If I were the President of the Philippines…


.....To become a president of a country is not an easy job, I tell you. You must be constantly updated and understand everything that is happening not only inside your country but also to countries around the world. You must be good in negotiating and interacting with the other countries in terms of the economic development, debt servicing, etc. The welfare of your countrymen is your top priority. The education, agriculture, economy, infrastructure, food, employment, environment, industry and a whole lot more should be dealt and administered with the best interest of the majority or better yet, all of the people. It takes a lot of courage and motivation to become a president for you are representing your country and the people rely greatly on you. You must also withstand all the criticisms thrown at you for surely whatever way you are running your country, there will always be people against you and your administration.

.....Being the President of the Republic of the Philippines is a big challenge and responsibility I am ready to undertake and stand for. It is true that corruption in the government has been going on in the past administrations but it will stop now. I won’t cheat on my own people. I will make sure that the money will be held by the right and honest people. It is very idealistic but not impossible. Someone has got to start changing the old government system where only the elite and the wealthy people are given the opportunity to rise in their positions and are recognized. I won’t be bribed by people. I would always have a complete transparent transcript of all my expenditures every year so that people will really see my transparency and honesty as a president. I have run for presidency not for my own interest but to lead and serve my people.

.....There are so many problems in the Philippines that need to be given attention and solutions to that are not just short-term. Debt has been a major burden in our country for many years. The government has been spending more on debt payments than on health and education combined and that is why debt servicing would be a top priority. A large proportion of the country's debt was accrued under the Marcos dictatorship and has been rising steadily. More than half comes from foreign debt. A possible effective solution could be to raise revenues, cut borrowings and control debt service. But it is not as easy as it sounds. Raising revenues for sure would make the people react negatively about it for there is already such thing as the E-VAT. So long as our debt service remains uncontrolled, any sort of measures on the revenue side, such as more effective tax collection, tobacco and alcohol taxes, or the value-added tax will have little impact in terms of stabilizing government finances. Borrowing from foreign and local creditors is needed to stay current on our debt servicing and to enable the government to keep on functioning. I believe that the government should not rely too much on borrowing but on fund-raising projects that would benefit and help a lot of people. Local industries will be given priority so that the money will circulate well inside the Philippines and at the same time will provide employment to people. Paying all the debts of the Philippines can not be done overnight. Different sectors like education, agriculture and forestry, fisheries, health, environment, mining, industry, tourism can help in paying our debts if these will be properly handled and prioritized.

.....Education will be highly prioritized. More and more children are deprived of proper education and out-of-school youth are also increasing every year. 50% of the budget every year would be allotted for education. We need more schools to accommodate these young people, classrooms conducive for effective learning, more teachers with their deserved wages, more books and school supplies and more scholarship programs. I also value quality education so it is not just a matter of all the students having the opportunity to go to school but also the kind of learning they get. The students will be trained to be globally competitive and equipped. School fairs and educational seminars and programs that will involve students having the experience of teaching children who are not in school and out-of-school youth are highly encouraged. I would implement a law that does not require the students from all public schools from kindergarten to tertiary to wear their school uniforms together with black shoes and white socks because this can be an additional burden to some parents who can’t afford to provide uniforms for their children. We need to be practical. It would not be purely academics but sports and other extra-curricular events will be highlighted and promoted. It would not just be inside the school but in the society as a whole. The people especially the youth should always be put into action so that they would not become idle and they would be productive. This is also a way for them to stay away from vices and become too addicted in the cyber world. This would also lessen crimes. Recreational parks and more libraries will be made so as it will be accessible to more people even the ones in the rural areas.

.....However, it is not only our education that needs to be prioritized but also in the sector of agriculture. We are an agricultural country so it is very important to make sure that the agricultural lands are being maximized. We can only do this by providing more machinery that will lessen the work of the farmers but still have greater mass production than the manual farming. The irrigation and fertilizer subsidies will be continually supported. There would also be programs and seminars that aim to educate farmers so that they would be knowledgeable with the different kinds of effective farming and techniques. In terms of forestry, I will not tolerate big time loggers and commercial miners to destroy our forest. Our country should stop giving land areas of considerable sizes to foreign companies for them to manipulate. We should be the one manipulating and maximizing our own land and benefiting from the natural resources it gives. I will strictly implement punishment against illegal logging and excessive mining. Also in fisheries, use of dynamite will be strictly prohibited and other illegal practices. The Filipinos should be well-disciplined. Our environment is already degrading. The laws about no littering, spitting, vandalism and other inhumane acts that destroy our environment will have corresponding fines just like in Singapore. It is time that the people should not be lenient about it and take these things seriously. Reforestation is very important. There would be many activities that promote and encourage people to participate in tree plantings, clean drives, recycling and other clean and green projects.

.....Moreover, overpopulation has been the usual blame of the government on why many are experiencing poverty and severe hunger. As the president of the Philippines, I do not blame the people. It is in my government on how we lead the people that will either break or make of the country. Overpopulation is not the problem but the proper distribution of lands. There are so many squatter areas but there are also many lands that are idle and are not being used. As what I’ve said before, we should maximize all our lands. The overpopulation will be an advantage of the country rather than a problem. I highly encourage and challenge Filipinos to have businesses of their own. There would be a budget allotted for Filipinos who want to start their own businesses so that they will have a capital. This would provide more employment and many people will become productive. There would be a lot of programs that will help them on how to start their own businesses and this would be a good training to Filipinos to be globally-competitive when it comes to industries.

.....The Philippines should learn to be independent and not rely too much on other countries like the U.S. We are rich in natural resources that are enough to provide our basic needs. Instead of selling raw materials to other countries and buying from them the already finished products, our country should be the one to manufacture these materials. There are many opportunities for new jobs. We just have to be creative in finding new possible jobs and other projects that will increase the productivity level of people. As the president, I could not do this alone. We need to have cooperation and determination that our economy can really rise and sustain. I am all for sustainability. We should not just think of the present and should not compromise the future of the generations to come. The senate, the congress, and all the officials and leaders of our country should help me in making good and beneficial programs. I challenge the youth to keep on fighting for what you believe in. Be a good leader in your own community. Be a role model. The country needs new fresh ideas and perspectives about things for the improvement and betterment of it. I encourage intellectual contests that motivate the minds of these young people to think of creative and effective projects and suggestions and ideas for new possible policies and solutions to the problems of today. I will surely listen. I am an open-minded person. Criticize me when I am wrong that I might know what to correct and improve and at the same time to defend myself if I am the one who is right.

.....I will not be blinded by the reality that our country is really suffering and that’s why we all need to move. I still have many programs and laws that will be implemented in terms of health, tourism and the other sectors and these will only be successful if you will cooperate. I will lead and proudly represent our country but dear countrymen; you must do your part too.

Word count: 1679 words