How about a tycoon or CEO for president?

When you sit down with some of the country’s tycoons and business executives, especially Filipino-Chinese businessmen, you will easily notice an air of frustration over our politics and politicians.

Only those who are really close to President Marcos, either as an adviser, a friend or as an appointed official, would say that everything’s smooth sailing.

In reality though, many of our big businessmen are growing frustrated and even impatient with our dizzying political landscape – the move to tinker with our budget, glaring corruption among some of our lawmakers and that feeling of “walang nangyayari” under the Marcos administration.

Of course, our businessmen – some of them kingmakers – are partly to blame. They keep on supporting these politicians when candidates ask them for support.

But what if, for a change – or for a much-needed respite from politicians – they field somebody from their own ranks and support him or her instead to become the country’s president?

Would a businessman or a tycoon be an effective president of the Philippines? Someone with effective management and leadership skills who can steer our rudderless ship to better shores? Someone who has the brilliance to manage our resources so that our government can provide the right social services to our people? Someone whose goal is no longer just about making money but building a nation for generations and generations to come?

Of course it’s easy to mistrust businessmen, especially in our country where some people perceive them as just a bunch of greedy and profit-oriented oligarchs who only want to enrich themselves.

In reality though, some of the country’s tycoons care about the country and not just themselves, or at least they care more than our politicians do. Just look at how some of them helped our people during the pandemic. Imagine if they didn’t – where would we be now? They care about the future of their children and grandchildren. Some of them want to leave a lasting legacy so their empires are not forgotten.

In any case, a lot of them have the skills and the proven track record to run an organization effectively, perhaps even more so than some of our politicos, something that we need in our country today,

We’ve had success stories when it comes to our debt-strapped utilities of decades past. When these were privatized and transferred to the hands of business executives, services improved.

Even tollways and airports – though a long way from being world-class – are seeing improvements after being privatized.

After all, people with business acumen move fast and efficiently. They anticipate problems before they arise. They are creative and innovative, too.

So what if, for a change, we elect a businessman as president? I’m sure many of them are qualified, perhaps even more qualified than those currently eyeing the presidency in 2028. Some of them are popular and considered as folk heroes.

Actually, I heard from our Republic of Marites that this is something some of our businessmen are considering because many of them have become so frustrated with our political situation. They are considering the idea of supporting a fellow businessman to run for the presidency. The only question is who it will be.

The United States has done it, and no, I’m not even referring to President Donald Trump. There were success stories in the past.

For instance, there’s George Washington, considered as one of the greatest presidents in US history. He was a wealthy landowner and savvy businessman before he became president. There’s also former haberdasher Harry Truman, ranked by historians as among the top five presidents of the US. Jimmy Carter grew the family business successfully before being elected as president of the US in 1977.

This is perhaps because in the US, citizens were more open to having a businessman for president.

“Plenty of businessmen throughout history have sought – and won – the highest office in the US. Some feel this is a positive, bringing the business acumen and efficiency of the private sector into the halls of state,” according to the Business News Daily.

Of course, having a businessman as president of the republic has its risks and it isn’t a magic pill that will make our problems go away. It can also open the door for corruption and cronyism.

But these are desperate times, as seen in the current crop of politicians and candidates we have. Perhaps, it might be something we can consider instead of just voting the same trapos back into office.

Now will a nation-loving businessman capable of leading this country please stand up?

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Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.