Shooting from the hip

Not just a few people continue to wonder about the wisdom proffered by Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri.

A few years ago, he peddled his fantastic economic rebound projection and labeled it 747. The projection — seven-percent economic growth for seven years — looked so good on paper that some legislators and even the executive rode on Neri’s propaganda after presuming he did his homework.

Well guess what… his 747 remains nothing more than a dream to this day. And many say they would not be surprised if he would respond by pinning the blame on someone or something else. Doing so would maintain his consistency.

Just recently, Neri was urging for a review of cross-ownership rules in the electricity industry after the Masinloc fiasco. He went on to say that the EPIRA, the law mandating the privatization of the country’s energy industry, was to be blamed for the fiasco and should be reviewed. True to form, Neri’s remarks were totally off the mark as he refused to admit that PSALM, the privatization body which he is a director of, was to blame for the failure.

Well guess what? He did it again!

Rather than admitting that the sloth-like environment in local business and investment is due to factors he should be addressing together with the trade, public works, energy and labor departments, he opted to blame the local banking industry, calling the sector "lazy" in performing the role of helping boost the country’s economy through increased lending.

The bankers were being diplomatic in describing Neri’s statement as "unfair". The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) suggests that policymakers like NEDA have a lot to do with improving the country’s business climate and are better off looking into the impediments for more brisk economic activity rather than trying to pin the blame on others.

And as if to help point Neri in the right direction, it was suggested that he look into factors like the rigid labor environment, the lack of infrastructure and even high energy costs. These are just some of the many factors the bankers say have discouraged more local and foreign direct investments.

The question now, is Neri humble enough to consider the banker’s suggestions and address the true causes of our slow economy or will he shoot from the hip again and try to pin the blame on someone or something else?

Leadership crisis

What a difference leadership makes.

If the new board of trustees (BOT) of International School Manila, who allegedly won only by amassing proxy votes from non-concerned parents of the school, continues on its path, the school will stand to lose its high school, middle school and elementary principals, and possibly over 120 teachers in the next few weeks.

The administrators and the teachers will either go, or they will be fired by the board in the same manner they fired without due cause the superintendent, David Toze, and threw him out of the school under the custody of guards and security officers.

That is the difference of leadership. What has been built over decades is now crumbling to the ground and in the end, the losers will be the students of the prestigious school.

In only a few weeks since the new board took over, two esteemed board members who were elected in the previous board resigned due to serious differences in the way the new members of the board are acting. Other members of the board from the old batch who hold prestigious positions in major companies have also expressed a desire to leave due to the uncontrollable actions of the new board members.

Last Aug. 29, the principals and assistant principals of the high school, middle school and elementary school levels wrote a letter to the board expressing their disgust at the manner in which the new board members are conducting their business. Following that letter is the same correspondence representing 120 teachers echoing the same sentiment and demanding an explanation.

A few days ago, it was the parent’s turn to take action against the board. Over 400 parents started to converge and demanded an explanation for what is happening and what the board intends to do about it. The response was the unlawful termination of the superintendent for allegedly not being able to "control" the teachers and parents from voicing their opinion against the board. The action is seen by the community as a clear threat that anyone who questions the board will be terminated, and forcibly thrown out of the school under guards similar to a criminal.

What a difference leadership makes. One of the most hailed educational institutions is now on the verge of losing its accreditation. If this happens, every graduate from IS henceforth may not be accepted in international universities requiring institutional accreditation.

The root problem lies in the quality of leaders that today represents the board of IS. The honorable ones are resigning, while those who have taken the helm to run the school (to the ground?) are those whose credentials are questionable. Some are unemployed, some are lacking in experience, and allegedly, one even has multiple cases filed against him, insiders say.

That’s the difference in leadership. But who is really to blame? It is the parents who willingly gave up their proxy votes because they didn’t care. That’s why the school has such leaders. In a presidential election, every vote counts. Every vote is precious. The IS community is learning the same lesson. Unfortunately the hard way. It is now up to the parents to make right their lack of concern. It is their children’s future at stake.

I hear there are two ways to request the new board to step down. Either through intelligent persuasion or a two-thirds vote of the parents. That’s about 800 families signing a petition to make things better. If you are a parent and want to be informed about what’s going on, you can log on to www.ISMstakeholders.com. Or you can remain apathetic and the whole country can watch a premiere educational institution collapse overnight.

That’s the difference leadership makes.

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