BAHAY KUBO

Bahay kubo, the ever popular ditty, probably one of the first songs learned by Filipino children before they reach school age or as soon as they get to school, has gone viral in the internet. Marc Logan, the boisterous TV anchor known for his humorous segments at ABS-CBN featured the many versions uploaded, where most of the children were Caucasians, obviously cared for by Filipino nannies. Collectively, these youtube videos may have registered millions of hits and had elevated the song to international fame, and is sung, hummed or whistled by millions of people, many of them even without a drop of Filipino blood in them.

The Internet is also attributed as the discoverer of Charice and Maria Aragon, the Lady Gaga impersonator and both had become instant celebrities that led to their guestings in various popular TV shows. This propelled both girls to stardom and wealth.

There are many other success stories that were launched via the internet. It is said that the worldwide web has reduced the world to the size of a desk top. Meaning, one need not travel far and wide to spend just to attract sales or in the case of Iloilo City, attract visitors to its “widely acclaimed” Dinagyang Festival. While the officials of the Iloilo City government claim they have sponsors for the New York trip, it is improbable that the city government will not spend a single centavo for this useless junket. Factor in the fares spent on the official travel worth about $1,500.00 each plus of course, the pocket money. This means that the city government may shell out not less than PhP 1M for this event.

Have the bright boys of Mayor Jed Mabilog presented any estimates or projections as to how much is the expected return from this useless exercise? Will the returns be felt in the 2012 Dinagyang event? Will the PhP 1M or so result to say P10M gross revenues from space rentals, event related taxes, etc.? Or are these so-called technical men just plain lazy to make any projection at all? Any economist or business man worth his salt can make simple estimates and projections as to the cost-return analysis of any venture.

Just supposing, the city hall bright boys come up with the idea of borrowing the various footages of Dinagyang from the two major TV stations and make short videos for posting in you tube and also make millions of tags so that it registers front page in all the search engines? It would probably cost only a few thousand pesos of labor by talented students on job hire basis. Meaning, instead of hiring the useless traffic aides who resort to extorting from poor drivers, the city government hires fresh talented IT students and create a viral hit on Dinagyang in the internet. This could definitely create a stir in the internet akin to the Charice and Maria Aragon phenom! Such an effort will not probably be even 10% of the cost of the New York junket!

We have started several blogs on natural farming and rural life way back and until now, we still receive emails asking for more information on such blogs as NO WASH PIGS, No Till Farming, probiotics, etc. We have also started a web site on appropriate tools and equipment like the improved windmill, improved rice hull stoves and other gadgets that can be used in rural communities. We have sold many of these units through the internet and through our articles in the Agriculture Magazine.

We have also initiated the exposure of a cockfighting supplement we have invented which we call the SUPERMAX POINTING CAPSULES through the sabong-oriented web forum: http://sabong.net.ph and this has resulted to its wide acceptance that it is now a profitable sideline for us. (http://supermax2010.webs.com and http://supermaxpointing.multiply.com).

Such use of the internet as a medium for exposure is no longer a phenomenon. It is a fact of life and even a way of life for those in the know. Many have made millions and many nations and even local government units have gained worldwide acclaim by simply using the venue as a tool for exposure. Like the Bahay Kubo, there is another popular folk song that Mayor Mabilog should learn: WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE. It ends with the phrase: “When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn”.