jubay to be a guest speaker in Dugui Too, because my speeches do not sell downtown! Well, to sour-grape really, I said I love to deliver my speeches in places like Dugui Too because I love the people there and they need my speeches most! And… those people there would treat me like I’m a Congressman! I thought I will just speak a lot of English to make sure they don’t know I have nothing to say really. So, thanks Luz, may I go!

On my way, I saw this elderly woman - with economic history of the Philippines written all over her face - weaving a market basket that has suddenly disappeared from the market as Professors of CSC and employees of the capitol and munisipio love to carry their market loots in plastic bag! Oh, I think I have blinded the poor old woman with the flash of my camera as I tried to capture the bliss, serenity, commitment and love exhibited by the dexterity of her hands – oh the gracefulness surely will shame ballerinas - while she weaves that market basket! A good excuse for me to rest and save face to admit I nearly killed Luz for not telling me, going to Dugui Too is eternal climbing mount Everest!

I bought the market basket, really because the old woman was so committed to and in love with her basket as she wove it with artistry! I bought it for Php 450.00. Well, I melted under my wife’s stare when I returned home, as she always think all the beautiful things I buy are cheaper somewhere else! Well, women’s shopping vanity really!

I don’t want to tell you that Neil Banares invited me next to what he said were a better place to deliver my speech with better food than Dugui Too. Where was it this time? Well it was in Dugui Wala.

I have never seen Neil since then! I have decided to loose an ungrateful former student! I should have failed him in Logic!

Oh! I could not stand for weeks because of his, madari na sir, pagliko ta dian, Dugui wala na, only to be followed by the eternal crossing of Amazon River! Whop! Friendship ended right there and then! I had plastic tape on both sides of my cheeks to my ears to stretch a fake smile while delivering my speech! And… on my way home I had to ride in banana opas from Dugui wala along Sto. Domingo River straight to the Hospital!

My crime for training Luz and Neil in Hablod-Dawani!

But yes, we have committed labor force who knows their trade best… albeit they also know how to price to scare Hellojo!

More than skill, commitment to one’s craft is an essential ingredient in producing crafts worthy of competing in this globally competitive world. And hasn’t that woman showed commitment and love for her basket? Her pricing says she does not want to part with it. Beautiful!

Oh, where was that basket now after it broke a week after?

Anyway, production of quality products in quantities would push down cost of production and afford us to paste with pride a globally competitive price.

Hah! That is old story. Silangan, Baras has done that already. It produced good quality abaca strings. How I would volunteer to sit on the side of San Lorenzo Street manually turning those pegs. I knew Rob Diaz has done that too in Cabugao as his voice is not good enough to shout “Balaw!” So really, that’s the reason for Rob’s fixation of sending decent voiced people like me and Ges those beautiful songs with matching patriotic lesson of how to unfold a flag! Hah! Nearly contacted aids. Thanks Rob.

Quantity? But when they run out of abaca hemp – as Belle’s father always bought all of Baras’ abaca, stock them in Bato, haul them to Virac to show Bato produces more hemp, while Mayor Bulotoy grins on the wayside massaging his cock (ooops… doesn’t it sound vulgar! I should have added “fighting” there – well, they mix shredded banana “opas”. The trade stopped when Tang Sido died of poverty.

So does Philippines have the requirements to produce quality goods in quantities? Of course Juaning. Of course.

Oh, by the way marketing is the least aspect of globalization that I would worry. History states that people with money to spare seek products they want no matter what the cost. STR, if you only listened to your History teacher in Tabugoc, you would would have known the Titanic sank because of overload of world class Pusit from Lourdes, Tabugoc and Marambong!

No, I don’t worry about marketing. I would worry more about the Filipino’s sense of knowing what people with money want to buy. They have the fancy of cooking Gina’tan or Ginat’an, whichever, the same banana, and sell them in SAVS or Viga Rural Development High School when the students there wants MacDo or Jollibee! You know…

So here is the secret now on how to join the bandwagon of globalization. Get ready with your pens and notebooks class.

You see, more quality products produced would mean more money earned! Mr. Rufino Soriao hammered that to me with his treatment of “Economies of Sales”. What does that mean again sir?

Anyway, doing the above translates to Juan dela Cruz’s food for the table for more able bodied worker who would later go to Manila to work for the Chinese. Also, it would translate to sturdier house that would withstand disasters in our disaster prone country thereby saving precious money in building 5 houses in one’s lifetime due to typhoon Loleng coming back 5 times. Good business for the Red Cross and the Chinese!

Savings would account for more money in the bank that would be opened to more businesses.

More people earning more money would mean more taxes with which to build more good roads for faster delivery of products. My friend, former Mayor Joseph Cua, would certainly show off his killing smile. LISTEN, if we want to compete in this world, we have to deliver our goods at the right place and time. Therefore, we need world class roads. Taxes will do that!

But… oh my goodness… that would mean more money for the politicians! And more roads that are sub-standard so the politicians will have reason to “repair” those roads! You ask me why they need to build that substandard roads and school buildings and then repair them later? Well, Juan, that is how the politicians get their 20%, idiot! Did Senen say 40%?

More taxes? Great! That would also mean fat pork barrels for the demi-gods in the house of congress and the senate!

Hah! The gull I will allow these politician friends of Mr. Jorge O. Macenas get more money from taxes! No sir! I will not allow them even if Jorge would lure me again to that crunchy Tuna Tail! Crunchy Tuna Tail? Ough, I love crunchy dilis more. But by Jorge, he is my friend, I have to swallow those…. Urgh! Crunchy Tuna Tail? Bones, I’d say. No sir. Politicians keep off from taxes that will be generated by my secret formula! Shoo! Shoo!

Sorry. I have to stop here. Politicians are reason enough to stop right here! I will never divulge my secrets on how to effectively and efficiently join globalization! Hah! Why? For those sharks and crocs to bag in the taxes that my secret formula would spur! Never!

So, are we ever dreaming of being financially free?

Well, annihilate the politicians first, thank you!

Untitled