Pork Barell: Is it boon or bane?
2G-Medical Technology March 10, 2014 SCL 3
Pork Barrel: Is it Boon or bane? The pork barrel scam has always been a very sensational issue which erupted on July of 2013. Many people did raise their eyebrows at anyone upon hearing such issue. But some just don’t care anyway. So, what really makes this issue ring the bell among all the Filipino people of this time? What is pork barrel? Is it a bane or boon? Pork barrel has been interchangeably used with PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund). Pork barrel is a political slang used to describe a government appropriation, bill or policy that supplies funds for local improvements. Under the pork barrel system, each branch of the government (legislative, judiciary and executive) has its own pork barrel allocation. The controversy however, has centered more on the legislative’s pork barrel. The pork barrel’s history can be traced back in the pre-Civil War period, where its possible origin can be traced among three practices: (1) The practice of the landowner setting aside a definite portion of salted pork in wooden barrels for their black slaves, (2) the practice of American farmers in preserving pork in barrels in anticipation of hardships of winter, when the pork was shared with their needy neighbors and (3) that it comes from an old adage “Bring home the bacon.” Pork barrel couldn’t just simply be pork barrel without the scam at the end which makes it clamor for public attention. Pork barrel has never been new to the Philippine society. As a matter of fact, this law has been introduced in the Philippine government in the year 1922. This so called fund was established as a public fund intentionally for public purposes, like building of public infrastructures, schools, health assistance, livelihood assistance, scholarships and the like. However, the things that are supposedly allocated for some better purpose goes nowhere but in the many deep pockets of our corrupt politicians. All of these things
Pork Barrel: Is it Boon or bane? The pork barrel scam has always been a very sensational issue which erupted on July of 2013. Many people did raise their eyebrows at anyone upon hearing such issue. But some just don’t care anyway. So, what really makes this issue ring the bell among all the Filipino people of this time? What is pork barrel? Is it a bane or boon? Pork barrel has been interchangeably used with PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund). Pork barrel is a political slang used to describe a government appropriation, bill or policy that supplies funds for local improvements. Under the pork barrel system, each branch of the government (legislative, judiciary and executive) has its own pork barrel allocation. The controversy however, has centered more on the legislative’s pork barrel. The pork barrel’s history can be traced back in the pre-Civil War period, where its possible origin can be traced among three practices: (1) The practice of the landowner setting aside a definite portion of salted pork in wooden barrels for their black slaves, (2) the practice of American farmers in preserving pork in barrels in anticipation of hardships of winter, when the pork was shared with their needy neighbors and (3) that it comes from an old adage “Bring home the bacon.” Pork barrel couldn’t just simply be pork barrel without the scam at the end which makes it clamor for public attention. Pork barrel has never been new to the Philippine society. As a matter of fact, this law has been introduced in the Philippine government in the year 1922. This so called fund was established as a public fund intentionally for public purposes, like building of public infrastructures, schools, health assistance, livelihood assistance, scholarships and the like. However, the things that are supposedly allocated for some better purpose goes nowhere but in the many deep pockets of our corrupt politicians. All of these things