Politics and the national budget (Part I)

How does the government operate?

This could be one question which is easy to answer and yet hard to explain. The fundamental function of the state is to collect tax above all other things imaginable. Taxes are the life and blood of the government. Without which, the government will collapse and will be rendered inutile. Now, the efficiency in the collection of taxes is yet another matter for discussion.

These taxes are then translated as government’s funds. In the Philippines, the government funds are allocated by an act of the legislature known as the General Appropriations Act. This act serves as the national budget and is comprised of three components/elements: personnel services (PS), maintenance and other operating expenses (MOE), and capital expenditure (CapEx).

Interestingly, the bulk of national budget goes to PS with roughly 75-85% of the entire budget for the year. That leaves MOE with around 10% and CapEx 5% of the pie. Why? Primarily, the civil servants in the country are secured of tenure as provided by the constitution. Therefore, layoffs are abhorred and are not options to the government. Instead, the number of civil servants doubled. This is a political phenomenon. I will explain this later.

Professor Alex Magno outlined five features of the national budget which make governance ineffective and inefficient. One, the national budget is largely inflexible. It is too rigid that marginal changes are not possible. Two, we operate on a single-year budget which amplifies the miniscule CapEx. Three, there is no clear policy on earmarking. Four, the budget is line-item budget which increases dependency of local officials to the president. And last, the budget is designed for maximum spread. I will expand these features in a different post.

Considering on the surface, budget is no longer an accounting problem. It is not entirely about the deficit and the surplus, the inflow and outflow. Rather, the budget is a political problem. A quick look of the mentioned features would be telling.

Why is the national budget inflexible? Why do we operate on a single-year budget? Why is there no clear policy on earmarking? Why do we use line item budgeting? Why is the budget designed for maximum spread?

[to be continued...]

UP Manila buildings

Let me share some trivia about the names of the buildings in UP Manila.

• Rizal Hall of the College of Arts and Sciences was named after Dr Jose Rizal, Philippine National Hero. It is one of the original buildings of the University, built in 1918. There is another building named after Rizal in UP Manila, the Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal. UP Diliman has its own Bulwagang Rizal which is the Faculty Center and houses the Office of the Dean of College of Arts and Letters.
• Gusaling Andres Bonifacio of the College of Arts and Sciences was named after Gat Andres Bonifacio, founder and leader of the Katipunan. The building was constructed during the term of Professor Fatima Alvarez-Castillo as Dean. In UP Diliman, the Bonifacio Hall is at the School of Labor and Industrial Relations.
• Damian Hall of the College of Allied Medical Profession was named after Dr Guillermo Damian, first Dean of then School of Allied Medical Profession. He was Director of the School prior to the elevation as an independent unit.
• Valenzuela Hall of the College of Pharmacy was named after Dr Patrocinio Valenzuela, longest serving Dean of the College from 1943 to 1955. He survived the College during World War II period.
• Lara Hall of the College of Public Health was named after Dr Hilario Lara, founder of the Institute of Public Health and National Scientist.
• Calderon Hall of the College of Medicine was named after Dr Fernando Calderon, first Filipino Dean of the College.
• Sotejo Hall of the College of Nursing was named after Dr Julita Sotejo, founder and first Dean of the College. This is the first time, at least for UP, that a building was named after a living person.
• Interestingly, buildings of the College of Dentistry were know as the “Old” and “New” buildings.

Erap again?

I am in complete agreement with today’s editorial of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It has a sense of sarcasm perfect for the likes of plunderer Joseph Estrada, who, after conviction, has the guts to face the public claiming his innocence.

So why vote for Erap? Not undermining the capacities of our fellow Filipinos, but if they good enough to distinguish reality from illusion, fictions from fact, then certainly, Estrada will never win the 2010 race. But who can tell? Maybe the minds of the masses are still polluted by his populist stance and not to mention his blockbuster films.

I am no student of law or have sufficient knowledge of it, but I am a student of politics and I am well aware that on its face, taking the constitution’s words literally, Estrada can no longer run for president. Of course, lawyers supporting Erap can simply interpret the text by circumventing it.

