LIKE the horse and carriage, leadership and progress are both ideal and practical partners. Progress, which by itself is disruptive, can be more and chaotic without leadership. Leadership without progress is questionable.
Pampanga is blessed to have both. The province has leaders in the private sector and the government who are not only proactive but, in a way, visionary. It is also encouraging that they see eye to eye on things that need to be done now, not later.
As always, it appears that those from the private sector are the more aggressive. It is understandable: they expose themselves to higher risks while aiming for the greatest gain. Those in the government are more cautious and conservative because of legal issues and accountabilities.
Let's say that they act both on the basis of incentives or disincentives, maybe some of it is altruistic or patriotic. But as we learn in life or chemistry, there is no such thing as pure solution.
Pampanga leaders today are moving forward hand-in-hand with an eye on the future with a minimum of 4-year horizon. A priority is traffic management, particularly in the San Fernando area which, of late, has had some semblance of Metro Manila, especially after the long days of heavy rains that produced floods and damaged the city's major thoroughfare, JASA.
The meeting last Wednesday at the Laus Group Event Centre had some of the best in the province: former President and current Congressman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Governor Lilia G. Pineda, businessmen Levy P. Laus, Jess Nicdao and Rene Romero and officials from government agencies and the private sector.
It's not exhaustive, of course, and it may be an oversight for not having other leaders and stakeholders from other areas or groups. A holistic approach to such a community undertaking may be advisable. Having other officials or leaders from other sectors like the religious, education, the youth etc. will not only not hurt but will help.
Partisan politics should not stand in the way of agreeing to and working for what is best for the province.
In any case, the meeting provided a forum for ideas and issues that continue to confront and will confront the province in the foreseeable future and how to fix them instead of fixing the blame or who gets the credit for what.
That should make any plan or strategy for managing progress more humane and inclusive. No one really has a corner on what is good for everyone or for the majority.
The way I look at it, a meeting such as this will also help develop a sense of commitment and purpose and ensure continuity.
That should be the overarching goal. Leaders come and go. (Governor Pineda hinted or warned about it when she said this will be her last term).
Change and progress are permanent. But the leadership culture, as it is or it has been in the last 25 years or so should be preserved.