Eight of 10 laws created by legislative bodies, from the Senate to the barangay level, are useless because these are not being implemented at all.
Though drafted and enacted to become solutions to problems, many of the country’s rules and regulations end up as mere scraps of paper waiting to be discovered, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando said.
He said only 20 percent of the existing laws are carried out because politicians do not have enough will to implement the rest.
MANILA, Philippines – He noted that laws and ordinances were created to solve the problems faced by Filipinos but these are not applied by those who govern their localities or even by those in the national government.
In his meeting with local officials of Quirino province headed by Gov. Dakila Cua and attended by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, Fernando explained that ordinances or laws are not also being employed because “nobody wants to do the job.”
He stressed that the lack of firm political will on the part of those entrusted to implement laws has become the root cause of most of the problems that the country now faces.
“Every Filipino should subscribe to a strict adherence to law and order as a way of establishing a just and orderly society,” he said.
“Laws are solutions that must be observed and followed, and we need order and discipline if we want our country to progress,” he said.
Fernando, who plans to run for president in 2010, said firm political will is necessary to put in place meaningful governance that would help the Philippines regain its leadership role in Asia.
He cited the ill-effects of “failed engineering” as a primary factor that has caused many problems for the country, not only in governance but also in the management of transactions between the public and the private sectors.
He also stressed that the lack of know-ledge on how to maximize the use of technology in governance and inadequate skills development and training have largely contributed to the high incidence of poverty in the country and reduced the productive capacity of Filipinos.
Fernando asked the people of Quirino to join a nationwide movement that would help promote his advocacy calling on every Filipino to put order and discipline in their lives.
He said that “the incorporation of these two values in the pursuit of any profession is the only way that we can transform Filipinos to become productive and responsible citizens of the country.”
He added that leaders should begin empowering the people by giving them the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills to increase their productive capacities.