(Via mlq3) Janette Toral of Digitalfilipino has called on bloggers to identify what "important issues should voters consider as priority when analyzing politician's or political party agenda". Here's my contribution in the form of a laundry list (for now):
1. Land Reform - Economists have clearly established the link between land reform and economic growth. What will be your government's timetable for completing CARP? How can you ensure full implementation in the face of resistance from the rich and powerful?
2. Food Security - Related to the above, what will be your government's approach to achieving food security?
3. Wealth Redistribution - Philippine society is characterized by extreme concentration of wealth among few families. How can you encourage, convince or otherwise compel the wealthiest families to come up with an action plan to redistribute a portion of their wealth to the poor? How will you monitor progress of these action plans?
4. Industrial Development - The world's leading economies have achieved sustained economic growth by embarking on a conscious program of Industrial Development. What is your approach for building a home-grown manufacturing and industrial base? Specifically, how will your government encourage or otherwise compel the country's leading businessmen to keep their capital in country and invest their wealth in industry instead of in real estate (e.g. malls) and other rent-seeking activities? How will your government continuously manage and monitor their progress?
5. Export Promotion with Import Substitution - How will your government be able to promote exports and at the same time encourage the substitution of imported items with locally manufactured ones?
I'll update during the week.
9 comments:
slightly off topic, CVJ, but I thought this would interest you:
"Four irresistible forces today cause observed increases in labor mobility—and each promises to become even more powerful in the future. These forces are wage gaps, demographics, “everything but labor” globalization, and the services future of labor demand in industrial countries. [there is] A fifth force—rapid and massive shifts in the desired populations of various countries..."
From Lant Pritchett's "Let their people come"
UDC
Urbano, thanks for the pointer to Pritchett's book! There's a discussion over at Manolo Quezon over Randy David's analysis on the increased rural to urban migration in the Philippines. The latter wrote that what is taking place is qualitatively different from the previous waves. You might want to weigh in.
I think I should tell Mar Roxas about it…
Please check out http://marroxas2010.blogspot.com
Thanks Kevin Ray!
Hello CVJ! This is a great list and with concrete concerns that requires serious answers from candidates. I'm very curious on the aspect of wealth redistribution and will read more about it.
The implementation of CARP is also another concern - especially now as farmer issues get more visibility and attention from the public.
Hi Janette, thanks for getting the ball rolling! I intend to add to the list as time permits.
This is a great list, cvj. A basic list that every would-be candidate should address.
(I'd like to ask them how they would get our economy 'offline' from the G-9 countries and on-line with the smaller economies of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, but that's being too presumptuous of me. :-) )
I think everyone agrees that there should be wealth (re)distribution in our country. But how do we do that in our "democratic" republic that has been ruled by the capitalist oligarchy since its inception?
Hi Lester, it certainly cannot happen in a democratic setting without the elite having some sort of epiphany that would convince them to enter a Bayanihan Pact along the lines envisioned by Abe Margallo (here, and here).
Otherwise, our future will be more like Pakistan's or Kenya's.
In this regard, i think the grandsons representing the old elite (like Mar Roxas and Noynoy Aquino) have a special obligation to make this happen so that they can take our country to the next level (and atone for the sins of their fathers in the process).
Post a Comment