if you were in their shoes?
Faithful reader Abbygail asks a provocative question:
… if you will be tapped by the govt. to serve in teves’ shoes, what will you do to change the rut we’re in? help the people w/ your ideas. we cannot be blaming each other forever and just sit still. what will you do if given that chance to serve?
I personally do not think that an interactive forum like ours requires its participants to offer specific alternatives (in contrast, for example, to a newspaper editorial). It’s more than enough to express ourselves and discuss issues with others. But I do share Abbygail’s concern about moving forward (note, please, that I did not use that old plea to “move on” — euphemism for forgiving and forgetting).
If we were in a high official’s place, what, specifically, would we do? No need to limit ourselves to Finance Secretary Gary Teves; how about we choose one department (say, DND) or agency (say, Pagcor), and then offer our proposed (specific) solutions?
Should be interesting. But, please, keep it specific. As they say, God (or the devil) is in the details.
December 21st, 2007 at 9:01 am
Padang,
Budget Deficits. The reduction of budget deficit is proof of good fiscal management. It’s been going for years, not only this year. It is not true that there were reduction of critical infrastructure projects, etc. If you go around the country there are many infrastructure projects going on like new airports, ports, highways, light rails, irrigation projects, etc. Just look at the railway along the South Superhighway. It used to be dominated by squatters. Now, they are gone and being relocated somewhere. Without political will and money, these people would still be there and their place remained hotbed of petty criminals.
Our national budget during Erap’s time was 700b, now it’s almost 1.2 trillion. If government did not spend on infrastructures and other social programs, our budget would have remained at 700b or less. We increased our budget to 1.2t and yet we decreased our deficit. So, how did you arrive at your conclusion? This month and for the first time, government is giving 10k bonus to all national government employees and I think they were also giving 10% salary increase during the middle of the year. Where would government get the money for these benefits if it did have positive achievements in the past months and years?
Foreign Debts. The appreciation of the peso could still not be achieved if there was no efficient fiscal management. During Ramos time, there were influx of OFW remittances yet the foreign debts keep going up. The dollar was at one time weak, yet the peso could not beat the dollar. So, what we are seeing now is a result of better handling of foreign debts. Actually, GMA should have been on the worst situation since she inherited big foreign debts from past administration. She had to worked on the double to pay up debts and at the time increase government spending without ruining the budget.
Today, 21 Dec, according to the Philippine Stock Exchange, “listed firms registered 24% jump in profits.” This only means there is prosperity and progress going on. You can hardly hear companies declaring bankruptcy and loses. You can hardly hear companies laying-off workers. These signs of prosperity only point to more taxes for government thereby contributing to lesser budget deficits. Two good examples of companies who have been and are making huge profits are Cebu Pacific and PAL. Cebu Pacific replaced all its old fleet with brand new Airbus planes. PAL used to be making huge loses. Now, it’s making big profits and adding into its fleet brand new planes. When companies are doing well, its employees must be enjoying better benefits, and government collecting more taxes. You cannot count now companies who are making money.
Employment. Well, there is plenty of job opportunities today. Every now and then, more and more jobs are being offered during job fairs. Every day more jobs are being created. There is only a scarcity of qualified applicants. Hanjen alone need 4000 welders, and a thousand other job categories. Yet only few can be hired. What about the thousands of bpo demand for qualified workers? If there are many who remain jobless or poor, I believe these people should try their best to help themselves because there are opportunities waiting for them, either as workers or as small entrepreneurs. By the way, it’s only during GMA’s time when there has been industrial peace, which is an indication of job satisfaction. GMA was also able to achieve progress in the Mindanao peace process.
Corruption. Until today, I still have to hear another Clarissa Ocampo testifying against GMA. Nobody has come forward and give facts on amount of money plundered, identify bank account where the stolen money is deposited and present paper trail leading to GMA as the culprit. It’s easy to accuse GMA of corruption but proving it is another thing.
Get real, Padang. Wake up and see what’s going on. Read the business sections of major newspapers. It’s high time to have our own mind than listen to the media and the opposition who are only dispensing dosages of poison to the minds of the less fortunate who have difficulty discerning truth from deceptive comments and information.
December 21st, 2007 at 7:07 am
Marius Lardizabal
Hi Ms Lavandera,
No offense, but I’ve never met anyone with such a colorful last name but I guess Ms Gloria Romero’s movie was based from your family.
What is a jueteng Lord anyway? And how does it tie to corruption?
My proposal was quite simple, the jueteng bankers know the financial ins and outs of the business (yes it is a game but the underlying fundamentals are the same with any business).
We need their expertise to make the endeavor a success.
I wanted to legalize gambling for the sole reason of preventing any irregularities aka Corruption.
Hope I stated my point clearly now.
______________
Yes, You did. Erap, Try to do something about it too. Look what happen to him, Pandak kick him out so that she’s the one can rob the country coffer. De ba?
December 21st, 2007 at 1:07 am
from kayana2
to all the bloggers’ readers…
oops my bad, great typo on my part.
on my last blog entry -”in re-what should i do if i”- the last para should read …i hope my diatribe does NOT bored or offended someone’s mettle.
salamat po,,,,,
kayana2
lasvegasnv..
December 20th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Oh by the way Mr. Padang
We are part Igorot, so yes we are part of the ethnic minority.
And yes my grand parents were farmers.
Enough said. Sorry of the OT.
December 20th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Tarsier
What would I do?
Just do my job. First of all, I got in because I wanted it or I did not refuse the offer. So what if I am in despite all the negative perceptions towards the administration?
Yet, how come that many of the cabinet members are doing well, much more than all the good men in past administrations have done combined.
It’s only during GMA’s time that the budget deficits are being seriously addressed and solved, from 300b during Erap’s to 60b this year and zero next year.
If the GMA administration is corrupt, how come the economy is improving; how come our foreign and domestic debts are going down; how come tourism is doing well; how come majority of big corporations are making big profits?
All these happen because the atmosphere is totally different from what the GMA critics and oppositors want the people to believe. The truth is, the corruption perception is artificially planted in the minds of the poor Filipinos by the corrupt media and the crab opposition. Even the prestigious survey firms are also joining the campaign to bring down the present dispension.
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THE ECONOMY WENT UP, NOT BECAUSE GLORIA ARROYO, HARD WORK. IT WENT UP! BECAUSE OF THE MONEY REMITTANCE OF OFW’S. IF THE CROOKS IN MALACANYANG KEEP ROBBING THE GOVERNMENT COFFER THE MONEY WILL DRIED-UP!