Better things to do

Don’t you have better things to do?

The question often comes across as a critical put down especially coming from people who seem to spend more time asking than doing.

However, we also can’t deny that we now live in a world that seems to be preoccupied with being busy or in multi-tasking. Unfortunately the tendency is to be busy with just about anything rather than intentionally and deliberately doing something useful, relevant or significant.

The more I think about it, the more concerned and convinced I am that President “Noy” should indoctrinate his cabinet members even more in terms of addressing issues and problems. When P-Noy said that “we must know the right problems in order to come up with the right solution” he may not have realized how important that rule can be for his administration.

Right now the P-Noy administration seems bogged down due to paying too much attention to “media sensitivities” and starting the war on corruption, which seems to translate as the hunt for Gloria and company.

In both cases, the P-Noy administration has repeatedly stubbed their toes and wasted time in something one agency can handle instead of holding up the ship of state.

To be blunt about it, innocent bystanders could get the impression that the government’s primary concern is actually the personal concern of President “Noy” about pleasing “his” media and convicting the Arroyo administration.

However, there are better things to “waste” our time on.

For instance, so much time and talk has centered on the government’s fight against corruption and collecting taxes or revenues. But in the mean time, I noticed how many Filipinos have talked and condemned the practice of “5-6” or usurious money lending schemes in the Philippines.

Any ordinary Filipino can confirm that the usurious practice of 5-6 lending is a very serious problem and one of the major reasons why many hard working entrepreneurs don’t amount to anything.

Instead, an army of “south Asian nationals” has become the iconic symbol of predatory and opportunistic usury in the country.

Yes I could hate them, yes I could condemn them, but when you consider that Filipinos or our government won’t do something about the problem, then how can we blame “foreign 5-6 lenders” for filling a real need. In fact, the usury is no longer limited to “foreigners” but is also done by a number of Pinoys.

While it is easy to condemn the 5-6 operators, one has to be fair and put a price to the unpleasant working conditions faced by the 5-6 people on the scooter. They lend money based on casual referral, they get no collateral, they have to collect on a daily or weekly basis to avoid default, they have defaults from time to time, they are not covered by the PDIC and lately they have been the target of criminals or rival operators. Yes business is so good that it can kill you.

Obviously the usury in the 5-6 system can be justified. But can the Philippine government, the Department of Finance, or the Aquino administration justify not doing something about it?

Just in the area of job creation, one can only imagine how many people could find gainful employment or be overnight money-lenders for the republic. In the province of Batangas I have personally noticed a growing army of jueteng bet collectors, I don’t know who they work for, but good or bad, it’s a living for people who don’t have much employable skills.

If people actually “make a living” as mere bet takers for jueteng or as “kristos” in sabong (cockfighting), isn’t it logical to assume that many Filipinos could make a living as small loans lender to shut down 5-6 operators?

If the government focused on the possibilities, I have no doubt that we could develop a system where microscopic loans (P5,000 and below) could be packaged in a tie-up with local government officials who become the initial borrower, then lend this to authorized agents they control, who in turn take over the territories of the 5-6 syndicates.

Instead of wasting time and effort on small time lottery and the lotto, lets now “waste” time on building a system that generates employment, addresses capitalization of retailers, and eradicates corruption at the local level that involves LGU officials and law enforcers.

And by the grace of God, let’s put an end to the usury that has become part of our language and culture called 5-6. –Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star)