Constitutionalists Fr Joaquin Bernas, who happened to be one of the framers of the constitution, opined, and I quote:

“The delegates to the 1986 Constitutional Commission did debate on how often a person may be president. Records show that the original draft which came from the committee proposed that “He shall be disqualified from immediate reelection.” During the deliberatons on this draft, three alternatives vied for approval: no immediate reelection, absolutely no second election whatsoever, one immediate reelection. The “absolutists” won the vote and the final text came to read as it does now: “The President shall not be eligible for any reelection.” The word “any” reflects the sentiment of the “absolutists.”

The last word will not come from the experts or the framers, but from the Supreme Court which we expect would act on this matter as soon as possible. We should also hope that someone with good arguments can file a case the court as soon as Estrada files his certificate of candidacy. Finally, I am personally excited about the court’s decision on this issue as this will be a landmark case.

Philippine padrino system

If there is something not so unique but gives the Philippine bureaucracy its identity, the only thing I can think of, for now, is the padrino system that has been there for ages, deeply rooted in the culture of the governance in the country.

What am I talking about? To give you a clearer view, let me share some hypothetical situations, which may actually occur behind the walls of offices and we don’t know it [or at least the idea of the exact scenario].

Situation A: Pedro is a powerful politician, so powerful he can influence the president of the Philippines. Pedro has friends who are very supportive of him. They campaigned for him and made him the victor. Pedro gets the fame and following. One of his friends is a not-so-good type of person who also wanted to be in the government. This friend heard that there is a vacancy in the office of undersecretary of an executive department. Pedro talks to the president. The president trusted Pedro so much and appointed his friend. Win-win!

Situation B: Juan is supposed to pay PHP 500,000.00 for taxes. Lucky Juan, he has the mayor as his friend. They are childhood pals. Mayor, respecting the friendship with Juan, helped and talked to the tax collector. Juan now pays PHP 50,000.00 for taxes. For the “damages,” Juan gave the collector the amount of his tax and his mayor-friend twice. More for savings!

Familiar? Or maybe there’s more! But of course, these are those we hear every now and then. Power corrupts the bearers of it. For some reason, when one has it, he would want maintain the status quo or more. The corruption of the mind of the politicians is bringing the quality of governance to its lowest level.

And you think this happens only in the government? I think it has become integrated in the society as a whole. Say when you register during enrolment, you have influence over the process, you take your chances! You even invite friends. “Come, join me, this is the easy way.” Or perhaps, when you get your transcripts from the OUR. You will ask your friend to help you because he knows the person in charge of the transcripts.

So where did the padrino mentality begin? From small favours, then eventually, these will evolve into bigger favours, until the time you will realize, you are the padrino! Sometimes this works good, but thinking about fairness and all these virtues, it may not be right.

Devolved legislation

With some time to spare, I thought of visiting the website of the Philippine Senate. Thankfully, unlike that of the House of Representatives’, the Senate’s website is update in terms of news and legislative documents.

I browsed through the recently filed bills in the Senate. Surprisingly, most of the latest bills are parochial in nature. To be specific, there are a number of bills proposed by a senator which are all about charter days and holidays for provinces and cities. Though these laws maybe useful in terms of celebrating the anniversary of the foundation of the city or province, it is nevertheless a waste of time for the 24-member Senate to debate and deliberate on these items. 

There are also a number of proposed legislations in the addition of trial courts in various areas, one bill per area/province/municipality. These would appear that there are many bills filed where in fact they are all same in content or intent. 

As laws are always amendable, many Senators filed amendments to existing laws. Some are necessary as these proposals are to fit with the needs of the present. Some are radical as they tend to overhaul the existing ones. 

There are also new proposed laws. Many are about the local government code, the heraldic laws, the revised penal code, and some one or half pager laws that seek to rectify some errors in the society. What amazes me is that no one actually thought of filling a new version of the law instead of amending it piece by piece. 

