Lifestyle check of top government officials

Last Tuesday, President Arroyo ordered the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) to conduct a lifestyle check of top government officials – from Cabinet members to bureau directors – to verify if they are living within their means. We would like to suggest that President Arroyo adopts her father’s official policy for all officials during his regime and that was "Simple Living". The good thing about Macapagal’s Simple Living motto was that he and his cabinet literally set the example. Simple living began right in the palace itself. There was nothing ostentatious in Malacañang. Everything was in proper decorum but there was never any vulgar display of wealth in any private or official functions held in the palace.

When President Marcos took over the reins of government, it became the complete opposite. The President and the First Lady lived like rich potentates. To this day, people talk about the fabulous gowns and shoe collection of the First Lady.

As we said, President Arroyo’s lifestyle check is a step in the right direction, but it will be very, very difficult to implement. First, because the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission does not have the necessary personnel to implement the order. Second, the few that will implement the order probably don’t have the necessary training to pursue their task. When you ask any person to check if an individual is living within his means, you must be familiar with his individual means. Some cabinet officials and directors may have private wealth.

When I served as Secretary of Education of President Diosdado Macapagal, I had to do it at a tremendous financial sacrifice. I was a member of the Board of the Manila Times and the Far Eastern University. Both were then among the top corporations of the country. I had to give up both positions. My salary as Secretary of Education was that mandated by the 1935 Constitution. The Department of Education’s office was literally a barong-barong in Arroceros Park and we were not given any cars. So I had to support myself by my private means. And I’m proud to say that most, if not all, private officials then willingly responded to President Diosdado Macapagal’s call for Simple Living. Again, we wish that President Arroyo revive her father’s call for Simple Living to all Filipinos from all sectors.

We live in difficult times. We should live as simply as possible and help those who are in no position to help themselves. Our top priority should be the unemployed and other unfortunate groups like the Muslim refugees from Malaysia.

By simple living, we mean a mode of living in which the object is to eliminate as far as possible all luxuries and extraneous aids to happiness. Let our happiness come from within and not from without. Our chief concern should be to help the less fortunate.