Tragedy at the ULTRA

ABS-CBN's very popular game show "Wowowee" was turning a year old and their celebration was to be held at Pasig's ULTRA Arena last Saturday. Thousands of Filipinos from all walks of life had already camped outside the edifice since Thursday. They came in droves, both near and far, each aspiring to cash in on the show's various prizes.

What transpired that early Saturday was uneventful. For reasons yet to be explained, a stampede occurred, killing more than 70 people, mostly the elderly. Assistance came too late, as ambulances and other medical personnel got delayed entering the premises due to poor crowd control. To make matters worse, those who were present when the tragedy happened failed to deliver immediate medical aid to the victims.

The Arroyo government has started an investigation to this matter; however, as always, I really don't expect them to come up with any solution. Surely, it is hard to pinpoint who is accountable for this tragedy. But one this is certain ... driven by poverty, thousands of Filipinos showed up in Ultra with the desire to gain some financial windfall without batting an eyelash. "Wowowee" has become a top-rated show due to its popularity with the masses; unfortunately, its theme of getting cash and other awards from various sponsors and TFC subscribers then giving these to its fans leaves much to be desired. Even with its good intentions, it is just despicable to think that it has transformed the low-income family groups to beg.

The entertainment industry needs to come up with more quality shows that would highlight the Filipinos' best traits, instead of exposing its flaws. We Filipinos are known the world over for being hard workers with a seal of intelligence far better than other Asian neighbors. And even though our government and our politicians have betrayed us, we have survived and held our head up high.