The ‘R’ word

“How can you say to your brother, “let me take the speck out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” – Mathew 7:4

Many can relate to, and appreciate the frustration of President Noynoy Aquino at the poor or under performance of the National Irrigation Administration, because just like him we patiently await actual action on projects and programs under his administration to get under way, but this perhaps is where our priorities and sense of urgency go separate ways.

Yes the NIA’s under performance is frustrating for a few hundred farmers who are unable to plant, make a living and ultimately are forced to find other means of living or be creative with regards to their farming choices. That is truly sad.

But a number of us counting in the millions and living in Metro Manila are wondering why the NIA’s poor performance catches Presidential attention and ire, but not the non-performance or poor leadership of certain cabinet members whose failure to act, decisively and creatively prevents investments and infrastructure development from taking place. Why single out a relatively small agency but not several big departments that affect the way we live, travel, communicate and make a living?

To be specific, the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) are the top four government agencies that could greatly enhance the quality of life and business. But instead we perennially hear and read about their shortcomings, inaction, stalled or excessively delayed projects. Is it a “plank” in the President’s eye or is it the circle of buddies that prevent the President from seeing the truth?

When people begin to countdown the days to the end of the administration in anticipation of “Another choice = Another chance”, it is a clear sign that an administration is slowly but surely becoming irrelevant to the people. Sadder still is the fact that the people have given up on its leaders, the hope for better things and choose to simply go on with their lives.

But how much worse will the country be after three more years? Of what value is a balanced budget, of being on the black or having financial surplus, if our single most historic and crucial highway, the EDSA, totally disintegrates? What nightmares will the next set of leaders have to face when our Mass Transit system has been run to the ground and never upgraded to the annual population increases of commuters?

How can our airport authority justify remitting a billion plus in the same month a washbasin and automated faucet lies unusable at NAIA 2? How many more students and commuters need to be victimized by both cops and robbers as they walk to and wait in dark unlit bus stops with no police or MMDA presence?

After three years of giving our support and encouragement to the PNoy administration, the President should some how learn, be informed or be told by his family or true friends, that for the first time there are some of us who are now beginning to think of the “R” word for some of his cabinet members. Yes we are also as frustrated like the President, in fact frustrated enough to suggest to President Noynoy to drop the “R” word in his next cabinet meeting. Cabinet members who can’t move forward should respectfully “RESIGN”.

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Rumor has it that the Philippines will be playing host to a gathering of global leaders in the latter part 2014, which is why the once rejected proposal of a design group for the renovation of NAIA 1 has very recently been recalled and revived.

Will they also rehabilitate EDSA or will the administration simply confine all the activities to the Roxas Boulevard area, The Fort or anywhere where using EDSA can be avoided?  Confining such activities to the Roxas Boulevard may sound logical but I can already anticipate apprehension and cat calls from either side since half of what’s on Roxas Boulevard are largely pet projects of a lady named Imelda Romualdez Marcos.

Aside from the ticklish matter, what will the organizers do about particular eyesores such as the wall of placards and shanty-like structures put up by people protesting labor related matters very near the driveway to NAIA 1? Will we finally see some trees and much needed greening and repainting around the airport complex, even if it’s only for a particular event and not part of necessary maintenance program?

While things are all still on the planning project, it may be a good idea for those involved and in-charge to bring in representatives from the Commission On Audit (COA) to check costs and actual expenses every step of the way, because what I fear the most is someone might have the bright idea of disregarding or finding some way of by passing bidding and project rules. How many times have we heard of such “Rush” projects ending up as an excuse for corruption and then becoming a serious political thorn or failure of integrity? Better be safe than sorry.

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Why do government employees, going on a private or personal trip abroad, need to present a “permit to travel” from their boss even if they are using a civilian passport?

This question has often been posed by government employees who find the requirement discriminatory when they travel using personal fund and for a personal purpose. Not only do they find this discriminatory, it often places the government employee at the mercy or in a debt of gratitude to superiors or bosses who can be unreasonable or controlling.

The bad part in all of this is that there has long been an unwritten understanding and shared dislike for the policy between immigration personnel and travelling government employees. Everyone pretends not to know, everyone opts not to say and everyone opts not to use a government passport. When government imposes rules that are unwise or unjust, the people affected ultimately: See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil.

Can someone in Congress try to open his or her Eyes, Ears, and Mouth and please do something about this annoying matter?

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