Habang ang mga lokal na media ay namumutakti sa pagbabalita sa mga nagkalat na balita patungkol sa mga pinsalang nagawa ng Bagyong Frank, ang CNN News naman ay nakakatuwa rin namang ginawa ang ganung pagbabalita. May kung sampung minuto sa bawat international news patungkol sa lumubog na MV Princess of the Stars. Naisip ko lang, kung wala pang ganitong mangyayari, hindi lilitaw na may bansang Pilipinas na ipapalabas sa CNN News.
Nagtataka pa ‘yung news anchor sa CNN kung bakit daw hinayaang maglayag ang MV Princess of the Stars gayong alam naman na may paparating na bagyo. Lahat naman ‘yun ang tanong, Bakit nga ba? Sino ang pumatay kay Ninoy? Bakit may itlog ang sisig sa Manila? Totoo ba ang kwento patungkol sa Golden Buddha at Yamashita Treasure? Natatakot ka rin ba sa itsura ni Imelda? Hindi pa pala tapos ang seryeng “Lobo”?
Para bagang tribute sa lumubog na MV Princess of the Stars, nakita ko ang video na ito sa Youtube.com. Pamatay ang background music nito, kanta ng Asin na pinamagatang “Wala ka bang napapansin?” [Well, actually, may napansin ako: Bakit ganyan ang background music?] Makikita sa video ang mga larawan ng mga “iskwater” sa mga tabing-ilog, mga larawan ng paghagupit ng Bagyong Frank, at mga malulungkot na tao (na sa kung ano ang dahilan, ayaw kong manghula). Hindi ko talaga alam, pero natatawa ako sa video na ito. Nais ko tuloy isipin,
“Oo nga noh, baka naman kaya tumaob ang barkong MV Princess of the Stars ay dahil sa polusyon? Hala! Hindi pala kasalanan ng Sulpicio Lines; kasalanan pala natin.”
Sa ibang balita, nahirapan ang mga rescuers na hanapin ang dalawang naanod na mountaineers sa Zambales; hindi pa raw lumulutang ang mga ito.
Soaring oil prices hit fight against poverty: Arroyo
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said soaring oil prices had hurt her country's fight against widespread poverty despite high economic growth last year.
"We are aware that no matter how much improvement there is at the top of the economic ladder, many of our people still struggle mightily," she said late Sunday, with the text of her comments released Monday.
"The high price of gasoline and everyday commodities hits our poor the hardest," she said in the southern city of Cagayan de Oro.
"While the high price of oil is a global issue outside the control of government, we have nevertheless taken and will continue to take actions to reduce the pain on our people of these high prices."
Official figures released last week showed 3.8 million more people had joined the ranks of the poor between 2003 and 2006, amid cuts in social spending and new taxes to boost a narrow revenue base.
The data showed one in three Filipinos live on a dollar or less per day.
The economy grew at a 31-year high of 7.3 percent last year, when inflation was kept at a 20-year low of 2.8 percent.
But the Asian Development Bank has said not enough jobs are being created amid insufficient investment and obstacles to growth like poor infrastructure.
"Many things are left to be done. I plan on working hard with you the next two years to fulfill our Philippine Reform Agenda until the day I leave office in 2010," Arroyo said.
"We have made tough and unpopular decisions to raise revenues and as we in the executive crack down on tax cheats so that we could invest in our physical infrastructure and in our people."
