Relief away from home

Although I strongly believe in the saying that there's no place like home, sometimes one gets the feeling that staying away from home for a while can be really restful, if not therapeutic. This, despite a very hectic schedule that virtually keeps one breathless throughout the day. There is also undoubtedly truth in what people say about the need to "get away from it all" once in a while.

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But I did find it somewhat taxing to keep answering people in California and Nevada, where I spent ten days recently, when they ask why they could not find "Twinkling" in their online editions of The DAILY STAR. Defensively, I would say that this was the first time in the 23 (almost 24) years of the STAR that I had taken a real break. In all of those years, I had missed writing this column only twice, and then only because of mechanical problems, when the transmission from the country I happened to be in failed.

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I recall that I missed once, when I was in an island resort in Malaysia, and another time when we happened to be in transit to Berlin. At other times, Twinkling would manage to come in, even when I had to dictate the entire column over the phone to Maja or Carla, who would patiently take it down, getting me to spell out the words they couldn't get. In fact, this is almost what happened to the Pacquiao victory story. I had entrusted the news item to Leif Severino who offered to send it to Bacolod, but who almost gave up when he couldn't get through. But neither Carla nor brother Pros would give up, and nagged him on both cellphone and landlines, until he finally delivered. Those waiting at the STAR office had to stay up till dawn (in Las Vegas) for it and poor Leif had a sleepless night.

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But being "out of town" also saves one from the problem and concerns of day-to-day news reporting at home. For instance, I would have been quite detached from the revival of the Hello Garci and the fertilizer affairs were I still watching the antics of gamblers at the casinos you encounter in virtually every hotel in Las Vegas. I would not have been so concerned for the bishops being lambasted by government functionaries faithful to the president, for coming out with a different stand than the one they issued at the height of l'affaire Garcillano, when they had another president. I would not even be thinking out there of the fact that the Malacañang people changed their tune in the same way that the bishops did, by their reactions. Remember how pleased the president and her company were with that ambiguous declaration of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines then headed by Bishop Capalla? Now that Bishop Lagdameo and his companions are saying they want to know the TRUTH, Oh, what a turmoil they are arousing!

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While away, I wouldn't have cared whether former general and now Senator Rodolfo Biazon would call the military patriots or prostis, or that three senators are being linked to the coconut deal, and some congressmen, governors and mayors are being pinpointed as beneficiaries of the smelly fertilizer affair. Over there, it even seemed as if the abominable expanded value-added tax would only be a nightmare that would never come true. I probably would not have seen the reports saying that the Finance Department admits that the government loses P130 BILLION annually to tax evasion. And we are told to swallow this tax because it will raise some P75 BILLION only? A staunch defender of the president has even admitted that he is projecting that about P35 BILLION will not be collected by our tax collectors even with EVAT because of the usual evaders and corruption. Oh woe!

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As for the so-called improvement of the peso that now matches at P51-plus against the U.S. dollar officials are crowing about, it looks as if not everybody is happy about it. Abroad, Pinoys and Fil-Ams who send regular support to their folks here complain that their money will no longer buy as much. Those who are recipients of such generousity say the same thing, they worry that their budgets will not be sufficient, based on the reduced exchange.

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Meanwhile, however, there is reason to be happy about being home because, for the first time, Bacolod is celebrating the Chinese New Year which is seeing a very wonderful development, that of the unity among the once fragmented groups of Filipino-Chinese residents who are all true Bacoleños here. The city has another great reason to make merry, in a way that could also impact on her well-being economically. So let's forget the national troubles now, and Kung Hei Fat Choy everybody!*

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