What should be the top 3 priorities of the next president?

Jesus Mendoza, Pangasinan: Above all, the next President should curb graft and corruption, formulate a sound fiscal policy, and promote transparency and accountability.  

Rudy Tagimacruz, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: The top three priorities of the next President should be: Health, peace and order, and education.  

Fight graft and corruption

Col. Ben Paguirigan Jr., Ret., Zamboanga City: Fight graft and corruption and jail corrupt people. He should arrest, prosecute, and jail guilty people in six months’ time. He should also have prudent expenses to balance our fiscal situation.  

Concepcion Gaspar, Laoag City: 1. Get rid of corrupt government officials because no amount of reform will work if the president is surrounded by trapos, corruptors, lobbyists, people with hidden agenda, etc. He will not be able to enforce the law; 2. Alleviate the plight of the marginalized sector with better incentives for farmers and fishermen to improve their lot and prevent them from being exploited by heartless local officials who enrich themselves at their expense; 3. Create jobs while subsequently studying the educational system so that graduates will find jobs without having to go abroad. A president who puts country above self would take us in the right direction.  

Mandy Rillon, Cabanatuan City: The top three priorities of the next president should be: 1. To eradicate graft and corruption; 2. Arrest poverty; 3. Boost economic growth by providing employment and by means of massive infusion of investment to potential growth centers.  

Rose Leobrera, Manila: 1. Eliminate crooks in government and scrutinize all government projects and dealings. 2. Woo investors, and give them the best possible deal. This will mean more jobs. They should have protections both in taxes and in the contracts they enter into with the government, with contracts reviewed thoroughly for the goodwill of both parties. This will also breathe new life into the tourism industry; 3. Deal seriously with problems of terrorism even though it would mean an all-out war.  

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: First, get rid of graft and corruption in government institutions. Second, eradicate poverty in the country. Third, change the partisan political system, which is a barrier to change.

Jimmy Donton, Puerto Princesa City: Prosecute and jail corrupt government and business leaders; address the energy crisis and lower the rates nationwide; and provide job and livelihood opportunities for hardworking Pinoys especially those who are in the provinces to promote countryside development.  

Elpidio Que, Vigan: Ending corruption is the common battlecry of our presidential candidates. It’s true that if no one is corrupt, then walang mahirap. Money lost to corruption runs in the hundreds of billions per annum. The corrupt and the corrupted surf in heaven because of corruption, while the people wallow in abject poverty. The first priority of the next president should therefore be to slay corruption in politics and business. The second priority should be not to succumb to the dictates of the CBCP regarding birth control. It should be a matter of free choice. The third priority should be to reopen the many multi-million graft cases of politicians allied with this graft-charged administration and ensure that economic saboteurs be slayed.  

Decentralization

Loi Castillo, Davao City: The next president should address the issues of peace and order, investment incentives for job generation, and full decentralization of the national government functions to the regions.  

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: 1. Streamline the government bureaucracy. By doing this, the next president will have a lean and mean structure while decreasing the incidence of graft and corruption and inefficiency; 2. Population control. The next president will have to restudy our government’s social welfare program while enjoining private sector participation; 3. Boost countryside development through agricultural growth centers. By doing this, the next president generates employment in rural areas while decongesting the metropolis.  

Environment

Sarah Mudlong, Cabanatuan City: The next president should prioritize unemployment, poverty and environmental development.  

Abelardo Abilay, Laguna: He may focus on the three Es, namely: Employment, education and environment. Employment may bring about satisfaction and poverty alleviation. Education may bring about improvement in character and skills.  Care for the environment may bring about good health.  

Elenita Galvez, Quezon City: He should have the following top three in his list of priorities: 1. Livelihood for food; 2. Education for knowledge; 3. Clean Air Act for health reasons.  

Delfin Todcor, Quezon City: He must prioritize positive reforms in education, economics and politics but he must add judicial reforms and pollution reduction, too.  

Laverne Tarubal, Cagayan North: The incoming president should prioritize the environment, proper education and transparency in government. The Philippines is becoming unsuitable to live in. There are a lot of environmental concerns that need to be given due action, like mining activities and deforestation. The environment is crying for preservation and sustainable development. The educational system of the Philippines is not effective because it conditions the mindset of Filipinos in a wrong way. Transparency in government makes a credible leader. Reports should be made where funds are really going. Corruption must be eliminated.  

Peace and order

Joel Caluag, Bulacan: The next president, I believe, should prioritize peace and order, education and economy. These will have a domino effect afterwards.  

