A long dry spell facing us

In the midst of the never-ending pork barrel scandal we are all getting incredibly tired of, comes a more newsworthy story. Well, to me at least, and I am sure many will agree. I am talking about the news that we are all in for a dry spell that could last well into 2015. My first thought was that we should all start conserving water as early as now. Already the water levels in La Mesa and Angat Dam are starting to decline and if they continue to do so at their current rate, it could hit critical levels by mid-May.

Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) predicted that the dry spell or El Niño would already impact the country as early as June. The last time it hit water levels in the country reached an all-time low. PAGASA is predicting that with the El Niño phenomenon the country will see reduced rainfall this year that might last for as long as nine months or more. And this is not cause to celebrate, just because we have reduced rainfall, it does not mean we’ll have less typhoons or storms. In fact, the El Niño event can cause tropical cyclones to be erratic and change their path and intensity, making it even harder to predict when typhoons will hit, and therefore harder to prepare as well.

News of this impending dry spell is disturbing for so many reasons. A shortage in water will affect the country in so many ways. Crops won’t grow and existing crops will die, heat will intensify, and there will be a shortage in the water everyone needs on a daily basis. We all experienced what it was like to have a shortage of water during Holy Week and that was only for a few days. People were already panicking and trying to stock up. It was a difficult couple of days with people rationing what they had. And quite frankly with the heat of summer at an all time high and stifling in so many ways, water shortage could not come at a worse time.

Currently, PAGASA says the water levels in the dam have not reached a level that would require rationing yet, but everyone is advised to try to use water sparingly and smartly. I think it would be a good idea for us to be more proactive this time. Let’s not wait until we are at a critical level before doing something. As I discussed in a previous column with regards to the energy shortage, it’s important we already take steps to be prepared and to be more careful when it comes to using our resources. Our population is already straining our country to the breaking point, and we need to do our share to ensure a sustainable future for all.

*      *      *

The act of BIR Commissioner Kim Henares to file criminal charges against taxpayers who use “bouncing checks” to pay their taxes due is an excellent move that should really teach everyone a lesson when it comes to fairly and rightfully paying their taxes. It’s about time that there are consequences for those who would try to “cheat” the system. After all, we are all doing our part and paying our taxes, why should those who issue bogus checks get away scot-free?

There was a time when there was a bouncing check law (Batas Pambansa No. 22) that allowed for filing of cases against those who paid their taxes using checks that were subsequently dishonored due to “accounts closed.” Unfortunately, most revenue officers were not able to fully adhere to the guidelines laid down for the redemption of dishonored checks.

Quite frankly, we’ve all been subjected to a lot of changes and more aggressive steps taken by the BIR this past tax season, and it’s been difficult in many ways. As I mentioned in a previous column, many doctors and lawyers have taken offense at the new guidelines laid out for their professions when it comes to paying taxes, and many small and medium enterprises have felt the pinch of stricter regulations and harsher guidelines. However, when it all comes down to it, everyone did what he or she was supposed to, no matter how difficult it was. It’s not fair that everyone else did their part and there are some who are trying to get away with issuing dishonored checks.

Commissioner Henares has issued a Memorandum Order (RMO) 30-2014 for the strict enforcement of the bureau’s policies on the redemption of “rubber checks” as payment for taxes due. Keep it up Commissioner. I am sure there are many out there who think they can get away with this type of fraudulent behavior.

*      *      *

The President praised the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) last week for addressing safety concerns in the past and finally putting the country back to a Category 1 status. This means that the Philippines can now finally travel once again to different cities within the United States using PAL carriers. Aquino mentioned that the hard work of the people of CAAP has allowed the country to make up for lost opportunities due to the irresponsibility and neglect of their predecessors.

This change in our aviation is definitely very welcome news for the country and especially for those who love to travel. With more options now available to us via our national airlines we can only hope that costs become more competitive and give us better options for travel. There have been hints of big seat sales and more and more people are looking into the traveling abroad.

Aquino was very pleased to remove what he referred to as the “bottlenecks” in aviation which will not only give us more opportunities to fly to different destinations, but will also allow more tourists around the world to visit the Philippines and see all the beauty that our country has to offer. There is still a long road ahead when it comes to continued improvement in our aviation industry, but at least the first step has been taken.

As an added bonus to the good news, PAL president Ramon Ang will be using PAL’s new carriers (Boeing 777) for their United States flights. With more choices, we can only hope this truly translates into cheaper and more varied airfares.