“As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot.” = JOHN LENNON.
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This is a situation in which one event causes another similar event, which in turn causes a further event of similar result or effect.
In our particular case, it means the aggravation of the circumstances due to the aggravation of a relevant event that triggers (or worsens) an upcoming situation.
This is actually a tragey, a traumatic one.
See here. When the price of fossil oil increases, what happens?
Jeepnery drivers and operators and public conveyances (tricycles and taxis and bus and other transport sectors) ask for an increase in fares including the foot-pedaled ‘sikad’ which is not powered by oil/gasoline;
Because of the above, the government is forced to create an ‘ayuda’ or fuel subsidy program for the affected transport sector;
Because of the above, the DSWD moves to assist indigent and dirt-poor families with food stamps as a humanitarian act;
The LTFRB cautiously studies the situation (even if it takes them eterbnity to decide);
Teachers in both public and private schools moan and groan and collectively employ the parliament of the streets to demand for a salary increase;
Employees, laborers and workers in the private sector follow suit to ask/demand for wage increases accordingly;
Manufacturing companies and other business entities increse the price of their products because of higher energy costs, passing the burden to consumers;
Energy and power distributors raise their rates accordingly including electric cooperatives otherwise rotational brownouts cannot be helped;
Fishermen, fish dealers, market vendors and other allied marine producers raise their prices because they are affected by the oil price increase;
Operators of small restaurants, carinderia, canteens and coffee shops raise their food prices;
(Waiters and waitresses, barmaids, utility boys, dishwashers, etc. ask for wage increase);
The prices of farm inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, implements, etc. also increase that force the farmers and other agriculture-based producers such as swine and poultry to raise their farmgate prices;
Farmers cry (in despair) because much as they want to increase the price of palay and corn, they could not without prior clearance from the DA and the President;
Large malls affected by the wage increase and rising energy costs raise their rental fees that force concessionaires to raise their prices accordingly regardless of the commercial items they carry;
Students who can only endure the oil price hike because it is beyond the government’s control, walk their way to school and thriftily spend their allowance even if they miss their snacks and merienda and even fregular lunch;
Cartels and oil smugglers hide their “loot” until they decide it is time to release their goods because the prices have already doubled and their connivance with corrupt government enforcers is secured;
Heads of families – idle and long unemployed – try their luck, wanting to provide food on the table, by resorting to criminal acts either by robbery, snatching and theft, thus alarmingkly raising the crime rate;
Wives holler at their husbands who bring home their regular paychecks but whose purchasing power has greatly diminished;
Many students are forced to drop ouof school because their parents could no longer maintain the necessary allowances such as for food and transport and other amenities;
Movieactors, producers, extras, production staff become anxious and wary because they don;t get as many assignments as before because their audiences can no longer afford to watch movies physically;
Husbands and male breadwinners who used to have regular nihgouts with the boys are constrained to limit their visits to the bar (and make romantic gestures to their favorite pretty bar waitreses) because of the prhibitive costs of wine, beer, alcohol and ‘pulutan;’
Waitresses and GROs of classy joints who usually receive good tips from generous customers squirm at the fuel prioce increase because they pay higher taxi fares, thus lessening their earnings for the night;
The journalist who closes the page of his newspaper and frequents a regular drinking base with his ‘dabarkads’ after work also complains because the price of beer and his favorite pulutan have gone up.
Life on this planet either amuses or exasperates you. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com). GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