So there are parochial and sometime unnecessary bills filed in the Senate. But the luxury of time is not present. This, I think, is one of the many downfalls of a unitary form of government. Senators file these bills in order to please the constituencies and therefore gain more votes in the coming elections. To be practical, pronouncements or legislations pertaining to local holidays may be enacted by a state government in a federal system. 

Also in a federal system, the concentration of work in the Senate will be general-comprehensive which would respond to the needs of the general population like legislations on health, education and other social services. 

I believe that to be more effective, work shall be devolved to those who should be handling the work load in the first place. This in turn would unload those loaded and they will be able to concentrate on the real nature of their work, to legislate, and not to do fancy things.

Congratulations

Of the many winners in last night’s Philippine Blog Awards, I only know one. My warmest congratulations to The Professional Heckler for winning the 2009 Best Humor Blog.

Special thanks to Tofi Lazaro for attending with me. And congratulations to all the winners.

Pouring rain

When it rains, it pours.

So goes the old saying that when one comes, except more to come. But I don’t except anything more than two. Blessings are just pouring from heaven and I cannot stop it. I’m just proud of what I have done, and where I am now, after all the hardships I had during the second quarter of this year.

The beginning of the third quarter was rather surprising when I was told that there is a vacancy in the World Health Organization for a temporary position. Of course, I am eager to get a job. I was almost hopeless since I never received a return call from the companies where I applied. In WHO, the interview was quick. I felt, hey, this is the moment! But WHO’s recruitment took some time, about two months or so, before I finally set foot in what I think now as my second home.

In July, I took the examination for civil service. Lucky are my cum laude classmates they don’t have to take this exam. They are automatically eligible for government service. In fact, one of my magna cum laude friends is now in Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The exam was easy though. I don’t know why there are reviewers for the exam. Maybe I’m a college graduate, that’s why that is my impression. The results came out just recently. I am now Civil Service Eligible – Professional Level. The “professional level” gives more of an uplifting spirit. But in the next years, I think I won’t be able to use this eligibility. I’m an international civil servant already.

Tomorrow is the awards night for the Philippine Blog Awards 2009. Surprisingly, this blog you are reading now is one of the finalists for the Best Commentary Blog category. I will be attending the ceremonies tomorrow, not hoping to win, but to gain friends and know fellow nominees. I already won when I was shortlisted as a finalist. To win the award is a bonus. You can check the list of the finalist for the same and other categories in this link. 

Yesterday I received the admission notice from the Department of Political Science of UP Diliman. I am qualified for admission to the Master of Arts in Political Science program. I accepted the offer and confirmed that I will enrol for the next semester. I am happy that I’m going a step closer to my dreams. I want to be a professor of political science and to be one I need more training. I hope that I can finish this one time (as part-time student). After MA, I will pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree in the same field. But that would many years from now. 

A job in WHO, civil service eligibility, best commentary blog nomination, and admission to MA program, what more can I ask for? 

Above all these personal achievements, I am glad that I gained new friends, and I’m sure they also gained one from me. My friends are like the cherry on top of a mount of ice cream. They fill in the non-material needs of joy and company. 

So indeed, when it rains, it pours.

Isang panawagan sa mga kakandidato

Ngayon ay may krisis na sumubok sa katatagan ng sambayanang Pilipino. Tulad ng mga nagdaang kalamidad, hindi natin ito lubos na napaghandaan, ngunit ginawa natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya upang maisalba ang mga naging biktima. 

Isang magandang dulot ng trahedyang ito ay ang muling pagpapakita ng pagkakaisa ng Pilipino. Bumuhos ang tulong mula sa iba’t ibang sektor ng lipunan. Ang lahat ay nakiisa sa mga kampanya at proyekto ng mga samahan, publiko o pribado. 

Ngunit hindi natin maiiwasan ang pagsasamantala ng ilan sa ating mga lider sa lipunan. Ginagamit nila ang pagkakataong ito upang pabanguhin ang kanilang pangalan upang sa pagdating ng araw ay maaalala sila ng taumbayan.

