A lasting legacy or a lasting failure

There are a lot of hopeful things going for us. The whole government machinery, should think along the same lines now more than ever. Here are my humble suggestions to all public servants.

First, the President should set his sights on BARMM, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, which is a potential economic powerhouse for the whole country. Once that region’s enormous resources are developed, we will witness the natural movement of the population, without government prodding, from the congested urban centers, which has reached unlivable densities up to 46,000 persons per sq. km.

Elections in BARMM at this stage will be a huge waste and will just play into the eager hands of the entrenched political dynasties that have long straight-jacketed the progress of that region. The next two years should be devoted to the equipping of the BARMM leadership in all aspects of governance. We cannot afford another failed experiment like the ARMM.

Second, the Cha-cha train should be stopped in its tracks; it only fuels speculations of political motives behind it. If the reason to amend the Constitution is to open up the economy to foreign investments, we have enough laws liberalizing foreign investments without tinkering with the fundamental law. In fact, we have special laws that brought in foreign investments in economic zones such as PEZA, which earned enormous export revenues for the country. But we abruptly shortened the tax holidays they enjoyed and effectively sent them packing away to other countries. Now, our foreign direct investments have dropped from $6.6 billion in 2018 to $5.0 billion in 2019.

Third, basic housing for most Filipinos should be top priority. Cost of controlling epidemics, natural and social calamities mostly affect the unsheltered living on waterways, under bridges and in dumpsites. The newly created Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, should not think of building subdivisions, but instead look at practical solutions to decongest urban centers like Metro Manila. High rise condo units will increase the living spaces exponentially by at least five times and will cost less per individual than creating housing subdivisions that require costly relocations. Condos in Metro Manila can be built and completed within a short period of time.

Fourth, the administration should stop focusing on winning elections. The President had experienced how he was overwhelmingly voted as President with no war chest or traditional and powerful political backers. By now, people know and vote the leaders they want. They deserve the leaders they choose.

Fifth, Congress should ease up on investigations of anomalies on almost everything. The controversy with the vaccine’s procurement is moving us farther away from the shadow of a vaccine with so much ongoing dissonance. Malacañang should already show firmness by forming an independent panel of experts, epidemiologists, virologists, endocrinologists, physicians and health practitioners, including those who express divergent views, with the sole purpose of deciding on the entire vaccination plan, including the procurement of the vaccines. We should all stop and listen to the experts.

Sixth, we must now focus on the disasters that visit us with regularity and think of long-term solutions for them. We have seen all that there is for us to know why we have diabolic flooding and other disasters. The watersheds are gone, the rivers are heavily silted, we don’t have enough dams to contain water, a precious commodity that we just throw away and which even inundates the towns.

These solutions are at our fingertips and only require focus instead of so much politicking. We cannot continue to be gluttons for punishment. This administration has a rare opportunity to leave a lasting legacy – or be a lasting failure. – Marvel K. Tan, Quezon City