THE future of the Western economies does not look too bright, and even the moves by the Federal Reserve and its equivalent in Europe has not done well for their respective currencies and markets. Our big neighbor China probably will have to deal with its own economic bogies before they can think of distracting their countrymen from these realities by taking over our neck of the ocean. Many of our neighbor economies are also reeling from the effects of dislocations in the financial world. That is why the Philippines is coming out as a compelling investment haven even if the internal naysayers never stop hammering at the present administration.
Of course, the question on everyone’s minds is whether the tide against thievery and mismanagement of the country will continue into the next administration. This is why there is a need to institutionalize good behavior and stress the need for honesty in the government in order to keep things on an even keel. Unfortunately, the steps taken by the present administration to keep to the straight and narrow path have yet to filter down to the lowest levels of the government. No matter how honest the people on top, all it takes is for corruption as usual to thrive at lower levels, especially in the revenue-raising agencies and those that involve infrastructure.
I have heard complaints about how certain Bids and Awards Committees militate against people or companies they do not want to make it. There are many ways for this to happen, even if the big boss himself is clean. Oftentimes, these come in subtle interventions such as delaying communications to certain bidders, disqualifying bids on the basis of technicalities, or causing failure of bidders in the post qualification process. One has to be vigilant and have people in the inside in order to put a stop to these shenanigans.
This is why transparency at all levels of activities is desirable and necessary. And no-contact transactions should become the norm more often than not.
The government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) presently have a tough watchdog in the Governance Commission for GOCCs, the commission appointed to keep track of government corporations and keep them walking the straight path. Abuses of the past have been minimized and directors are being invited to attend the seminars designed to instill good corporate behavior. But even these will not work in the case of directors or officers who have chicanery in mind, because they will always find ways and means to make money or cheat the taxpayers. Fortunately, they do not have a clear and open field to operate in these days.
People are saying that we need another six years for the straight path to be institutionalized, for good behavior to permeate to the lowest levels of the government. But it is also necessary for businessmen especially, and for citizens in general, to cooperate in this effort. Smuggling by entities seeking an unfair advantage will continue even if the ports are tightened up, because smart smugglers will always find a way to bring their goods in without paying the right taxes. Traffic will always be horrendous if drivers do not follow rules. The list goes on….
The civil service must be beefed up in terms of inculcating good behavior and by paying them the right wages. The policing of hidden wealth must be heightened so that theft will no longer be acceptable. The courts have to be cleaned up and the dockets cleared up fast, because slow justice is another indicator of a problematic situation. The next president will have the chance to clean up the highest court because fully two-thirds of the present justices will have to be replaced by then.
There are so many other initiatives that have to be worked on as these are only off-the-cuff suggestions. But perhaps, the next president should convene a panel of people who have no vested interests and ask them what areas need to be improved and cleaned up. That would be a good starting point.
The next president cannot do anything if we don’t help him or her. That is one way of institutionalizing good behavior, by getting more and more people involved in the program so that they buy into it and help conserve and preserve it.