First 100 days

The Duterte administration marks its first 100 days in office this Friday. The latest trust rating is due to be released in two weeks or so. But despite some controversial statements from the President for which he and his cabinet members have been apologizing, I can guess that popular support is still high.

It is as it should be. A span of a hundred days is too soon to judge a presidency. But it is long enough for the administration to take stock of how they are doing and do some corrective actions to prolong the public honeymoon.

There had been early enthusiasm on the part of some Cabinet members to produce noticeable improvements. Picking up some low hanging fruits left over by the previous administration is an obvious strategy to deliver early results.

Of the Cabinet secretaries, no one has been as productive and singularly focused on realizing significant results as Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez. Sec. Sonny was able to submit his tax reform proposal to Congress two weeks before the 100th day. It is indeed the first step in introducing meaningful reform in running this government.

Many of the proposals submitted by Sonny are controversial and those with vested interests will do their best to delay any reform. This is why Congress must not waste time. They should start scheduling discussion even while they are taking up the budget measure.

In the meantime, I have been hearing very good feedback about how the BIR, an agency under Sonny, has started to clean itself. It is a work in progress, but tax accountants I have talked to say the BIR today has managed to greatly minimize the corruption.

One accountant even said he has not received a single hint for the usual “for the boys” to facilitate processing of papers. Never in his life did he think this was even possible, but it is happening.

Maybe the typical BIR official who helped himself to the “perks” of the job is now figuring out how serious the new administration is with its anti-corruption drive. Suffice it to say that as of the first 100 days, many of them have been on their best behavior.

The other big department that is vital to us is the Department of Transportation. I have had high hopes for this department and my first few meetings with Transport Secretary Art Tugade made me as enthusiastic as he was about things finally moving at this department.

Maybe it is because Mar Roxas and Jun Abaya left so many things undone that now makes the job of Mr. Tugade more difficult. I noticed that in the first few weeks, the Tugade team seemed understandably overwhelmed.

Anyone would be too, given the monstrosity of the traffic problem, for instance. I agreed they needed emergency powers to cut through the red tape and produce quick results. But Congressional approval will take time and in the meantime, they simply have to do what they can to show the public they are doing something.

I understand Sec. Tugade was miffed with an observation I made in a column last week that they cannot use the failure to quickly get emergency powers as an excuse to miss targets. I am sorry if he was irritated, but I just write as I see things. I will praise accomplishments and point out shortcomings.

Over the weekend, they listed their 100 days accomplishments. Here are some of them with my comments.

1. Five year validity of drivers’ license effective in NCR by October and rest of the year before end of 2016.

Yes, this was one of things I have been writing about for years and I suggested it during our first meeting together with the 10-year passport. I have been writing in this column for years that it makes sense to reduce the number of times people must interact with government given that every encounter produces a bad image due to corruption and red tape.

Anyway, the five year validity of licenses is good, but will not be fully appreciated unless DOTr can fix the problem with the license cards. We cannot use the LTO OR to rent or drive a car abroad.

2. Launched NAIA premium buses with initial 21 Mercedes Benz units to bring passengers from NAIA to Makati and NAIA to Roxas Blvd. hotels. PWD friendly, cleaner emissions and free wifi.

3. No more laglag bala incidents at the airport. No more luggage with plastic wraps.

This is an easy solution that Jun Abaya refused to do.

4. Increased number of MRT working trains to 16 during peak hours. Speed increased from 40 to 45 kph. Ongoing purchase of signaling system and power source to deploy more cars by 3rd Q 2017.

But the MRT system bogs down more than a couple of times daily. They are also still unable to use the new trains bought by Abaya from a Chinese company. I doubt MRT commuters will find relief in the next year at the pace they are going.

Tugade should have been bold enough to get a new MRT manager and sign up with Sumitomo as he said he would do in the early days. I realize there is a live contract with Busan, but Busan was reluctant to have that contract and it should be easy to convince to relinquish it. Retaining the old MRT manager can theoretically enable him to cover up mistakes of the past. Tugade must disrupt the Pisay mafia.

The real bold solution for MRT 3 is to find a way to turn it over to the private sector, but not to the Sobrepena group whose business reputation (CAP, Fil-Estate, John Hay) isn’t stellar. The MPIC proposal should be looked into even if it means they need to strike a deal with Sobrepena so long as it’s MPIC’s name at stake.

5. High speed wifi now available in 23 transport sites- airports, seaports and rails.

6. Less flight delays now! Flight punctuality improved from 47 percent to 71 percent.

It is even better, according to the airlines who told me on time performance (OTP) is up from 30 percent to 80 percent. But Tugade must have the nerve to complete the process of moving general aviation from NAIA to Clark or Subic. The half measure he took is good, but not good enough. And the decision on the site of the new airport has to be made before yearend.

7. Cleaner toilets in all NAIA terminals.

Yes, thanks to the airlines who agreed to assume this responsibility that is rightfully government’s. We will reserve being impressed until the NAIA airport authority takes back this job and does it well. Or maybe, implement the privatization of airport operations and management, an approved plan Abaya didn’t have the guts to carry out.

8. 200 additional seats in T3, 500 more being ordered for all NAIA terminals.

Congrats on this one. Passengers have long suffered the inconvenience. I am impressed that the day after I published the complaint of a friend, lawyer Beverly Ann Noriega, NAIA management wrote me back to say they have added seats and showed me photos.

9. Upgrade CCTV airport security thru proof of concept.

10. Finally installing by next week the ILS (instrument landing system), pending for almost two years, thus reducing flight diversions.

Yes, thanks to me who brought this up as well as the ILS system in Mactan that was idle for two years because of CAAP negligence.

11. Put closure to Piatco issue following Supreme Court decision-long pending thus terminating uncertainty and doubts on foreign investments.

Not sure this is a DOTr accomplishment as much as it is a Supreme Court final decision. Has government finally paid Piatco?

12. Resolving the more than six years conflict on the Common Station thus facilitating connectivity of rail stations in the near future.

Yes, the ceremonial signing was held but lacked technical details, even the precise site. It looks like a victory for the former employer of the usec for rails.  Foundations, columns and girders were built in the site fronting SM. So they have to discard all those and build new ones now. Talk of real sunk costs!

Due to space limitation, we will carry the rest of the accomplishments DOTr is claiming for the first 100 days in a future column.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco