Not too many people are harry at the way things are going in the Philippines these past few weeks. Economists have expressed alarm that these could lead to economic instability. And they said it won’t take long when neighboring Vietnam, a new member to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is likely to overtake the Philippines in terms of economic development. If political bickerings and grandstanding will not ease up, then the majority-Christian nation will like go down the drain.
Studies showed that the country has relied heavily on the foreign remittances of its overseas workers, which present estimates reported could run to billions annually. Without this, there is doubt the Philippines would suffer foreign exchange shortage, and the foreign reserves that the Central Bank has right now wouldn’t be enough to sustain the impacts should hoarding of dollars and other currencies enter the picture.
Of course, the tangible reason impinges on the erratic grinds caused by political squabblings that all the more hamper further growth, thus eroding some of the gains the country earned in the past few years. Dedicated and nationalistic leaders–from Corazon Aquino to Fidel Ramos– had been installed to steer the sagging economy in its right direction only to be wrought by many decades of unwanted dictatorship and cronyism. And the same breeze is blowing once again into the direction of the country’s present government. On the contrary, the people’s positive expectations just did not materialize as they should be.
Comes President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a U.S.-educated scion of the former President Diosdado Macapagal, whose administration had claimed to have spearheaded the country’s economic boom. People have expected her to make the Philippines a 360-degree turnaround in so far as development is concerned. Instead, they were frustrated to the bones as shown by the recent negative happenings in the country’s political arena.
Many observers have expressed doubts that the present administration style of leadership doesn’t bode well with what the country needs at this point in time, especially if that kind of leadership is only considered superficial to some degree. Rather than sacrifice political image for the betterment of growth, top government officials are left without any choice but to succumb to the dictates of the Palace. And critics have said that what some higher officials are doing is to take advantage of the situation while they are still holding on to power. Because by the time, they are out of power, it will be another story.
And the opposition, along with the militant groups, who continue to lambast the administration for committing wanton graft and corruption in order to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers’ money. To protect their interests, the military has been allegedly used to intimidate critics of the administration in wanton disregard of international human rights. While those who only expressed their freedom of expression have been silenced forever. And so the killings of mediamen and militant leaders, continue in the guise that these were done, not by the military intelligence, but by the hardline leftist groups, who meted the extra-judicial killings, in retaliation for something they’ve done against the party. And who do you think would believe this heresy?
And the political circus goes undeterred even at this time when poverty has been at its worst.