The LOSS Syndrome

BIMBO CABIDOG

Lack or scarcity can be more imagined than real. But thinking of them paralyzes. Majority of people usually don’t move even if they have to, because they think they don’t have enough to get things going.

The mental state pulls back action and stops the brain from thinking any further. Unfortunately, many if not most of the traditional leaders the masses rely upon to take action on their woes or do feats that not just anybody could do, succumb to the LOSS syndrome that is: the lack or scarcity standpoint.

Same is true with those at the helm of local governance. Mayors or local chief executives perennially complain of not having funds to implement programs or projects for development. Actually, the thinking has become a customary excuse for not being able to do something to benefit constituents. 

If there is Friday sickness among employees, there is not having the resources as favorite excuse of heads of offices for short performance. They could have already addressed festering problems. But needed wherewithal were not available, they commonly rue. 

So, sorry na lang for the served who expect more of the usual. Certain initiatives, though part of the job description, could not be done because they presumably need money to take off, but unfortunately it is limited or unavailable. 

Nothing has been done or is being done? The reason always is that government is hard-up. The agency has meager budget to carry on its host of functions. Though meritorious and warranted, projects have to wait for the availability of funds. Hang on demand or need, better luck next time. 

But there is a saying among Tagalogs: Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo? (What are you still going to do with the grass, if the horse is already dead?) A solution may be the most ingenious to have been thought of. But if a problem has done its worse, can any good still happen? 

Answers are not supposed to take forever. They can’t. They must be timely. The soundness of response is not only in its correctness, but in its being delivered in real time. There is more frustration in a good deed that is useless, simply because it is too late. 

Politicians and bureaucrats in government are fond of blurting out bright plans that the people become hot and very excited about, only to douse them in the end with the cursory remark: “Sayang di natin magagawa ito dahil walang pondo!” (It’s a waste we can’t do this because there are no funds!) 

Somehow, looking at challenges from the Lack Or Scarcity Standpoint has become a habit of the mind. In most cases, LOSS is attitudinal rather than factual. It owes to two salient reasons. One is non-concern, thus, the lack of commitment. LOSS is the quick excuse for people who really don’t care.

Second is the hesitance or outright resistance to walk the extra mile, and deliver more than the average. Often, it is even the reluctance to break the norm of eschewing responsibility, trumping diligence, and carrying on below par performance. 

Non-performing assets in public service have gotten inured to doing nothing but enjoy bureaucratic entitlement. So, in the face of challenges and responsibility, they hang up hands saying: “Wala tayong magagawa!” (We can do nothing.)

The government should have more of service-driven and dedicated public servants who have none of the LOSS syndrome, rather than the opportunistic feeling-entitled pretenders who are only after power, pays and perks they don’t deserve. 

Even real inadequacy in resources can be overcome if implementors of projects can get rid of the LOSS syndrome. There is actually no scarcity of resources, only scarcity of options. Many heroic persons who care to give more than they receive have proven that. 

In dire straits, everyone has to do each one’s best to pull all collectively to calm seas. Those who do so should be creative and resourceful in hurdling perennial shortness of means. They should adopt the character of not giving up before adversity, simply because they are barehanded, but of waging struggle if from scratch, surmounting the impossible. 

For a country in hard and turbulent times, there is no place for closed minds that tell it can’t hurdle, because we are simply poor. Of course, in the complexity of a nation’s existence and rise, we are ultimately rich, not only in means but capabilities to secure them. 

The ship must reach safe and warm port or all aboard will perish. The attitude should be: we shall. The vessel should not unfortunately go down to the bottom of the sea, because of a crew that keep on saying, maybe, but, if….

Amid times of trouble, there is no time to indulge worries on what we only have or have not. Out with the psychological deficit syndrome, let’s go rolling. Let’s do it!