We have been keeping close contact with the family in the Philippines and I can say that the situation is serious. Even with the new president there are more bad times ahead. It is a good thing Uncle's business is international and that he has major holdings in US Dollars. Inflation is very bad now and unemployment is bad also. There are reports of poor people actually starving. The rebels and various other criminals are acting badly. At least the Army seems to be under control and loyal to the new president. You may have to send your ladies more than usual money as things are VERY tight now.
Allow me to tell you about my Uncle. He is the best and greatest man other than my husband that I know. Due to the situation in the Phils Uncle is beginning to hold feeding among the workers where they are fed for free while at work and their families also get one meal free each day at lunch. We have extensive holdings in agriculture and this allows Uncle to do this. He has not had to fire anyone but he cannot raise wages right now to help. He really does take care of his family of workers that is why his workers are so loyal. He treats them all very well. He always gifts each new child born to a worker and also the worker on his or her birthday and he gives baskets of food and gifts during Christmas. For the Philippines he is very generous as an employer. He is the honorary Godfather to many children.
But even Uncle was a little shocked when my husband took the poorest worker's children out for a day on the city with presents and food and ice cream. Our poorest workers do well by Philippine standards and they are usually poor because they have not been with us that long and usually newly married. Uncle seldom has to hire workers from outside as he takes on family of his own workers first. They are eager to work for Uncle and we have a waiting list for outsiders. He makes sure the children all attend school. Usually the parents are eager for their grown children to work for Uncle as then they will have a job and can marry with confidence and not live at home unemployed. So the parents make sure the young workers behave and they teach them all they can. It would be a great shame for Uncle to have to fire a relative of a long time worker and the young workers all know this their parents make sure they know. One man even asked Uncle not to hire one of his sons as he was not responsible enough yet and he didn't want the young man to shame the family. The boy later joined the army and after serving his time came back and has worked well as a guard.
Uncle is a man of feisty disposition at times but he is never cruel. He is like a fighting rooster with his feathers up and crowing. When we went on a family fishing trip he caught the biggest fish and he almost did really crow. He treats every fish like a death struggle. He is an angel and a devil and I love him very much. He raised me along with my mother after my father died and he was the adult man in my life. Don says he is "ornery" which is an American word I do not fully understand all the meanings of but which seems to fit Uncle well. He is very cosmopolitan when he wishes and very naughty at other times. But make no mistake even in his seventies he is the absolute master of his household. Aunt may run the home but Uncle is lord and master in his home and in his work. Just as Don is in our home, although in a different way. Uncle gives orders but Don seems to get the same results by making suggestions . People just seem to know Don is the boss without words and Don is not boisterous (new word) like Uncle. Yet they seem to get along very well together which I find puzzling but I am very glad of. Usually two very masculine men sometimes have a little friction even if it is friendly but not Don and Uncle. When we visit they talk for long times and Don goes where he wants in the household and does as he pleases and Uncle does not care. When Uncle visited us it was the same way. In the Phils Don defers to Uncle and Uncle defers to Don here but it is deference without dominance. Sort of like two masters treating each other as honored guest in their respective homes, each trying to outdo the other in hospitality. As I said I am very glad for this as I love them both very much and it would be very hard if there was friction and with two "alpha males" it could happen so easily.
Well I had better go Don is taking me and Niece out shopping after mass tomorrow in the city. We will start shopping for spring clothes.
VICKY
