THE Pinoy is angry, no thanks to the government for adding more taxes that will tax the patience of the overtaxed Pinoy.
This time, it’s the 20-percent tax on the carbs that the Pinoy loves to eat like rice, pandesal, corn on the cob, camote cue, banana cue, boiled bananas, fried bananas, maruya, ginanggang, banana and langka turon, nilupak, biko, suman, muron, palitaw, puto, puto maya, puto bumbong, maja blanca, bibingka, kutsinta, leche flan, sapin-sapin, pichi-pichi, bilo-bilo, halo-halo, binignit, cassava cake, espasol, donuts, pancakes, waffles, crepes, siopao, pizza, burgers, French fries, boiled peanuts, fried peanuts, sikwate, coffee, soda, milk tea, fruit juice, etc.
This has made the Pinoy dance to Fantomel and Kate Linn’s “Dame Un Grrr,” with emphasis on the “Grrr.”
Uh, wait, the 20-percent tax will be on the interest on long-term investments which may affect only the wealthy Pinoy. Who may not actually be affected if he’d rather keep his billions in vault bunkers that are hidden in his multi-hectare farms. Kind of a la Scrooge McDuck.
So, to the non-wealthy Pinoy: don’t worry, be happy.
The more taxes, the more money in the national treasury, the more money to steal — allegedly, reportedly, supposedly.
Months after the lockdowns when Pinas was still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Internal Revenue sent Letters of Authority to businesses they could threaten with audits. This must have convinced the Pinoy business owner that the Pinas’s government doesn’t care at all. All it cares about is the most precious commission — allegedly, reportedly, supposedly.
Still, the Pinoy wants to work in government offices for that most precious pension from the Government Service Insurance System.
Meanwhile, at least the Social Security System’s pension can be used to buy maintenance medicines and perhaps movie tickets. But movies are free for the senior citizen on Mondays. So, for coffee then. But the caffeine can increase the senior citizen’s blood pressure. So, for a donut or two then. But the sugar can raise the senior citizen’s glucose level.
Besides, some donut shops give a free donut for each cup of coffee, or is that free coffee for each donut order? That’s lots of savings for the senior citizen who doesn’t care if his blood pressure and glucose levels will increase to infinity and beyond.
Carbs are comfort food, and the senior citizen has been made to believe that it’s okay to eat them. After his early-morning lab test, he would then go to a coffee shop for a breakfast of donut and coffee. Or to a fast food outlet for a rice breakfast.
Carbs cause inflammation. If you have body pains, try avoiding carbs and let’s see if that will banish your body pains to Siberia.
The perks of a low-carb diet can make a 20-percent tax on carbs more practical than a 20-percent tax on long-term investments. The additional tax may stop the Pinoy from eating carbs, or it may not, but it will surely increase Pinas’s tax collection. The protests will be of People Power proportions, though — there will be lots of shredded Yellow Pages on Ayala Avenue again. Oh. That’s so 1986. So, what’s the confetti material for 2025? What color is the opposition wearing now? Will shredded pink scratch papers look good on Ayala Avenue?
