TO HELP GOVT BIZ GROUP FORM SHADOW CABINET VS CORRUPTS
MANILA, JANUARY 27, 2011 (STAR) By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio - Members of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) will form an informal advisory body on corruption, peace and security, and climate change.
MAP president Felino Palafox Jr. [photo at left] said they decided to form a so-called "shadow cabinet" to counsel the government on policy-making.
"If I have to rate the corruption level here in the Philippines, it's eight out of a possible ten," said Palafox in an interview at the sidelines of the 62nd MAP inaugural meeting yesterday at the Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati City. He said MAP will inform President Aquino, in writing, of their decision to form the advisory body which will be composed of members who had served in government and those with expertise in specific industries.
"We have members that were former government secretaries and officials. These people have the advantage of hindsight because they have done this kind of thing before. This is our way of really being proactive in helping the government institute reforms," Palafox said. He said the body will regularly submit papers to concerned government agencies.
The creation of an informal advisory body has raised concerns that it would be used to advance the interests of the group. "This is our way of helping. They should not view this as meddling because President Aquino said that his boss is the people and that is all of us," Palafox said. He said more than 300 companies have pledged support for the creation of the advisory body.
FROM BUSINESS WORLD
'Shadow Cabinet', whistle-blower hotline planned by MAP BY JESSICA ANNE D. HERMOSA, Senior Reporter Posted on January 25, 2011 10:37:10 PM
THE MANAGEMENT Association of the Philippines (MAP) will set up a "shadow Cabinet" and also a whistleblower hotline, among others, as it bids to take a more proactive stance in scrutinizing the government and its policies, officials yesterday said. MAP President Felino A. Palafox, Jr.
"We have been reacting to issues but we want the organization to be more proactive," the MAP's new president, Felino A. Palafox, Jr., said in a press briefing.
"We will have a shadow Cabinet [represented by] MAP committees matched to each [government] department," Mr. Palafox said.
"We have members who are former department secretaries and ambassadors. We can ask them to come out with a hindsight analysis on what could be done better."
The MAP also plans to launch the "Text A Crook" campaign wherein the public can send in first-hand accounts of corruption to a hotline. The leads can be forwarded to advocacy groups that will pursue the complaints, Mr. Palafox said.
"The idea is for MAP to be used to assist the government," he said. These programs will be laid down in line with the business group's plans to focus on corruption, criminality and climate change this year.
"Maybe the list of problems is longer but the board feels these are the challenges right now," Mr. Palafox said.
"You can have the best management in the world but if you work in an environment of corruption, you cannot move forward."
On the problem of criminality, Mr. Palafox said one way to address this would be to review the economic welfare of the police as their low incomes could be prodding some of them to get involved in crime. The country will also have to prepare for the impact of climate change by building infrastructure to make cities less vulnerable to disasters, he said. The new MAP board will also focus on recruiting new members from small and medium enterprises, its treasurer Eduardo V. Francisco said.
"We're pushing for broader membership to share whatever we know with SMEs. Their increased success will mean more employment," he said at the briefing. Architect Palafox elected MAP President for 2011 December 15, 2010, 12:03am
ABOUT Architect Felino A. Palafox Jr.: Principal Architect – Urban Planner/Founder of Palafox Associates, is the President of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) for 2011. He is the 62nd President of MAP since its inception in 1950. He is the first architect/urban planner to be elected MAP President.
Architect Palafox is a world-renowned, multi-awarded architect, environmental planner, urban planner and development consultant. He was educated at the Christ the King Mission Seminary, University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, and Harvard. He is registered as an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Architect and a recipient of several national and international awards.
He has been guest lecturer in various institutions like Harvard University in the USA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Asian Institute of Management and the Ateneo Professional Schools. He has also been a speaker in conferences in Canada, Japan, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Germany, Spain, Malaysia, among others. He is an active officer of various organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce as Chair of its Environment Committee. He is an international associate/member of organizations like the American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute, Congress for the New Urbanism, American Planning Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers, and the US Green Building Council.
He founded Palafox Associates, the world-renowned architectural design and planning firm in the Philippines. For the past 21 years, he led his firm in the planning of more than 11 billion square meters of land area, and the design and architecture of more than 7 million square meters of building floor area; and in undertaking high-profile large-scale projects in 33 countries.
Other officers of the MAP for 2011 are Elizabeth H. Lee, COO of Universal Motors Corporation and President of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI), as Vice President; Eduardo V. Francisco, President of BDO Capital and Investment Corporation, as Treasurer; and Pacita U. Juan, Co-Chair of Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. and Founder of Figaro, as Secretary.
The other members of the MAP Board of Governors are Francisco F. Del Rosario Jr., President of Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP); Francisco C. Eizmendi Jr., President of Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) and former President of San Miguel Corporation; Gregorio S. Navarro, President of Carl Jung Circle Center and former CEO of Punongbayan and Araullo; Lydia P. Sarmiento, Chair of Corporate Social Responsibility Institute (CSRI); and James J. Velasquez, President and Country General Manager of IBM Philippines, Inc.
MAP is a 60-year-old management organization whose 740 members represent a cross-section of CEOs, COOs and other top management practitioners from the largest local and multinational companies operating in the Philippines. MAP also counts some top management educators and government officials as its members.
MAP's mission is to promote management excellence through sharing of best management practices; educational activities that enhance the knowledge and skills of management practitioners and educators nationwide through learning forums and discussions; training and development programs that produce professional managers; networking and building alliances among its members for exploring and sharing business opportunities; and advocacy for reforms that help shape a brighter future for the Philippines.
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