Now that only her sycophant alalays believe her election to a full term in 2004 is still possible, she should seize the moment and do what she must, no matter who gets hurt, to set this nation’s economy on the right path. I realize that she has just about a year and a half to reverse things somewhat and make a positive mark on history. But this is precisely why she must be more determined than ever to give a more significant meaning to her Strong Republic babble than just image-making.
It is entirely possible that once she has given up election ambitions for good, she may just become the President we need and impress enough people to win the 2004 election anyway. I am dreaming of course, but it is the Christmas season, the season of hope.
So what if she only has one and a half years to turn her administration around. In this day of instant and widespread communication technology, it is entirely possible to create a brand new image over a fairly short period of time. Look at Bayani Fernando, who in less than a year had been able to impress voters nationwide that he is the kind of public official they want. The only thing BF did is to get his job done, even if politically unpalatable.
But the one thing BF has going for him that Ate Glo does not have is credibility. BF and his wife, Mayor Marides, have excellent reputations as public officials. Kuya Mike’s negative reputation may be undeserved and unfair, but it has hounded Ate Glo to the point of ruining her political career. Willie Villarama’s revelation the other day simply takes the cake. Mike should take the sacrifice of self exile for the balance of Ate Glo’s term to help refurbish her credibility somewhat. But at this late stage, even that may not be a cure all.
Kuya Mike, however, is not Ate Glo’s only problem. There are other creatures dragging her down… like some pretty powerful lawyers trying to pac man everyone, including the original Pac Man. There are also advisers and even a self styled personal publicist who publicly declared their right to become rich. She will have to tell them to do whatever they do with more finesse or risk leaving the impression that they are just doing the dirty job for her. It also does not help her to blame media for her bad ratings.
Then, there is the hard work to be done. Ate Glo must get herself a few more BF Fernandos who will see to it that frontline services are delivered to the public efficiently and relatively free from corruption. Decentralizing the issuance of NBI clearances at the shopping malls is a great idea. Do that for driver’s licenses, passport issuance and other such services for which citizens pay extra anyway. Catch smoke belchers. Fast track the completion of the mass transit systems. Help local farmers compete by bringing down their costs. There must be so many things in our national "to do" list that have not been given attention for so long.
Most of all, make the hard decisions quickly so that things could get going. Infect the country with a sense of urgency, the kind of feeling one gets in the streets of Saigon today. It is not enough for her to be busy being President. She must produce visible results quickly if she wants to be remembered as a good President.
Who knows, she may yet turn things around as 2004 nears. But unless she feels she has done well enough for the people to clamor for her to run, she should save herself the indignity of being voted out of office. Right now, the 2004 election is no longer hers to lose. The polls show how badly she’s doing. The good news is, she has nothing more to lose, opening up the possibility that she can be more of the statesman type of President we need than the politician type we have been cursed to have all these years.
I am a graduate of chemical engineering from one of the top engineering school in the country. After graduation I could have easily migrated because during that time immigration was not a problem. In three months time you can obtain an immigrant visa for the USA.
But then for some reason which friends and relatives called silly I choose to remain in this country. I also choose to work right in the shop or work areas of the industrial plants which manufactures insecticides (katol), rubber tires, plywood, and various industrial chemicals, the biggest (used to be) paper manufacturing plant in the country and some other industries.
Later on I graduated to process design and construction of industrial chemical plants and various other manufacturing plants. Once again at the peak of my career I had received several offers from Engineering firms from the US and Europe to join them, but again I declined for exactly the same reason which friends and relatives called silly.
Now I am 68 years old and retired but most of all frustrated. In the later portion of my practice I delved into consultancy for in my long experience on the shop of the plants I worked with I have learned a lot about what is really ailing or hampering the industrialization of the country. But then only one or two listened for they have the guts to accept the mediocrity of their processes to enable them to compete locally and abroad. These companies, I am proud to say, are still working efficiently even exporting. The others just raised their hands in abject surrender to their inefficiencies and hoping that government protection will be forthcoming.
Now I am hopeful that with globalization our entrepreneurs might wake up to the realities of the time. I believe that if they’ll only use a little more effort and a little of their brains they could be competitive. That is if they are willing to change.
A Hawaii woodpecker and a California woodpecker were arguing about which place had the toughest trees. The Hawaii woodpecker said that they had a tree that no woodpecker could peck. The California woodpecker challenged him and promptly pecked a hole in the tree with no problem.
The Hawaii woodpecker was in awe. The California woodpecker then challenged the Hawaii woodpecker to peck a tree in California that was absolutely un-peckable. The Hawaii woodpecker accepted the challenge. After flying to California, the Hawaii woodpecker successfully pecked the tree with no problem.
The two woodpeckers were now confused. How is it that the California woodpecker was able to peck the Hawaii tree and the Hawaii woodpecker was able to peck the California tree when neither one was able to peck the tree in their own state?
After much woodpecker-pondering, they both came to the same conclusion: Your pecker is always harder when you’re away from home!
(Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@bayantel.com.ph)