Rice Crisis or Income Crisis?

Everyone is going ga-ga on the so-called looming Rice Crisis not only in the country but also at the other parts of the Globe. Prices of basic commodities had skyrocketed and the common Filipino people had no other option but to tighten their already tight belt and strive very hard to maintain their sunny disposition.
But is there really a crisis that should alarm everyone?
The National Food Authority had already dismissed reports that there is a looming Rice Shortage in the country. In fact the Department of Agriculture had informed the public that the Filipino people have nothing to fear because the country is 90% self sufficient. NFA officials had also reiterated that the agency have enough supply to support the country during (the) lean-months.
So why are we all alarmed despite the assurance that the government had given?
It is because the problem is not the rice crisis, it is the crisis that common folks (like the author) experience right now. It is the crisis that deals more with the public's spending power.
Let's face it.
The current minimum wage is not enough to support the cost of living of an average family in the country. Electric bill, Water bill, transportation, monthly house rental, tuition fees...all of these bills taken into consideration it will take an enormous amount of creativity to budget the minimal monthly finances of the family.
Commodity prices had skyrocketed...utility charges follows...then the demand for fare hike...
The Labor sector had demanded the government to pass a resolution to the House of Representatives seeking the longed-for wage hike in the country. Will it be possible? Let us hope so. Although it was already said in the earlier reports that the country's investors and top businessmen have some reservations to the proposed wage increase.
Non-taxable benefits should have been provided long ago since a big chunk of the meager salary that employees are receiving go to taxes. Even the food that we eat have taxes.
So should you be surprised if Filipinos find it really TAXING to believe the government?
With that thought in mind, I'll leave this questi0n to you.
Is there a crisis?

getting started

I have been writing articles, poems and other literary pieces eversince I can remember. I often thought that all of those pieces will just remain in my old notebook. I thought that those pieces wont be read by another person but me which is kind of sad because I often write these articles hoping that other people could learn from it. Then I learned this new way of sharing my random thoughts to lots of people using the online web...The Blogosphere!
For quite sometime I was content publishing my blog on my friendster, multiply and imeem account until a friend had encouraged me to share my blog publicly...So here I am just learning my steps on this new domain...
I would surely appreciate all the tips that you can share to help me get on my feet..
Thanks in advance guys and hope you will like my future posts.