Poverty is over
You paid P700 to enter a building designed to remind you that you’re above the poverty line, but still below the imported ham.
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You paid P700 to enter a building designed to remind you that you’re above the poverty line, but still below the imported ham.
Nine out of 10 Filipinos are not poor. That’s what Ralph Recto tells us.
Before you throw the newspaper at Ralph, go to S&R. I did. One Saturday. Tried parking. You look around and: “Ralph’s right!”
One thing. Isn’t S&R supposed to be a club?
I propose raising membership to P50,000. Thirty thousand was considered. Too compassionate.
This will immediately bring dignity back to the word “member.” Because, right now, everybody is a member. Teacher? Member. Nurse? Member.
This cannot continue. At P50,000, we will finally have a serious club. There should be financial screening.
“Sir, what are you buying today?”
“Bread.”
“Puregold is that way.”
Nothing personal. But we cannot have you blocking the imported-cheese for 10 minutes deciding whether P1,800 is too much.
Of course, it’s too much! That’s the point! You are looking at imported cheese because you have made a mistake!
Why are you pushing a cart the size of a Wigo for four things? Four. I looked. Chicken, toothpaste, chips, something in a bottle.
You paid P700 to enter a building designed to remind you that you’re above the poverty line, but still below the imported ham.
And the queue? Twenty people. Unacceptable.
At a proper members-only establishment, the cashier should be surprised to see you. “Oh! A customer!” That’s exclusivity.
Now, I don’t know why half the counters sometimes seem closed. Maybe it’s the card. Maybe it’s staffing; heard former employees complained about unpaid overtime, lack of manpower.
I don’t know, Lucio. But if I’m paying to join the club and then waiting 30 minutes to leave it, I could have gone to Puregold and waited for free.
Anybody can buy soy sauce. The rich pay extra so they don’t have to buy soy sauce next to a guy buying only soy sauce.
We’re supposed to have built an entire sari-sari economy for exactly that guy. Sachets, shampoo for one bath, coffee for one morning, detergent for one wash.
And you go to the supermarket to buy a sachet? Have you ever noticed supermarkets, not necessarily S&R, selling sachets by the bundle?
The entire point is you cannot afford the big one. So somebody takes 20 sachets, ties them together and “Save P8!”
Sale: Buy 2, Get One Free. Incredible deal. One problem. You need enough money to buy two. Guy with P100 buys one. Guy with P200 buys three. So the guy with more money gets the lower price.
Apparently even being cheap is cheaper when you have money.
Normally sachets work. You buy one today. Come back tomorrow. Buy another. Until something goes wrong. Zombies for example. Bongbong comes on TV: Shing! “Do not leave your homes.”
Lucio Co hears this. Fine. Lucio Co is stocked.
Poor guy? Also stays home. Very responsible. Until Tomorrow.
Now there’s no Lucky Me. Eggs. Somebody got the last Coffeemate. Suddenly this man has to go to the tindahan. During the zombie apocalypse. Imagine surviving five years only to get bitten because of Magic Sarap?
Maybe that’s Ralph’s nine out of 10. They’re in, that’s the achievement. The mall. They have smartphones. Netflix. S&R cards. Everybody looks prosperous.
Maybe the poverty line is a little like the S&R card. Very easy to say somebody crossed it, much harder to ask what they can actually afford once they get to the other side.
But if we raise the membership fee to P50,000, we can solve poverty immediately.
