Letter To The Editor: Out of the box

On this question of Power (not the sort exercised by our elected officials and public servants, in I might add, what seems to be an ever increasing cavalier manner; and anyway that's spelt POWER!), but rather electricity, or the lack of it.

We have, in this country suffered from 'brown outs' for years and years, brownouts are synonymous with the RP. One can understand a 'brownout' in the aftermath of a typhoon, earthquake or whatever but that is not the reason this time is it. It's obviously a supply/demand problem, gross bad management, old ill maintained plant, lack of investment or something else that I dare not even mention.

I have, whilst lying in the dark on the tiled floor of my little cottage (it's cooler there) munching on a mango, come up with a novel very exciting idea. Eureka!

Yes, it's a brilliant idea, (I think so anyway), yes a completely new concept for the Government, the Philippine power supply companies, the cities, the towns etc, and I've even coined a brand new word for it! It's called Planning - spelt P-L-A-N-N-I-N-G.

Essentially, what this new concept means is that the Government authorities all get their experts together in the fields of say, demographic forecasting, estimated industrial and domestic growth and demand, electrical engineers, power generation 'experts', lawyers (of course) President P.Noy, (who he?) Kris etc, etc, to estimate demand over, let's say, the next twenty five years - you get the idea.

At this point we will have a fair idea of what we as a country, will need at certain points in time, in certain areas over the period. It's taking a proactive approach rather than reactive one; another revolutionary concept I dreamed up…

 Then, at this juncture, the Government (it's their responsibly not mine) allocate funds to meet the investment of new plant, joint ventures, 'family' ventures, monopolies (an all time favorite) whatever, on a time frame that coincides with anticipated demand… and off we go!

I'm even thinking my brilliant new idea might work with the water supply problems we have in this country as well. Yes it's groundbreaking and radical I know, it's 'thinking out of the box' but at the dawn of the second decade of the twenty first century, a poor old guy stumbling around the hills of Cebu City waving a stick about in the air to find water doesn't seem to me - as a layperson in these very complicated matters- a scientific positive approach; I could be wrong of course, it has been known…

It's an awful expression I know, but this attitude of a lack of concept of what 'tomorrow' means is so 'typical' of a Filipino. He/or she will, just like a frog on a hot plate, sit there and as the plate gets hotter and hotter and hotter will only jump off when its bottom is scorched and it's no longer able to bear the pain. King Philip II of Spain, Marcos, and Estrada illustrate my point quite well I think.

Again, in so typically a Filipino altruistic fashion, I expect no personal pecuniary reward for this revolutionary new idea, oh no, just the simple satisfaction of being able to help my fellow islanders is quite enough for me thank you - of course I would not turn down a few executive directorships, or Honorary Degrees, or a seat in the Senate (I need a long vacation anyway); and I would certainly not wish to appear rude, or ungrateful …

Strange isn't it that BP the oil giant, trying to handle the biggest oil spill in world history are recruiting ideas on how to fix the problem from Joe public, (and some of them are practical and unique) the so called 'experts' having failed dismally - just like the 'economists' and 'expert bankers' did a year or more ago.

"Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings" eh…?

Jeane Tayo

Purok Tindog, Guiwanon

Bantayan Island