A remarkable year 2012 was. In his time, President Fidel Ramos brought about some dramatic changes in the business environment—changes that to this day we are still benefiting from. He deregulated the key sectors—sectors that are now vibrant and competitive: telecom (there would be few cell phones today if PLDT had retained its monopoly), power (we’d still be having blackouts), oil and banking.
The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) report cited in the news item titled “PH poverty reduction remains dismal, says UN” (Inquirer, 10/29/12) stated that “Of the seven MDGs, the country got failing grades in four—eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality and sustaining maternal health. . . On the other hand, it received favorable scores in gender equality, reducing tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS prevalence, and ensuring environmental sustainability.”
Whence come President Aquino’s chart-busting, confidence-boosting, enemy-scuttling ratings?
It is a different world out there now. It is not necessarily better, but we have to realize just how different it is from before, and more importantly, just how fast the changes are happening. The rate of change, after change itself, will determine the kind of environment we all live in – the individual [...]
Upon completing the second year of his administration, President Aquino had little to claim as economic and social reform accomplishment other than the decapitated head of former Chief Justice Renato Corona as proof of the invincibility of his self-proclaimed “incorruptible” presidency.
Even if we were to grant that former Chief Justice Renato Corona’s signing of a historic waiver of confidentiality on his bank accounts is mere gimmickry (as Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte and Rep. Niel Tupas described it), and an attempt at pathetic “palusot” (as Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas decried it), this does not take away its ability to greatly lessen corruption in our country. For if all elected officials were required to sign such a waiver, this will be a very powerful weapon in the hands of President Aquino: this will make headway for his “matuwid na daan” crusade and appreciably lessen the corruption that sucks away annually around 40 percent of our gross national earnings. It will also promote a culture of transparency, accountability and integrity among our elected leaders, and raise the standard for public service many notches higher.
The Inquirer’s March 14 news report, “Philippine execs bullish on the economy,” where the head of the Makati Business Club said Filipino businessmen have turned more upbeat about the country’s economic prospects this year, and the Aquino administration’s drive to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona has contributed largely to it, confirms my own belief that the anticorruption drive of President Aquino would eventually reap benefits for the economy.
I am no prophet, no psychic either. I have looked at situations, often interpreted them intelligently, and anticipated what would happen next accurately enough. I have sometimes been wrong, too, but less about “what” and more about “when.” I notice that when I like what I anticipate would happen, I tend to want them to happen sooner.
Amando Doronila, in his Dec. 5 front-page article, accused President Aquino of two things—one, of “bullying” the Supreme Court justices appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; and, two, of “intervening” in judicial processes. Doronila said that the President converted the Makati Business Club’s 30th anniversary celebration into a “bully pulpit” to defend himself “from criticism [...]
