Tycoon condemns ‘culture of corruption’

Will the business sector wage war on corruption to save the Philippine economy from obsolescence? What is the private business sector doing to fight the pernicious culture of corruption, which has made the Philippines into one of the worst performing economies in Asia for many years? Can young business executives muster the guts and kindle the idealism to spearhead a real campaign to cleanse Philippine society of its excessive corruption, which has caused so much waste, lost opportunities, economic inefficiency, scaring away foreign investors? Can business and civic organizations like the Philippine Jaycees go beyond socials and other glamorous projects to become more relevant to the modern-day problems of our Third World nation, spending more time and resources to directly address burning socio-cultural and moral questions? How can the conscience of business executives accept the corruption of moral values of the children and the youth by the national malaise of immorality in popular entertainment?

These were the passionate and fiery questions hurled by the 85-year-old business tycoon and former Ambassador Ramon "Monching" V. del Rosario to the top officers of the Junior Chamber of the Philippines or Jaycees during his recent extemporaneous speech. The occasion was the launching of its annual search for the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awards at the Makati Skyline Restaurant of the World Trade Center. It was a surprising and rousing speech that awakened the elite crowd of Jaycees leaders and young business executives during the luncheon meeting.

A top official of the Philippine Jaycees told Philippine STAR he was "shocked" by the angry words of Ambassador del Rosario, while Philippine Jaycees national president Michael Alan Z. Ranillo commented that the fiery speech was "a wake-up call for our organization and for the whole private sector."

Indeed, the venerable tycoon is considered one of the top economic statesmen of the Philippines. A graduate of De La Salle University, del Rosario was founder and chairman of the Phinma Group of Companies, founding trustee of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and numerous other major corporations and civic institutions. Phinma Group used to control almost all the biggest cement factories in the Philippines. Ambassador Monching del Rosario has the distinction of being the first Asian to be elected world President of the Junior Chamber International in 1950. He was the first national charter president of the Manila Jaycees in 1949 and he spearheaded the birth of the Philippine Jaycees movement nationwide. His eldest son Ramon del Rosario, Jr. had served as former Finance Secretary, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AB Capital and Investment Corp., and as President of Phinma. The Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. AIM Center for Corporate Responsibility is named in his honor.

The head of the TOYM national search this year is Jaycee officer and young businessman Rafael "Boydee" Dizon. Other dignitaries and business leaders who are part of this search include: TOYM Foundation Chairman Guido Delgado, Gerry Roxas Foundation Chairperson Judy Araneta Roxas, PLDT President & CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, Equitable PCIBank Chairman Antonio L. Go and PDI President Sandy P. Romualdez.

A young Jaycee officer said that the speech of Ambassador Monching del Rosario should be a clarion call for all the political, business and other leaders of the country who had previously won the TOYM award – what are they doing to end the culture of corruption that is impoverishing the Philippines?

Among the numerous TOYM awardees since 1959 include the late Senator Ninoy Aquino, PLDT President Manny Pangilinan, Bishop Socrates Villegas, banker Sixto Roxas, former Executive Secretary Rafael Salas Jr., Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas, former Prime Minister Cesar Virata, Minister Arturo Tanco Jr., banker Cesar Zalamea, banker Placido Mapa Jr., Senator Juan Flavier, Governor Jaime Laya, Sen. Ernesto Maceda, Roman Cruz Jr., Manuel Elizalde Jr., Antonio Araneta Jr., Gregorio Licaros Jr., Sen. John Osmena, former President Joseph Estrada, Sec. Ronaldo Zamora, Gov. Luis Villafuerte, Sec. Simeon Datumanong, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., Christian Monsod, Sec. Roberto de Ocampo, Sec. Fiorello Estuar, , Sec. Horacio Morales Jr., Sen. Orly Mercado, Gov. Jose Cuisia, Sec. Roilo Golez, Jose Laurel, Sen. Gringo Honasan, Delfin Lazaro, Ricardo Puno Jr., Sec. Frank Chavez, Sen. Manny Villar, Philip Juico, Sec, Oscar Orbos, Mayor Tomas Osmena, Sec. Gloria Tan Climaco, Sec. Cielito Habito, Senator Loren Legarda Leviste, Jose Concepcion III, DBP President Simon Paterno, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala conglomerate, and many others.

Rp Corruption Is Institutional & Cultural

In his eloquent and impassioned speech, Ambassador Monching del Rosario said: "I hope the leaders and members of the Philippine Jaycees will do some soul-searching, whether we are relevant to the times, or we are focusing on the wrong priorities. It has been said by many experts that loss of confidence in government by our people is now not just a matter of concern, but has reached national cancer proportions!"

He cited civic groups like Jaycees with outstanding track records in giving all kinds of awards, campaigning for garbage clean-up drives, honoring outstanding people such as the youth, teachers, policemen and others. Ambassador del Rosario angrily criticized the pervasive culture of corruption in the government, citing foreign experts who are not impressed by the cosmetic or partial reforms such as changing a few faces and some names in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and other agencies. He declared, "The real problems of our corruption crisis is institutional and cultural! In our society today, both the giver and the taker of bribes feel that these are the ways, and this terrible corruption continues to worsen in our country today, as the world watches us go our merry way down and down!"

For the young business leaders of the Jaycees and other groups, Ambassador Monching del Rosario made the challenge.

"Isn’t it about time that all of us focus on how to create a better future for the country?" he said. "If businessmen cannot do anything about international economic and geopolitical environment affecting the Philippine economy, how about really focusing on the internal question of corruption? There is so much corruption everywhere in government, even my driver when he goes to renew my car registration or his driver’s license, he will be made to wait one whole day if he does not give lagay or bribe."

The angry Ambassador del Rosario continued with his emotional speech.

"Do we ever stop to scrutinize the dangerous corruption in the minds of our children and youth? Our television and popular entertainment, even the media, are full of crimes and immoralities which everyday teach our kids corruption and crimes. Our children in Philippine society are being given a three-hour, free seminar on theft, rape and corruption daily by TV! I hope the Jaycees and other groups will carefully examine this corruption on the minds of our youth! I challenge you to search for relevance in your many civic endeavors!"

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