More unsolicited advice for P-noy

(Conclusion)

In our last column, space limitations had curtailed the printing of the latter part of a to-do list of the issues that incoming President Noynoy would have to face once he starts his six-year term on July 1. We are continuing the list and adding a few more in today’s column.

Should there be other issues that our readers feel need to be added, please do communicate with me. Meanwhile, below is the continuation from our updated list.

Infrastructure, insurgency

The government spends way less than five percent of the GDP on public works, one of the lowest ratios of infrastructure spending in the region. More money has to go to build roads, ports and bridges so they can generate jobs, stoke demand for cement and construction materials, and boost the tourism sector.

Clashes between troops and militants and rebel groups have been going on for ages. The only time genuine peace can be achieved is when people’s bellies are full and they have a solid roof over their heads.

Justice

Tons of legal cases are gathering dust in every court in the country, adding blows to the justice system that’s perceived as being extremely corrupt. It is also in the courts that tax evaders and smugglers manage to escape the claws of previous administrations. Reforms would take more than naming a credible justice secretary and ombudsman. But at least that would be a start.

Killings

The outgoing administration is under fire from Human Rights Watch and other organizations for the biggest number of deaths of journalists. It’s also perceived not to have done much, or anything, in solving the murders carried out by vigilantes.

The massacre in Maguindanao in November simply cemented this patchy (anti) human rights record of a government that Aquino will inherit.

Local governments

Decentralization has too long been a goal of government. The truth is that resources have always stayed in the hands of the national government. On the other hand, a lot of local governments face major corruption issues that have managed to stay below the radar.

Ghost employees, those men and women who get paid without having to show up in the mayor’s office or maybe even without having existed at all, have bloated overhead costs, while stories of commissions in road and school projects at the barangay, municipality, city and provincial levels abound.

Midnight appointments

According to ABS-CBN/Newsbreak, from March 1 to March 9 alone, soon-to-be-ex-President Gloria Arroyo managed to appoint 169 people in state agencies, beating the 60-day ban on appointments that started March 10. We’ve heard, for instance, of Arroyo appointing her manicurista and gardener in some choice government posts.

Unraveling these midnight appointments could lead to legal tussles requiring time, effort and resources that would be better directed to solving other pressing problems.

New investments

The country urgently needs new investors willing to bring in capital, not necessarily in manufacturing facilities that China, India or Thailand have already heavily invested in, but in areas that can promote jobs for our growing population.

The government needs to rationalize its investment programs to encourage capital inflows but not necessarily impair revenue streams from taxes by granting too liberal terms or incentives.

Power, population

We need new power plants that will avert possible system outages resulting from a continued rise in power demand. This needs urgent attention to prevent the recurrence of a power crisis similar to what happened during the 1990s which led to the highly criticized take-or-pay agreements between investors and the government.

The deregulation of the power industry more than a decade ago has still not brought down the cost of electricity. The Philippines continues to have one of the most expensive rates per kilowatthour, and this has been a major deterrent for local companies to becoming competitive.

Having one of the world’s fastest growing populations continues to be a problem for a developing economy like ours. Opposition to more responsible parenthood and reproductive health has not provided a solution to the growing poverty faced by more Filipinos.

A win-win solution to this problem needs to be adopted if we want future generations to experience a better quality of life.

Rice, tourism and underemployment

We’re going straight to “R,” skip “S” and again, permitting space, end with “U.”

Rice is increasingly being viewed as a global commodity because of recent interplays in supply and demand. As the staple food of Filipinos, it would be best for the country to secure its own sources – not by importing from other countries, but making sure we have enough local production.

Tourism has many faces and enormous potential for creating jobs, new revenue sources and could play a big role in stemming the exodus of our valuable health workers. Medical tourism and retirement communities for foreigners are just two avenues that should be given attention.

Underemployment, aside from unemployment, is a major problem among the less privileged but overwhelming majority of our countrymen. It is time to find effective ways to raise their skill levels so that they may be able to bring home enough food to feed their families.

The enormity of it all

The above is a partial list, and some of the items may not even be included in the “list of problems” that Noynoy is working on. Such is the enormity of the challenges he is facing starting July 1, 2010.

We have to bear in mind, however, that the challenges are not for Noynoy alone to face and overcome. We too have the obligation to be part of the solutions since we are, by default, a big part of the blame for many of these difficulties and challenges.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net. –Rey Gamboa (The Philippine Star)