By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective What the government does, corporations can do better and more efficiently. Competition will bring down the prices of services, which were formerly provided by government. Besides, government-owned and controlled corporations are just milking cows of corrupt government officials so it is better to turn it over to the private sector.…
“Lack of government funding and continued neglect result in the deteriorating quality of services, overcrowding of coaches, and a plethora of safety issues.”
There are 200,000 unemployed nurses in the country. Yet those who work in government and private hospitals are overworked and underpaid.
“With more than a million passengers riding all three lines a day, the MRT and LRT generate more than enough income for their operations and maintenance. That’s the reason why big businesses are drooling over and trying to buy them.”
KALIBUTAN By CLEMENTE BAUTISTA Bulatlat.com Stuck for hours on the road from early morning to nearly midnight, Metro Manila commuters had a very frustrating experience September 5, when traffic stood at a standstill from Manila City to Bulacan province. With an hour of thunderstorm with heavy rains just this October 1, we saw yet another…
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective Privatization, by whatever name – Build-Operate-Transfer or Public-Private Partnerships – was touted to be the solution to the inefficient, monopolistic management by government of public utilities and services. It was supposed to be the opposite of how the dictator Marcos monopolized and profited from basic utilities such as electricity, water,…
“We maintain that the concession agreement is grossly disadvantageous to the public. It will be disastrous for commuters.” – Renato Reyes, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
The public-private deal concerning LRT will give the Ayala-MVP Group the benefit of the government’s official development assistance (ODA) in financing more than half of the total project cost of about P65-billion. The government committed to shoulder the right of way acquisition, purchase of coaches, civil works, among other expenses.
See also: Bayan rues ‘End of an era’ as Aquino privatizes LRT 1
“MRT3 passengers have suffered long enough.” – Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares
“We should not keep silent on this issue (of privatization) because health is a people’s right.” – Dr. Eleonor Jara, convenor of No to Privatization of Public Hospitals
Petitioners say the Supreme Court has the perfect opportunity here to give life to state’s constitutional mandate to promote the people’s right to health through the accessibility of affordable health care.