My Friends, were it not for Senator Richard Gordon’s diverse experience in general and his experience as an executive in particular, I would very likely cast my vote for Manny Villar. Executive experience is often taken for granted, but is perhaps the most significant quality for the highest executive office in RP. In general, the function of an executive is to execute or enforce rules, policies, or laws. This involves managing people or institutions. Thus, the executive function can be and often is performed by a business manager, a military general, or a mayor. Even a Senate Committee chairman manages a committee of senators, so it is technically an executive function, although under the legislative branch. Specifically, the functions of the President are to be Chief of State and Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines and since he must manage twenty departments, the importance of executive experience could not be stressed enough. By contrast, the primary function of the legislative branch is to form a framework by which rules, policies, or laws are made for the executive to carry out. The legislative function is performed by a board director, architect, wedding planner, designer, or senator.
Upon pondering this simple example, one should clearly grasp the importance of the executive function and its application to electing the President. Consider a situation wherein you must choose a personal driver to transport you and your family or friends to any desired destination. If nothing else were an issue other than expertise and experience, in order to get the most value for your money, which of the following drivers would you hire for a long-term contract? A) a scooter driver. B) a jeepney driver. C) a bus driver. D) a bus driver who knows how to draw blue prints for buses. E) a bus driver and commercial airplane pilot and Harvard graduate, who also knows how to draw blue prints for buses. F) a 47-year Red Cross volunteer who can drive all of the above vehicles (except an airplane) with equal knowledge, skills, and experience as any of the above drivers (except the pilot) with additional experience in driving on slippery roads and storms.
Someone who is keen on the possibility of their changing circumstances would very likely hire Driver F, the driver who can drive all vehicles, since he would be getting more value for the same price. Although it may seem that Driver E would be able to drive smaller vehicles easily (thus making the need for Driver A obsolete), it may actually be more difficult for someone, lacking experience, to drive a scooter. This is due to the need for balancing skills and the small size and light weight of the scooter, which gives it more flexibility to maneuver easily within spatially limited areas and rugged terrain—a limit for the bus, airplane, and their drivers.
Also, the fact that Driver F can drive a jeepney gives this particular driver a unique skill, because a jeepney driver is a multi-tasker. While driving, he takes money from the passengers, counts the change, and delivers it to their rightful owner all with a single hand, even in the midst of bumper to bumper traffic and near accidental encounters with pedestrians who often run in the middle of a congested street to catch another jeepney. Additionally, his experience and skills in driving on slippery roads would enable him to maneuver a vehicle over a road with oil spills or anything making it slick. Driver D’s and Driver E’s knowledge and skills in making a blue print or putting a bus design on paper or piloting an aircraft would be completely useless, since a daily driver is needed, not a bus designer or daily pilot.
Now, let’s translate the hypothetical situation of hiring a driver to electing a president, bearing in mind that these are only general approximations that should not be taken literally. The different vehicles represent different levels (local, national) of governance and the different social sectors (public, business, civic) of an executive. It is notable that experience in local governance is essential, since it would give the President a more accurate view on the limits and capabilities of the provinces and cities on which to base policy decisions concerning resource production and distribution. Thus, an executive with only national level experience may underestimate or overestimate the effects of national policy on the local level due to his or her unrealistic goals or miscalculations.
Noynoy Aquino’s experience and expertise is confined to the legislative branch as a Senator with only minimal executive experience as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government and vice-chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Since he only has national level experience (symbolized by the bus) and is a law maker (symbolized by the blue print drawer), he would be represented by Driver D. However, Manny Villar’s executive experience is greater and more diverse, since it includes more Senate Committee chairmanships (Finance, Foreign Relations, Public Order, and Agriculture and Fisheries) and the business sector, as owner/manager of a home building business. Like Aquino, he is represented by Driver D.
Likewise, Gibo Teodoro has also served in Congress, but only as a House Representative (symbolized by the bus designer, since he is a lawmaker on the national level). The only distinctive, executive experience he has was when Teodoro was Colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve and Secretary of the Department of National Defense (represented by Driver D). However, since he is an actual commercial pilot, I have designated him as Driver E.
