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The next leader should be…

April 29, 2016 | 12:36am

The upcoming presidential derby will go down as one of those fiercely fought and most divisive in the annals of our electoral history. Whoever will come out as the victor is beside the point, more importantly after the smoke of battle has cleared, all protagonists must extend their hand in reconciliation and display magnanimity with one another for the sake of the country.

Never mind the wounds created by those fiery words coming from each other’s mouth plus the enormous amount of money spent to sustain the election campaign. The more important thing is for everyone to rally behind the new leader starting July 1, 2016 to accomplish the task that he or she has sworn to accomplish. Grudges and anger should have no place in our society by then, if only to unite the people.

Last Sunday was the ultimate face-off among the candidates—the last in the series of debates among those vying for the presidency. More than their platform of government, the sincerity of the candidates in response to several issues presented was likewise gauged by the people. Of course, there were those that shone in the debates mostly dominated by promises that have been the hallmark of every election, speech that appeals to the emotions but lacks realism, promises that remain unfulfilled because marred by bureaucratic structure whoever takes the throne of power. That perhaps made people bring out their pent-up emotions, expressing their exasperation that their lives have remained as helpless as before, making them resort to radical option and choice.

Last Sunday was the ultimate face-off among the candidates—the last in the series of debates among those vying for the presidency. More than their platform of government, the sincerity of the candidates in response to several issues presented was likewise gauged by the people.

All candidates have displayed and expressed their intention to uplift the plight of the Filipino masses but some candidates lack the depth while some dwell on generalities and lack definitive action that will address chronic societal problems. Ironically, despite the discussions centered on microeconomic perspective, candidates, except for some, have promised everything including the moon and stars just to get the nod of the voters when in fact the means on how this will be delivered will require tremendous amount of government resources which in fact may be politically correct but economically erroneous.

All candidates have displayed and expressed their intention to uplift the plight of the Filipino masses but some candidates lack the depth while some dwell on generalities

Many regimes have come and gone, with impeccable academic records and even educated in offshore Ivy League schools and local top schools, but no one has significantly changed the people’s lives for the better. The people in many instances have trailed the general ideology of abiding by the traditional belief of choosing the most competent leader through their academic and professional qualities and lineage. This has become the standard for many but despite this, the country has not made any significant headway to improve the lot of the poor resulting in the people’s frustration. The assurance to significantly reduce the number of poor people has never been considerably realized.

The people in many instances have trailed the general ideology of abiding by the traditional belief of choosing the most competent leader through their academic and professional qualities and lineage. This has become the standard for many but despite this, the country has not made any significant headway to improve the lot of the poor resulting in the people’s frustration.

The forthcoming election should be a game changer regardless of whatever will be its outcome. The Philippines should be at the crossroads of political and economic transition from a developing to an emerging economy. The seed of development has long been planted even prior to the current regime (Aquino regime). It is up to us now to nurture and harness it to its full potential.

With the Philippines at its biggest with more than 101 million people, the challenge to the new leader does not end in seeing that everyone gets the right attention and care. More than that should be the nation’s capability to sustain its populace by way of installing a system that will sustain their own life and future especially the people at the grassroots level. Employment, education, and health are primary to this. A minimum sustainability of these major factors should be enough for every family to preserve a decent living.

Unless and until the next president has shown keen concern for the needs of the people, the most basic problem of peace and order which includes criminality and illegal drugs will continue to haunt the new leader.

Priorities should be geared towards promoting sensitivity to issues that confront the people so that proper attitude could be employed. It should be noted and emphasized that the real problem of the nation could be addressed simply by economic policies reflective of the people’s necessity, and then everything comes out naturally.

Emmanuel J. Lopez, Ph.D. is an associate professor at the University of Santo Tomas and the chair of its Department of Economics. Views reflected in this article are his own. For comments email: [email protected]