opinion@businessmirror.com.ph
Opinion BusinessMirror
Friday, March 31, 2017 A11
Is Bases Conversion This good heart Development Authority a legitimate land developer Tito Genova Valiente or systemic land-grabber? annotations MAIL
An open letter of appeal to President Duterte Dear President, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) was created pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 7227, which was signed into law by President Corazon Aquino on March 13, 1992. The intent was to convert US military bases into more productive ventures and spur development for the modernization of the Armed Forces. It may have envisioned the positive side of economic development but not the dark side of displacement of soldiers living nearby. Most of the camps now have been developed into economic hubs and most of the best lands have become modern hotels, hospitals and first-class restaurants, and even high-class condominium units that only the very rich and the elites can afford. In Fort Bonifacio the entire camp have already metamorphosed into a high-end shopping destination and has been converted into an ideal abode for the haves but not for the have-nots. In the periphery of Fort Bonifacio are areas occupied by soldiers for practical reasons, i.e., the proximity of going to their offices at the Philippine Army Headquarters and to some at Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters. To name a few of these areas, we have Cembo, Rembo, Comembo and Pembo, which were declared housing areas of soldiers by the military commanders in the late 1950s.Later on, these communities became barangays of Makati, Taguig and Pateros. Today, some areas along C-5 road are the Palar Village, Santo Niño and Wildcat Village, and the SSBNAI beside Dasmarinas Village are among the latest addition to the list. Most of these areas are supposed to be villages of soldiers who are hoping that someday will be awarded to them as they have not been accommodated in AFPOVAI or even at Bonifacio Heights and the BCDA replication housing areas in Diego Silang along C-5 road and military officers villages along Kalayaan Road. For most of them, they have been there all along for even as early in the 1980s and up to now, living in an uncomfortable and miserable makeshift houses with their families. It is for this reason this appeal is written to our beloved Commander-in Chief that BCDA should spare these areas and allow the officers and soldiers occupying their lots and develop it within their capability and budget. The truth of the matter is, owning a condominium unit at Bonifacio heights and other housing areas developed by BCDA are not affordable to most. To own a condominium unit at Bonifacio Heights requires a down payment of P1.2 million and the remaining amount is to be amortized for P30,000 monthly for 25 to 30 years or so. How can officers and soldiers afford these? Anyway, the best lots have already been developed and the rich and famous are now enjoying their stay in the once-fabled Fort Bonifacio, which was associated with the soldier’s fun memories of the old camp facilities. Displacing them from their homes would somehow be a sad and traumatic experience and relocating them and their families somewhere may not be the best option right now. If some areas, like AFPOVAI and Cavalry Hill, have been awarded to a few soldiers and officers, then why not treat the same way the thousand other soldiers who have been living there for so long a time now even longer than the time AFPOVAI was granted to a few privilege officers. Article XIII, Sections 9 and 10 of the Constitution provides that the state is duty bound to make affordable and decent housing units to the underprivileged and homeless citizens of the country to include soldiers. While the government allows the demolition of urban-poor communities, it has
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failed to provide decent housing, for the our heart is still good. dislocated families inspite of billions of My cardiologist was talking. taxpayers money spent on housing, as in A day before I saw my heart by way of ultrasound, I kept the case of Pandi, Bulacan, lately. In the looking at this thing which appeared to have an opening. Through case of SSBNAI, it was declared as AFP the screen, I did not see an organ beating, but one that opened and Officers Village pursuant to the proviclosed. What a tiny thing. sions of RA 274 and 730. This parcel of land of about 50,000 square meters was covered under PP 461, dated September That thing is still good. I could tion to help up my heart. As in film 29, 1965, otherwise known as the Armed Forces of the Philippines Officers Village see once more my heart performconcourses, my heart showed some (AFPOV) and is excluded from the jurising, showing off its capacity, trying flaws here and there but no one could diction and administration of the BCDA to convince whoever is reading the ignore the small organ and its sterunder RA 7227, or the Bases Conversion images on the screen that it could ling character. and Development Act of 1992. Therefore, still serve me. A day before the ultrasound, I the development plan of BCDA under Your heart is still good. That decenjoyed for the first time, since my Swo-00-001262 on January 4, 1995, is laration was not medical; it was a hospital confinement, a documenillegal and an act of a systematic landvery personal commendation, which tary on black holes. As the scientists grabbing technique employed by BCDA, made me see my heart as both sepaexplained meticulously the birth of as beforehand this area was already rate from me but belonging to me. It black holes and the death of stars, the granted as AFPOV long before BCDA was as if, during the ultrasound, that more I was swallowed into the myswas created. The statement of the BCDA heart was taken apart and I was told teries of the universe. There was no president that land-grabbing activities not to make any comments as the need to understand their theories. I involving officers is detrimental to the appraisal went on. maintain my old policy that, in the AFP morale is a blatant lie, as these claims Now, that this heart is still good, end, there are things that cannot be have legal bases for it to be awarded to I felt a part of me had made a sucexplained, there are matters we canthe lowly paid officers and soldiers. In fact, in a letter of Dr. Sofio Quintana, the cessful presentation. And, it won not not understand. There is one thing assistant regional director