Abetting doleout mentality

Listening to the campaign promises of presidential contenders one gets the impression that Filipino voters are gullible people whose choice can easily be influenced by doleouts. Free hospitalization, free health care, free school lunch, free college education, plus expanded cash grants under the "pantawid sa pamilya" program. These and many others are publicly announced.

To give, and give seems to be the theme song of every presidential candidate as if the people they are wooing are mendicants hungry for windfall of goodies. Issues? There are almost none in terms of major policy statements on governance, the economy, foreign affairs, education, or the environment. What one usually hears are articulations of the bread-and-butter types, about survival and day-to-day affairs.

This phenomenon is certainly a sad commentary of the quality of leadership of those desiring to be the highest official of the land. It is a sad indication also of the low aspirations of the mainstream citizenry conducive to the adoption of a doleout mentality which causes social malaise and poverty.

A good example of such doleout tendency is the popular but questionable "pantawid sa pamilya" program under which destitute families are given regular cash assistance. Nothing wrong with this, really provided the family actually deserves the assistance and steps are taken to gradually enable the recipients to stand on their own. And provided further that the money given is being used properly and not wasted in such vices as drinking, smoking, gambling, and other non-essential expenses.

Sadly, there are reports of these malpractices. There have also been observations that some recipients just hang around idly all day and exert no efforts to do productive activities. Despite these, almost all the presidentiables are eagerly endorsing the program. In fact, some of them have publicly committed themselves to expand the same in terms of benefits and coverage, never mind the observed anomalies and alleged discriminatory practices in the distribution of the funds.

Poverty alleviation, yes, why not? But a pantawid sans adequate supervision and control is a classic way of wasting government resources limited as these are. Every candidate is aware of this, but not one dares speak against the program, perhaps for fear of losing the support of the more than half a million pantawid beneficiaries.

So on with promises. Many of them cannot be realized, the candidates know, but that's beside the point. Their thinking seems to be, get elected first and worry about the promises later. This is gross insincerity to say the least, and leaders who have this mindset don't deserve the presidency.

And who deserves it? The one whose feet are on the ground but whose mind is in the clouds, to paraphrase the late Ramon Magsaysay. The leader's concern may touch on the essential and practical such as food for the stomach, clothes for the body and shelter for the family. But of equal importance is the transformation of the human person involving the internalization of moral values such as love of one's fellowmen, loyalty to the country, inclination to productive endeavors, and other ethical behaviors.

A transformational leadership is therefore the call of the hour. For the problems of this country are rooted in the personhood of the average Filipino. It's there where a real change is needed - and not in the structure of governance. Federalism? This may result in decentralization of policy making and program implementation. But unless the newly empowered are honest and truly committed to promote the common good, nothing happens. Corruption will still prevail and criminality will remain hanging like a sword above every Filipino's head.

Unfortunately, not one of the presidential aspirants talks about values internalization nor the primacy of honesty and sincerity in social interactions particularly in government transactions. They keep on posing as dispenser of goodies. They keep on promising a happy and easy-go-lucky life for everyone without being aware that in doing so they are promoting the culture of indolence and "bigay" mentality.