Woe to us… she’s getting the wrong message

She just doesn’t get it. That’s why this country is screwed. If the President actually believes Toting Bunye’s explanation why she dropped sharply in the opinion polls, then we really have a problem. It is one thing for Toting to tote that lame observation about Ate Glo taking tough stands and tough actions to explain her loss of popularity, and actually believing such to be true.

Reasonable people must agree that if Ate Glo had been taking tough stands and tough actions to address our tough economic and social problems, she should be considered a leader for our times. In reality, the frustration today lies in her failure to take the kind of action that would show she has the quality of leadership necessary to get us out of our pitiable predicament today.

The high oil prices and the additional VAT are not popular, it is true but only rabble-rousing leftist groups and the ill-informed are blaming Ate Glo for those. Give credit to the Pinoy to know that oil prices are beyond Ate Glo’s ability to influence. And the additional VAT is also understandable if only the harassed Pinoy taxpayer is given reason to believe his money will be used well and would not be wasted by luxurious perks or stolen by corrupt pork barrel hungry officials, elected and appointed.

Because the Pinoy is now counting every centavo of his house budget, he expects Ate Glo to make sure his tax money is as well respected too. News accounts of abusive perks enjoyed by public officials (CIIF, OWWA, POEA come to mind) understandably leave the Pinoy bitter about his government. Ate Glo still has to show she is following her own orders on austere living.

It does not help that a Filipino diplomat in New York is spending half a million pesos every month to rent her two bedroom apartment at the Trump Towers… and after she snootily rejected the option of living in New York’s Queens borough where most Pinoys are. Reality check, Madame Consul, your government is in the midst of a fiscal crisis. You are not representing a rich country.

Ate Glo is at a historic low in approval ratings not because she has made tough decisions but because she has failed to make them. She has declared a state of fiscal crisis only to declare the crisis over in three months, with no material change in the situation. The country’s peace and order situation is still spotty. Unless the crime victim is a delegate to the IPU conference, do not expect a speedy solution from the PNP. The cases of journalists killed in recent months are all largely unsolved.

In a sense, she registered those historic low approval ratings because she has failed to lead. She has failed to evolve into the kind of leader a country in crisis needs to rally the people to work together to save the country and the future of its citizens.

In the midst of crisis, Ate Glo seems happy to muddle through. We are frustrated because by choice, we are stuck with her up to 2010 and she can’t seem to get her act together. We are doubly frustrated because there is no viable alternative to her. We have learned enough to doubt the sanity of resorting to another EDSA, knowing that got her into power in the first place.

She has kept herself busy and there is no doubt that she is hardworking, but micromanaging is not the same as leading. If she cannot even get enough people she totally trusts to help her run this country, then she has failed her first test as a leader. She can’t even strongly back Bayani Fernando, the one member of her Cabinet who is visibly action oriented and remains credible to the public. She could have ridden in his coattails.

She has failed to show leadership in crucial national issues, like managing population growth. As an economist, she knows we cannot sustain our high rate of population growth and still have enough resources to provide even the minimum in education and health services required by more and more people.

Just the other day, Rep. Rolando Andaya observed "we will always face shortages in teachers, classrooms, books, and other supplies every year as long as Filipinos produce 1.8 million babies a year. What is made in the bedroom tonight would appear in the classroom eight years hence." Citing data from the Department of Education, Andaya said enrollment in public schools has increased by 1.4 million in just four years.

It is clear government cannot cope with such a huge increase in terms of providing teachers, classrooms, chairs, textbooks, and other supplies. "This year, we have to hire 6,000 teachers, build 3,000 classrooms, order 1.5 million books, and buy 150,000 chairs for additional enrollees. But we don’t have the money to do all these," he added.

He pointed out that to construct 3,000 classrooms alone at P400,000 each would require a P1.2 billion budget while 6,000 new teachers would need P720 million at basic monthly pay of P10,000. If Ate Glo and the Catholic Church still say we don’t have a population problem, then how does she intend to address this impact of population growth on our educational system? As a leader, she should have managed to find a solution that would bridge religious concerns with the requirements of national realities.

To be fair, there had been spots of hope. The Finance team of Cesar Purisima, notably the tax collection team led by Commissioner Parayno has been doing well. Those of us who had been paying our taxes religiously feel good that those high income tax evaders are now being made to account.

Cases are also being filed against corrupt officials at the BIR and Customs. But there is an impression all these are happening in spite of her. It is generally known that Purisima and Parayno have a pending threat to resign if high level politicians intervene. See what could be accomplished if good officials are left alone to do their jobs!

No, she didn’t sink to historic approval lows because she was tough. She sunk because she failed to be the leader we need. She failed to inspire the people. She failed to win the people’s trust. She sunk because she failed to build her credibility even after she supposedly won a heated election. If she were more credible, all these jueteng nonsense wouldn’t stick. Because she lacks credibility, people are ready to believe the worse of her and her family.

In the end, her historic low rating can be explained by her continuing lack of credibility. Instead of feeling sorry for herself and misleading herself that she is being punished for doing her job, she should explore instead the possibility that she got her low rating because she isn’t doing enough.

Her dismal ratings are bad enough. But if she believes Toting Bunye’s explanations, then she definitely got the wrong message from the people as expressed in the polls. If that were so, we are all royally screwed.

So what else is new? I guess we are expected to just sigh and enjoy.

Competition

We received this e-mail from reader Ricky SG Reyes.

The PITC program just shows what a little competition can do for this country. We’ve seen its value in the telecommunications and airline sectors in the 90s, and now we see it in the pharmaceutical sector. This is what DOE’s Popo Lotilla was talking about a few weeks back that what this country needs is a comprehensive competition policy. If only the government (calling GMA) can do the same for the cement, banking, Metro Manila vegetable distribution, oil, etc. then a lot of Filipinos could be helped.

If we cannot raise the incomes of the people, we can surely lower the cost of living. PITC should, however, partner with some rich enterprising Filipino (there are a lot out there) to expand his program. Relying on government funds will get you nowhere. Better yet, why not liberalize importation of drugs from India?

Regarding BFAD’s regulatory capture, put an economist, e.g. somebody from UPSE or an ex-NEDAn, over there to bust the cartel. More power to you.

Rare Fin

d Here’s Dr. Ernie E.

"I’m getting a divorce," said Jack to his friend, Bill. "The wife hasn’t spoken to me for six months."

Bill thought for a moment and then replied, "Just make sure you know what you are doing, Jack. Wives like that are hard to find."

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]