On the other hand, Richard Gordon is represented by Driver F, since he has the most diverse, executive experience (in the public, business, and civic sectors) on all levels of governance (local and national). On the national level (Driver C, the bus driver) of the public sector, Gordon held various chairmanships as Tourism Secretary (Philippine Tourism Authority, Philippine Convention & Visitors Corporation, Intramuros Administration, National Parks Development Committee, Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving) and various Senate Committee chairmanships (Blue Ribbon, Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws, Tourism, Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, Foreign Policy). On the lower levels of governance, Gordon’s positions as Olongapo mayor and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman are represented by Driver A (the scooter driver) and Driver B (the jeepney driver). Like the jeepney driver, he is a multi-tasker, since he has and still holds positions in both the public and civic sectors simultaneously as a member of the Governing Board of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Federation, chairman and CEO of the Philippine National Red Cross, and senator.
The different vehicles (in no particular order) also represent different social sectors (public, business, civic) in which Gordon has played an active role. I already indicated his public positions above as mayor, cabinet secretary, and senator. In the business sector, he was a manager for Procter and Gamble and Kong Commercial Philippines, Inc. In the civic sector, aside from being a Red Cross volunteer for 47 years, he was a commissioner for East Asia and the Pacific World Tourism Organization and held chairmanships in the Pacific Asia Travel Association and Boys Scouts of the Philippines.
Experience in driving in storms and slippery roads reflects the overwhelming odds stacked against Gordon to prevent him from overcoming great challenges to reach his goals. For example, he (as SBMA chairman) inspired thousands of volunteers to convert Subic Bay into an economic trade zone from a heap of ash caused by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo after the American naval bases were recalled and thousands of jobs lost as a result. This conversion attracted hundreds of companies, which created nearly 100,000 jobs and was so successful that several world leaders, including President Clinton, impressively boasted about it as a model for economic development. Also, as Tourism Secretary, his social and managerial skills increased the number of tourists to 2 million up from 1 million in a single year, thereby creating even more jobs, although there were terrorist threats, civil war in Mindanao, coup attempts, and SARS.
As Red Cross chairman, and having traveled and provided his services throughout all of RP, Gordon knows exactly what preventive and safety measures need to be taken against man-made and natural disasters. He also knows precisely what resources and in what quantity need to be distributed to each disaster area, expertise which is indispensable for a country prone to such disasters.
My Friends, applying the same basic criteria from the “driver” model to selecting a President clearly shows Gordon to be the more qualified candidate based on experience and expertise alone. Although this work focuses on executive experience as the primary defense for Gordon, issues of credibility and trustworthiness are addressed with a debate between a Noynoy supporter and I in my previous blog here.
Furthermore, there is still time to reconsider your choice, if you have not yet selected Gordon. There is no shame or blame for rational, sensible voters to innocently make choices based on misinformation or lack of accurate information, but there is definitely shame and blame for those who knowingly continue to make unwise decisions—which will affect the entire country, despite their awareness of the facts.
My Friends, I plead with you to be one of those whose vote is the reason our kababayans will be proud to be kababayan. Ultimately your vote will be a choice between mediocrity and excellence, between popularity and merit, between knowledge attained from the school of academia and wisdom attained from the school of hard knocks, between hopeful promises and proven success, between economic recovery and First World status, and between a designing bus driver and a multi-skilled jeepney driver. In conclusion, let us all choose Richard Gordon, as our country‘s driver, who will direct and pull RP out of the pit of the financial crisis, back on to the road to prosperity, and ultimately, to First World status.
Aim High Pilipinas!
(Modified on December 17, 2015 for WordPress.)
