Let’s accept defeat graciously

When you think about it, sportsmanship certainly does not seem to be an inherent part of our culture. Whether it is the crab mentality of needing to drag others down or being a sore loser when things don’t go our way, a lot of Filipinos can’t just accept defeat with their heads held high and their dignity intact.

Take for example the present administration (and to be fair not only this one but many others before it), every time the DOTC or the DPWH (or other government departments) select a winning foreign or local bidder for a big infrastructure project, our elected officials in Congress always cry foul. The losing bidder (or bidders) always says there was corruption or illegal actions involved and that is why they did not win the bid. No matter which way the government chooses to go, someone remains unhappy and because of that begins to spread malicious news about why the project is doomed or the bad decisions being made or all the money being spent.

Honestly, would it be that difficult for us to try to support one another instead? The problem I feel we face, with several things that the administration is trying to achieve, is that there is no follow through. Great plans are laid out, bids are made, winners are awarded projects, and as the projects start to get underway, something stops it — whether it’s a funds issue or a complaint that needs to be addressed in court. Whatever the case may be, nothing actually gets done. And we wonder why we keep hearing about all of these investments in infrastructure but we never see the outcome. It’s because nothing is ever given the opportunity to be completed.

With all the red tape and the three ring circus hoops, it’s no wonder that all these highly touted private-public partnership (PPP) projects can’t get off the ground. There is much steam in the beginning only to putter and die out midway through. Will we see any of these reach completion by the time the current administration’s time is up in 2016? The way things are going, I highly doubt it.

I recall one such partnership project was the highly acclaimed Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro. I remember when we first landed there  (in the morning) we couldn’t help but notice how nice it looked. We understood it was a work in progress, but so far it was easy to see how this airport could definitely service international passengers and give CDO a newer high quality air center. At the time I remember thinking that I would gladly pay the terminal fee if constant improvements to our airport infrastructure such as those being made in CDO would become a norm.

However, my awe was short-lived when we returned to the airport to fly back to Manila. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 5:30 p.m. and due to the plane being late on the turnaround, the aircraft was not scheduled to arrive until 6 p.m. Because of this, we were told that our flight had to be canceled and postponed to the next day. The reason astounded me — it was because the airport had no landing light capabilities and no radar system in place yet. So if travelers were still there after the sun set they would be stuck! I couldn’t believe it. So much for a nice looking new building. How can an airport be running without those basic technological necessities? And where are all our terminal fees going if we can’t even get lights on the runway? So far, I have been there twice and it’s been the same. I hope next time we go they will be better equipped.

Understandably there is a lot of bureaucracy involved when it comes to these PPPs, but I think we would be better served by resolving the problems with proactive solutions rather than name-calling and delaying. In that aspect, allow me also to express my displeasure when it comes to the public sentiments of Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar on the alleged extortion attempt by high-ranking officials of the Czech-based company Inekon Group, who initially expressed interest in providing coaches for MRT 3. The case and investigation is ongoing and the NBI is doing their best to secure information from all sides. But while this is being done, Ambassador Rychtar is publicly voicing opinions on our government’s policy, which I feel is out of his scope of authority. It is beyond his diplomatic duties to meddle in our affairs. We have enough public roadblocks to our projects without the help of foreign diplomats. It is unfair to claim nothing is being done when there is still an open investigation. It is in everyone’s best interest to resolve this issue and not waste time and resources on it when these can be better funneled elsewhere.

I find it such a waste that we have all of these potential projects in the pipeline but can’t seem to see them through to fruition. Imagine how much better off we would all be if we could get our infrastructure projects completed? History has already shown that we need to fix our infrastructure. In fact, we were among the list of Asian countries with the worst infrastructure.

Not to mention investing in solid infrastructure is even more important now when the weather has been so crazy. The country is going to get beaten down by intense heat this summer — it’s already started — and that can only mean a very intense weather break when the rains come in. Weather experts have already predicted that the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda is most likely not going to be a one-time catastrophe. It makes me shudder to think of a world where storms with the strength of Yolanda are going to become the norm.

This just means we have to prepare and prepare fast. Alongside disaster preparedness we have to invest in fixing infrastructure and drainage systems. Improved infrastructure can also lead to improved public transportation, which can lead to fewer cars on the road and more people taking the MRT and LRT. This will help us dramatically reduce our carbon footprint and hopefully Mother Nature will give us a little bit of a break when monsoon season hits. We could definitely use it this year.

I believe that now is the time for us to invest in the future. The Aquino administration has all the projects lined up, let’s work together to make them happen. Backbiting and complaining and whining are only going to cause delays and in the long run, no one will benefit from that.