MANILA STANDARD: THE YEAR AFTER
MANILA, JULY 27, 2011 - (MANILA STANDARD) President Benigno Aquino III spoke of a "forked road" faced by the new government in his first State-of-the-Nation-Address on July 26 last year. Mr. Aquino naturally preferred to take the straight path (tuwid na daan) over the crooked one, where the country, in his own words, had lost its way for the longest time.
One year after President Aquino used the metaphor, the Philippines, it seems, is stuck on that very same road because of the government's indecision about moving forward.
President Aquino has consumed much of his time blaming the ills of the country to his predecessor—instead of putting his own political and economic agenda into action and allowing the justice system to handle the alleged corrupt practices of the previous administration.
Mr. Aquino has only himself and his government to blame for the lack of substantial accomplishments in his first year in office. His much touted Public-Private Partnerships program to kick-start infrastructure building, for one, has not taken off as no biddings and contracts are in place to date since his last report. Foreign and local businessmen, in forums and conferences, now jokingly refer to the acronym to merely mean "Power Point Presentation."
The new government, though, has suceeded in containing the budget deficit for which the Philippines has earned a higher credit rating. Such upgrade, however, was the culmination of a fiscal consolidation program that started with the increase and expansion of the value-added tax in 2005.
It may be too early to demand concrete results from the one-year-old government of President Aquino. But the chief executive must focus on what he promised last year—to bring about economic and political reforms and push the Philippines closer to the status of a newly-industrialized country.
Mr. Aquino last year promised to work closely with Congress through the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council to discuss critical bills that, in essence, will expand the economy through job creation, increased investments and transparency in state contracts. The peace- and-order situation also has not changed. No meaningful peace talks with Muslim rebels and communist insurgents have started.
President Aquino must roll up his sleeves and begin the dirty work. He cannot forever stare at an imagined forked road.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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