Lacking in President Marcos’ leadership is…..

Last Monday, I was invited to speak before the stakeholders of the Stratbase ADR Institute to talk about key opportunities for government reform. In other words, aspects of governance that the Marcos leadership should give attention to.

I contemplated many themes as I prepared my presentation. I started making outlines about our much needed manufacturing resurgence and even monetary policies to tame inflation. I then realized that all this is moot since what is lacking truly is something far more fundamental – a national vision.

Visionary leadership is the ability to see beyond present circumstance to find opportunities in the world of tomorrow. It involves stating clear goals, outlining strategic plans and empowering both the public and private sectors to take action. That said, having the best Cabinet means nothing without a vision, a well-defined path forward and benchmarks for success.

Why is having a national vision important? There are at least 12 reasons.

A national vision aligns the executive and legislative branches towards a common goal. It avoids waste in the use of government resources. It is key in bridging the gap between long- and short-term strategies. It encourages the executive and legislative branches to commit to a common reform agenda. It encourages persistence and flexibility among policy makers. It encourages innovation, creativity and collaboration in the bureaucracy.

It fosters closer collaboration between government and the private sector. It inspires the private sector to invest in enterprises that are aligned with the national vision. It serves as a declaration of intent, which is taken to account by analysts, credit rating agencies, lenders and multilateral institutions. It encourages reverse immigration (a brain gain). It provides guidance to the youth as they deliberate career paths. It positively impacts national morale.

Has President Marcos alluded to a national vision? So far, we’ve heard many aspirations from him. Among them is to achieve national unity, to revive agriculture, to achieve food security, to be a center of manufacturing and exports, to be a leader in the blue & green economy and to be a regional logistics hub for Asia Pacific.

But here’s the problem – when too many aspirations are set forth, it is equivalent to setting no aspiration at all. As famed writer Julia Eizmendi wrote, “One’s arrow is rendered useless when there are too many targets to hit.”

One may argue that government’s 8-point socio economic agenda provides the national vision. I am quite familiar with the 8-point agenda, having written several pieces on it in the past. The agenda basically speaks about protecting the purchasing power of the peso (price controls); mitigating socioeconomic scarring; reducing vulnerabilities from COVID; ensuring sound economic fundamentals; creating high quality jobs; upholding public order and ensuring a level playing field for the private sector. None of these allude to a national vision.

One may also argue that AmBisyon Natin 2040, a statement of intent written by NEDA at the end of president Noynoy Aquino’s term, still holds true today. If so, President Marcos must declare it as such. If memory serves, the President has never referenced AmBisyon Natin in any of his speeches.

Famed historian EA Meng Ty said, “A country without a vision is a country adrift. It leaves good fortune to fate. In the end, the best it can hope for is the status quo.”

Philosopher Rod Cornelius wrote, “A man without a vision is a man with no direction” … “This is a man who merely reacts to circumstances, not create the conditions that favor him.”

Stockholm-based Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance said, “Countries that succeeded over time have invested in developing long-term visions and created institutions to translate them to reality.”

A national vision is loosely based on four elements. A leader’s assessment of social challenges and opportunities, an assessment of economic challenges and opportunities, an assessment of future trends and an inventory of skills.

Among our social challenges are high poverty rates, poor nutrition, perilously low educational standards, low work productivity (versus East Asian standards) and a deficit in advanced skills. However, this is offset by a plentiful workforce, a young and trainable population and competitive wages.

In terms of the economy, our challenges include an under-performing manufacturing sector, an under-performing agricultural sector (both lead to import dependence), an ever widening budget deficit, high levels of public debt, high cost of doing business, (un)ease in doing business and fragmented supply chains.

But there are factors working to the economy’s favor. Among them is a more hospitable investment climate, thanks to the amendment of PSA, FIA and RTLA. A more equitable tax regime. Rich marine and mineral resources and superior bilateral policy environment given our multiple free trade treaties and preferential export tariff agreements.

As for future trends, the future will be governed by artificial intelligence; renewable energy; electric and self driving vehicles; domestic robots; virtual, augmented and merged reality; nanotechnology; internet of senses (taste, smell, touch, sight & sound); “sense-sational” services; brain-computer interface; a biotech revolution and a fintech revolution.

In which future trend should the Philippines position itself to excel in? That would depend on our inventory of skills. Unfortunately, due to low educational standards, I cannot say that our youth are ready to be in the forefront of any of the future trends. But it is not too late. As I have cited in in this corner in past columns, countries like Ireland and Israel have succeeded to become technology and software powerhouses, respectively, on the back of radical educational reform achieved in as short as 20 years. It can be done.

So what should our national vision be? That is for President Marcos to decide. One thing is for sure – leadership without a vision is like a plane in flight with no destination.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aj_masigan