Hindi mali para sa isang pulitiko ang tumulong sa mga nasalanta. Higit nila itong responsibilidad dahil sila ang humuhubog at nagpapatupad ng polisiya at batas. Ngunit kung gagamitin ang pagkakataong ito upang palawigin ang kanilang interes pulitikal, hindi na ata nararapat iyon. 

Sana lamang sa mga naghahangad na maglingkod sa bayan, sa mga nagnanais na maging kandidato, sa mga partido pulitikal, huwag sana ninyong gamitin ang iyong pagtulong sa mga nasalanta para sa pansariling interes. Sana ang inyong pagkikiisa at pangunguna sa mga ganitong aktibidad ay bunga ng pagkilala ninyo sa inyong tungkulin bilang Pilipino. 

Sana sa susunod na taon, sa panahon ng pangangampanya, ay hindi ipangalandakan ng mga kandidatong ito na sila o ang kanilang partido ay masigasig na nakibahagi sa pagtulong sa mga biktima ng bagyong Ondoy. 

Para sa akin, mawawalang saysay ang lahat kapag ginawa lamang na propaganda ang pagtulong sa kapwa.

Politics and calamity

It is interesting to note that the fate of the Bush administration was determined by its response to hurricane Katrina a couple of years ago. Similarly, we can say that the current crisis in our country can determine what the country’s future will be. I am particular about the effects of typhoon Ondoy in the political world and how it will help determine the future of Philippine politics and governance. 

Following our analogy above, we could say that failure on the part of the present government could entail defeat in the next elections as in Bush to McCain. In our set up, it is Arroyo to Teodoro. What is fascinating, however, is that Gilbert Teodoro is the Secretary of National Defense and is concurrently the chair of the National Disaster Coordinating Council. NDCC is the prime agency responsible for emergency and disaster response in our country. With the crisis, he is at the advantage. He is in the limelight. 

So will it mean that Teodoro has a possibility of winning the presidency? It is early to conclude especially that the rescue and relief operations is not yet over. There are still families soaked in water and people missing. But the visibility and media exposure of Teodoro, not to mention that they are free, would surely work for the benefit of his campaign. 

Aside from Teodoro, many other politicians are benefiting from this disaster, and I must say that they are using these benefits pretty well. These are the local government units who will be at the forefront of local operations. Also, when a place is declared a state of calamity, they will automatically have access to the calamity fund. Who knows how it will be spent? 

As of this morning, there are around 2.3 million Filipinos affected according to the NDCC report. Efforts from various foundations, NGOs and concerned citizens are not enough. And so, politicians once again take this opportunity for their names to be heard and faces seen in action. I am sure everyone is aware of this and I need not to cite examples. 

The question now: Are the support and efforts exerted by these politicians considered as genuine action or another form of campaigning? We aren’t blind, are we?

Delayed pension

Pensioners of GSIS are complaining about the delays in their pension. According to some, the pension usually comes every first week of the month. But these days, they receive their cheques one to two weeks late. 

GSIS administration blames the computerization of their system for the delays. They said that the system cannot handle the number of their members. Also, they reason that there was no actual delay because pensioners are supposed to receive their money by the end of the month. Technically, they are sending still earlier than the deadline. 

I find these reasoning unacceptable. True, we cannot have a perfect system. True, lags are expected when you shift from one system to another. But it is never right to say that the newly installed system cannot handle the number of its members. The GSIS administration should have ensured that the system they will use is capable of handling the load of work. 

Also, using the technicalities to circumvent the shortcomings is a mere defence. The GSIS administration must realize that there is a substantial need for the pension and any delays would naturally spur out problems on the part of the pensioner. They must also be reminded that pensioners are retired government employees. They are no longer working and the only source of income, save the contribution of their children, is the pension. 

Maybe the GSIS administration should stop defending themselves and try to accept their shortcomings. This way, we can prevent more controversies, i.e. using of GSIS funds for elections.