A lot of older people (and I am too) always claim they are only too glad to be wrong and not right because of the dire consequences or tragic results if they are proved right in their assertions. But in this article and the many to follow it through—I will be too damned glad to be right—against thick and thin disbeliefs, criticisms, guffaws, and whatever as I choose to wrestle with incredulity to write what will not happen, WILL HAPPEN or something like it anyway in the Philippines in the year 2030.
By 2030 the country would have undergone four national parliamentary elections held every four years simultaneously with the twelve regional parliaments; massive no nonsense nation building have involved the 100 million citizenry from the Barangays to towns, cities and provinces under regional governance. Each region is developing strength like a country by itself. The world led by the United Nations, WB, the IMF, the EEC, the NATO are all increasing their support in this novel cosmic experiment in human rehabilitation and draconian socio-cultural transformation.
The Filipino diasporas in every nook and corner of the globe are giving more than all out support to this unexpected and unparalleled experiment. This is the resurgence of the interrupted, patented Filipino People’s Bloodless Revolt in EDSA in 1986 . From 1986 to 2030 is 44 years. It’s a long wait for this CHANGE to happen. If 2030 will not happen as written here, then condolence and sympathy from the rest of the world may be the unintended expected.
FAST FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2030: The nation’s political will having hurdled the insurmountable financial impossibility of mind boggling large scale financial outlays for the required social and physical infrastructure and after the new political leaders courageously accepted to start from almost nothing while avoiding extravagant and ostentatious governance, successful governance has gained a foothold and continue to dominate the fabric of the Philippine Society.
The head of State a non politician outstanding citizen president appointed by the Prime Minister with concurrence of the National Parliament is serving the last year of his six-year term. POLITICAL decentralization and devolution is gaining strength in lagging regions
Government departments and appropriate government corporations and instrumentalities had been broken up and dispersed to the regions; lawmaking and the judiciary had been devolved to the regions as regional parliaments and regional supreme courts
Kings of corruption in the three branches of government had passed on or been put away in glamorized jails; large regional penitentiaries had been established; an island in the Spratlys had been made a prison for illegal drugs and corruption, and heinous crimes convicts; there was no need for capital punishment only life imprisonment for such crimes;
The horsemen of the four cultural apocalypse of impunity, corruption, lawlessness, and poverty are all on the ground with their horses ready to be put down.
The Armed Forces: Army, Navy. Air Force, Coast Guard had been assigned to the Regions to develop strength like a country in itself
Disaster Management and Control and Relief Operational Capability had been regionalized.
The constitutional offices like COA, CSC, COMELEC, retains central supervision and control but field offices were devolved to regional governments;
Three times Prime Minister Benigno Simeon Aquino III has retired.
The PNOY model of Executive Administration combining lawmaking and development administration assisted by a supportive judiciary has gained recognition from ASEAN. The constitutional tripartite equal powers of the three branches to govern and loot the treasury and natural resources are waters under the bridge.
There was a marked DECREASED of elected Parliament members (both national and regional) coming from the ranks of lawyers and movie actors; there was INCREASED membership from educators, young businessmen, doctors, engineers, accountants, and other professionals ; Governance had aimed for no national statesman or political heroes, or handsome or sexy celebrities.
Known political family dynasties are mostly recent history losing elections consistently; vote buying had been severely punished for ward leaders and candidates; extreme limitations on campaign contribution and spending had been enforced; Massive decentralization in the COMELEC led to the dismissal of corrupt personnel;
There was a rebirth in the moral fabric of the members of the two ancient political parties: The Liberal and the Nationalista Parties. All the opportunist political parties and the party lists politicians are just becoming memories.
The regional governments run by regional premiers are making waves in most aspects of human and political development as volunteerism and civic mindedness had demonstrated unexpected resurgence which to a large extent had dampened the activities of NGOs established by charlatans to provide themselves with employment and cash cows.
The national budget in Trillions of Pesos has been broken down into billions and sent to the regional treasuries.
Regional Government budgets are resource seeking assisted by strengthened decentralized Regional Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs.
Regions had been encouraged and empowered to strike on their own strength and resources like little countries competing with the other regions in uplifting the human condition.
Out of humility perhaps, NOSTRADAMUS did not exclaim: “Who says history is only a written record of the past?” So he wrote some historic elements of the future and got it right in some parts.
REWIND TO 2015, the PRESENT
By 2030 some politicians in the news today may already be retired or just out of the scene. J.P. Enrile will be 106; J. erap Estrada 93; J.C. Binay, 88; Mirriam Santiago, like Rodrigo Duterte will both be 85; G.M. Arroyo, 83; Panfilo Lacson, will be 82.
After fifteen years the young leaders in 2015 may likely have already assumed the mantle of mature parliamentary leadership in the national scene or the many regional governments. If still alive and active like vintage wine in 2030 they are: Antonio Trillanes IV, 59; Alan Peter Cayetano, 60; Grace Poe, 62; Koko Pimentel III, 66; Leni Robredo, 69; Kim Henares, 70; Noynoy Aquino III, also 70; L D Lima and T. Guingona both 71; lastly the old man of group Mar Roxas at 73. Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas could be the stirling figures straddling two decades as Prime Ministers and later appointed as Presidents, the ceremonial Heads of State.
State governance by twelve regions in 2030 speaks of an exciting public administration by mostly young politicians, home grown, move by goals and objectives driven politics. The Prime Minister’s Cabinet and the Regional Premiers’ Cabinet will have adopted a sci-tech based approach to kinky problems caused by force majeure and disease epidemics.
The departments instead of following traditional multi-disciplinary, division of labor, specialization oriented solutions like : you announced the typhoons, I take care of rescue operations, you take care of relief and relocation, he takes care of the flooding, you provide medical services, blah, blah, blah. This is strengthened by a proactive INTERDISCIPLINARY cabinet strategies synthesized by technical specialists in the PM and Premiers’ offices.
It should be interesting to paint este write on the forest and the landscape of the parliamentary system that’s anathema to the Filipino articulate critical mass but could well be beneficial to the larger clueless masses. Next time, May be. ****