Sa Mga ISKUTER, DYIPNI, BUS, at ERUPLANO:
Isang Simpleng Kaso Laban Kina Gibo Teodoro, Nonoy Aquino, at Manny Villar Bilang Presidente sa 2010
April 6, 2010 at 2:24pm
Ni Marcial Bonifacio
Isinalin ni Din Laviste
Mga Kaibigan at Kababayan Ko, kung hindi pa lang sa malawak na karanasan ni Richard Gordon sa panlahat, at ang kanyang karanasan bilang ehekutibo (executive) sa partikular, si Manny Villar ang bobotohin ko. Ang karanasan bilang ehekutibo ay madalas na binabale wala, ngunit marahil iyon ang pinakamahalagang kalidad para sa pinakamataas na opisina ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Sa panlahat, ang trabaho ng isang ehekutibo ay ang pagpapaganap at pagpapatupad ng mga patakaran at batas, kasama ang pamamahala ng mga tao at institusyon. Sa gayon, ang trabahong ehekutibo ay maari, at madalas na ginagawa ng isang tagapamahala ng negosyo, heneral ng militar, o mayor. Kahit ang isang chairman ng Senate Committee ay namamahala ng komite ng mga senador kaya maari itong mapabilang sa ehekutibo, kahit nasa ilalim ng sangay ng lehislatibo (legislative). Mga tiyak na tungkulin ng Presidente ang pagiging Chief of State at Commander-in-Chief ng Armed Forces of the Philipines. Dahil kasama dito ang pamamahala ng dalawampung kagawaran, ang kahalagahan ng karanasan bilang ehekutibo ay higit na malinaw. Sa kabilang dako, ang pangunahing tungkulin ng lehislatibo na sangay ay ang maghulma ng istruktura na kung saan mga patakaran at batas ay ginagawa para ipatupad ng ehekutibo. Ang tungkulin bilang lehislatibo ay ipinamamalas ng isang board director, arkitekto, tagaplano ng mga kasal, tagadisenyo, o senador.
Kung iisipin ang halimbawang ito, dapat maintindihan ang tungkulin bilang ehekutibo at ang kahalagahan nito sa pagpili ng Presidente. Isipin ang sitwasyong kailangang pumili ng sariling drayber na magdadala sa iyo, pamilya mo at mga kaibigan sa kahit anong destinasyon. Kung lahat ay pareho maliban sa kadalubhasaan at karanasan, upang mapakinabangan nang lubos ang halaga ng pera, alin sa mga drayber ang kukunin mo sa isang mahabang kontrata? A) drayber ng iskuter. B) drayber ng dyipni. C) drayber ng bus. D) isang drayber ng bus na marunong gumuhit ng mga blue print ng bus. E) isang drayber nq bus at pangkomersyal na piloto ng eruplano na nagtapos sa Harvard, at marunong din gumuhit ng mga blueprint ng bus. F) isang 47 taong gulang na Red Cross volunteer at drayber na kayang imaneho ang lahat ng mga sasakyang ito (maliban sa eruplano), nang may pantay na kaalaman, kakayahan at karanasan sa mga nabanggit (hindi kasali ang piloto), at may dagdag na kaalaman sa pagmaneho sa mga madudulas na daan at bagyo.
Sa mga matalim na nakakakita sa posibilidad ng pabago-bagong kalagayan ay siguradong pipiliin ang Drayber F, ang kayang imaneho ang lahat ng mga sasakyan. Kahit na ang Drayber E ay tila mas madaling makamamaneho ng mas maliliit na sasakyan (kaya ang Drayber A ay magiging lipas), mas mahirap sa isang walang karanasan ang magmaneho ng iskuter. Ito ay dahil sa pangangailangan ng kasanayan sa pagbabalanse at sa liit at bigat ng iskuter, mas madali itong dalhin sa mga masisikip at mababatong lugar—isang limitasyon ng bus, eruplano, pati ng drayber nito.
Dahil ang Drayber F ay kayang imaneho ang dyipni, katangi-tangi ito sapagkat ang nagmamaneho nito ay isang multi-tasker. Habang nagmamaneho, tumatanggap siya ng bayad sa mga pasahero, binibilang ito, at ibinbalik ang sukli sa may-ari gamit lamang ang isang kamay, kahit sa gitna ng halos dikit-dikit na trapiko, o kamuntikang aksidente sa mga biglaang tumatawid sa daan para pumara ng ibang dyipni. Bukod dito, ang kanyang karanasan at kasanayan sa madudulas na daan ay makakatulong sa pagmamaneho sa mga oil spills o kahit anong tulad nito. Ang kaalaman ng Drayber D at Drayber E sa paggawa ng blue print o pagdisenyo ng bus sa papel ay hindi magagamit, dahil drayber ang kailangan at hindi designer o piloto.
