A report card on President Duterte’s year in power

It is welcome news that the national government already has a master plan to quickly rebuild war-ravaged Marawi City, vowing not to repeat the horrible mistakes of the typhoon Yolanda rehabilitation.

Beyond the reconstruction of Marawi City, as a symbol of a better economic future for Mindanao, I urge President Rody Duterte’s administration to also come up with a comprehensive and strategic master plan on how to repair the battered international image of the Philippines — as well as that of our fast-growing economy — due to the Marawi conflict and media criticism of the alleged extrajudicial killings in the war on illegal drugs.  

Various foreign and local media have interviewed me about the economic and political situation in the Philippines during the past year of Duterte’s presidency, including De La Salle University, which recently invited me to speak on the geopolitics and diplomacy of the Duterte government at an academic forum on ASEAN and the South China Sea, co-sponsored by the Japanese Embassy.

Based on my informal interviews of diverse businesspeople, from the CBD of Makati to the factories of Kalookan City, here are some general assessments of President Duterte’s first year in power:

1.   Political stability — Most business executives are unanimous that the Duterte administration has achieved very strong political stability with consistent high popularity or approval ratings with the populace, and almost unprecedented control of both chambers of the legislature from the Senate to the House of Representatives. There is general political stability even amid media and political criticism, which are part of Philippine democracy. Businesspeople see no possibilities of any impeachment, EDSA uprising or military coup like those that bedeviled past governments.

Despite rumors about the president’s health during his recent absences, it is not a source of instability since the President reminded the public that the Philippines has a long-established constitutional succession process that’s clear and well-defined.

2.   Economic development — Various banking and economic experts here and abroad are unanimous in saying that the fast momentum of Philippine economic growth has continued and will even accelerate in the coming years, with the Duterte administration’s capable economic managers deepening reforms and upholding market-oriented policies.

The independent foreign policy reform’s success in winning over the world’s biggest consumer market, China, and energy superpower Russia are expected to further boost Philippine economic growth “in a massive way” as never before, especially in terms of an expected tourism boom, rapid increase in foreign direct investments, higher official development assistance, more loans, expanded trade, etc.

3.  Peace and order — Unlike lawyers, politicos or human rights activists here or abroad who complain about the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) as an unacceptable shortcut to curbing the epidemic of illegal drugs and crime, many businesspeople from diverse backgrounds and demographics are almost unanimous in their strong approval of President Duterte’s draconian approach to fight illegal drugs and crime.

A young Malati executive even told me: “Duterte’s iron-fisted methods might seem shocking or too controversial, but those are looked upon by many of us as similar to the necessary bitter pills or painful major surgical operations needed to decisively save the whole Philippine society from life-threatening maladies or cancer, like illegal drugs.”

4.   Foreign policy — One of the surprising solid accomplishments of President Duterte in only one year was his upholding the Philippine Constitution’s specific enunciation of our need to pursue an “independent foreign policy” subservient to and beholden to no foreign country. Duterte has decisively normalized Philippine diplomatic relations with China and Russia, both respectively viewed as economic and strategic archrivals of our former colonizer and traditional ally, the United States, but the Philippines is viewed as “becoming like any normal Asian or ASEAN country, which is equidistant friend and trading partner of all these big powers, not involved in their own rivalries.”

Not only has the Philippines become a friend and ally of all the world’s big powers — the US, China and Russia — but Duterte’s past public rebuke of then-outgoing American President Barack Obama, who criticized him for alleged human rights violations, also made Duterte a friend of newly elected US President Donald Trump.

Under Duterte’s nationalist, pro-Philippine and pragmatic independent foreign policy reform, the Philippines and America can now proceed to build better, long-lasting and stable bilateral ties more and more as co-equal sovereign countries. 

5.  Reforms — Many businessmen welcome the start of reforms, from the “No smoking” and “No fireworks” orders to the expected tax reforms now in Congress, but many of them are asking when legislators will start proceedings for charter change of the anti-foreign investor economic provisions of the Philippine Constitution and also the question about federalism.

Not a few entrepreneurs are even proposing that we modify our existing USA-copycat political setup to that of a parliamentary or even a French-style presidential system to lessen political gridlocks and inefficiency.

6.   Infrastructure — Most businesspeople are hopeful about the Duterte administration’s announcement of record-high new infrastructure expenditures and mega-plans; they are just worried whether our traditional political gridlock and bickering, as well as bureaucratic red tape might slow down all these grand plans.

One tycoon even joked, “Maybe you can please suggest to Duterte that he extend his martial law in Mindanao to apply to the country’s much-needed and long-delayed new infrastructure needs?”

Another tycoon told me, “Please kindly remind President Duterte not to be like previous administrations in failing to address the Philippines’ urgent need for a bigger international airport to serve Metro Manila.”

7.   Social services — Duterte is viewed very favorably by most businesspeople on his genuine commitment to and empathy for the poor, sick and neglected segments of Philippine society in terms of bigger and more generous social, medical, public educational and other services.

Businesspeople hope that he and his officials can upgrade bureaucratic efficiencies even in the aspect of delivering basic social services and ensuring better pension plans for all Philippine citizens.

* * *

Thanks for your feedback! Email willsoonflourish@gmail.com or wilsonleeflores@yahoo.com. Follow @wilsonleeflores on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and read my new blog, wilsonleeflores.com.