NUCLEAR DAYS AND NEW CLEAR DAYS (PART 2)

Malacanang, it seems, wants to make sure that Filipinos undergo some kind of penitential suffering this coming Holy Week, as tradition requires. There will be no respite from the severe power and water shortage.

Long brownouts may cause havoc among people with medical problems. The suffering is particularly acute for people with high-blood pressure, asthma, ulcers, or respiratory ailments. As such, some may be thinking of suing the government.

With the power shortage certain to worsen due to the dry season, Malacanang should seriously consider implementing a suggestion that the government rent floating generator stations or power barges from Singapore, Korea, China and other neighboring countries. Government authorities cannot simply ask for people to pray for rain. A considerable part on natural human effort must be in place as well.

Or, the Palace should also work in earnest for operations of the controversial Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) and forget biases against the project simply because it was built by President Marcos and his cronies. In the long run, government will be praised by the people for setting aside politics in favor of the common welfare.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be stepping down from office in a few months. She could go out in a blaze of glory by fashioning out a permanent solution to the country's two permanent woes - lack of electricity and lack of water. The alternative is that she would go down in history as a corrupt and uncaring leader, and it sure looks like the latter.

(Image from http://www.pcij.org/)