Like It Is

Time to start the movie

By Peter Wallace

The weaknesses of the Philippines are well known and interminably discussed. Everyone agrees what they are and yet the Philippines continue to sink further and further behind its comparable neighbors.

A number of reasons have been given, and these are ones I’d agree with. All of them are related to people and their behavior. Nothing else explains the failure. The land is fertile, the weather as good as anywhere else (well maybe a few more typhoons). The difference is people’s attitudes and actions.

And it’s that latter word I want to focus on now: Action. If I’m at a dinner or cocktail and someone promises to send me something, they NEVER DO. Almost 100 percent. When I promise something I make a note and act on it the next day.

That’s what’s lacking, action. When it’s said, it’s done. Well for the 36 years I’ve been here, action hasn’t happened. The ills of the 70s are still the problems of today. Action hasn’t happened. Promise after promise, plan followed by plan. The only change has been ashift from it being on paper to being on acomputer. But computers can’t act any better than paper can. Only people can.

And Filipino leaders haven’t taken action. Of course there are exceptions, President Ramos was one, but it’s a reasonably applicable generality. Oh, Estrada was one too, but that’s an entirely different kind of action.

And I know many highly competent andaction-oriented corporate executives, but I don’t see the action translated into government. There are some fine action-oriented people in this Cabinet but they have to deal with a bureaucracy that isn’t.

And it Isn’t because of this ennui and isn’t because they are justifiably scared. Scared of some poor loser not conceding gracefully but taking them to court.

I have the incredible example at the moment of a company that has a 50-year contract for services to government, renewable every 10 years upon mutual agreement. The 10 years is up, the company wants to continue providing the service, the government agency wants it, is in fact very happy with the relationship and performance.

But because of a number of improvements to take advantage of technological change in the past 10 years on which the company will spend, not government, some myopic personality in the administration said these changes would now require going out to open bidding again.

Government is happy, the company is happy, the public is happy (it’s a direct service to the public), yet someone wants to disrupt it. It makes no sense.

It’s being offered on open bidding only because of the fear someone who wants to muscle into the job will take them to court if they don’t.

You don’t get foreign investment that way. Indonesia got US$19 billion last year, the Philippines couldn’t even raise one! It’s time the President put his foot down and stop this nonsense. And put his foot down on local governments putting in place ordinances (open-pit mining bans) that conflict with the national law. I’m glad he’s used that foot on the RH bill, it’s way, way overdue (13 years now) and desperately needed as 70 percent of adult Filipinos are telling their leaders.

I’d use that foot too to put the boot into the greedy monopoly that produces over 90 percent of the cigarettes that are killing 90,000 Filipinos every year. This monopoly wants to continue to pay less tax than it should so it can make sales and profits.

The best man at our wedding, my best friend through life till then, died one week before our 25th wedding anniversary, one he’d arranged for us — of smoking. I want it stopped. But understanding the realities of life, I know it can’t be. So at least I want it heavily taxed so we can save other lives.

“The country’s governors pledged to work for genuine unity and peace, good governance, principled leadership and economic progress to complete the unfinished business of the 1986 EDSA Revolution” — a newspaper item.

They’ve been making that pledge since 1986. They’ve had that opportunity since 1986, it’s all been words ― no action. It will be just words for the next 26 years too.

A movie doesn’t start until the actors go into action. You can have all the scripts you like, all the backdrops, all the organization you like, but until there’s action, there’s no movie.

The Philippines does not have the movie, there’s no action. Time to start the movie, Mr. President.

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Congresswoman Milagros Magsaysay said when the President challenged Corona to open his dollar bank accounts that “No one in his right mind will incriminate himself”. Isn’t that a tacit admission of guilt? If the dollar accounts can be honestly justified, that’s clearing yourself, not incriminating yourself.