TG Guingona: Check out his platform

[mr_buble]

Campaign Platform:

Our candidate's platform is based on the principles of good governance and ethical leadership. However, he understands that this will not amount to much unless matched by democratic participation and moral responsibility on the part of all citizens. His platform is a framework for enabling all Filipinos, public servants and private citizens, to come together and do their share in nation building. Our candidate's moral vision is that of a Philippines wherein the citizens themselves are the primary movers in nation building and elected leaders are servants to the will of the people.

Budget Reform. Reforming the budget process is the main plank of our candidate's platform. Our budget system is flawed and enables funds to hemorrhage through corrupt and wasteful practices. Correcting these flaws will allow public funds to flow smoothly into programs and projects that benefit the country especially the poor.

The budget process will be made transparent, accountable and participatory. From the time it is prepared to its final authorization, the budget will be posted on multiple public websites which anyone can access. It will be written in non-technical language and will contain detail sufficient for a layman to understand how his taxes are being spent. Moreover, monthly reports on actual expenditures versus budget allocations will be posted on the same public websites together with the relevant reports from the Commission on Audit. Except for items which are clearly security issues, the disclosure of public finances on all levels of government will be total and comprehensive. As a result of the transparency in the budget process, our candidate expects that all citizens will ensure that the budget funds only programs and projects that are truly beneficial to the Filipino people and that all public expenditures are properly spent..

When the country has an effective and efficient budget process in place, our candidate believes that the priority areas for spending should be those that build our human and social capital.

Education. Our candidate's blames the degraded state of education in the country to problems of “quantity” and “quality”. By quantity, he means that there will never be enough resources – teachers, classrooms, textbooks, instructional materials – within the mainstream educational system to cope with both the increasing demands of a growing population and the fast changing requirements of employers. To address this, our candidate proposes that we adopt proven alternative learning systems to supplement the mainstream. International recognition of Efren Penaflorida and his Kariton schools and Rina Lopez-Bautista and her Knowledge Channel validate the effectiveness of these alternative methods.

To address the “quality” problem, our candidate proposes a return to a 12-year basic education program that will produce graduates with a skill level sufficient for them to move on to advanced studies (vocational or college), to be gainfully employed or to set up viable enterprises on their own.

Aware that this will entail additional costs on the part of parents during a time when the cost of living is already high, our candidate will also pursue the establishment of a student loan program with repayment terms tied to academic performance and employment.

Believing that no educational system can be successful without educators, our candidate will begin his reform of the educational system by ensuring that teachers receive just compensation, appropriate training, and support in terms of instructional materials and teaching aids.

Health. Our candidate understands that nearly 60% of Filipinos cannot afford modern health care services and, of those that can afford to pay, almost 90% pay for these services out of their own pocket. This leads to situations wherein families simply do not avail of medical treatment or impoverish themselves for generations in doing so. Moreover, our candidate understands that primary public health care is provided by local government units and is therefore limited by the LGU's finances and is dependent on the value that the local leadership attaches to health. To address the problems of health care access and cost, our candidate is proposing (1) strengthening the barangay health units so that it can be an effective provider of primary health care for all Filipinos and (2) expanding the coverage of Philhealth so that it will cover all Filipinos for the costs of medical treatment that are beyond their income capacity. Funding for these programs will be provided by the national government.

Believing that no health system can be successful without health workers, our candidate will begin by ensuring that health workers receive just compensation, appropriate training and support by way of medical equipment and supplies.

Food and energy costs drag the development of human and social capital. Our people cannot keep themselves and their families healthy and educated if most of their time and earnings is spent paying for food and energy (electricity, cooking, and transport). Our candidate's platform sees an opportunity in addressing these costs while also building our human and social capital in the process.

Food. Our candidate believes that our country should not be primarily dependent on imports for its food needs. By this, he means that we should not only have enough local supplies of staple foods such as rice but that we are able to produce high value cash crops for exports as well. He understands that to achieve this requires a fundamental restructuring of our food production system which he believes can be made easier by keeping the farmer as the focus of all our agricultural programs. By providing farmers (1) sufficient incentives by way of fair prices for their produce and (2) support by way of infrastructure, know-how (new technology and better practices), and credit (for personal needs, as well as, farm inputs), our candidate believes that we can achieve food security.

Energy. Our candidate understands that energy is key to development. He understands also that energy prices are determined by global market forces. Therefore, he is advocating for energy independence built on (1) energy efficiency and (2) local, preferably clean, energy resources. Our ability to use less energy for every unit of economic output saves the country money. This saving should be directed toward developing local energy resources that make the country less vulnerable to volatile international prices. The strategy will apply to transport, cooking fuels and power. Already, the country has an increasing number of biofuel production facilities and is pioneering in the use of electric public transport through the ejeepneys. Moreover, we are discovering and, more importantly, using more local energy resources such as geothermal steam and natural gas. This strategy will ultimately lead to lower costs of energy that will, in turn, not only free up income for households and businesses but will also make the country competitive as an investment destination for industries with large energy requirements.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Our candidate understands that investments in building our human and social capital will be lost if we do not protect them against disasters. Typhoons Frank, Ondoy and Pepeng have had significant, adverse impact on the country in terms of loss of life and property. To ensure that we are better prepared for disasters, he has sponsored the DRRM bill which may be passed before Congress ends this year. He will also continue to oversee the writing of the implementing rules and regulations of the law when passed and the development of the local DRRM plans. By doing this, our candidate seeks to establish the policy environment for and build the institutions of disaster risk management, as well as, develop the culture of preparedness that will secure the future of our country against disasters.

Positions on Issues: Our candidate's position on issues is based on his core agenda.

Poverty. Our candidate's understanding of poverty is based on his moral view that wealth should be shared. He believes that the Philippines can pull itself out of material deprivation if it can correct its flawed budget system and direct its resources toward developing its human and social capital. He believes that, freed from the corrupt practices of its past leaders and propelled by the spirit of community, Filipinos will overcome poverty.

Economy. Our candidate understands that global recession has put many Filipinos out of work, worsening an already high unemployment rate. He believes that the government should continue with its stimulus program to create employment and widen its social safety net for the most economically vulnerable groups. Moreover, he believes that government should invest first in areas that build the human and social capital of the country, that is, health and education.

Environment. Our candidate's strategy for the environment is based on efficient use of resources to achieve a better quality of life, not necessarily material abundance. In the area of climate change, he advocates energy efficiency and the use of clean sources of energy. In the area of biodiversity, he advocates for the protection of our forest and marine life in order to secure our food supplies in the future.

Peace in Mindanao. Our candidate believes that peace can be achieved once we make serious investments in building the human and social capital in Mindanao. If more resources were directed in making Mindanaoans healthier and better educated, then they would be able to see a brighter future for themselves and end the cycle of violence that has afflicted them for a long time.

Human Rights. Our candidate believes that the worst legacy of the Arroyo administration is a culture of impunity. To reverse the effects of many years of abuse by those in power, our candidate proposes making human rights the basis for government policy. With that, he hopes that Filipinos will better understand and fulfill their obligations as citizens.