Public expectations of P-Noy in his last 3 years

The recent sacking of Angelito Nangel – who some Palace insiders call the National “Irritation” Administration chief for having managed to irritate President Aquino because of the National Irrigation Administration’s consistent underperformance — came as a welcome surprise to many, which is contrary to what some people say that P-Noy has an aversion to firing people and would rather wait for them to resign by giving them the cold shoulder.

The president is already in the second half of his term, and like basketball, the last quarter is considered very crucial. The worst thing that could happen is when somebody “drops the ball” — something that this administration should totally avoid considering that everything it has done could simply go down the drain once the game is over. Three years is a short time if there are a lot more points to score on a fast play, but three years can become a very long time if the game play is too slow. But one thing is certain: The clock keeps ticking, and time is running out.

As one of P-Noy’s Cabinet Secretaries who did not want to be identified told me, there are quite a number of non-performing “asses” — NPAs — who need to be nudged to make things move much faster. To be fair, there are those who are proving to be this administration’s BPAs — “Best Performing Assets” — because they have been consistent and have shown admirable progress in many aspects, from project implementation to enhancing their agency’s or department’s image.

Among them are Public Works Secretary Babes Singson and Tourism chief Mon Jimenez – both dubbed as “good news bears” for making great strides in their respective departments. The DOT recorded 2.011 million arrivals from January to May — the first time ever that we breached the two million mark. On the other hand, by July last year the DPWH already bidded out over 91 percent of planned projects for fiscal year 2012. By streamlining processes, Singson saved the government P16.35 billion — money it can use for more infrastructure facilities that would benefit the public.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the Department of Transportation where things continue to move at a snail’s pace, with biddings either postponed or delayed. Some DOTC officials blame private sector bidders but insiders claim delays happen because bidding specs and technical aspects are unclear. Apparently, consultants and key people are lawyers who are too legalistic and lack the engineering knowhow needed for the projects.

For instance, MRT-3 and MRT-7 are extremely crucial projects that need to be fast-tracked because they affect commuters, motorists, pedestrians – practically everyone from the lower sector to the high-end of society with the horrendous traffic costing the country P2.4 billion a day as clearly pointed out in a study made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Every year, you see more and more people packed like sardines in trains or waiting in kilometric lines for bus and jeepney rides. Add to it the fact that more people can now afford to buy cars, rendering the number coding system almost inutile, making traffic congestion even worse than ever.

The DOTC had very boldly predicted that by 2016, P500 billion worth of infrastructure projects would be completed. At the rate they are going — or rather, not going — we’d be lucky to see even half of all these projects finished by the time President Aquino’s term ends.

Mining is another sector that can very well benefit from some quick decision-making. We’re glad to note that the DENR is lessening the foot dragging, extending Philex Mining’s temporary permit to operate Padcal mine in Benguet. Despite the Philippines’ huge mineral wealth — sitting on almost a trillion dollars worth of untapped resources — unresolved issues continue to hamper the industry’s potential to substantially contribute to the country’s GDP.

No wonder mining and transport infrastructure merited “special mention” in the petition of some of the country’s biggest business groups that are asking P-Noy to amend the Constitution, in particular the restrictive economic provisions. Unfortunately, Charter change is one major issue that the President continues to resist touching. But sooner than later, this is something that needs to be seriously considered — gaining ground from a number of legislators and businessmen all eagerly pushing for crucial constitutional amendments.

The changes need not dwell too much on the political aspect — like adopting a new system of government for instance — since most of the proponents see the need to amend only the flaws in economic provisions that would make it difficult for the Philippines to compete globally and in the region as the ASEAN economic integration comes closer to reality.

However, if we’re going to do it anyway, we might as well go the whole nine yards because a transformed and improved system will provide an opportunity to institutionalize the reforms and changes we all want to see — for instance the justice system that everyone agrees needs to be completely reformed. Ultimately, Charter change will help define P-Noy’s presidency.

One good thing for a president with a six-year term like P-Noy is that he can “do the right thing” without worrying about political expediency — which could benefit whoever his successor is — reaping the harvest sown by this administration.

It is said that history is the ultimate judge – and it’s clear that Noynoy Aquino has already made a name for himself apart from the legacy left by his parents. The opportunity to permanently change the kind of politics that people have grown tired of is here. The moment has come — we must seize the moment before the moment seizes us.

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E-mail: babeseyeview@yahoo.com

BABE’S EYE VIEW By Babe Romualdez (The Philippine Star)