Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Privatizing Government Property: What's next? the entire country

Privatizing Government Property: What's next? the entire country?

By Katleah Iskre Ulrike


Today, we are facing a crisis that is similar to years ago. This crisis is seemingly too much that most people are tired of enduring it-worse? Being tolerated by the system. As every Government-owned enterprise are ought to be privatized and be reoriented in the way what profiteers insisted upon to against the people-who eventually argue about this factor the system given.

How come?
During in his State of the nation Address, President Benigno Aquino III spoke of "Public-Private Partnerships", that is, a means for a private institution to carry on the tasks of a Government Owned and Controlled Corporations in the name of "Rehabilitation." This kind of act, on the other hand, is a scheme that is inclined to profiteering and subjugating the public interest into the wishes of the Oligarchy.

Later on, the President approved in early January the raising of toll fees for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Also saying that the higher rates are in accordance with profit guarantees written into contracts with capitalist investors. Both NLEX and SLEX are being run by big foreign capitalists and their local business partners like Manny Pangilinan and the Lopezes. The higher rates being approved by the President have triggered fare hikes by buses and other vehicles using these expressways, creating discontent amongst drivers as well as commuters.

This action is also triggered by the increase in petroleum as Shell, Petron, and Caltex increased its prices, again making the driver resort to increase fares against the commuters.

But, along with the toll fee increases,the administration has also approved higher fares for the MRT and LRT despite urgent demands from the people for the government to stop adding to their burdens. And Train commuters are set to pay more than double the current fares starting March 1.

The regime's objective in raising MRT and LRT fares is to make these train lines attractive to the private sector. More than 75% of the stocks of the trains' operator Metro Rail Transit Corporation are set to be sold to the private sector, and one of the buyers is Manuel V. Pangilinan of PLDT and TV5, who has offered to buy the government's stake in the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 train line for $1.1 billion, that, according to the reports, as enough to cover the government's debt to MRT Corp. bondholders.

People, in facing this kind of problem, also thinks that how come MRT and LRT can be bankrupt yet they are filled up with people nor having advertisement signs in its stations and even the train itself. Since the Administration approved in making 60 Pesos as the fare in MRT and LRT, followed by increase in oil prices, tuition hikes and other increases, will the people really get contented to it-especially to a worker who worked 24 hours a day yet paid less?

These products of Privatization obviously shows how the present Administration, like any other Adminstrations, really wanted to stay away from ensuring people's welfare in favor of currying with Foreign support, worse? Of maintaining order courtesy of its mercenary Armed Forces. People are still seeking for genuine Social Justice, Upliftment and of course, affordable services what the Government supposedly can offer with. The use of the MRT and LRT lessened traffic in the roads while having a state-controlled oil establishment provided a good alternative for drivers in seeking cheaper gasoline. We even had no base industry yet nor having a Genuine Land Reform program what the Philippines needs, so why need for Privatizing everything? Is the Government trying to pose to the people that they are incapable of administering? For sure next, the Government will even resort to privatizing departments for goddamn sake, and that "Public-Private Partnerships?" is a watered term for a real term that is "Privatization."

So, if everything is being privatized, what's next? The cities? the roads? Will the Pilipino start to undergo mandatory penalization, paying 24 or 50 Pesos for standing by on the sidewalk? God forbid.