The Best Alternative to the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
After Gloria's ouster (which is fast approaching), we need to establish a transitional National People's Council (NPC) which will serve as the executive branch of our government. Its members will come from the broad patriotic and popular alliance that is presently propelling the growing movement to immediately oust Gloria. No military component can join the NPC, because civilian authority is always supreme. The military will take orders only from the NPC. The NPC will work for the fulfillment of a short-term development agenda for Philippine peace and progress (DAPP). The DAPP may be accomplished until 2010. Sweeping socio-economic reforms will characterize the DAPP. Most urgent of these reforms are:
1. Price controls (so as to bring down the inflation rate and minimize starvation)
2. Wage hikes (necessary to increase the purchasing power of the people, which will in turn propel domestic trade and thus, economic boom)
3. Stoppage of the globalization and privatization policy (tariffs on imported goods with local equivalents would be raised so as to protect Philippine industries; tax holidays on special economic zones would be minimized or eradicated)
4. Free education and health service (education at all levels would be funded so as to propel the growth of learning which will eventually cause an explosion in popular development-oriented researches in science and technology)
5. Subsidy for farmers (so as to boost food production)
6. Elimination of hunger, starvation and malnutrition (this program would be achieved through the modernization of agriculture and democratization of land ownership; previously jobless urban poor people maybe resettled as farmers working to feed the nation)
7. Freeze on debt payments (a debt review would be conducted so as to eliminate onerous ones; money saved from this policy will be used to fund the DAPP)
8. Tax reforms (the corporate income tax of the biggest money-making corporations would be increased; big tax evaders would be punished with stiffer penalties; the rich will pay more, the poor, less)
9. Rejection of foreign influence and intervention and signing of new comprehensive peace pacts with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NDFP-NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which may require a bilateral ceasefire declaration between the NPC and the said groups (soldiers on both camps should pre-occupy themselves with the nation's food production drive)
10. Democratization of land ownership and wealth (this would be the hardest task, thus, although this is part of the short-term DAPP, it would form part of the long-term DAPP).
While the NPC is working for the achievement of the short-term DAPP, it would pave the way for the establishment of the United Front Government (UFG) which is popularly known as a Democratic Coalition Government (DCG). The UFG/DCG will be the new form of government of the Philippines. It would be composed of the broad masses' representatives from the ranks of workers, peasants, fishermen, urban poor, middle classes, civil servants etc. Thus, the UFG/DCG is a broad spectrum which encompasses and represents 98% of the Philippine population. The UFG/DCG will be working for the long-term DAPP which is the continuation of the NPC's short term DAPP. The NPC will remain as the permanent executive branch whose members are to be elected from the members of the UFG/DCG. A People's National Assembly (PNA) would be formed as the legislative body. Its members would also be elected.
Meanwhile, local People's Consultative Assemblies (PCA's) would be regularly conducted in barrios and towns so as list the people's problems and concerns which will be used as guides to reformulate the long-term DAPP at various times of its progress. The long-term DAPP is focused on three things: genuine land reform, redistribution of wealth and national industrialization for the benefit of the Filipino masses. All these are part of my own vision on what could be the best alternative to Gloria and the system that sustained her and her similar predecessors. Of course, I didn't arrived at this plan without prior readings on other groups' plans. Mine is just a mere conglomeration and mind-weave of various ideas I have encountered as a student-activist. Nevertheless, it would not be much to say that this alternative is good enough for our country's progress. This would be totally impossible to achieve with Gloria in power.
Thus, Gloria's ouster is step one to progress, towards the abovementioned development plan.
1. Price controls (so as to bring down the inflation rate and minimize starvation)
2. Wage hikes (necessary to increase the purchasing power of the people, which will in turn propel domestic trade and thus, economic boom)
3. Stoppage of the globalization and privatization policy (tariffs on imported goods with local equivalents would be raised so as to protect Philippine industries; tax holidays on special economic zones would be minimized or eradicated)
4. Free education and health service (education at all levels would be funded so as to propel the growth of learning which will eventually cause an explosion in popular development-oriented researches in science and technology)
5. Subsidy for farmers (so as to boost food production)
6. Elimination of hunger, starvation and malnutrition (this program would be achieved through the modernization of agriculture and democratization of land ownership; previously jobless urban poor people maybe resettled as farmers working to feed the nation)
7. Freeze on debt payments (a debt review would be conducted so as to eliminate onerous ones; money saved from this policy will be used to fund the DAPP)
8. Tax reforms (the corporate income tax of the biggest money-making corporations would be increased; big tax evaders would be punished with stiffer penalties; the rich will pay more, the poor, less)
9. Rejection of foreign influence and intervention and signing of new comprehensive peace pacts with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NDFP-NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which may require a bilateral ceasefire declaration between the NPC and the said groups (soldiers on both camps should pre-occupy themselves with the nation's food production drive)
10. Democratization of land ownership and wealth (this would be the hardest task, thus, although this is part of the short-term DAPP, it would form part of the long-term DAPP).
While the NPC is working for the achievement of the short-term DAPP, it would pave the way for the establishment of the United Front Government (UFG) which is popularly known as a Democratic Coalition Government (DCG). The UFG/DCG will be the new form of government of the Philippines. It would be composed of the broad masses' representatives from the ranks of workers, peasants, fishermen, urban poor, middle classes, civil servants etc. Thus, the UFG/DCG is a broad spectrum which encompasses and represents 98% of the Philippine population. The UFG/DCG will be working for the long-term DAPP which is the continuation of the NPC's short term DAPP. The NPC will remain as the permanent executive branch whose members are to be elected from the members of the UFG/DCG. A People's National Assembly (PNA) would be formed as the legislative body. Its members would also be elected.
Meanwhile, local People's Consultative Assemblies (PCA's) would be regularly conducted in barrios and towns so as list the people's problems and concerns which will be used as guides to reformulate the long-term DAPP at various times of its progress. The long-term DAPP is focused on three things: genuine land reform, redistribution of wealth and national industrialization for the benefit of the Filipino masses. All these are part of my own vision on what could be the best alternative to Gloria and the system that sustained her and her similar predecessors. Of course, I didn't arrived at this plan without prior readings on other groups' plans. Mine is just a mere conglomeration and mind-weave of various ideas I have encountered as a student-activist. Nevertheless, it would not be much to say that this alternative is good enough for our country's progress. This would be totally impossible to achieve with Gloria in power.
Thus, Gloria's ouster is step one to progress, towards the abovementioned development plan.
posted by David Michael San Juan at 4:30 AM
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