for Technical the grand prize but the jury prize. that I wanted to remember: The idea Services of the Department of EnvironThe young doctor, Dr. Leo Guazon, that black holes have bubbles that ment and Natural Resources, addressed in explaining the jury award, talked could contain galaxies the size of to the BCDA president and CEO on Januof how I would need vast medicathe Milky Way. ary 12, he requested the cancellation of the survey plan Swo-00-001262 of BCDA over the parcel of lot occupied by SSBNAI, attesting that the survey was not in accordance with the purpose for which it was authorized, i.e., declaring the area as an AFP Officers Village. On the other hand, BCDA has yet to show that the billions of pesos they have acquired from the sales of military camps Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual have already bankrolled the AFP modernization program or have been used for government programs and projects. This is the very reason for their existence, but even up to now not even a single aircraft aritas Manila’s Youth Servant Leadership and Educaor seacraft to secure the West Philippine Sea was bought out of the sale of these tion Program (YSLEP) produced 817 servant leaders this lands. From its creation in 1992 up to year, with one summa cum laude and two magna cum 2015, BCDA boasted the generation of laude awardees. P72 billion from former Metro Manila camps alone, not to include incomes from Clark, Poro Point, John Hay and One YSLEP scholar from the a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries the North Luzon tollways. Were the acts Diocese of Kidapawan, Sweetzel graduating student from University of President Aquino of creating BCDA or M. Llorica, will graduate as summa of Rizal System, will both graduate the daang matuwid program of his son cum laude from the Notre Dame of as magna cum laude. P-Noy really were motivated by patriotic Kidapawan College with the degree This batch of servant leaders also fervors or were just diversionary tactics of the yellowtards to favor the rich and of Bachelor of Secondary Education includes 10 Cum Laude awardees, also to drive the issue out of the HaciMajor in English. Meanwhile, both 6 board passers, 52 Dean’s Listers, enda Luisita Comprehensive Agrarian Jonathan G. Ytang, a Bachelor of and 24 special awardees comprisReform Program fiasco? Secondary Education graduating ing almost 12 percent of this year’s These, President, are the realities of student from De La Salle University, graduating YSLEP scholars. BCDA land-grabbing activities and the Manila; and Maria Tacianne Fines, These graduates are from the plight of these landless military men who opted to stay near Fort Bonifacio, and the other camps mentioned earlier, as they have learned to love from the beginning of their career as defenders of this Republic. This is a sad fact that people occupying most parts of these camps now are not anymore military men but the elite members of the Philippine society, and that is the reality. Through your intervention as Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr. Chief Executive of the land, Sir, may this appeal of granting these small parcels of lots currently occupied by soldiers in the periphery of Fort Bonifacio Global City be spared from BCDA interference and allow the occupants to develop and build their recent achievement of the country has not been given own houses and settle their families in the consideration it deserves. This pertains to the increase more decent housing communities. This in average real wages, which was accompanied by declines benevolent act of yours will be the grandin both employment and underemployment. Note that the real est gift you can give to the soldiers. If the wage is inflation-adjusted, indicating that wages received by the Kadamay group, which from nowhere, workers are rising higher than the inflation rate. just occupied housing units built by the government were allowed and even accorded compassionate treatment by the formal enterprises. As a result, the According to Vicente Paqueo and the Department of Social Welfare and unemployment rate has breached the Aniceto Orbeta, both fellows of the Development in Pandi, Bulacan, why 5-percent mark with a 4.7-percent rate in Philippine Institute of Development not accord the same treatment to these October 2016. This fundamentally disStudies (PIDS), the average real wage poor soldiers without homes to really plays an early economic take-off. More rate, which was declining from 2001 to own the lots they are occupying before important, these observations highlight 2011, has reversed itself in 2011-2015. it gets again into the hands of the wellthat the high economic-growth rates that At the same time, labor productivity off people who are favored by the BCDA we have achieved are now being felt by appears to have slightly accelerated in the authorities. the workers on the average. These phesame period. Although the wage rate has nomena are consistent with the observed With much hope and optimism, Sir, not yet completely returned to its 2001 declines in poverty rates from 26.3 in level, these recent wage and productivity we look forward for your positive action 2009 to 21.5 in 2015. trends are made all the more significant on the matter and, rest assured, we your From a policy point of view, the risbecause the agricultural real wage rate, soldiers and our families will always be ing real wage presents us with several which has perennially been stagnating grateful and be more dedicated in our lessons. First, the continuous increase was also noted to have increased. services in pursuit of a better Philipin the growth rates was crucial in susThese events are important for a pines you have envisioned to achieve in taining this trend. In contrast to the number of reasons. For one, it indicates your watch as the President. More power previous administrations, the previous a tightening of the labor market. For so and God bless. Aquino (P-Noy) administration was able many years, the labor market is believed to generate and sustain growth based to have generated an army of workers President, SSBNAI on sound economic fundamentals, crewhose skills are not matched with indusPresident, Wildcat Village ating much-needed confidence in the try demand. The recent events then point President, Palar Village economy. Second, key institutional reout a mopping out of the labor surplus President, Santo Niño Village with more workers being absorbed into forms accompanied this growth trend.
