Still an impossible dream

The US $434 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant appears to be a blessing indeed. US Ambassador to the Philippines, Harry S. Thomas Jr., may really be correct in calling the signing of the Millennium Challenge Corp.-Philippine Compact a “historic day in US-Philippine relations” because it will support government efforts “to reduce poverty, stimulate economic growth, combat corruption and ensure a better future for all Filipinos”.

The challenge behind the grant, as articulated by US State Secretary Hillary Clinton, is “to unleash the human potential in a country like the Philippines by tearing down the barriers to economic growth and fighting corruption, which is like a cancer in the economy and society”. Clinton candidly and correctly observed that too many Filipinos feel that they cannot progress here because the “elite in business and politics call the shots and there’s not much room for someone who is hardworking but not connected”. Hence the grant will enable Filipinos who have gone abroad but who love their country and would like to raise their children and grandchildren here, to come back to the Philippines for good.

Pursuant to the Compact, the $434 million will be spent for three major projects: $214.4 million to rehabilitate the 222 kilometers that will connect 15 Samar towns which is one of the country’s poorest provinces; $120 million to the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) for building water systems, clinics and school buildings; and approximately $54.4 million to computerize the BIR tax collection so as to raise revenues, reduce tax evasion and revenue agent related corruption. In all these projects there are key components in combating corruption such as the number of checks on construction standards and road contractors, the enforcement of transparency and accountability, and the continuation of lifestyle checks programs.

Obviously the MCC sounds and looks good. But like any contract contained in a piece of paper, its mere signing does not guarantee its effective enforcement and proper implementation; it does not insure that the grant will be used wisely and as designed. This is where the biggest challenge lies.

Of course P-Noy announced in his acceptance remarks about plans “to effectively address performance issues such as control of corruption”. He mentioned about continuing the “Revenue Integrity Protection Service”, the “Policy Improvement Process Plan of Action” and the “Performance Governance System” already introduced in six government agencies particularly education, health, public works, transportation, internal revenue and the police.

But these are still mostly in the realm of plans. The more important thing is how to carry out those plans. As they say “action speaks louder than words”. Hence a lot depends on the people who will implement the plans of combating corruption. Coming to mind right away in this connection are people who are incorruptible. Choosing them appears to be the best way to combat corruption; although this is not absolutely true because past experiences have shown that some of them are also susceptible and have succumbed to corruption once they have a taste of power which is but an affirmation of the truism that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. So far, after barely 100 days in office, P-Noy’s choice of his team shows that winning the war against corruption is still an impossible dream.

But more alarming about the MCC grant is the ultimate goal it seeks to achieve. Obviously, the MCC has been organized as an independent US foreign aid agency to help developing countries achieve eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that the UN member States had pledged in 2001 to meet in 2015. The MCC Chief Executive Officer in fact confirmed that the Compact with the Philippine Government “reflects the policies articulated by Obama in his speech at the MDG summit at the UN”.

The purpose of the MCC grant to reduce poverty and promote economic growth in the Philippines is also one of the MDG targets. Apparently there is nothing wrong or objectionable with such goal. The problem however is that the MDG is only being used as a pretext to promote a population control policy that in effect results in the elimination of the poor and not the reduction of poverty.

Actually, this is the same policy that the RH bill seeks to promote when it allows and enables women especially the poor, the freedom to choose from the entire range of contraceptives including those ultimately causing abortion or forcing women to resort to abortion because of unwanted pregnancies. This is the bill that considers pregnancy as a disease which should be prevented in order to reduce the population especially among the poor in the guise of achieving the MDG target to promote sustainable economic growth.

Hence one of the ultimate goals of the MCC grant is passage of the RH bill that will eventually legalize abortion as a means of population control that Obama and Clinton have been advocating not only in the US but especially in developing countries like the Philippines. In fact the Chairman of the MCC is Hillary Clinton herself who is openly promoting Obama’s abortion policy worldwide.

Hopefully, P-Noy is aware of these strings attached to the grant when he accepted it. He should reconsider the move to revive the Philippine Development Forum (PDF) purportedly to keep the Philippines on track when it comes to our 2015 MDG targets. Reviving the PDF means supporting the RH bill since the PDF is the foremost advocate of said bill. He will also be supporting the MCC and MDG hidden goal of population control by reducing the number of poor people.

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