SONA: GMA should do a Koizumi

The problem with this country is that the PR spinmasters are too influential with their principals in government and, maybe, even in private industry. Thus the people are not told the unblemished truth about the state of things. Sugar coating and sometimes, out and out deception that raise false hopes are tactics resorted to. Everyone is always hoping that things will improve before the lie becomes scandalously obvious.

It is time for change. I mean, we need change similar to the political earthquake caused by Junichiro Koizumi, the wildly popular Prime Minister of Japan. He told the Japanese nation that they are, in no uncertain terms, in very deep shit. He also told them that fixing Japan’s problems is going to cause a lot of pain. How much pain? If they think life in Japan today, with all the job losses is living hell, they ain’t seen nothing yet.

A Filipino PR spinmaster would have been horrified at such talk from the head of government. Maybe it is because the typical PR spinmaster here no longer thinks. He merely gives advice as if his sole audience is his principal and his reason for being is to lick his or her ass. Everything is knee jerk, traditional and ordinary.

Yet, look at how a very traditional people like the Japanese reacted to Koizumi’s doomsday talk. According to Asiaweek, the Japanese people think Koizumi can do no wrong. Posters, t-shirts and dolls of the prime minister are selling like hot cakes in Japan. Teenagers wear his t-shirts as if he were a pop rock star. Over 1.8 million people have subscribed to his weekly e-mail newsletter.

Even US President George W. Bush was impressed. Bush praised Koizumi as the someone who "is willing to make difficult choices, and that is what a leader does." Yet, Koizumi has not done anything yet. He has only talked about the tough things he intends to do. But the impressive thing Koizumi has done, Asiaweek observed, is the creation of a near national consensus that reform is urgently needed. More important, Koizumi has also generated an acceptance among the people that it will hurt.

Asiaweek quotes a 40-year-old sales clerk admitting that she is not sure she likes the reforms because they look very severe. But, and this is important, she thinks Japan needs to take drastic measures. She is worried about losing her job but despite that, she thinks "he’s the best prime minister we’ve had in decades."

A member of the Japanese parliament echoes the sense of urgency felt by the population at large. "It is no longer the time to discuss whether Japan needs these reform measures," Asiaweek quotes the legislator. "It is time for implementation."

I guess Filipinos feel lost these days because they are getting mixed signals. Unless you are a trained and experienced newsman, it is difficult to get the true story from government statements. This is why we write about the situation with all its warts and government propaganda tries hard to build up hope that our prospects are actually looking good.

I hope President GMA will use the weekend to look over her State of the Nation Address (SONA) and throw out the bullshit contributed by government technocrats and bureaucrats. As an economist who happens to be our supreme leader, she should tell us how bad the situation is, what nasty tasting medicine we must take to remedy it and how long it will take before the situation turns around.

She should use the opportunity to warn this nation that unless we pull together, we are likely to sink on the weight of our problems into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. This country needs to be shocked out of everybody’s wits.

We need a Filipino Koizumi, who is not afraid to be honest and realistic. Only after we manage a national consensus that we do have a problem and need to work together, can the healing and development process start.

Tito Mon

I should really get used to it by now, but there is no way I can stop feeling the emotional low that the passing of my Tito Mon brings. Tito Mon is Mao Chanco to many of his readers and colleagues in the journalism profession. He had a very colorful and well-awarded career that spanned over 60 years. He was more than an uncle to me, more of a second father and role model. He took time to train me when I was all of 16 years old.

He was a fun sort of guy, whose infectious sense of humor made work seem like play. My Tito Mon belong to that dying breed of tough Filipino journalists whose dedication to the craft of writing and reporting are the stuff of stories that inspire young journalists to jump into the field.

I remember how proud I was when, on my second day in the beat, I saw his name in the list of journalists who organized the City Hall Press Club. I remember his stories of how they used to cover the legendary Mayor Arsenio Lacson, no doubt a most colorful era that the Manila City Hall never quite managed to win back.

When I was a young trainee in television news production, I was again happy to work with Tito Mon in producing the National Press Club’s ‘Meet the Press’ program. I imagine he was proud of me too, as I quickly went up the ranks and was eventually assigned to work with him as the Executive Producer.

The thing that really impressed me with him was his total commitment to the causes he believed in, like the environment. I must confess that I did not quite understand why he lived and breathed environmental preservation in the years prior to the energy crisis of the 70s. Then the crisis came, and again, we ended up working together on alternative energy. He had just organized The Earthman Society precisely to propagate the use of indigenous earth friendly devices and I was then working with the Ministry of Energy.

I was looking at his bio-data at the wake last Tuesday, and I couldn’t help feeling a sense of inadequacy, seeing that I don’t think I can accomplish as much as he had. Hopefully, Tito Mon, my role model, will forgive me for having failed to keep up with his pace.

I am going to miss my Tito Mon. But he will always be an inspiration to contribute my best to the profession he taught me to love as much as he did.

Golf

Tito Mon always loved a good joke. Today’s joke from Dr. Ernie E. is something he would have loved.

Mary: My last ex didn’t play golf, but maybe he should have.

Jill: Why’s that?

Mary: Then he’d have known something about the importance of FOREplay, strokes and making sure it gets into the right hole.

Jill: Yeah, but he’d also have known something about threesomes and foursomes!

(Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected])