Governance myopia or mysteries

Shortsightedness is only too obvious when one sees the remains of the fake beach along Roxas Boulevard. This senseless project that has harmed the environment executed by of all things, the Department in charge of protecting it, is a disgraceful piece of evidence of government myopia. The proponents and its approvers did not anticipate the heavy rains and typhoons that recur in our country year after year. And did not provide for maintenance and security arrangements that became the cause for the abandonment of the project.

Here in Cebu, day after day, there is a traffic bottleneck at the corner of Salinas Drive and Gorordo Ave., two of the main roads along residential, and increasingly commercial, areas. Gasoline is wasted as motor vehicles stall for 10 to 20 minutes in the unnecessary traffic jam.

Some years ago, money from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF or pork barrel) was allocated for a huge overpass that would traverse and uglify the gracious Gorordo Ave. for several blocks. Fortunately, a group of citizens organized themselves into a “movement for a livable Cebu” and lobbied noisily in the media and with the National Government to stop the ugly overpass from being built.

Even a non-engineer like me can see that there are obvious, and simpler solutions to the traffic snarl at the intersection: Reduce the parking area of a mini mall at the intersection. In order to let traffic from Gorordo Ave. flare into the Salinas Drive, redesign the wasteful traffic “island.” Cut into the space occupied by an economically unproductive Church compound that does not even pay taxes.

But until today, because of myopia or “mysteries,” the traffic bottleneck continues at that busy intersection because government has not done anything new since the overpass project was discarded years ago. Meanwhile, gasoline prices continue to increase, and thousands of peoples’ precious time continues to be wasted day after day, hour after hour.

On another busy road, A.S. Fortuna, which has become more and more commercialized, floods occur whenever heavy rains come to Cebu City. This road becomes unpassable. The public works crews have come and gone; yet the floods still occur. It seems to a few simple folk like me that the government cannot seem to see that the waters do not drain because certain parts of A.S. Fortuna, such as the section surrounding a memorial chapel, have been cemented all the way to its parking area. Why doesn’t the government ask the owners of the memorial chapel to convert some of the cemented land into drainable space? Is it another case of myopia, or mystery?

The Secretary of Finance has directed that the almost P90 billion in excess or unused Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) funds be turned over to the national treasury. This is against the law that provides that excess or unused PhilHealth funds can only be used to expand services or reduce premiums. It is obvious that PhilHealth management has failed to plan intelligently for the effective use of the funds to benefit its members, who contribute 4% of their monthly salaries as members. And now, the premiums, it seems, have been increased to 5%, yet they cannot even make effective use out of the 4% contributions. Myopia, or mystery?

My housekeeper’s brother, who had a motorcycle accident over the weekend, is in a government hospital awaiting surgery on his head. In order to avail of assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), she went to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to get a copy of his birth certificate. She suddenly came back with a small piece of paper on which the PSA listed eight instructions in bureaucratic English with PSA’s “appointment” website indicated on top. My probinsiyana (provincial) maid, who never entered high school, doesn’t know how to use a computer. Even I, with my master’s degree, have difficulty making sense of the “Steps on how to use the Appointment System.” Even the list of eight steps to take does not make clear at what point the copy of a birth certificate is obtained. Another indication of governance absurdity. 

The Supreme Court has recently affirmed the Sandiganbayan’s decision to dismiss the P276-million case against the Marcoses because, it says, to undue delays in the prosecution of the case.  The Sandiganbayan has explained that the delay is not the fault of the respondents. Thus, the dismissal. And our highest court of justice has affirmed its decision, now that the President is another Marcos! P276 million can fund so many running water systems in the rural areas which will enable housewives to conserve their energies for other family needs than fetching water from distant sources day after day. It could also upgrade government hospitals that care for our poor. This is truly an appalling injustice!

Three months have passed since the government created the much-vaunted multi-billion Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).  It would be interesting to get a Profit and Loss statement; and in the spirit of transparency, obtain its detailed budget for staffing and salaries. Its CEO, Rafael Jose Consing, should make a report on what the MIF has done, if anything. Or are these more of government’s mysteries?

Teresa S. Abesamis is a former professor at the Asian Institute of Management and fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines.

tsabesamis0114@yahoo.com