Funding our future

Gone are the salad days of the Republic, those blurry years of the 40s and 50s when our country was young, wild and free. It was then a nation that could afford to make mistakes because there was still time to rectify the blunders.

Today, we are almost out of time, inching closer to what may be considered the point of no return. If this were a game of football, for instance, we’re past halftime and yet we’re still lagging behind the opponent.

Argentina’s historic championship win in that heart-stopping 2022 FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar on Sunday showed that hard work, humility, leadership and a united team working for the greater good can bring home the championship.

In much the same way, TeamPhilippines needs to get its act together. We don‘t have all the time in the world.

If we are to reach our full potential, now and in the next six years, we must implement lasting reforms, significantly rid our system of corruption and move forward so that we are at par with the best in the world. Simply put, it can’t be business as usual.

I think of this now days after President Marcos signed the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the first full-year budget under the Marcos administration.

It was surprisingly swift, the fastest in history and for that, our Congress deserves credit. It is also a testament to President Marcos’ political capital and a signal of what else could be done if the executive and the legislative branches of government work together.

The P5.268-trillion National Budget for 2023 is the government’s comprehensive financial roadmap for sound public financial management focused on the right priorities while being guided by fiscal responsibility and accountability, says the budget department.

It was last Dec. 5 when the bicameral committee of both chambers of Congress approved the 2023 budget bill.

The 2023 GAA is 4.9 percent higher than this year’s budget.

“The rapidity of the passage is significant because it means that this budget – the roadmap that we have proposed to the Executive – is fully supported by our Legislature,” President Marcos said.

“It is always very important that the GAA has been put together in consonance with all of the plans of the Executive. And that kind of coordination, and that kind of synergy that we will gain from that is going to be an essential part of the way that we move forward,” he added.

Absorption capacity

The challenge now is for the government to ensure that the funds will benefit us, citizens of this nation of 110 million, especially those who have been hit hardest by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They include the farmers and fisherfolk, public transportation drivers, those who lost their jobs in the course of the past two years and overseas Filipinos who are back in the country because of the economic downturn in their host communities.

The list goes on and on.

This can only happen if one, the absorption capacity of government agencies improves. We need our agencies to be more efficient and to eliminate the bureaucratic cobwebs that delay disbursements to intended recipients.

Another if – and the more important if – is if unscrupulous individuals in government stop stealing taxpayers’ money. As I said before, there’s a special place in hell for people who steal from the sick, the needy and the poor.

Critical

The next six years, indeed, will be very critical for our country.

While the economic objectives outlined in the government’s Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) are laudable, the real test is how to get there – 6.5 to 7.5 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2022; up to 8 percent economic growth annually until 2028 and the attainment of upper-middle-income status for our countrymen.

There’s a lot of work to do for sure – from ensuring food security to improving transportation and social services.

Game over

Sadly, if we don’t act now, it will be game over for us and we may never see the best version of tomorrow for our country, at least not in our lifetime.

But if our leaders steer this country to progress with a sincere desire to see a better Philippines, I have no doubt in my mind that this Republic will become the great nation that it deserves to be.

If that happens, TeamPhilippines’ victory will linger far beyond the years for our children and our children’s children to savor, enjoy and, more importantly, build upon so that they too, can create a better future.

Now wouldn’t that be greater and more exciting than any game?

Constitution of the ocean

Early this month, the Philippines hosted the 12th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF) in Manila, gathering participants from ASEAN and its partners in a two-day discussion on a wide range of maritime issues, from maritime security to  environmental protection.

This is good news. The more important topic discussed is the implementation of the 1982 UNCLOS or The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, now on its 40th anniversary.

Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu of the DFA Office of ASEAN Affairs cited the AMF’s importance as a single venue to discuss cross-cutting maritime issues of common concern.

As Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said:

“It is often said that the UNCLOS is a constitution of the oceans. The heft of this description should not be lost on us, 40 years onward.”

Kudos to the DFA’s Office of ASEAN Affairs for putting the spotlight on these important issues.

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Email:[email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.