FINDING ANSWERS
Former Senator
Atty. Joey Lina
There’s no doubt that the incoming administration is faced with the most daunting challenges ever in our country’s modern history.
Ranging from widespread poverty and chronic underdevelopment especially in the countryside, to high inflation expected to hasten further due to the Russia-Ukraine war, and to perennial shortage of jobs and livelihood opportunities worsened by the pandemic, debt obligations, among others, the Philippines seems headed to much tougher times ahead.
Amid all the economic turbulence and uncertainty on the horizon, the incoming administration will need all the support they can get to steer our country in the right.
And support ought to include ideas and proposals coming from the people on what public officials may do in pursuit of excellence.
Our Constitution says that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them. Thus, we the Filipino people virtually own government. And being such, there should be a strong passion among us to propose ideas on what goals to pursue and how to run the government we own.
In this regard, I’d like to present anew some ideas proposed by a nationwide multi-sectoral movement of workers, farmers, fishermen, urban poor, indigenous people, senior citizens, people with disabilities, youth, women, faith-based, and advocacy groups who comprise the Katipunan ng mga Manggagawa at Magsasaka ng Pilipinas (KMMP) that was formed shortly before the death in 2015 of my dear colleague, former Sen. Ernesto Herrera.
These ideas form an agenda for reform and development which the late Sens. Herrera, Alvarez and I intended to fully promote until their untimely death altered the plans we made then. While these ideas on development are not exactly new as these were formulated way back in 2015, the need to pursue them remains pressing as ever.
Parts of the agenda for reform and development are as follows:
* Modernization and industrialization of agriculture, with full implementation of agrarian reform, natural resources and fisheries reform, as keys to achieve food security, job creation, poverty eradication, and balanced rural-urban development.
* Rapid industrialization and employment creation through appropriate investments (including public-private partnerships), government spending, promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises, and self-employment schemes.
* Ensuring that workers get just wages, security of tenure, and good working conditions as well as opportunities for profit and ownership-sharing in the enterprise.
* Proper urban-rural development planning and implementation, with urban land reform, socialized housing, and mass transport system.
* Promotion of green and sustainable economy and implementation of climate-change adaptation and mitigation program.
* Strong support for education, science and technology, inventions, and innovation systems.
* Implementation of universal and comprehensive social protection /welfare program, including improved conditional cash transfer, social security, and crop insurance.
* Massive grassroots information, education, and effective representation and participation of basic sectors and their organizations in government policy-making and program implementation at all levels.
* Active support for the defense of our territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The specific details on how to go about pursuing all these goals in the reform and development agenda would have to be threshed out by those forming the Cabinet of the new administration. These goals may even form the yardstick by which the new department secretaries and other appointive officials are chosen.
As the new administration is being organized, it is important to consider these proposals.
Agricultural modernization, rapid industrialization and employment creation will certainly bring economic progress to the countryside where the great bulk of the poor is situated Two of every three poor Filipinos can be found in rural areas and are largely dependent on agricultural income and employment.
Employment creation continues to be among the most daunting challenges facing the country. Aside from those in the national government, the ball is in the hands of local officials to create the conditions to get the full support of the private sector to indulge in job and livelihood generating activities especially in the countryside.
And countryside development will lead to the rise of new growth centers outside of Metro Manila which would then cease to become a magnet for rapid rural to urban migration. This could then lead to easier urban-rural development, as well as urban land reform including socialized housing and development of an effective mass transport system that will ease the urban traffic situation.
If we are to have meaningful change brought about by the recent elections, it is essential that our new leaders have a clear grasp of the dire situation we are in, thresh out solutions to problems, and have the passion to pursue the solutions.
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