Louella Brown, Baguio City: The next president should give the highest priorities to education, health, and peace and order.  

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: Peace and order, livelihood and education. Success in these departments would define one’s presidency.  

Eric Gopilan, Quezon City: Kabuhayan, kalikasan, kapayapaan (KKK) of Ding Wenceslao that should be the top three priorities of the next president.  

Rey Onate, Palayan City: 1. Genuine peace and order in the country; 2. Strengthen agriculture as the nation’s economic base; 3. Upgrade the education system.  

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: Peace and order, tourism and education.  

Rico Fabello, Parañaque City: 1. Peace and order: Continue with the gun ban forever; 2. Tax collection: Everybody must pay his dues; 3. Get rid of graft and corruption: Let’s start with obeying traffic signs.  

Health care

Lydia Reyes, Bataan: First and foremost is the country’s economic progress, then education and good health for all constituents.  

June Deoferio, Cavite: Fighting corruption, and better health care and education must be the top three priorities of the next president.  

Napoleon Allones, Alimodian, Iloilo: 1. Livelihood and cottage industry; 2. Upgraded basic education; 3. Expanded health care.  

Buenvenido Arban, Laguna: Economy, health and security.  

Anthony Solidum, Ibajay: The eradication of widespread corruption; increased support for quality education up to the secondary level; and pushing for more health benefits especially for seniors.  

Charter change

Dianne Aquino, Caloocan City: The next president’s top priorities must be Charter change, population control, health, education, and military improvements, in that order.  

.  Erwin Espinoza, Pangasinan: Poverty alleviation, and economic and political reforms through Charter change

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: Change the Charter. Unite the fragmented nation. Address the urgent and long-term needs of the vast majority of our poor people.  

Job creation

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: The three priorities of the next president must be: Education, so that every family would have college graduates; employment, that every college graduate is assured of immediate job placement with standardized high salaries; and agriculture, so that all farms are irrigated and that farmers build strong cooperatives through government finance and supervision. Such priorities can only be realized through transparency and a transformational leadership.  

Felix Ramento, USA: Jobs, jobs and more jobs.  

Lucas Banzon Madamba II, USA: Job creation, economic prosperity and the fight against corruption, poverty, etc. These should be the top three priorities of the next president.  

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: Job creation. The next president should build state-owned companies that will help create jobs for millions of Filipinos. Next is education. Teaching today isn’t like it was 20 years ago. Our culture has changed a great deal: Teachers have so much more to cope with than ABCs in the classroom. And he should also repair all the damage done by the past president.

Overhaul the judicial system

Ignacio Anacta, Metro Manila: I do hope and pray that the top 3 priorities of our next president would be: 1. Eliminating graft and corruption and punishing severely those who are found guilty; 2. Restoring true democracy in our nation to what it once was; 3. Overhauling completely our justice system to regain the respect and dignity it truly deserves.  

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: Our next president should initiate changing our outmoded judicial system; bring back rebels to the fold of society; and alleviate the living condition of the masses. Our present judicial system that is unfair to those who have less in life drives victims of injustice to mount rebellion, which obstructs the smooth implementation of economic programs for the benefit of the people.  

Education

Luisito Vallo, Pangasinan: It should be education, population and research and development.  

I.Q. Calata, Parañaque City: For me, the top three priorities of the next President should be: 1. Amendments to the Constitution and, if need be, Charter change. This should be done at the beginning of his term to correct immediately the provisions that hamper the economy; also, so that he is not suspected of any move to perpetuate himself in the seat of power; 2. Do something about corruption. Here, there is no need for explanation. Just do it; and 3. Improve our education system to improve the quality of our graduates for local labor needs and to also give them the edge in the global labor market.  

Kelvin Casamayor, Ilocos Sur: Education to combat illiteracy, more jobs for poverty eradication, and environment protection.  

L.C. Fiel, Quezon City: The following should be the new president’s priorities: Remove corrupt officials in government, raise the earning capacity of the poor through job generation, and improve public school facilities.  

Unity and reconciliation

Josh Pacatang, Dipolog City: Reconcile with and unite major political and ideological factions; pursue and finish all pending or ongoing projects since the Ramos up to the Arroyo administrations; initiate and complete Charter change and lead Asia in the United Nations standing shoulder to shoulder with Obama and Medmedev.  

