“Dreams set foundation for your life. You first dream about what you want to achieve in your life. Then you work on them to make it come true” – Deepak Rajpal
Early in my childhood, I dreamed of becoming an Engineer. Some people dream to become doctors, architects, builders, while others enter into business. Dreams inspire us to reach a goal, a vision, or something we aspire for. My dream to become an engineer is personal; and to accomplish this dream, I prepared hard, and focused on my dream. Eventually, I finished an Engineering degree, and here I am.
I was fortunate to work with a good friend Atty. Alex Lacson who is the author and founder of Kabayanihan Foundation. Our group believed in the power of small steps and the importance of building Our Dream Philippines; and how and why Filipinos should be encouraged to dream big, not only for themselves and their families, but also for our country. I believe that if we dream to succeed personally, we also need to dream together, as Filipinos, to build a better Philippines.
Duterte Vision
When President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (PRRD) became President in 2016, he shared his dream and vision for the Philippines – “a comfortable life for all Filipinos.” Providing a comfortable life is not an easy task for any country especially in a developing country like ours. However, let us take a look at what has been done by the Duterte Administration since 2016, from the war against drugs, crime and corruption, to the legislations on free health care and education, and to the Build Build Build programs.
Landmark legislations have already been passed into law and are now providing comfort for the Filipinos. These include, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, Increase in Base Pay of Military and Uniformed Personnel in the Government, Universal Health Care, and Malasakit Centers.
Legislation related to building a comfortable life is easier to implement and act upon unlike infrastructure projects, such as Build Build Build projects, which are complicated, that needs a lot of approval across different government agencies, and take years to implement. However, with plans and implementation from past administrations, several infrastructure have been completed thus far, such as the P2.2 billion Urdaneta City By-pass Road, TPLEX-Luzon Spine Expressway Network, NLEX Harbor Link and extension, Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, Clark International Airport Expansion Project Phase 1, LRT 2 East Extension (Metro Manila to Rizal), MRT-3 Rehab, among others.
Difficult as it may seem, the completion of other Build Build Build projects are within reach. Some of the projects to be completed from 2022 – 2028 include the PNR NSCR Project; LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project; MRT Line 7; Unified Common Station; Mega Manila Subway; Mindanao Rail Tagum Digos Segment; and PNR South Long Haul. These are some of the projects planned before and during President Duterte’s Administration that we look forward to be continued by the next Administration.
Need for Continuity
In my opinion, 6 years is too short for a good president, and the continuity of leadership is important in the implementation of plans and programs. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) today will not be the modern and prosperous UAE, if the foundations laid out by its founding father, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has not been sustained by his son, the current president of UAE and Emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who assumed as successor since 2004.
History will likewise show some critical projects which could have been beneficial for the Filipinos that were discontinued due to difference of vision or dream for our country. To name a few, projects such as the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and the Paranaque Spillway Project of President Marcos scrapped and deferred by the Cory Administration; Clark Expo (formerly Expo Pilipino) of President Ramos scrapped by President Estrada; and the Laguna Lake Rehabilitation Project and the Makati subway loop, Arroyo projects shelved during President Noynoy Aquino’s administration. These projects were well studied, and could have done a lot to improve the quality and life of the Filipinos. However, because of difference in leadership, this is what happens if there is no continuity of leadership. Projects which could be beneficial to the “comfortable life for the Filipinos” will and “might” be discontinued. Thus, continuity is important; it will provide fewer constraints, more flexibility, and coordination across administrations.
An example of continuity of leadership is Davao City. As the President of the Philippine Councilors League, who has served both under PRRD and City Mayor Inday Sara (CMI), Councilor Danny Dayanghirang has said, the dream of a progressive Davao is both shared by Mayor Digong and CMI.
Dr. Paul Chua is an advocate of continuous learning both local and foreign. He finished “Essentials of Policy Development” at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; “Strategic Management of Regulatory and Enforcement Agencies” at the Harvard Kennedy School; and “Leadership and Management for Integrity” at the Central European University.
Originally published by The Manila Times on September 9, 2021.
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