Reflections from Paseo de Coro
The Philippine Internet is abuzz with accusation and counter accusation about who among the presidentiables and/or their supporters are attacking who and using deceptive means to mislead the indiscriminating large section of our population who are less educated and ill-informed of the true character, qualifications, and past performance of the presidentiables.
This is the problem now with the new era of fast-developing information and communication technology (ICT). It can be a useful tool to help develop new ideas or create new things and make better what is already there for more profits or convenience of those using it. It can also be something that can be used to destroy or make useless what is already there including destroying the name and honor of certain personalities who are seen to be a hindrance to someone else’s quest for power.
Such is the situation today in Philippine politics as the date for the election of our new national and local officials nears. For lack of good education and means to get more information, many of our people are gullible enough to become victim of the lies and deceit applied by those ruthless enough to win the election at all cost.
Unfortunately, these victims even include those who have higher education but who, because of their strong conviction or faith in their party or candidates, become blinded and therefore are unable to sift from the tons of information they see in the Internet that are packaged as truth to enlighten or lies to mislead the voters. And there lies the problem.
What does it mean to the result of our election comes May? What kind of governance are we going to get in the next six years? Are we going to get the best man for our president based on his character, vision for the country, and his ability to translate that vision into reality using his skills, knowledge and experience within the short period of six years that he or she is allowed to stay in Malacañang? Frankly, I’m not sure anymore of what is to come. Are we going to have a true leader that will be out in front to lead us into even higher and sustainable path of development that can make us compete well this time with our more progressive neighbors or turn us back again into a basket case of Asia?
Will our newly elected officials be able to meet the high expectations of our poor people to have secure and well-paying jobs or earn high income from their small business enterprises that will free them or their children from the shackles of poverty? Are these improvements going to be lasting and not just temporary in nature that will turn sour when new and unforeseen troubles from within and without will appear like what we have been saying already in the new era of globalization that exempt no one country from the impact of global financial meltdown or economic collapse?
My place here is not about politics that points out my favored or disfavored political parties or their candidates. If it were so, then I lost my reason for being here which is to help my readers understand what is going with that part of our day-to-day living that concerns the economy and what can be done when something gets wrong. And the least I would want is to embroil myself in endless debate with people who can only argue based on their own personal point of view without considering the reason or circumstances why I am taking a different point of view from him or her. And if I do, I’ll do so in a venue where each of us in the debate have equal time and space to express what is in our hearts and mind, like in the Facebook, for example, where I freely expressed what is in my heart and mind to advance my own point of view or react to other point of views for the purpose of clarifying certain issues.
With election fast approaching, what I would like to see in this place here is my own views of what kind of governance we should expect from our candidates once they are elected into office. At this point, for example, I would just like to point out first what governance is all about and how it is done.
As pointed out by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, “governance” means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented) whether it be in government and its various instrumentalities or in business and other form of organizations of various shades and purposes that may operate at the local, national or international level.
This so much is clear, but what is not clear is that governance is exercised not only formally by authorized people within the organization or society but also informally by people who derive power from their ability to influence the action of those formally entrusted with governance. I see, for example, that much of the policies that we adopt and implement in the country are designed to benefit certain groups more than the others, and these could only be the product of the influence of powerful entities out to corner much of the benefits for their own.
And these days, I’m really worried. This is because election in the Philippines is financed by interested parties out to get their favored candidates in front. I should know why?
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