Employment generation would still be hinged on pump priming through infrastructure building and attacting foreign investments. Again this is the same employment generation scheme of the Arroyo administration, which had the longest double-digit unemployment and underemployment rates in the country’s history. The only difference, perhaps, is that the political instability under the former Arroyo administration, had scared some potential investors and had made others hesitate to increase their investments.
Would the perceived better investment climate under the Aquino administration attract more foreign investments that would be enough to make a dent in the unemployment and underemployment situation in the country? I do hope so, but it did not work in the past, and, with still no end in sight in the global economic crisis, it would not work in the future. The results of an earlier study by Ibon Foundation revealed that even during the peak in foreign investments in the country, under the Ramos administration, unemployment remained high.
For farmers, “Kung dati ay may fertilizer scam, ngayon ay may kalinga na tunay para sa mga magsasaka. Tutulungan natin sila sa irigasyon, extension services, at sa pagbenta ng kanilang produkto sa pinakamataas na presyong maaari.”
“Inaatasan natin ang papasok na Kalihim Alcala na magtayo ng mga trading centers kung saan diretso na ang magsasaka sa mamimili – lalaktawan na natin ang gitna, kasama na ang kotong cop. Sa ganitong paraan, ang dating napupunta sa gitna ay maari nang paghatian ng magsasaka at mamimili.”
Irrigation and extension services in the absence of a genuine agrarian reform program would not make a dent in the poverty situation of farmers nor would it modernize agriculture. The government has two agencies for this: the National Irrigation Administration and the Department of Agriculture, which has an Undersecretary for Extension, LGU Support and Infrastructure and a Bureau of Agricultural Research, and these hardly made an impact.
The establishment of trading centers seems to be a new initiative. But what would be the role of government in the operations of trading centers? Would it merely build the infrastructure? Would it take a central role in operating it? Would it compete with middlemen to push farm gate prices upwards such as what the National Food Authority (NFA) is supposed to be doing, but to a lesser degree now? Previous administrations have been radically reducing the budget of the NFA because its task is not consistent with the liberalization, deregulation, privatization policies under the neo-liberal, globalization framework. Would the Aquino administration reverse this?
True to his campaign promise, President Aquino declared that he would not impose new taxes.
“Hindi kami magiging sanhi ng inyong pasakit at perwisyo. Palalakasin natin ang koleksyon at pupuksain natin ang korapsyon sa Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas at Bureau of Customs para mapondohan natin ang ating mga hinahangad para sa lahat, tulad ng:
• dekalidad na edukasyon, kabilang ang edukasyong bokasyonal para makapaghanap ng marangal na trabaho ang hindi makapag-kolehiyo;
• serbisyong pangkalusugan, tulad ng PhilHealth para sa lahat sa loob ng tatlong taon;
• tirahan sa loob ng mga ligtas na komunidad.”
In addition, President Aquino declared, “Hindi natin ipagpapaliban ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga estudyante, kaya’t sisikapin nating punan ang kakulangan sa ating mga silid-aralan.”
President Aquino’s declaration that he would not impose new taxes is a welcome development. But would he not meet the people’s demand to repeal the patently regressive expanded value added tax?
In terms of social services, sadly, these are also the very same policies that were implemented by the former Arroyo administration. Moreover, without substantially increasing the budget for social services such as education, health, and housing, through decreasing the budget for foreign debt payments and military expenditures, these would hardly benefit the approximately 61 million or 70 percent of Filipinos struggling to survive on P86 ($1.85) or less per day.
Some would say that we should give President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III the chance to implement “change.” But the policy directions outlined in his inaugural speech provide the people with some hope in the area of justice and to some extent, political reform, and almost no hope in terms of uplifting the majority of the Filipino people from the quagmire of poverty it is sinking in. Things would become clearer as the country moves toward the first 100 days of the Aquino administration. (Bulatlat.com)
