A 4


The Sunday Times


SUNDAY


S eptember 19, 2010


Edit orial Answering the call


P


RESIDENT Benigno Aquino 3rd the other day in Davao called on Filipinos to unite, and on Friday in a meeting with business leaders in Malacañang, many of those present expressed their support. In front of a packed Rizal Hall, one told the President, “Your success, will be our success.” Conversely, we all shall share his failures. For the good of the country, The Manila Times supports the call for unity and backs programs and other initiatives that will contribute to the realization of our collective aspirations for peace and prosper- ity. And we believe all Filipinos should do so as well. The government, acknowledging its limitations, is extend- ing its hand to the business sector in launching its Public Private Partnership. On September 9, the Palace issued Executive Order 8 “reorganizing and renaming the Build- Operate and Transfer (BOT) Center to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines” and placed it under the economic-planning agency NEDA. Under the partnership program, the government has identified 10 projects to be rolled out or bidded out in 2011 worth P127.8 million. For 2012 and beyond, the government plans 73 infrastructure projects. In all, the total investment require- ment for the PPP is P739.8 billion. The aim is to close the development gap between the Philippines and its neighbors, many of which spend much more in building infrastructure. In a move to boost investor confidence, the government, according to the Department of Finance, will take measures to guarantee investment risk from legal harassment. But to effectively do that, government has to raise revenues. At least for now, officials are sticking to plans not to raise taxes and are focusing instead on improving collection, as well as reining in the deficit to about 2.5 percent of GDP. Like previous governments, the Aquino team will try to reduce bureaucracy, particularly in business registration. By the end of the year, there are plans to simplify busi- ness-name registration and implement a Philippine Business Registry, a secured national registry database for easier processing of business information. There are even plans to convince local governments to do their part in simplifying business registration. We recommend that local governments make the registry documents simple and uniform. Registering a new business in the Philippines can take at least a month, unlike in Hong Kong and the United States where it just takes a day. Entrepreneurs and other businessmen in tourism, mining, BPO-IT services, housing, electronics and agribusiness should be pleased with the Aquino government. Those sectors are the priorities for development under this administration. Tourism, in particular, was given special mention at the economic briefing on Friday. The goal is to attract 6 million tourists yearly by the end of Aquino’s term in 2016, nearly double the tourist arrivals today. That will be a boon for employment, given that a tourist spends enough money to create one job. And there are other programs to help generate even more employment. There are more infrastructure projects in the pipeline, including a new airport in Palawan. Plus, the Department of Tour- ism is looking at limited open skies for popular tourist destinations, like Boracay—all of these ideas aimed at maximizing growth in new tourist markets, including China, India, Russia and countries in the Middle East. In all, these programs are encouraging, and it should be


easy to rally support for them. We encourage the President to leverage his popularity to attract investors—foreign and domestic—to step up to government’s partnership invitation. Move with haste, Mr. President, because, as you know, public opinion is fickle and high-approval ratings can be fleeting.


Reality check To maintain public approval, it might serve this government


well to remember a quote from the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi. “The best game plan in the world never blocked or tackled anybody,” he said. For now, the plans of the Aquino government are just that—plans. What matters more is execution, turning the ideas from writing on a piece of paper to tangible projects. To ensure success, we hope the economic team has taken into consideration that the world is still groggy from the global financial turmoil. Where exactly will the foreign investments come from? It is encouraging that the government hopes to negotiate free trade agreements with the US and the European Union. Surprisingly, the Philippines has none with them. But it might serve us well to mind the timing, given that the United States was ground zero for 9/15 (when the global crisis erupted) and that Europe is cash strapped. Still we wish the President good luck. Again, we hope that he can capitalize on his popularity to convince US President Barack Obama and American businessmen to invest more here than in China or elsewhere in Asean. We regret that President Aquino’s trip to Europe was postponed. Ever since 1898, the Philippines has had eyes only for the United States. To the credit of past President Gloria Arroyo, the Philip- pines has re-established links with Spain. President Aquino should build on what has been started. And we should not stop at the peninsula. Economic challenges notwithstanding, Europeans can also answer President Aquino’s call for help in developing our country. But first, the Philippines needs to get picked up on Europe’s radar screen.


