New pace

It was a speech that conveyed the essential characteristics of this presidency: businesslike, straightforward and guided by measurable objectives.

When President Gloria decided to deliver her inaugural speech in the early morning, she broke tradition. In the past, the inaugural speech was delivered after the actual oath-taking at noon.

People had to be up early to make it to the ceremony. Since the actual oath-taking will happen in Cebu, things will have to operate like clockwork. After the brief speech, the crowd that witnessed the event shuffled off rather efficiently to catch work.

That is how things ought to work for the entire nation: we get things done on time and move on to do other things.

On the front pages today, we will see the detailed itemization of the 10-point agenda President Gloria laid down in her speech. It is a comprehensive agenda much more for what is implied than what is said.

Many of the elements of this national agenda have been mentioned during the electoral campaign. Most of these elements have been refined and tightened so that clear benchmarks may be drawn: at least six, but possibly ten million new jobs by 2010; capital support for three million new entrepreneurs; the development of about four million hectares of agricultural land through better logistical support; power and clean water for all baranggays; a state-of-the-art digital network; and end to the lingering insurgencies; a computer in every school; computerization of the electoral system; and, most challenging of all, a balanced budget by the time she leaves office.

The President did not intend to make this detailed itemization of the job to be done to be merely that: a detailed itemization. Rather, these measurable targets by which the quality of her governance will be judged. These are the pillars of a vision for the nation: a modern country founded on social justice and benefited by economic prosperity.

This has been the vision of every government since we achieved nationhood. But it is a vision that can be meaningful and compelling only if it is mounted on a plan of work that is achievable. Otherwise, the statement of vision will be plain rhetorical.

Running through the brief inaugural speech is the theme of modernization.

This is, after all, the final factor that distinguished Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from the four other men who sought the presidency in the last contest. Holding a doctorate in economics, President Gloria is the best educated president the Republic ever had. She is trained to evaluate the components of policy decisions and weigh the options with all the strategic considerations in mind.

All the initiatives outlined in the inaugural speech seek to accomplish, in the brief period of six years, "deep foundations for a broad middle class." That will be the best guaranty that our democracy will not only be secure, it will also be productive.

Lest we forget, because the opposition has been trying very hard to picture a marginal mandate, President Gloria was elected by the largest number of voters in our political history.

This is a clear mandate from the Filipinos who matter: those capable of appreciating acutely the nature of our problems and the comprehensive solutions they require. The new administration is expected to lead the nation from lethargy and confusion, bring the country the country forward in a tough and competitive world. And bring the country forward at an urgent pace.

That mandate will be further strengthened if the people sense the urgency with which this administration goes about performing its assigned role. A sense of forward movement must seep down to all our communities. The reforms must move apace. The innovation of our policies and the improvement of our institutions of government must happen quickly.

There is a new hopefulness about our fate as a nation with the election of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the presidency. This administration cannot afford to miss the beat. It must, each morning, reinforce that hopefulness with actual achievement.

There are tough decisions that will have to be made over the next few days. These decisions, because they involve asking the public to accept short-term pain, will be exploited by opportunistic elements from the worn-out ranks of the opposition and the leftist groups who prefer continued polarization and politicization.

But they are decisions that will have to be decisively made. The rearguard action of the backward-looking political forces will just have to be dealt with decisively. We cannot afford to linger on much longer with uncertainty and confusion. Having fallen behind our neighbors, time is no longer a luxury we have.

The President’s inaugural speech, in content and scheduling, signal a new pace in political leadership that will be beneficial to our progress. Those who cannot keep pace will have to be left at the wayside. National interest commands it.

A day before the inaugural, fanatical followers of FPJ and their newfound friends from the residual leftist bands tried to mount one last act of disruption in the hope of prolonging the climate of polarization and politicization. They tied up traffic along Quezon Avenue. They attempted to march to the Palace to throw off all schedules for the inaugural. Had they succeeded in doing that, they would have planted themselves on Mendiola, started a vigil and messed up proceedings for the inaugural.

Had that happened, we all would have been forced to endure watching on TV, apart from the inaugural message, the mad ranting of the likes of Linda Montayre, Linggoy Alcuaz, Nino Mulach and JV Bautista.

What a dreadful thought: the presidential speech setting the premises for a unified national effort at development being forced to share public attention with those sworn to keep us divided and backward.

Which brings us to the unspoken benefit of holding important speeches in the morning: leftists and movie actors are known to get up late, too late to catch the sweep of history.

And so the inaugural proceeded with its unperturbed elegance. The message was delivered clearly.

In large organizations, tasking is of utmost importance. That, too, was achieved in the inaugural speech. The goals of the leadership was balanced off with a call to citizens to do their part, to work hard and refute the notion that democracies are inefficient in bringing about development.

Now that the ceremonies are done, all the protests in the streets have become academic. All the ranting by desperate and frustrated voices, will be pointless.

This is now the time to exchange productive ideas, the time to buckle down to get some real work done so that our nation could be built. Those unwilling to work should eb shown the door to history’s exit.