Ngayon, isalin natin ang hypothetical na sitwasyon sa pagpili ng drayber sa pagpili ng presidente, habang isinasaisip na ito ay sa panlahat lamang, at hindi dapat literal ang pagintindi. Ang mga sasakyan kumakatawan sa iba’t ibang antas (lokal at nasyonal) ng gobyerno at iba’t ibang sosyal na sektor (pampubliko, pangnegosyo, pansibiko) ng ehekutibo. Mapapansin na ang karanasan sa lokal na gobyerno ay kailangan, dahil magbibigay ito sa Presidente ng wastong pananaw sa limitasyon at kapabilidad ng mga probinsya at mga lungsod, na gagamiting batayan sa mga desisyon sa produksiyon at distribusyon ng mga resources. Datapwat, ang ehekutibo, na hanggang nasyonal lamang ang karanasan, ay maaring hindi matantiya nang tama ang epekto ng mga nasyonal na patakaran sa lokal na antas dahil sa miskalkulasyon.
Ang kadalubhasaan at karanasan ni Noynoy Aquino ay nakakulong lamang sa lehislatibong sangay bilang senador, na may kakaunting ehekutibong karanasan sa pagiging chairman niya sa Senate Committee on Local Government at vice-chairman ng Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Dahil ang karanasan niya ay nasa nasyonal na antas lamang (nirerepresenta ng bus) at tagagawa ng batas (nirerepresenta ng tagaguhit ng blue print), maihahantulad siya sa Drayber D. Ngunit si Manny Villar ay mas malawak ang karanasan bilang ehekutibo, dahil kasali dito ang mas maraming chairmanships ng Senate Committee (Finance, Foreign Relations, Public Order, and Agriculture and Fisheries) at sa antas na pangnegosyo, bilang tagapamahala at may-ari ng negosyong konstruksiyon ng mga bahay. Tulad ni Noynoy, kinakatawan siya ng Drayber D.
Gayon din kay Gibo Teodoro na nanilbihan sa Kongreso, ngunit bilang isang House Representative ( sinisimbulo ng designer ng bus dahil tagagawa siya ng batas sa nasyonal na antas). Ang katangi-tangi na karanasan niya ay noong siya ay Colonel ng Philippine Air Force Reserve at Secretary ng Department of National Defense (nirerepresenta ng Drayber D). Ngunit, dahil siya ay isang aktwal na pangkomersyal na piloto, siya ay maitatalaga bilang Drayber E.
Sa kabilang dako, si Richard Gordon ay kinakatawan ng Drayber F, dahil siya ang may pinakamalawak na karanasan bilang ehekutibo (sa pampubliko, pangnegosyo, at pansibiko na sektor) at sa lahat ng antas ng gobyerno (local at nasyonal). Sa nasyonal na antas (Drayber C, ang drayber ng bus) ng pampublikong sektor, humawak si Gordon ng iba’t ibang chairmanships bilang Tourism Secretary (Philippine Tourism Authority, Philippine Convention & Visitors Corporation, Intramuros Administration, National Parks Development Committee, Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving) at iba’t ibang chairmanships sa Senate Committee (Blue Ribbon, Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws, Tourism, Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, Foreign Policy). Sa mga mas mababang antas ng gobyerno, ang posisyon niya bilang mayor ng Olongapo at chairman ng Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority ay kinakatawan ng Drayber A (ang drayber ng iskuter) at Drayber B (ang drayber ng dyipni). Tulad ng drayber ng dyipni, multi-tasker siya, dahil hanggang ngayon, mayroon siyang mga posisyon sa pampubliko at pansibikong sektor na hinahawakan niya kasabay ng pagiging miyembro ng Governing Board of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Federation at chairman at CEO ng Philippine National Red Cross at senador.
