The present Philippine Public Administration for me would have a satisfactory grade in performing its mandates particularly in affairs of the country, but I will just give the complement to our president alone.
Hierarchically speaking, the President has his own cabinet members and House of Representatives that act as his functioning body. our government’s pace depends on how well PRRD is working, so basically, since policies and decisions need the approval of the President, the entire country relies on him alone regardless if his decision is better for the country or not but of course with the check and balances of his co-equal branch of the government.
Philippines as we know is an emerging market since PRRD took oath, there were lots and lots of projects that were accomplished and more are coming, but when we speak of Public Administration of the Philippines, we speak of policies and practices that are applied and acted upon. As we narrow the subject to the laws and guidelines set by our government, it caters the needs of the society, the Yolanda Victims, the bereaved families of SAF 44, Marawi Siege victims, infrastructures, foreign affairs, national security and many more.
Our government is somehow sinking because of the leftist and certain group of people that is trying to destabilize our nation. But if you get deeper in reading between the lines, Philippines is moving towards a good direction. We may suffer inflation as of the moment but it is a sign of an emerging country, a stagnant inflation meant an idle country.
Our president and his advisers know what they are doing, knowing that our president came from streets and has apathy towards members of the lower families in the society; he knows how to address their [less fortunate] issues and how to handle them effectively.
As we proceed to the political landscape of the Philippines; unfortunately, I have to give a lower rating about it [political landscape], during the time of candidacy of Ricardo Penson, 60 on what he called Krusada Kontra Dynasty or Kontra have challenged fellow senatorial candidates to end a few families’ dominance of the country’s political landscape.
Since my family have been a political player in the late 90’s during my childhood, I am strongly against dynasties as they are involved in ―party-switching for convenience, reducing political parties [and at some point eliminating their rival candidate in a lawless manner] to nothing more than a vehicle for the ambitions of powerful political clans [perhaps the entire family have already placed their relatives on the party list they’re in].
I have witnessed an elementary graduate who slacks of during high school became a Mayor of a municipality in Jolo, a drop-out who doesn’t attend school but because of political dynasty became a Mayor and what hurts the most is that; their family is considered to be powerful and the deserving candidate can’t do anything.
Party memberships can change in the blink of an eye depending on who is in power. Power attracts all those who think they can carry favor with the powerful one, leading the politicians in switching parties, merging parties and even renaming parties. And as long as you’ve been in the mainstream and famous you have a high percentage of winning the elections.
Philippines is currently facing a problem today that dates back to the Spanish colonial era where classism prevailed thus ensuring the gap between the rich and poor for perpetuity, local politicians and political dynasties jockey for power and wealth in their respective provinces and towns thus shaping the political landscape of the Philippines today. Perhaps it’s time to abandon such political practices and allow commoners and deserving people to be lawmakers.
The majority of senatorial contenders from the Liberal Party-led ruling coalition and the United Nationalist Alliance are considered part of political families. Among them are President Aquino’s cousin Bam and his aunt Margarita ―Tingting Cojuangco; Vice President Jejomar Binay’s daughter, Nancy; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s son, Jackie; Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s half-brother, JV; Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Koko Pimentel, Cynthia Villar, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay and former Sen. Jun Magsaysay.
Since we are living in a digital society; Political landscape in the Philippines has changed because of Facebook and other social media which are effectively, uncontrollably, and truthfully hiding the real political situations in our country. The current political landscape of the country has something to do with the global trend of rightward populism which brought Duterte into presidency.
This global political shift has had something to do with the dissatisfaction of many with failed neoliberal prescriptions in addressing economic inequality across the globe and the proliferation of information brought by social media in which it has become easier for people to strike in an ―echo chamber spheres, a breeding ground for populism.
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