What would you do with a million cash?

"Let's make believe that all of a sudden, you had a million dollars, what's the first thing you would buy and why would you buy it?"

The year was 1973. Ms. Margie Moran, the Philippines’ most beautiful woman, had stunned the audience with her clear-cut answer that earned for her the Miss Universe title: "A house and lot because it's the most expensive thing and I can't afford it. If I had a million bucks, I'd buy a house a lot and live by myself, and other people, of course." (Source:  <http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/49315/top-10-unforgettable-beauty-pageant-answers/3>)

What would you buy with a million cash?

            Fictional and historical characters did something good with the millions that they have.

Edmond Dantes of Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo bought his way up to avenge himself and put powerful men to justiee. Jean Valjean of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables used a bishop’s million worth of mercy to redeem his soul from perdition and to save others from damnation. Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist during World War II, used his millions to rescue 1,200 Jews from concentration and death camps. Alfred Nobel, realizing that he and his brother had become, “The merchant of death” after inventing the dynamite, left all his fortune to honor extraordinary men and women for their outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and for work in peace. 

These men had spent their millions for something greater than themselves. They gave the world an invaluable lesson: a million bucks comes with great responsibilities.

            So, what would you buy if you have a million pesos?

            How about food and water? In our time, more than two-thirds of the population is wallowing in deprivation and poverty. Jobs might be available, but most of these are temporary and unstable. Food is slowing becoming a rare commodity. Meanwhile, the water sources of the world continue to dry up and muddle. Scientists have predicted that the next war will be fought over food and potable water. The world is sure to faee a great humanitarian crisis over the lack of food and water. And not even a million pesos can guarantee a long term access to food and water.

            How about real estates? Well, Ms. Margie Moran is right. Real estates are getting more and more expensive. It seems that the Earth itself is shrinking as time passes by. Truth to tell, people are making so many babies without praying to God to give them additional world to inhabit and populate. Indeed, ownership is becoming a fast fading concept. A new approach to homelessness and land insecurity is needed to resolve people’s conerns for permanent and dignified habitat. And even with a million bucks, one cannot simply feel that sense of security which traditional goes with land ownership. You will need more than a million pesos to live a secured and dignified life.   

            How about education? Intelligence, (and especially common sense), is becoming rare nowadays. Education has a price of course. Schools need to invest in state of the art facilities and hire good teachers to be competitive. And with college and post-graduate degrees becoming imperative, people of substance need to earn more so that they can go to good universities. However, while diplomas may be quantifiable, intelligence and good sense are simply beyond any percuniary estimation. They are priceless. As such, a million pesos will not make you more intelligent than anyone who was born with a good brain and the ability to use it well.

            How about public position? Oh yes, with a million pesos you will have a fighting chance to be elected councilor in a third or second class muncipality in the Philippines. Political power comes with a price. The more money you invest, the more power you acquire. This is how our electoral democracy works. Unfortunately, a million pesos is insignificant compared to the tens and hundreds of millions or billions that ogres and vultures in high places are playing with.

            So what would you buy with a million pesos?

Hmm, show me a million bucks and I’ll figure it out for you.