The 2010 Presidential Agenda

In light of the current issues and scandals that is rocking the Executive Branch, it is not too early for us to tell the presidential aspirants what we want to see in their political platforms and what issues they should deal if they became the president of the country. As initiated by Janette Toral in her blog Reflective Thinking, here are the issues that presidentiables must seriously address with urgency if they sincerely want to be the initiator of change in our nation. 

Corruption and Public Accountability

 Corruption is the root of our many problems.

Many studies, both local and international researches, concluded that a bulk of public funds were lost to corruption, leaving most government projects as unfinished or substandard. Corruption is also the reason why there are little funds that actually goes to the education and health. There is also the problem of bribery, which is enjoyed, by the lowly government clerks and senators alike. The Philippines is also tagged by many international groups as one of the most corrupt nation in Asia and the world. 

The future president must address corruption seriously and have the political will to eliminate it. S/he should strengthen the Office of the Ombudsman and give it more independence to try erring public servants. To stamp out corruption, she must have the courage to wage war against corrupt local officials, congressmen, and senators and help the Commission on Audit to pry into pockets of such “public servants.” 

Rural Development

 Urban poverty and countryside unrest stemmed from the poverty experienced by the rural folks. The present system is still under the control of the landed gentries and the hacienderos who were mostly mayors, governors, and congressmen of their provinces. By this reason alone, many laws that will ease the poverty of rural folks were thwarted simply because these laws will hit the landlords. 

To resolve this, the future president should have a working plan in developing the rural areas. S/he must uphold the true essence of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. The future president should also deal with rebel groups through negotiation. Stamping out rebellion cannot be carried out by the military alone but should also be accompanied by improving the lives of the rural folks. 

Education

 Education should be the top priority of the government. Educating the public will give them the power to participate intelligently in the democratic process. I also believe that a growing economy needed an educated workforce. The future president must revolutionize the education sector. The public education system, its curriculum should be evaluated and improved. The problems of the teachers; the insufficiency of rooms, chairs and books should be addressed. The new education system that will be propounded should be nationalized and foster science and technology. 

Health

 Improvement of the public health service, educating the people on diseases, taking care of poor patients, and cheap but good quality medicines should be included in the political platforms of all the presidentiables. 

Environment and Natural Resources

 In the light of severe climatic phenomenon that is besetting the world, the future president should include the environment in his/her priorities. The president should drum the war against illegal miners, loggers and industries with longstanding issues of violating environmental laws. S/he should have a policy in curbing greenhouse emissions and in preserving the diverse flora and fauna of the country. 

Science and Technology

Development of a nation is directly proportional to the number of its scientists and local inventions. Thus, I believe that the next president should end the neglect on the local scientific community. We have many scientists and inventors that have world-class researches and inventions. Now is the time for us to harness the intelligence of Filipino scientists and engineers and decrease our dependency on foreign innovations and technologies.

  These are the concerns that presidential wannabes should prioritize. These issues cover a large ground that the whole term of the next president will never be enough to address them fully. The next president need not solve all the problems of the Republic. It is enough for him/her to nudge the nation on the right track. Our country does not need a messianic president, what we need is an initiator of change.

Read my new post on my blog Before the Eastern Sunset my post about Jesus’ resurection on Easter entitled NEWS FLASH: Jesus is Alive!. Also read my haiku Angel.