Multi-sectoral leaders discuss road map to the future

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga – Escaping from the daily drama of the televised impeachment proceedings, close to 120 leaders from the business sector, government, civil society and non-government organizations, media, culture and arts and academe gathered here to discuss what is in store for the country in the future.

The second day of the Philippine Forum II (C2K2) reeled off yesterday with Chito Salazar, forum executive director and chief operating officer of STI, steering discussions to specific actions that will pave the way to that future.

Citing the focus of the forum last year (C2K) which was on the substantive issues of wealth creation, core values, governance and images that drive culture, Salazar said C2K2 would look at how to get to those goals.

"The idea of leadership is changing and the burden of responding to these changing leadership ideas falls on the successor generation. How does the successor generation define leadership under the current conditions of the Philippines? How can the successor generation encourage others to buy into this new leadership idea?" Salazar, who is instrumental in the conference design, said.

After the first break-out session, where participants were allowed to discuss in smaller groups, the overriding sentiment was that there was a leadership vacuum or crisis because of the absence of core values that would drive good governance or leadership. There was a fair amount of agreement too that the so-called "successor generation," would have to clearly define its values, communicate or connect this to a critical mass of the public and draw action from that mass.

Earlier, however, Manuel A. Roxas II, chairman of PhilForum Foundation, said the conference does not aim to come out with prescriptions or answers to the country’s problems. "We do not intend to ‘force fit’ a consensus or a priority action plan. These area already taking place in other settings," he said in his welcome remarks Thursday night. "We trust that there is value in creating a hospitable environment for ideas and expression," Roxas added.

"The Philippine Forum Foundation was organized one and a half years ago for the purpose of precisely creating a safe harbor of ideas – from the conventional to the heretical – in order to nurture integration from the various sectors of our larger community," Roxas, who spearheaded the successful C2K conference last year, said.

Aside from Roxas, this year’s Convenors are Butch Campos, Tony Boy Cojuangco, Joey Concepcion, Lance Gokongwei, Cito Lorenzo, Doris Ho, Gigi Montinola, Jack Ponce-Enrile, Tito Yuchengco, and Jaime Zobel de Ayala.

Of the 120 participants, 38 percent are from the business sector, 16 percent from culture and arts, five percent from civil society and non-government organizations, 14 percent from government, 12 percent from media and seven percent from the academe.

Alan Carroll, executive chairman of the Pacific Rim Forum and the keynote speaker when the conference opened Thursday evening, noted of Southeast Asia’s growing marginalization.

"What may be emerging is a three-speed Asia: Japan, North Asia including China and Korea, and Southeast Asia," Carroll said "the three most troubled countries are Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Their debt problems are severe, the currencies are all weaker, there are significant political risks, education and infrastructure are poor and there remain significant problems in their banking systems."

C2K2 sessions wind up today (Jan. 13) with Washington Sycip, founder of the SGV Group as guest speaker.