SUNDAY September 19, 2010


The Manila Times DANTE F. M. ANG 2ND, Executive Editor


FRED DE LA ROSA, Chairman Editorial Board RENE Q. BAS, Editor in Chief ROMY P. MARIÑAS, News Editor


ARNOLD S. TENORIO, Business Editor CONRAD M. CARIÑO, National Editor BRIAN M. AFUANG, Art Director RENE H. DILAN, Photo Editor


 DANTE F. M. ANG 2ND, President and CEO


Telephone All Departments. 524-5665 to 67 Telefax 528-1729; Subscription: 524-5664 Local 222 URL http://www.manilatimes.net • e-mail newsboy1@manilatimes.net Letters to the editor


THE MANILA TIMES is published daily at 2/F Dante Ang and Associates Building, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1020


VOLUME 111 NUMBER 340


We are No. 1 (11)


Times column: We are No. 1(1). It referred to the 11th ranking of the US in a Newsweek survey of the world’s best countries, which was peg of the column that dis- cussed the US’s diminished glo- bal prestige and leadership. The recent World Economic Fo- rum (WEF) survey ranked the Phil- ippines 111th in innovation, a real embarrassment. We are among the region’s kulelat, in short, in that s all- too-critical area . . . I also cropped the second and third 1 with a paren- thesis in a face-saving (cowardly) at- tempt to conceal the pathetic point that we are number 111th in the WEF ranking on innovation. But No. 111 is No. 111—the me- diocrity is there for all the world to see, cowardly concealment or not. The rest of the Asean Region, which looked up to the Philippines in the 60s as a role model, is ahead of us in all metrics .


T What adds insult to this


tragedy is the fact that no one seems to be interested in asking the question on why we have sank so low in the area of inno- vation. No one among our lead- ers, I mean, those who could move and shake things up to at least make the Philippines a part of the innovation mainstream. From the part of small people,


believe it or not, we have asked questions. Farmers have lamented the fact that the last great work in agricultural research and develop-


HE headline is a steal from the headline of recent New York


MARLEN V. RONQUILLO


ment (R and D) was the introduc- tion and propagation of the “Tubong Alunan” named for the grandfather—yes, grandpa—of the former DILG Secretary Rafael Alunan 111, who himself registered as a senior citizen years ago. The IRRI, of course, does great R


and D work on rice genetics. But it is not ours, we are merely hosting an international research institution . Farmers —yes, we who are close to illiterate—have been raising the issue of mediocre agricultural ge- netics and the need for a starting fund of P5 billion for agri R and D despite our voiceless status. We have advocated, repeatedly, that innovation (done via vigorous R and D), is the most cost-efficient stimulator of growth and eco- nomic efficiency in every known field of human endeavor. But then, who would listen to us? Now this, a WEF ranking of No.


111 in the field of innovation. Should we sink a little bit lower, we would hit rock-bottom. The more bitter pill is that right


now we don’t have the tools to fund our way out of this morass at


Number 111. Because of our pre- occupation with reining in the budgetary deficit. Former journal- ism colleague Ben Evardone, now a congressman, recently asked Fi- nance Secretary Cesar Purisima this question, his tone sad and ex- asperated: “Why are we so obsessed with deficit-cutting and why are we doing this at the expense of job and growth-generation?”


The embarrassing and pathetic


news on our 111th ranking in the area of innovation , observed Ben, was framed by another tragic back- drop: public hospitals with scaled—down budgets desperately fighting a dengue epidemic. The twin, inseparable sectors of educa- tion and health are supposed to the major, major concerns of public in- vestments. Did our leaders, after se- curing a bigger budget for educa- tion, suddenly shortchange health investments? It appears so. Not only money for R and D and innovation. Not only for basic health care. Not only for agricultural investments, which was P21 billion short of expected investments. Not only for infrastructure .We have a long list of important programs that underwent budgetary cuts. If there was across-the-board cutting and a merciless one at that, where did the money go? The Department of Social Word


and Development got a lion’s share of the budget and the money will go to the poor as direct cash sub- sidy. Nothing wrong with this in


times of huge budgetary surpluses. But we are not in that blissful state and every peso from the state should be invested strategically . From any sane and strategic reckoning, investments with maxi- mum yields and gains that would stretch out for years are definitely better than cash dole-outs. There would be no debate on which state investment will have better yield: cash dole-outs to the rural poor or bettering the irrigation system to pave the way for uninterrupted food production .


The harsh reality of the budget process can be summed up in two graphs. The first one shows budg- etary cuts across all sectors. The second graph shows that the fresh money available, instead of get- ting directed into strategic and much-needed investments such as health and R and D, goes into cash dole-outs.


In short, this is where we stand. There is no money to ade- quately fight dengue .


There is also no money to lift the country from its pathetic rank- ing in the area of innovation . From the most basic mandate such as healthcare to getting into the global innovation main- stream, we fall short. On what public investments should we enhance to get the most bang for every buck spent—and on the gen- eral thrust of the national expendi- ture program—we are clueless.


mvrong@yahoo.com Order restored at Cultural Center of the Philippines


EVER was the moral bank ruptcy of the Arroyo admin- istration more flagrantly displayed in the dying months of its incum- bency than in the cultural sector which was subjected to an un- seemly battering—led by someone with unhealthy access to the pow- ers that were in Malacañang Pal- ace, and who showed scant respect for the proprieties and niceties (both mandated and otherwise) that had hitherto governed this sec- tor that down the ages has stood steadfast as the guardian of the soul of the Filipino nation.


