the road ahead

(note:  this is a re-hash of the posting that disappeared when i changed the theme.  just updated it a bit to make it current)

Noynoy is now officially the 15th President of the Philippines. He was inaugurated the other day at the Quirino Grandstand in front of a sea of yellow shirts sported by his supporters. Judging from the number of people who attended the rites, P-Noy is enjoying a rockstar popularity that shoul inspire a newly-elected official like him. 

Obviously there's a huge expectation bestowed upon this 50-yr old bachelor who enjoys a legacy left behind by his parents - President Cory and the iconic hero Ninoy. Now, it's his turn to step into the limelight and prove to the world that he's more than just Aquino by birth.  And that he will uphold that family name by leading the country better than the past (specially the most recent) Presidents did.

When I heard his speech, my first reaction was big words, big promises.  sana matupad kahit kalahati. Siguro naman hindi nyo ako masisisi for being pessimistic about this.  At siguro hindi lang ako ang nagsabi nito.   

But all my pessimism aside, gusto ko ang ginawa nya sa kanyang speech.  Mas effective dahil Tagalog.  Nauunawaan ng lahat, lalo ng masa na siyang main target nya na makaunawa ng mga pinapangako nya.  Departing from the usual flowery, abstract promises made by past Presidents in their inaugural speech, mas detalyado ang ginawa nyang speech.  Details that might prove to be his stumbling block later on. 

Bakit naman kamo?  Sa sobrang detailed ng mga sinabi nya, parang sinasabi nyang bibigyan ko kayo ng bahay na 3-bedroom, two t&b, painted in bright yellow na kasing-tingkad ng gown ni Kris, may patio at may picket fence.  What if after 6 years, ang naitayo nyang bahay ay two-bedrooms lang, may patio at picket fence nga pero ang pintura ay kasing-pastel ng yellow na suot ng ibang Aquino sisters?  Then people will say he didn't keep up to his promise? Sasabihin isa syang failure?  Honestly, I don't want that to happen.   

We should all remember na lahat ng bagong Pangulo, kahit saang bansa, at the start of his term is always seen as the face of change. Pero pag hindi na-meet ang pagkalaki-laking expectation, lalo na at pinangako pa ng uupong Pangulo, sasabihin he’s one ineffective President. Obama is just one example. Gloria herself was my face of hope back then. Ang kaibahan lang, Obama is doing his best. Gloria did something else.

I’m not a hardcore political pundit but I think there are many things Noynoy has to overcome to prove his mettle. Napakaraming IFs na naka-kapit na parang talaba sa pwestong inupuan nya. And he will only be hailed as a success at the end of his term if he can overcome these IFs: 

(He has already addressed most of these things in his speech, and I'm glad hindi nalalayo ang ideas ko sa mga bagay na ni-recognize nya as major issues that his administration need to tackle. Wala lang ako nong wang-wang part!)

1. If the number of Filipinos living in dire poverty goes down. Ito ang pinakamalaking challenge ni Noynoy. Dahil kahit hindi natin tingnan ang statistics, we cannot deny the fact that poverty is the biggest demon haunting most of the Filipino people. Homeless people dying in the streets like flies. Families living in dumpsters. Hungry children, beggars, and everybody else who live a life devoid of any dignity.

2. If he can turn around the Philippine economy and make it one of the strongest in Southeast Asia like it was before. Something na pinagyabang ni Gloria na porke 7% daw ang growth rate ng economy natin. Talaga? Nasaan? Where are the companies and manufacturing plants that buoy up that robust economy? Na dapat nagpo-provide ng trabaho sa mga tao para magkaroon ng disenteng buhay instead of committing suicide out of desperation. Pinoys need a real economy, not the economy of the haves where the previous administration so short-sightedly trained their eyes upon.

3. If he can curb, if not, eliminate corruption in the government. Just like poverty, it’s one plague that has already crept into the Pinoy society. Kaya lahat ng umupo sa gobyerno, ang tingin ng tao, gusto lang magpa-yaman. But more than the impression, it is the crippling effect of corruption that Noynoy has to eliminate. Ilagay ang pondo sa dapat paglagyan, hindi sa bulsa ng kung sino. When this happens, doon lang talaga mag-uumpisa ang pagiging effective ng kanyang gobyerno. Dahil doon lang makakapag-provide ang gobyerno ng maayos na mga kalsada, enough classrooms, better health services and many other basic services na hindi kayang i-deliver kung ang pondo ay binulsa ng magnanakaw.