Ed Gulmatico, Bacolod City: 1. Offer genuine and sincere reconciliation to all sectors of society, including rival candidates and supporters. The country has to move on. 2. Ensure that immediate and fair justice be meted out to criminals who killed fellow Filipinos for the advancement of their evil plans and intentions. One clear example is the massacre of 57 innocent Filipinos, including 31 media practitioners, in Maguindanao. 3. Eliminate corruption in government service and leadership. He can start by ensuring that the officials and elected politicians found guilty face the consequences of their illegal actions.  

Edwin Castillo, Tanauan City: The top 3 priorities are: National unity, uplifting the economy through job generation, and implementing poverty reduction programs.  

Leandro Tolentino, Batangas: Unity, unity, and unity among all Filipinos to forge a true united front in development.  

Ernesto Oliquiano, Las Piñas City: For me, the top priority is to regain public confidence in government. This is the most important task that he should undertake to rally the people behind him and make the next two tasks a lot easier. Reducing to the minimum, if not the total eradication of corruption is next.  He should have the political will to prosecute corrupt officials of the bureaucracy irrespective of political affiliations. The third priority should be the improvement of our economy. If he can accomplish these within the first three or four years of his term, the other problems of the country can easily be solved.  

Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte: First, unify and rally Filipinos toward accomplishing national goals. Second, tighten public spending while increasing government revenue.  

Manny Cordeta, Marikina City: Not to preempt the incoming Chief Executive, but emphasis should be on: 1) Being magnanimous in victory; reach out to the political opposition and welcome all suggestions from people regardless of their political persuasion; 2) Commit to everlasting peace, in the process “softening” hard-core government rebels, bringing them back into the fold of the law; 3) Create a think tank that would initiate talks on Charter change.  

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: I still subscribe to the adage, “In unity, there is strength.” Good intentions are not enough, but teamwork makes all the difference. Unity and reconciliation will foster peace, good camaraderie and a working relationship coupled with massive value formation from top to bottom to cleanse our hearts of hatred and replace it with love.   

Form a good Cabinet

Nony de Leon, Malolos City: The new President should: 1. Organize a streamlined and smaller Cabinet composed of non-politicians with the needed skills and experience, and insulate them from any form of political pressure; 2. Call for a one-year moratorium on any word or deed that will aggravate our divisions; and 3. Call for a Constitutional convention to begin meeting before the end of 2010.  

Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: Form a Cabinet made up of good, God-fearing and honorable men. Order the release of Generals Gudani and Lim, Col. Querubin, Capt. Trillanes, etc.  

Good governance and transparency

Leonard Villa, Batac City: 1. Fight/eradicate graft and corruption; 2. Create jobs for the unemployed; 3. Implement or enforce a no-nonsense population control or family planning program.  

Jovito Quizon, Aguada: First and foremost is clean and honest governance to gain international competitiveness, and for sure, progress will follow. 

Cris Rivera, Rizal: He must rekindle Juan’s enthusiasm to work and trust his government; he must strengthen public service and other public institutions to work for the country’s welfare.  

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: Exercise good governance with transparency to put things in order, work out unity and reconciliation from the opposition and the entire country, and, lastly, improve the country’s relationships with other nations so that investments will continue to pour in the country.  

Alleviate poverty

Ogie de Guzman, Laguna: 1. Make no promises, just get down to the business of governance; 2. Finish all pending major and national infrastructure projects and hold all new projects for review if everything is above board; 3. Address the poverty issue with priority on food security.  

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: The  top three  priorities of the next president should be the economy, education and corruption in order to address poverty. He must be a healing president so we can have unity.  

Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: The top three priorities must be poverty alleviation, job creation, and hanging those involved in corruption.  

Dr. Dennis Acop, Baguio City: First, there can be no fresh start with the indiscretions of the outgoing still hanging like a sword of Damocles over the head of the incoming leader. There must be a closure to nine years of infamy. To allow crime to go unpunished, especially that by the high and mighty, sends a message to people that crime pays. This can be done. In 1990, I was in Seoul and witnessed President Roh Tae Woo at the height of his power. A few years later, I saw the same man shackled and clad in prisoner’s garb along with two other former military dictators convicted for corruption and abuse of power. Second, the next leader must waste no time in rolling up his sleeves and buckling down to work to comprehensively and urgently address the problem of poverty, which has become widespread. Poverty has made us mediocre. Third, we need to go back to basics. We need to relearn right from wrong. We need to learn once more that it is not just about the money, titles, or power but about the values that money cannot buy, like a clean conscience or having peace of mind.  

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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