Peace, growth and development

To Take A Stand

By Rafael M. Alunan III

AN IMPORTANT foundation for nation-building has been laid. The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro is a welcome breakthrough for a nation weary of civil war and eager to put their ugly past behind them on a leap of faith, and in the hope that sincerity, trust and brotherhood will ultimately prevail. After egotistic personalities that were impairing confidence-building and goodwill were sidelined, negotiations moved at a quicker pace driven by professionals armed with much needed EQ. That said, we cannot let down our guard against elements out to sabotage the agreement and divide us, now or later.

The next step is to flesh out the meat and bones of this framework to produce a finished product that everyone would want to own. The hyped ceremony yesterday aimed to generate widespread support in its final stage of completion, which is crucial to make this landmark agreement work. The hard part begins after the final pact is wholeheartedly accepted by all stakeholders as good and doable -- Muslims, Lumads, Christians; government and rebel forces; politicians from all sides; civil society; and the public-at-large. Everyone must make it work. National unity, not dismemberment, is key to our desired future.

Earlier, we received another bit of good news that the country’s competitiveness ranking rose significantly, driven by the government’s anti-corruption campaign and the business sector’s integrity pledge to advance the cause of good corporate governance culture. Our international credit rating is now just a shade below investment grade, and we are referred to as one of Asia’s newest tiger economies apart from Indonesia. The stock market has breached the 5,500 mark and continues to climb. Our economic fundamentals are strong. A just and lasting peace in Mindanao could only translate to more stability and predictability; more jobs and increasing wealth; less poverty, hunger and violence.

Hopefully we don’t fumble; we can’t afford to because there is still much to do to fix our house and protect the national interest. Despite publicized gains, corruption and inefficiency continue to fester in all branches of government, down to local levels, typically, fraud, theft, pilferage, bribery, extortion and red tape. If there is anything that turns off investors and gets them to line up elsewhere, it is corruption and inefficiency. A palpable disconnect between policy and practice could quickly turn potential gains to more opportunity losses allowing competition to pull away and others behind us to catch up.

There is much ghost-busting to be done in public offices to prevent tens of billions from being lost to ghost payrolls, purchases, deliveries, inventories and projects. Government also needs to beef up its field inspection to ensure that projects and services are done on time, and within budget and specifications. It further needs strict internal auditors and compliance officers to ensure that efficiency, cost effectiveness and integrity campaigns are sustained by those responsible and accountable for it. And since the bulk of the annual budget is for salaries and benefits, all personnel records must be cleaned up to plug the leaks.

The tens of billions we lose annually to corruption and inefficiency affects our national wellbeing. It diminishes the government’s capacity to look after our human and ecological security; our defense and public safety; our self-esteem and standing before the world; in other words, our total national security. It continues to subvert its capability to reduce poverty; protect the environment; assist OFWs in danger; ensure food and energy security; modernize public transport systems; forge new alliances; defend our territorial integrity; and the support needed by the private sector to develop our own defense industry.

A case in point is a Filipino company -- United Defense Manufacturing Corp. (UDMC) -- that US and Philippine Navy SEALS have praised for an outstanding assault rifle called the PVAR (pneumatic valve and rod). After subjecting it to stress tests, it proved equal to, or better than, foreign brands, including the famed M-4 Bushmaster. In a recent visit, I met its Chairman and CEO, Gene Carino, who also functions as UDMC’s research and development engineer. The 100% Filipino company holds two patents for its PVAR system and already supplies foreign security firms protecting vessels from pirates in the Horn of Africa.

The PVAR rifle, which uses aircraft-grade aluminum and high-grade steel alloys, was subjected to temperature, water, sand mud and shock drop tests. I tested it, too, along with Air Force Gen. Antonio Sotelo (ret.) and his son, Nick, both heroes of the EDSA February 1986 People Power Revolt; Maj. Demy Zagala, PA SFR (A) and my nephew, Anthony Rodriguez. We noted that the PVAR did not jam after immersing it in water; it had no muzzle rise and negligible recoil; was operationally cleaner and cooler compared to the direct gas impingement model. I read a report where AFP and PNP testing units further noted that there was no “cook-off” and no bolt or barrel overheating after firing over 7,000 rounds.

Ironically, UDMC is having great difficulty to even get considered for bidding to supply the AFP and the PNP due to limitations in the Procurement Law or RA 9184 (bidders must have at least a five-year supply track record); failure to consider the Constitution’s Filipino First policy, specifically Art. 12, Sec. 12; RA 5183, or the Flag Law; and RA 7898, or the AFP Modernization Act. The Constitution and all three pieces of legislation uphold the policy of preference for Filipino products. This preferential policy is anchored on the country’s Self-Reliance Defense Posture (SRDP), which was formulated in the 1970s.

Someone up there in government should be connecting the dots to breathe new life and meaning into the SRDP. Neglecting industrial development violates the spirit and letter of the policy. It only dampens our creative, entrepreneurial and competitive spirit. The longer we take to develop our domestic industries, the more we will drive away our human resources into the arms of foreign interests that, ultimately, will benefit instead from their expertise and passion. We must arrest that mindless situation and get serious about Filipino First (if equal to or better than foreign competition) to bring our country to the next level.

Peace, growth and development require exceptional patience, endurance and commitment. Our worth as a nation demands it. Surely, there will be progress and setbacks; successes and failures; new paths and dead-ends. But these are all part of the journey that should be expected. Nation-building is not for the wimpy and faint-hearted.