N RANDOM JOTTINGS


The cultural community at large could only look on with shock and horror as this “cultural terrorist”— tagged as such by a revered Na- tional Artist (and adrenalin locked fiercely on overdrive thanks to the power-tripping connection to the then seat of government hell-bent on a mission to place landmines across the bureaucratic landscape for the incoming administration) ripped apart the properly consti- tuted management structures gov- erning various cultural entities, and then proceeded to replace the tried and tested on board these bodies with the unknown and (as it turned out to be) the unwanted. At the epicenter of this devastat- ing cultural hurricane was the re- vered board of trustees of the Cul- tural Center of the Philippines (CCP)—an exemplary body of men and women chosen over the past four decades not just for their respectful standing in Filipino so- ciety but also for the varied cultural depth and proven (that been the operative word) business acumen they could bring towards propel- ling the CCP upward and onward. Two members of the CCP Board of trustees at the time when the eye of the storm was churning menacingly over the boardroom were its then Chairman Emily Abrera and Dr. Jaime Laya.


Renowned marketing guru Abrera, with her corporate reputa- tion firmly established both locally and regionally as an expert in her field (a key asset at a time when the CCP is trying to get on a firm financial footing) and the distin- guished man of letters Laya—with his unrivalled knowledge on all matters pertaining to Philippine art and culture (with several books on the subjects to his name for good measure) are glowing examples of the sort of personalities the CCP need on board and, conversely, the cultural community and the busi- ness sector (which frequently has to be tapped for its largesse) could confidently look up to.


But at a stormy trustees meet- ing reportedly lacking in civility and decorum, the newly consti- tuted board of trustees—with the new appointees now rejoicing (or was that gloating?) over their as- cendancy went full steam ahead with their own agenda.


They made key appointments from among their own bloc, and in some cases were even accused of attempting to ride slip-shod over what had previously been laid out—including the multi-billion peso redevelopment project for the CCP complex that had been formu- lated after almost two years of care- ful study and judicious deliberation. In fact, café society was rife with tattle that one newly ap- pointed trustee used to pant and salivate uncontrollably at the very mention of the big-bucks project! Anyway, while in his car on his


way to that now infamous trustees’ meeting Laya received a text mes- sage to inform him that he had been removed from the board of trustees and his presence was no longer. And when meeting did get started, Abrera—by weight of num- bers from the new majority block was forced to resign the chairman- ship with no cause given for her re- moval. They tried a similar number on CCP President, former Philip- pine Ambassador to Spain and im- mediate past Manila Polo Club President Isabel Caro Wilson. But this redoubtable (we suspect lexi- cographers had the likes of Wilson in mind when they invented that word) lady was not budging on the basis of some bully tactics and quite correctly stood her ground and was more than a match for the trustees attempting to have their own way. Meanwhile, one genteel though formidable (in social reputation and corporate achievement) trustee now reduced to being in the minority bloc was said to have gently applied a lace handkerchief to her nose every time things got too heated!


During the tumultuous and wor- risome (though mercifully short) weeks that followed what kept eve- ryone concerned for the welfare of the CCP suitably sustained (and that constituted all of its rank and file who were understandably alarmed at what was going on) was the heartening news that the two leading contenders in the then brewing presidential election had been briefed of the goings-on at the CCP and had promised that should either of them win they would ad- dress the situation without delay. So all praise to President Benigno


Aquino 3rd for doing exactly as promised. He quickly reinstated Laya as a trustee and appointed in- ternational pianist and composer (and former dean of music at the University of Santo Tomas and pres- ently the music director of the CCP)


as a trustee, together with promi- nent architect Christina Turralba. With the new trustees in place, the first meeting since their ap- pointment was an occasion of the most sublime irony. The incum- bent chairman (from the erst- while majority bloc but with numbers now painfully reduced by the new appointments) called the meeting to order. And consid- ering the machinations that had prevailed in the previous weeks, order was exactly what incoming trustee Turralba had in mind. She promptly moved for the post of chairman to be declared vacant. Caught deliciously off-guard the incumbent had no choice but to yield to the new majority and by a quick show of hands Abrera —who had more or less been for- cibly removed in the same arbi- trary manner several weeks ear- lier—was reinstated as chairman. The new majority now aiming to restore calm on the CCP board is comprised of Emily Abrera (chair- man) Isabel Wilson (president), Raul Sunico (vice president), Nedy Tantoco, Christina Turralba, Jaime Laya and Jun Nicdao. Also on board with them as former officio mem- bers are former chairman Bal Endriga and former president Nestor Jardin. Incidentally, a Palace source in- formed us that one of the trustees now in the minority is deemed a midnight appointee and as such his term will be considered expired when the extension granted by Malacañang to such appointees runs out at the end of October. So how much better he resigns


now rather than wait to receive a text message while traveling in a jeepney to a trustees meeting in- forming him that he need no longer proceed since he was sur- plus to requirements at the CCP.


rjottings@yahoo.com


opinion


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