KUWAIT CITY, July 16: Many Filipinos who seemed to have given up hope that their country’s dire situation will change after a succession of leaders they voted into office failed to turn things around, are starting to see silver linings behind the clouds with the accession to their country’s highest office, the son of illustrious parents whose sacrifices helped return democracy to their beloved Philippines after almost two decades of dictatorial rule.
When Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino lll, or “Noynoy” as he is better known, the only son of the late Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr who fought the Marcos dictatorship and was assassinated, and former president Corazon Cojuangco “Cory” Aquino who continued the struggle for democracy, took his oath as the 15th Philippine President on June 30, 2010 before a multitude of his countrymen who turned out en masse to witness the historic occasion, it buoyed the flagging hopes of an entire nation mired for so long in uncertainty and despair.
Filipinos everywhere welcomed his election, saying his triumph was akin to good winning over evil, pinning their hopes on him to bring about meaningful change to their country through good governance. But there are those who do not share in the euphoria, preferring to reserve their comments until such time they see tangible results.
In Kuwait, where he won over 60 percent of total votes cast, not everyone is in total agreement with some of his government’s initial decisions, particularly in the choice of cabinet members, with some skeptics questioning why he chose to sideline his Vice President, Jejomar Binay, who has a known track record of accomplishments and was largely responsible for turning Makati into the Philippines’ premier city as Mayor and initially expressed preference for a position suited to his experience and expertise,  the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Supporters of Aquino, in response, said that it is the prerogative of the Chief Executive to appoint cabinet members who has his full trust and confidence and besides, Binay does not belong to the same party as the president.
Another supporter said that he supports President Aquino’s order outlawing the use of car sirens (or “wang-wang” as commonly called in Filipino), saying the practice has been abused. “The use of sirens should have been limited only to police, the fire service and ambulances and of course, high government officials like the President, Vice President, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice, but it has become rampant with lowly officials and even civilians using it to ease their way in traffic, which is outrageous,” he said.
A skeptic said “I find admirable President Aquino’s decision to set an example by not using sirens when going to his office or traveling to various appointments, preferring to wait and suffer in traffic with other motorists. However, I think he really should avail of the prerogative because, as president, it would be embarrassing for him to be late for official functions like meetings with visiting Heads of State or other foreign dignitaries; the excuse of being held up in traffic, I think, is not an option in his case,” he added.
But the prevailing sentiment among OFWs in Kuwait and for that matter, anywhere else in the world, is for their country’s government to institute measures that would guarantee a standard exchange rate when they send remittances to their families back in the Philippines, saying the fluctuating rate is very disadvantageous to them.
“My family use to make some savings from the money I remit home monthly. Now, my wife is having a hard time making ends meet with the rising cost of living as the same amount I used to send home is now very much less because of fluctuating exchange rates,” says an OFW working with a local dealership.