Questions

1. Why is foreign investment so low? It’s the lowest compared to our neighbors, yet we have as much or more to offer.

2. How are we going to attract foreign investment when excessive bureaucracy makes starting a business a nightmare? When do we bring business registration down from 35 days to 35 hours—in reality?

3. Will Congress be able to take to a plebiscite opening up the economy through a change in the Constitution, which is needed if foreign investment is truly to grow and for the Philippines to be part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal?

4. How can MSMEs play a larger role in the economy? Will the entry of foreign companies during the Asean integration drive them to resiliency, or oblivion?

5. Why are local governments allowed to implement ordinances that impact materially on the nation? Cotabato and Manila come immediately to mind. And why doesn’t the government impose the national law (e.g., the Mining Act of 1995) that could easily quell these senseless issuances by local government units?

6. Why are taxes on mining being suggested at a rate that would lead to no investment in mining? Relatedly, why are they being reviewed at all when the current rates are already high compared to other mining countries?

7. Why is business overly concentrated in Metro Manila? What should be done to spread economic activities to other parts of the country? Will it be done?

8. What is really being done to create, and not just promise, jobs? There’s been negligible improvement—2.799 million jobless in 2010, 2.764 million today.

9. How can we move forward if we forgive and forget the past?

1. Why isn’t Imelda in jail?

1. If government officials are expected to have the highest ideals among the citizenry, why are we electing people whose reputations are marred, or have nothing going for them except popularity?

2. How can popularity be replaced by sound platforms and leadership capabilities when it comes to electing public officials?

3. If not Vice President Jejomar Binay, is it Secretary Mar Roxas? If not, who?

4. Why do people want to run for public office when the salary is so low?

5. Why are criminals allowed to be in public office?

6. Why are soon-to-be jailed politicians all sick? Are hospitals the new prison cells? Does the country have an adequate supply of wheelchairs?

7. How are we going to incarcerate politicians when all the accusations thrown at them are regarded as “politically motivated”?

8. Will the government be able to achieve at least one major conviction by the end of 2016?

9. Why are the most effective leaders in the country also the most underrated and unrecognized?

1. How come nobody is a loser in the Philippines, be it in elections, in bidding for contracts, etc.?

1. Why is “justice” more efficient (relatively) for the rich and famous, and incredibly slow for the majority?

2. Why can’t the Supreme Court accept that issuing temporary restraining orders (TROs) is not its role? Why isn’t it more discretionary in what it accepts? Deciding constitutional and precedent-setting cases swiftly is.

3. Why do some lawyers challenge everything, with no concern as to the impact on the economy and society?

4. Why is there a Commission on Appointments, in three coequal, INDEPENDENT branches?

5. Why hasn’t the Church installed adherence to the eighth commandment in its people? Theft at all levels is far too common.

6. Why is the President so slow to sign a bill as significant as the proposed Freedom of Information Act? The measure has been languishing in Congress for more than 20 years.

7. How can we attract good people into the government when every action can bring them to court by some disgruntled person?

8. Why isn’t there enough focus on agriculture when real, inclusive growth hinges on it? About two-thirds of the population is dependent on it.

9. How can the private sector be encouraged to go into agriculture-related ventures?

1. Why do we need a National Food Authority to trade rice? What’s wrong with a monitored open market?

1. Why are Filipinos so patient when they’re so poorly treated? It takes an hour to catch a train when it should be five minutes, a trip anywhere takes four to eight times longer than it should, selfish people block an intersection… The list is endless. Patience is a desirable characteristic only up to a point.

2. Why are there no parks in the cities? Real parks, not pockets.

3. Why is taking care of the environment not being given sufficient attention?

4. With the Philippines considered as one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters, is the government doing enough to safeguard its people and economy from these expected disasters?

5. Why are short-term solutions often prioritized over long-term ones?

6. What significance does the antiplanking bill, antiselfie bill, etc. have on national development? Why should they be enacted into law? Why do we even have to waste public funds for such mundane things?

7. If diplomacy won’t work on China and China ignores a decision from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, what will be the government’s next action?

8. What action will the government take to reclaim the muddied reputation of the police force?

9. Why are Filipinos so obsessed with basketball when there are other sports, such as football and badminton, where Filipinos can have a competitive advantage and a greater chance of winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal?

I’m sure you can all think of more questions. But what we now need is answers, real, practical, doable—and done answers. We could have a country to be truly proud of.