We all dream of change.

Senator Robinhood Padilla stated this to recapitulate a four-hour, ‘’emotion-charged’’ discussion on a Senate resolution seeking a review and study of the 1987 Constitution and a resolution of both Houses seeking to convene the 19th Congress as a constituent assembly and to propose amendments to certain restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.

‘’We know whether we are now. We are not favoring anyone to know the needs of the country,’’ Padilla, chairman of the Senate constitutional amendments committee, said.

Among the resource speakers were Christian Monsod, former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman, and Jonathan Malaya,

Executive Director, Center for Excellence in Local Governance and former Department of Interior and Local Government DILG undersecretary.

What appears as a strident call to action was voiced by Orion Perez Dumdum, Overseas Filipino Worker (Singapore-based) and Principal Co-Founder and Lead Convenor of the Constitutional Reform & Rectification for Economic and Competitiveness & Transformation (CoRRECT Movement.

During a hybrid committee hearing, Dumdum called on the Philippine government to open the country to foreign direct investments (FDI) if it wants to develop economically like its Southeast Asian neighbors such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

Dumdum said Vietnam has outpaced the Philippines which continues to hold on to its restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution which was ‘’hastily written’ during the Cory administration, he pointed out. He added that the 1987 Constitution is more restrictive than previous Philippine Constitutions.

He also said that the current Constitution protects high big businesses, stressing that a parliamentary form of government is far better than a presidential form. A presidential form of government engenders corruption, he added.

As an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), Dumdum recalled that Deng Xiaoping visited Singapore in 1977 and saw its development due to the openness of Singapore’s businesses.

After Mao Zedong's death in 1976, Deng gradually rose to supreme power and led China through a series of far-reaching market-economy reforms earning him the reputation as the "Architect of Modern China". He contributed to China becoming the world's second largest economy in 2010.

Dumdum said Dang pilot tested several economic zones in mainland China and they worked.

The Chinese leader then changed China’s slogan from "each according to his needs" to "to become rich is glorious," he added.

Dumdum emphasized that both Vietman and China ere communist countries.

He also said that former Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew had forecast that the Philippines would lag behind its neighbors if it does not open its doors to FDIs.

Padilla himself noted that Philippine progress is ‘’one step forward, three steps backward.’’

At the end of the lengthy hearing, Padilla said discussions should be directed toward national progress and not bickering.

Padilla pointed out the hearings - including the two held on Aug. 25 and 26 - aim to gather enough information and knowledge on how the Charter could be enhanced to address the problems facing the country.

"Nag-iipon tayo ng kaalaman para sa dulo alam natin ano talaga ang pangangailangan ng ating kababayan sa ngayon. Hindi po kami nag-aaway-away, kung nakarinig tayo ng may tumataas ng boses, kung may may pabigla-bigla, yan dala ng emosyon dahil gusto natin ng pagbabago. Pero itong ginagawa natin ito ang kailangan (We are gathering information on how to benefit our people. We are not fighting. If you hear people raising their voices, it is out of passion for positive change. But what we are doing is necessary)," he said.

"Kailangan natin ngayon, pagusapan natin kung paano tayo hahakbang patungo sa pagbabago. Hindi puro pangako. Gusto natin magbago ... kailangan natin humakbang. Hindi pwedeng salita lang (What we need is to discuss how we will ensure progress. We cannot rely on promises if we want change. We must act and not just talk)," he added.

Padilla said the committee hearings aim to determine the actions needed to solve the problems of Filipinos, including joblessness, high electricity rates, and low wages.

He added both sides in the debate, including those favoring the 1987 Constitution and those favoring amendments to it, have their respective merits. This is why the committee does not favor one over the other, he said.

Padilla suspended the second hearing of his committee on Friday afternoon but said this will not be the last hearing.

"Hindi ko po ito tinatapos sa usapin na tapos na. Hindi po (We are not closing the discussion on the subject, definitely not)," he added.