I sense that my heart also contains a black hole, that unseen part of the heart not covered by medical thoughts and theories. This is the heart that is imagined to be red and throbbing and shaped, well, like a heart. This is the heart that has blood and passion and imagination, the part of man that, according to W. H. Auden, has deserts where we can “let the healing fountain start”. I have thanked my cardiologist upon receiving the good news, I have not thanked my heart, the heart that
belongs to clinics and hospitals. Months from now I will be telling people of my adventures in the hospital. I would regale them of how I survived the pains and tests. I would relate to them also how my swollen leg was subjected to ultrasound. The leg—its veins and arteries also proved to be quite good. Years from now, some people will say to me: You have a good heart. My heart would hear that and it would know it has been part of a terrific performance.
More than 800 YSLEP beneficiaries to graduate this year SERVANT LEADER
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poorest areas and regions in the country, with 537 graduates from the National Capital Region, 67 from Luzon, 115 from the Visayas and 98 from Mindanao. Caritas Manila aims to continue reaching out to this vulnerable sector, especially in the poorest areas of the Visayas and Mindanao, because we believe that the future leader of this nation could be one of these youth from the marginalized sectors and education is the foundation for outstanding leadership. That’s why we help them to be the person they can be by giving them access to higher education and mold them to become servant leaders of this country. Every year, about 500 youth beneficiaries of YSLEP graduate from different schools and 90 percent of them are employed six months after. Those who have been successful in their respective professions help in sustaining the activities of Caritas Manila as members of Caritas Soci-
A time to celebrate and to grieve EAGLE WATCH
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During the P-Noy administration, there was the expansion of the Conditional Cash-Transfer Program, the conscious effort to rid the government of corruption, the installation of the K to 12 program and the revival of industry. Third, efforts to achieve a long-term vision were instrumental in achieving these successes. All the reforms were intent on bringing about inclusive development, aimed at giving the poor access to economic opportunities. While these reforms need to be strengthened and new reforms still have to be instituted, the economic structures were already formed to reduce poverty even further. However, while indeed this is a time for celebration, this is also the time for grief. According to the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate was already back to 6.6 percent in January 2017. The Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey corroborates this data. Using a different definition of unemployment from the PSA, the SWS recorded an unemployment rate of 25.1 percent in December 2016, 6.7 percentage points up from 18.4 percent in October 2016. At present, it seems unlikely the Duterte administration will be able to support the economic momentum. In fact, it is more intent in bringing back the economic programs during the time of Marcos. One clear example is reinstallation of the much-rejected Masagana 99 program of the dictatorship. Now known as Program for Unified Lending in Agriculture (Punla), it aims to simplify and consolidate the agri-lending programs of the government from around seven down to two to three credit facilities providing a more convenient and less complex lending scheme to farmers and
ety of Servant Leaders (CSSL). They continuously contribute their time and talent to Caritas community through their volunteer service as a way of giving back to the community. For over 60 years, YSLEP was able to assist more than 10,000 out of school youth and poor families to become professionals, productive citizens and servant leaders. Currently, there are more than 5,000 youth nationwide under Caritas YSLEP. Under YSLEP, scholars and their parents are required to go through the following modules: values formation, sacramental appreciation, health and nutrition, livelihood and skills training, 3R (reading, writing, arithmetic) tutorials, and national family planning and responsible parenting. To know more about the programs of Caritas Manila, visit www.caritas.org.ph. For donations, call 563-9311. For inquiries, call 563-9308 or 563- 9298.
fishers. Punla, with an initial funding of P200 million, targets to boost the respective agri-fishery industries of the 10 poorest provinces in the country. The program aims to provide lending for farmers and fisherfolk groups with less stringent requirements, faster fundreleasing time and low interest rates. But Agricultural Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol seems to forget the main lesson that the failed Masagana 99 has crystallized: that the government has no comparative advantage in lending. If the government wishes to help poor farmers and fishermen it should be in the area of improving technologies and productivity that will induce the formal financial institutions to lend to them. Because of its strong inclination to be the great provider (a la godfather) to everyone and score “pogi” points, the current administration would end up dismantling the Philippine economic structure. For instance, going back to labor, the government policy to end contractualization or temporary employment (endo) contracts may prove counterproductive if firms may end up reducing employment. With the advent of new technologies and the growing emphasis on product quality and reputation, the demand for workers has become less and less permanent as production becomes more and more flexible and product demand more and more unstable. The government can help the workers more by providing social protection and by improving acquired skills in order to secure incomes, not the labor tenure.
Leonardo Lanzona Jr. is a professor of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University and a senior fellow of Eagle Watch, the school’s macroeconomic research and forecasting unit.