BF pledges ‘practical solutions’ to RP’s problems once elected VP

Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will offer "practical solutions" to solve the country’s problems if he is elected vice-president.

Speaking to veteran journalists at the weekly Tuesday Group at the EDSA Plaza Hotel in Mandaluyong City, Fernando said his 25-year achievement in the private sector and 10 years in public service are his "qualifications" to be the country’s second highest official.

Present at yesterday’s forum were Tuesday Group president, The STAR publisher Max Soliven, and members presidential aspirant Raul Roco, presidential chief of staff Rigoberto Tiglao, and STAR managing editor Antonio Katigbak.

Although overshadowed by other more popular vice presidentiables like Sen. Loren Legarda in the latest surveys, Fernando remained confident that he has the "stature, maturity, and suitability" to get him elected next year.

Fernando said he needed to make people more aware of his vice-presidential bid and thus has been "sneaking out and going to provinces" during weekends to consult with people and seek their support.

Despite having announced his plan to run for vice-president last July, Fernando’s name was notably missing from the latest surveys.

By making "noise" now, Fernando said he wanted to show his winnability through the surveys and gain the endorsement of President Arroyo and his party, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).

However, Fernando said he has yet to talk with Mrs. Arroyo about his political plans.

"All I need now is an endorsement or be the official candidate of the party," he said.

"If you’re asking for my political maturity or national stature, to have the guts to run for this post, make me the official candidate of Lakas and immediately I have that stature."

Fernando said his economic policy would focus on addressing the low productivity of the Filipinos and bring back dignity of labor.

"Nawawala na ang yabang sa ating trabaho, which does not make us achieve excellence," he said.

"We (in government) should show leadership, that everyone is responsible. For example, we must solve problems at the plant floor level to address the question of productivity."

Fernando said he was speaking from his 25 years of experience as president of construction companies like BF Metal Works in Pasig City.

If elected vice president, Fernando, a mechanical engineer by profession, said he would assist the national government in solving the country’s technical problems.

"(The Philippines) being a young and poor country... I find in my 10 years of government service that 80 percent of our problems are actually technical in nature," he said.

"The things that our people are expecting of government are basically technical and we are losing money from these. ’Wag na yung corruption. But the technical decisions have to be really attended to because these (cause) the (financial) losses."

Fernando said he discovered P6.9 billion worth of "unnecessary projects" during short stint as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The amount is some 13 percent of the annual budget of DPWH, he added.

Fernando held the DPWH post for three months and 10 days while being the concurrent MMDA chairman.

Fernando said he wants to focus on providing "settlements" for people throughout the country.

"I want to establish 10 Marikinas, or manageable, self-contained communities around Metro Manila and other urban areas like Davao and Cebu that would each accommodate one million households," he said.

"These would be cities that have the residential, industrial, commercial, and recreational aspects of a functioning community."

In his one year and three months as MMDA chairman, Fernando has implemented draconian measures to set order and discipline in Metro Manila, like removing illegal sidewalk vendors and setting up an organized bus dispatching system on EDSA to ease traffic and installing urinals on sidewalks.

He has also tried to reduce floods in the metropolis.

Fernando is best known for transforming Marikina into a bustling city, from being a crime-ridden and laidback town, when he was mayor for nine consecutive years.