Social disruptions

Mrs. Arroyo just rejected the proposal of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) for the State to extend assistance to more than 40,000 workers displaced by the global financial crisis. The TUCP said that government just needs 2 billion pesos for this to work. However, at the same time as TUCP, one of Arroyo's allies in the business sector, Donald Dee, proposed that why not just allot the money as loan to small and medium sized companies. That way, companies will manage to stay afloat and weather the financial storm.

All are good suggestions. Yet, what Arroyo probably did not take into account is the potentialities of this growing unemployed mass of people turning into a noisy mob.

We all know how hard it is right now to survive this raging scourge. A thousand (in this case, 40,000) additional unemployed people means thousands more families are going hungry or even homeless due to this. They need immediate assistance to survive.

These people are what the TUCP are most concerned about since the unemployment numbers will definitely rise as the economy goes on the second quarter. The lackluster economic performance this first quarter shows with a dismal drop in exports, as reported by government.

As people lose their jobs, this increases the possibility of social disruptions breaking out left and right. The United Nations already warned us about this. If the Arroyo administration dismisses this scenario as a trifle, we may yet find ourselves in further dilemma prior to 2010.