Mar to offer more jobs
Vows to create Department of Common Sense to solve current bureaucratic problems
Administration standard-bearer Mar Roxas yesterday said that creation of more jobs would be the focal point of his administration if he is elected in next year’s presidential polls.
In a roundtable discussion with Manila Bulletin editors yesterday, Roxas explained that giving as many Filipinos access to jobs with decent income somehow serves as an assurance for every Filipino family that their lives would improve and eventually escape from poverty.
“Most of the poor Filipino families have a very simple dream. For them to send their children to schools and get college degrees so that their children would no longer inherit the poverty that they are into,” said Roxas.
“This is what we are fighting for and that’s why I am passionate, I’m serious because this is a serious job,” added Roxas in explaining his intention to run for President.
But first, Roxas said there have to be initial structural reforms to attain such a goal which he said were already established under the administration of President Aquino.
For instance, he said that despite criticisms, the Aquino administration was able to improve the economic standing of the country and likewise saved ample fund to finance the basic needs of the Filipino people under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and extensive coverage of Philhealth.
The CCT program, according to Roxas, demanded the parents of the poor Filipino family to have their children go to school and be active in supporting the programs of the Department of Health such as vaccination in exchange for the monthly dole-out system. This year, the government will be spending 65 billion in the CCT program.
As of this year, Roxas said the CCT program led to the graduation of more than 330,000 elementary and high school students around the country.
Under Philhealth, he said the government will be spending 75 billion from the proceeds of the Sin Tax Law in order to ease poor and ordinary Filipino families of thinking of the money to spend for the health and other medical needs of their family.
“Our priority is jobs, income. And these are the means to attain that priority,” said Roxas.
Daang Matuwid 2.0
This is the reason, according to Roxas, he has been fighting for the continuity of the Daang Matuwid campaign slogan of the Aquino administration.
Roxas had earlier said that they will be adopting Daang Matuwid 2.0 which he explained to be a form of upgrade and continuity of what the Aquino administration has started.
“We will further improve the economy and further ease doing business in the country. These are needed to attract foreign direct investments which eventually lead to creation of more jobs,” said Roxas.
Fixing the power sector
Roxas, however, said there are certain aspects that need to be fixed in order to make the country more competitive in attracting foreign investors.
One of them is fixing the high electricity cost in the country, which he said, is one of the reasons that drives away foreign investors, especially from the manufacturing sector.
By laying down the groundwork to attract competition in power generation sector, Roxas said this would lead not only to more power reserves but also in reducing the cost of electricity.
Department of Common Sense
Roxas also vowed to create what he describes as Department of Common Sense which he said is what the country needs to address the current bureaucratic problems that also push away foreign investors.
For instance, he said the present set up that both local and foreign investors have to pass through rigorous compliance of documents and requirements – from the stage of local government units to national government agencies – serves as a torture to the business sector which ironically promises to offer more jobs for the Filipinos.
“This is something that can be solved through software which is already in existence. By having a software that gives all government agencies access to all documentary requirements and other data, we will be able to address the strenuous way of doing business in the country,” said Roxas.
To emphasize how serious the need to have a common sense in running the government, he cited an example the case of Philippine embassies and consular offices abroad which are open on the day and time when overseas Filipinos workers are working and are ironically closed during Saturdays and Sundays which are the usual day off of the OFWs.
Economy of scale
But job creation, according to Roxas, is not only about those in the offices but should also be expanded to the sector of agriculture.
Amid numerous complaints on the implementation of the agrarian reform, Roxas said yesterday he will push for the bonding of farmers to turn them into competitive agriculture production forces.
Roxas said the present set up of merely distributing the lands for farmers proved to be not that effective in helping farmers to earn well even for their respective families.
“Farmers are like businessmen who are left on their own to till their lands and earn from them. So in times of disaster like the recent typhoon “Lando,” all that they have invested for their crops would just vanish which further aggravate their situation,” said Roxas.
Unlike ordinary employees who have enough lifelines in emergency cases, Roxas explained that farmers are usually left on their own and eventually get stuck in the cycle of debt which is worse than company bankruptcy.
By cycle of debt, Roxas was referring to the situation wherein farmers would be forced to get entangled into the moment they till their land – from the costs seedlings, fertilizers, insecticides to additional expenses during the harvest season.
In the end, what’s left for the farmers are not enough money to finance the needs of their families which then forces them again to borrow money for the next production.
Such a present set-up, according to Roxas, does not only hurt every farming Filipino family but also the country as well, considering the tight competition with other countries in agriculture production such Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
“It’s not simply just distribute the lands, building irrigations, building farm-to-market roads and the farmers would become prosperous,” said Roxas.