Enabling environment

Yesterday I ran into a speech, excerpts of which I’m running here. Guess which president delivered it?

“Today, the Filipino, it seems, has lost his soul, his dignity and his courage. We have come upon a phase of our history when ideas are only a veneer for greed and power in public and private affairs, when devotion to duty and dedication to a public trust are to be weighed at all times against private advantages and personal gain, and when loyalties can be traded in the open market.

“…Prosperity for all, we promise. But only a privileged few achieve it, and, to make the pain obvious, parade their comforts and advantages before the eyes of an impoverished many. Justice and security are as myths rendered into elaborate fictions to dramatize our so‑called well‑being and our happy march to progress.” It’s depressing to note that the speech was delivered over half a century ago, at the first inaugural of Ferdinand Marcos. And it’s depressing to remember how that presidency turned out. But in 1965, Filipinos cheered when the budding dictator promised that “this nation can be great again.” After Marcos’ fall, Corazon Aquino promised mainly to protect and nurture the fragile democracy. Fidel Ramos worked to create Team Philippines. Joseph Estrada, at the start of his short-lived presidency, promised “the greatest performance” of his life.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she wanted to be a “good,” not “great” president.

Noynoy Aquino merely vowed that the Filipino would always be his “boss.”

Now President Duterte has promised ordinary Filipinos a “not very great” but “comfortable” life by the end of his term.

He’s just being realistic, considering all the nation’s problems. But the Marcos promise sounds more inspiring. Why not aim high, for “greatness”? It’s just a goal, like exterminating all drug personalities in six years. It won’t happen; this vice will outlive us all. But goals are meant to inspire.

In this case, Dirty Rody’s goal has inspired mass murder. There won’t ever be comfort for the relatives of the dead; they will be scarred for life. They should at least see their living standards improve under Duterte’s watch.

If the President can redirect his zeal toward pursuits other than mass extermination of Filipinos, the nation may not become “very great,” but it might even realize forecasts about the Philippines being on track to becoming Asia’s next tiger economy. Back in October 2015 the World Bank described the Philippines as Asia’s “rising tiger” and “no longer a sick man.” The country is considered a “tiger cub” along with Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. But backsliding is always a risk, especially with more competitive neighbors.

Last year, both Forbes and The Economist tagged Vietnam as the next Asian tiger. Bloomberg made the same forecast earlier, in 2015. It pointed out that Vietnam had overtaken other Southeast Asian countries as the biggest exporter to the United States and that manufacturing companies leaving China due to rising production costs, notably Japanese-owned firms, were moving to Vietnam.

Southeast Asia is booming and we should be taking advantage of the opportunities, especially with the opening of the regional market following the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Instead we are alienating foreign investors and risking restrictions to their markets with needless belligerent presidential rhetoric and the ongoing deadly violence. Filipinos have shown capability to go global. Several Filipinos are expanding their businesses overseas, competing successfully against foreigners. Apart from the well-known Tony Tan Caktiong of Jollibee, there’s Enrique Razon, whose International Container Terminal Services Inc. has bagged numerous port handling deals in several countries; today he has branched out into casinos. The Gokongweis are quietly expanding their numerous business interests in other countries including New Zealand and Myanmar.

Last year, Carlos Chan’s Oishi had the fifth largest market share in snack foods in his native China, according to Forbes, which ranked him the 28th richest Filipino in 2016 with an estimated net worth of $550 million. John Gokongwei Jr. was ranked second after SM’s Henry Sy and family; Tan Caktiong ranked sixth and Razon eighth.

But apart from the nation’s 50 richest individuals and families, there are many others who, with an enabling environment, have achieved much progress, creating jobs and livelihoods as they grew their businesses.

* * * Certain areas have that kind of environment. Cebu is the best example; it’s not called “Ceboom” for nothing.

During my visit there last month, for example, I was pleasantly surprised to see Chester Cokaliong and his family’s eponymous shipping company grown so prosperous. I attended the inauguration of their office building ages ago when the company had only a few passenger and cargo vessels.

Today Chester has branched out into the hotel business, operating the three-star Bayfront Hotel (rated four stars on several travel websites) just across the road from SM Cebu, with another hotel to rise soon. Bayfront enjoyed 100 percent occupancy during the holiday season and enjoys brisk business throughout the year, according to Chester.

He told me his working day starts at 5 a.m. and he gets to bed at around midnight. That kind of industriousness is best matched by a business-friendly environment.

Much depends on the quality of the national leadership. It must be one that empowers every citizen and creates an enabling environment for personal and entrepreneurial growth.

It must be one that sees a potential for change and improvement even in the drug user.