Ang iba’t ibang sasakyan (sa walang tiyak na ayos) ay kumakatawan ng iba’t ibang sosyal na sektor (pampubliko, pangnegosyo at pansibiko) na kung saan si Gordon ay may aktibong posisyon. Nabanggit ko na ang kanyang mga pampublikong posisyon bilang mayor, cabinet secretary at senador. Sa pangnegosyong sektor, naging tagapamahala siya para sa Procter and Gamble at Kong Commercial Philippines, Inc. Sa pansibikong sektor, bukod sa pagiging Red Cross volunteer ng 47 na taon, naging commissioner siya para sa East Asia and the Pacific World Tourism Organization at humawak ng mga chairmanships sa Pacific Asia Travel Association at Boys Scouts of the Philippines.
Ang karanasan sa pagmamaneho sa mga madudulas daan at bagyo nagpapahiwatig ng mga di maiiwasang pangyayari na susubok kay Gordon na di makamit ang kanyang mga layunin. Halimbawa, (bilang SBMA chairman) nabigyang inspirasyon niya ang libu-libong volunteers na baguhin ang Subic Bay na maging economic trade zone mula sa abo ng pagputok ng Mt. Pinatubo, matapos na tinanggal ang mga American naval base at libu-libo ang nawalan ng trabaho bilang resulta. Ang pagbabagong ito na nakaakit ng daan-daang kumpanya, na nakagawa ng mahigit 100,000 na trabaho, at higit itong matagumpay na iilang mga lider sa ibang bansa, kasama si President Clinton, ipinagmalaki ito bilang modelo ng ekonomikong pagsulong. Bukod dito, bilang Tourism Secretary, ang kanyang kakayahang sosyal at pamamahala ay dumulot ng pagtaas ng bilang ng mga turista hanggang 2 milyon mula sa 1 milyon sa isang taon, na nakadagdag sa mga trabaho, kahit na may mga pananakot ng mga terorista, sibil na digmaan sa Mindanao, mga coup attempt, at sakit na SARS.
Bilang chairman ng Red Cross at sa pagbibiyahe at pagbibigay serbisyo nya sa buong Pilipinas, alam ni Gordon kung ano ang mga panukalang makakatulong na makaiwas at makaligtas mula sa mga kalamidad na gawa ng tao at mga natural na kalamidad. Tiyak na nakakaalam din siya kung anong mga kailangan at dami ng mga resource na ipamimigay sa lugar ng kalamidad, isang kadalubhasaang higit na kailangan sa isang bansang madalas na dinadaanan nito.
Mga Kaibigan Ko, ang paggamit ng parehong pamantayan mula sa “drayber” na modelo sa pagpili ng Presidente ay nagpapakita na si Gordon ang kandidatong mas may kwalipikasyon batay sa kadalubhasaan at karanasan. Kahit ang obrang ito ay nakasentro sa karanasang ehekutibo bilang pangunahing depensa para kay Gordon, ang mga isyu ukol sa credibilidad at pagtitiwala ay kasama sa isang debate sa pagitan ng isang tagataguyod ni Noynoy at ako sa blog na ito.
Dagdag dito, hindi pa huli para baguhin ang desisyon, kung hindi mo pa pinipili si Gordon. Walang nakakahiya o may sala sa rasyonal na mga mamboboto na gumagawa ng desisyon dahil sa maling impormasyon, ngunit mayroong siguradong hiya at sala sa mga nakakaalam ngunit patuloy na gumagawa ng maling desisyon na makaaapekto ng buong bansa.
Mga Kaibigan Ko, nakikiusap ako na maging isa sa mga kababayang ang boto ang magiging dahilan na maipagmamalaki ang pagiging kababayan. Siguradong boto mo ay sa pagitan ng karaniwan at mahusay, sa pagitan ng popularidad at kalamangan, sa pagitan ng kaalamang mula sa libro at kaalamang praktikal, sa pagitan ng inaasahang pangako at napatunayang tagumpay, sa pagitan ng economikong paggaling at First World na katayuan, at sa pagitan ng drayber ng bus na nagdidisenyo at ng drayber ng dyipni na may malawak at iba’t ibang kasanayan. Ang konklusyon, piliin natin si Richard Gordon bilang drayber ng ating bansa, na gagabay sa Pilipinas palabas ng bangin ng pinansyal na krisis, patungo sa daan ng kaginhawaan at sa huli, makamtan ang First World na katayuan.
Aim high Pilipinas!
(Modified on December 17, 2015 for WordPress.)