4. If he can solve the many problems that he inherited from the previous government. Kung totoo ang report na wala na halos assets ang Phlippine government dahil naibenta na lahat, saan kukuha ng pondo ang Aquino government para ma-implement ang kanyang mga programa? Taxes? If he goes this way, maaga syang hahatulan ng taong bayan na kuba na sa laki ng EVAT.

5. If he can find a solution to the longest running conflict in Mindanao. Although it’s one complex problem that many Presidents has already tried solving. Ad failed. I don’t know if he’s got any aces up his sleeve to improve the situation down South. Nakaka-lungkot lang isipin na Pinoy sa kapwa Pinoy pa rin ang naglalaban doon. And the innocents, if not dying, are deprived of a peaceful life in their very own homes.

6. If he can crush organized crimes that victimize mostly the hard-working population. Particularly drug rings that just keep on wasting many lives. Nakakalungkot isipin na kahit sa mga liblib na probinysa, heinous crimes are being committed because of people who are addicted to drugs. The Aquino administration should be firm and resolute in chasing these drug lords. Hindi yong huhulihin ngayon, bukas nakalaya na. And go for the root, hindi yong mga small time pushers lang. Nip it on the bud. Drug addiction is one evil we should eliminate from this society before we can even talk of improving the lives of the populace.

7. If he can win over the Armed Forces. Medyo hindi maganda ang start nya for openly criticising Bangit’s appointment. He should be very careful when dealing with the men in uniform. He needs them as his allies, not his foes. He wouldn’t want coups threatening his rule like it did his Mom’s. He should be wise enough to realize that as the Commander-in-Chief, he needs to wield command and respect from these men to back him up and allow him perform his duties uninterrupted.

8. If he can contain Kris. Ganon ba kahirap sawayin si Kris para mapasama sya sa malalaking IFs ni Noynoy? I think so. Hindi pa rin matigil si Kris sa pagbibitaw ng kung ano-anong salita that just puts Noynoy in bad light. Even if she’s already given up her showbiz work, hindi pa rin paawat ang bunso nila. Ayan at two days before the inauguration of his brother, nakaw-eksena pa rin sya, telling the whole world that her marriage is over.  Pati sa pag-a-appoint ng mga tao sa kung ano-anong pwesto, nadadawit pa rin sya. Now, more than ever, is the time for her to get some level of maturity that will allow her to control her tactlessness.  Tactlessness that could prove detrimental to the Presidency specially now that she's privvy to a lot of issues of national concern.  Kaya dapat magpakatino na sya.  She should let her big brother do his thing.  She should let him prove to the Filipino people that he is his own man.

9.  If he can find support from the splintered group of the upper and lower houses, both of which he doesn't have the majority.  Laking sakit ng ulo yan pag may gusto syang gawin tapos ibabasura lang ng legislative and executive bodies. It could kill any useful and fruitful ideas he has dahil lang sa hindi maipasa ng nag-babangayang honorables.

Ilan lang yan sa very obvious problems that Noynoy is about to face. With only 6 years to do his job, wag na tayong umasa na lahat yan mabibigyan ng solusyon ng Aquino administration. Afterall, sya mismo nagsabing hindi sya si Superman.

Aside from that, nandyan pa rin ang mga magagaling at nagmamagaling na epal who will oppose just for the sake of opposing. Marami tayong ganyan dahil sobrang dami ng matatalino sa Pinas. Ang problema lang, ginagamit ang katalinuhan mostly for their own interest and not for the sake of our dear country.

But as a Pinoy who doesn’t give up hope, I pray that Noynoy really has the supernatural powers to solve all the problems our dear country is suffering from. Sana nga sya na yong matagal na nating hinintay na Pangulo na magbabangon sa ating bansa to become one of Asia Pacific region's powerhouses.

More than anything else, sana magkatotoo na yong matagal nang sinisigaw natin na magkaisa na tayo para sa pag-unlad.  Let's unite once and for all and support P-Noy in his march towards the straight path of progress.  If not, the road ahead will be very bumpy for P-Noy. At magtitiis pa rin tayo sa lubak-lubak na kalsada ng kawalang asenso.