After the economic catastrophe that resulted from the Marcos dictatorship, Corazon Aquino turned to the international community for help in reviving the devastated Philippine economy.
No, Juan and Juana, those weren’t “golden years” under Marcos 1.0, as his heirs would have us believe.
Cory Aquino was the darling of the liberal democracies, and the Philippines inspired freedom movements around the globe. The world moved enthusiastically to help rebuild the land of people power, putting together what was initially referred to as a “mini-Marshall Plan” to get the country back on its feet. It was called the Multilateral Aid Initiative or Philippine Assistance Program.
Alas, the MAI / PAP became bogged down in implementation problems. Fund utilization was underwhelming, with the numerous coup attempts seriously derailing national recovery efforts.
Opponents criticized the first Aquino administration, saying the Philippines was going around the world with a begging bowl – conveniently omitting the reason why the country became a beggar in the first place.
Now, under Marcos 2.0, we’re not going around with a begging bowl, but just borrowing like crazy. Our national debt has breached the P1-trillion mark, hitting P15.89 trillion as of end-September 2024. To finance the critical programs affected by the budget cuts this year, the government said it would source funding from official development assistance – meaning more debts, even at friendly rates.
Repaying all those debts will be a burden borne by every Filipino all the way down to Generation Beta.
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At the same time, Marcos 2.0 seems bent on the entrenchment of a culture of mendicancy among the masses, with financial dependence designed into the system so that people will be beholden to political patrons for advancement in life.
From budgeting priorities to project implementation and the delivery of basic services, dependence on political patronage is being encouraged, from the barangay all the way to the top levels of government.
The instruments of patronage come not from politicians’ own pockets, but from tax and non-tax revenues, with the middle class bearing the heaviest burden per capita.
Since many political and family fortunes are anchored on this kind of dependence, undereducation and poverty work in favor of the political establishment.
Politicians with this mindset will never see the crisis in Philippine education. They will be unable to grasp the dire consequences of so many Filipino children suffering from physical and mental stunting due to poor nutrition.
This dismaying mindset is manifested in the creative budgeting that went into the 2025 General Appropriations Act. The GAA institutionalizes begging for unconditional ayuda doled out on a needs basis, designed for short-term gratification.
A government run with competence and integrity should be aiming to make its citizens financially independent and with sustainable means of enjoying a decent quality of life for the long term.
The opposite is happening in our country. This has become starkly evident in the 2025 GAA, with the token presidential veto making BBM complicit.
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Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reportedly wants to remake the Marcos name, which has long been associated with dictatorship, gross human rights violations and kleptocracy.
He is succeeding somewhat in the human rights department, thanks to comparisons with his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.
But at the rate things are going, the Marcos 2.0 administration will also gain notoriety for corruption, crony capitalism and the misuse of people’s money.
BBM has so far managed to project an image that he himself is not involved in the thievery. His token GAA veto, however, is fueling doubts about this. His laid-back style of governance won’t cut it for too long; he can’t keep looking the other way in the face of what his allies are doing.
He may soon have to show tighter control by jettisoning certain folks in his inner circle who are unable and unwilling to moderate their greed.
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Public officials’ venality is worsened by the increasing number of unworthy people entering politics.
An idea that is gaining traction is to require varying levels of educational attainment and qualifying examinations for politicians.
There are examinations at different levels for civil servants. The foreign service officer examination is said to be the toughest in government service.
Police and military entrants need to be at least high school (Grade 12) graduates (with a minimum general average of 85 percent for the military) before acceptance into their officer academies.
Most professions require passing licensure examinations. The medical board exams are among the toughest, and rightly so, for those who will be tasked to save lives.
Why isn’t there a single qualifying exam for the people who are entrusted with the critical aspects of national affairs and the delivery of basic needs in everyone’s life?
In Singapore, doctorates are common among the top officials. The academic credentials are also typically accompanied by sufficient experience in the official’s chosen field.
You can see the results. Singapore, from a pirate haven when the Philippines was second only to Japan as the regional achiever, is now No. 1 – or is consistently among the top five – in nearly all global indicators of economic performance and quality of life.
In our case, the government has become a sinecure for dynastic family members who can’t do well anywhere else, for entertainment and sports has-beens, and for snake oil salesmen who have mastered the art of impounding public funds for personal purposes. Top public officials even brag about being school dropouts or getting near-failing marks.
We can also see the results. The Philippines is now a global and regional laggard in many aspects of life.
Alas for Generation Beta, more of them will be growing up physically and mentally stunted, unable to grasp math beyond one plus one equals two, unable to understand scientific concepts or comprehend anything beyond short messaging. Many of them will enter adulthood still dreaming the Filipino Dream: to get out of the country, ASAP.
For those who can’t leave, who can only struggle to put body and soul together in their own country, there’s occasional tax-funded ayuda, handed over by an unctuous politician.