Getting good vibes from P.Noy and VP Binay

I spoke with Vice-President Jejomar Binay last Saturday when he came for the opening of the One Cebu Expo at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC). I told him that being on top of Scouting, he must push for more Scouting activities so that our youth would develop into better citizens of this country. He fully agreed with my suggestion and in the end, I found myself in an odd position having to agree with VP Binay.

Later on, I learned that the Vice-President issued a statement that he would rather not continue with the barangay elections because it just cost the government too much money. In his speech before the 53rd General Assembly of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati, VP Binay said, “Why do we have Barangay Councilmen? What can they do? They don’t pass laws anyway. For me, I don’t agree to continue with the elections of Barangay Captain and the Sangguniang Kabataan.”

If he had his way, he would rather see barangay officials be appointed to their post by the mayors to enhance governance. As for the SK, he believes that it should be abolished as it only breeds corruption. This is what I’ve been writing about, that it’s about time to change the functions of the barangays as they have become nothing but a microcosm of the municipal or city council or the provincial boards.

What I suggested long ago is to expand the membership of the barangays to more than one representative in the provincial board or municipal or city council, so that any laws that each respective barangays need, it can be addressed by the provincial board, the municipal or city councils. This is what real political reforms ought to be.

Our political leaders know that each barangay has unique requirements. Some badly need security, hence the barangay captain should be one who comes from the military or police. Other barangays merely need more health or sanitation, then a good doctor can come in handy. Some barangays are tourist oriented, hence they need a leader who is service oriented so their barangay can be tourist friendly. Yes, barangay captains can be appointed.

As for the SK, I have long been in favor of abolishing this because it’s not helping our youth become better citizens. In fact, the SK has become a tool by traditional politicians who let their children run for SK post so they can perpetuate their hold in political power. Hence, let us get rid of SK and strengthen the Boys and Girls Scouts and bring back the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) so we can have a disciplined youth, unlike today where their energies are spent in useless fraternity wars.

On the Presidential front, with the “wang-wang” issue behind us, Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has embarked on another very noble objective when he clearly pointed out that he doesn’t want his name to be displayed on government projects. This novel Presidential attitude gives us an idea that P.Noy is one President who does not really like traditional politics. Call him a square peg in a round hole if you wish, but I’m buying this idea. It’s about time!

Perhaps this decision stemmed from the Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Francis Escudero seeking to make it a crime for politicians who put their names in taxpayer-funded projects. But who will sponsor this measure in Congress? If at all, the biggest “name droppers” in government projects are members of the House of Representatives. They are followed by officials of the Local Government Units (LGU).

This practice has been going on for many decades; it has become somewhat of a Filipino tradition. Look at the walls of many public schools where parents donate to the school and you will read their names on the walls together with the other donors. Then the politicians made it a practice. Look at all the infrastructure projects that have been erected all over the country, it bears the names of the politicians. But did they put up these projects with their own money? No sir! While this is a great idea, I’m skeptical that this law would never lift off the ground because too many politicians voting for this measure will not support it. Come to think of it, we’re getting good vibes from the President and the Veep!

* * *

Tomorrow, the 1st Cebu International TESOL Conference kicks off at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC). TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Plans are afoot to make Cebu the Hub for English Language Excellence (Chele). When this happens, Cebu would see more foreign visitors who will not only enjoy our tourist sights, but also learn how to speak English. This is a very unique convention that many other countries would have loved to host. Interested parties, please call Ms. Anna Conejero at 234-0058.