The miracle is a mirage

TWENTY FOUR million and four hundred thousand pesos – yes, P24,400,000 – in all of 22 days in July 2007.
A collection of over P1 million for 13 days – the highest reaching P1.77 million on July 27. And a still commanding P750,000 as the lowest collection for the day, recorded on July 30.
With his father-son predecessors barely breaching the P20-million-a- year average mark in their 12-year reign, nothing short of a miracle did indeed Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio wield in his first month in office.
Going biblical now, the Reverend Governor did a Christ by multiplying the quarry income a thousand fold, setting P1 million a day as the benchmark not only of profitability, but more importantly, of honesty and integrity in local governance.
Hallelu-hallelu, Hallelujah! To that, even the cynic that I am heartfully agreed.
Two hundred and thirty million pesos – yes, a whopping P230,000,000 – by the end of his first full year in office still went the grain of a miracle. How these were (un)used though is another matter. It is the money that is of principal concern to us, at least in this piece.
Segue to July 2008 now – P13,485,000 in all of 23 days. A collection of over P1 million for only three days – July 11, 22, and 31. A disturbing P255,000 as the lowest collection for the day recorded on July 16 and 29.
A chasm of a difference of P10,920,000 between the collections of July 2007 and July 2008! A sheer drop of from P1 million to P586,304 daily average. (All the statistics cited here came from a matrix prepared by the Provincial Treasurer’s Office.)
So the difference was more than the total income for one year of Gov. Mark Lapid. So?
The Lapids’ incompetence had ceased to be the benchmark in the quarry collection, having been superseded by the miracle of the July 2007 collections. The Reverend Governor’s performance in the quarry collections is henceforth measured against that which he himself set.
Midas, after turning his first cup into gold, had to turn everything he touched into more solid gold. In keeping with his character. Gilding or plating just won’t do. That won’t be Midas.
So it must be too with Panlilio. The quarry collections have to be on the up-and-up, never on a downslide. In keeping with his miracle.
Else, it was no miracle. It was a mirage.
To parodize that Nora Aunor character in a movie about a miracle worker: Walang himala. Walang himala sa Balas, o sa pagbabareta. Ang himala – kung mayroon man – ay nasa pagkakapit-tuko ni Panlilio kay Dabu.
Believe. At your own peril.