|
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Severino: The new economic nationalism"
By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
Think Economics
MY position must already be clear. As far as this "Constitution issue" is concern, I am primarily and essentially for the simple amendment of a few economic provisions of Article 12 and related provisions especially land reform program. This whole thing on CHA CHA is costly, risky, tricky and suspiciously a political mascara. Since we are a nation stricken with chronic historical economic crisis, then let us solve this through empirical Economics. Specifically, I have advocated for inviting and accommodating 100% foreign investment participation by way of property, land ownership, equity sharing. This includes 100 percent foreign participation in the exploitation of our natural resources and operation of utilities.
I know this position can be very controversial. An amendment, however, need not incur cost while the benefit can be overwhelmingly abounding. True, a zero-cost endeavor is an impossibility. Budgeted national resources however, can be spent on education to justify the amendment. Education must be very critical and liberating to include dissenting theories and advocacies. At the moment, there is none. This so-called "People Initiative" can be done away considering the time investment cost of Comelec, not to mention the cost of litigation entailed in the absence of an "enabling law". Education must be focused on the bridging of savings-to-investment gaps, which foreign investors can be of tremendous help.
Any investor needs a treatment that would make him secure. Aliens are understandably very insecure; anyone of us who have gone abroad experiences this. What prudence and common sense then will motivate foreign investors to come when our very Constitution cannot offer the "minimal" guarantee? Offering
minority 40% equity to multinational, high financed capitalist is silly. So, at an inimical and immeasurable cost to us, foreign investors permanently dwell in our Asian neighbors instead where they can own properties 100%. This saves them operating expenses, free them from the complications of fiduciary intermediation and marrying dishonest wives.
At first glance, it would appear that I am prostituting ancestral patrimony to devouring aliens; worst, at 100% give-it-to-them-all. Wow, this is such an affront to our heroes' blood sacrificed in the name of nationalism! In the first place, how can Filipino business compete with foreigners if they are allowed 100 percent entrance?
A careful historical and contextual situational reading reveals that nationalism must be a movement that frees the Filipino nation from the bondage of slavery. We were then slaves of alien colonizers out of sheer force and deceit. Today we are still "slaves" of aliens as OFWs out of our ignorance and irresponsible elitist governance. We thought it was "nationalistic" to protect an all-pure Filipino business from foreign competition by institutionalizing legal guarantees from high tariffs and export quotas. What we actually did was to impede the outward looking potentials of these elitist businesses that even our Constitutional legacies became replicas of them. We put the Quezon-Recto
demagogueries to the highest pedestal, our industries became retardates that are unable to survive global competition therefore unable to lift us from poverty.
Anything therefore that would free our compatriots from the inability to compete is surely very nationalistic.
A Constitutional amendment is not just opening our markets to foreigners and we take our rest, the Juan Tamad style. With prudent administration of national
regulatory powers now in place, we can subject our spoiled brats industries to stiff foreign competition thus teaching them to compete themselves. If they are
good learners, they can globally network, learn and harness foreign technological and managerial expertise for the benefit of the populace. This competition bridges savings gaps, doubles employment, manage inflation through price reduction. Poverty is reduced.
"We can free Negros of monocrop mind-set and poverty mentality," Mayor Mai-Mai said. "It looks like sugar planters made good as price watchers. When sugar
prices are down, everybody scampers for alternatives. When prices are up, the industry slumbers. Perhaps, it is time to shake them up." Robert Frost said, "The (seductive) woods are lovely, dark, and deep/But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep."
We can still stop for a post Lent reflection.
For questions and comments, please e-mail gil_severino@yahoo.com.
(April 20, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
