Epic Fail

By Rolo B. Cena

Random

Dumaguete Star Informer

01 January 2017

2017, while anticipated to be productive for the Philippines and the Filipino people, may never be so unless 2016 is made an indicator of the country’s performance in relation to achieving targets planned earlier, New Year’s resolutions vis-à-vis personal achievements included.

The answers to the question why most targets or New Year’s resolutions fail should not be undermined.  For one, this speaks of strategies.  Two, it deals with achievability of targets.  Three, it determines the effectiveness of execution. 

Several leading experts have their own rationale on this:  Ram Charan, leadership guru, contends that seventy percent of strategies are poorly executed.  Doctors Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, advocates of Balanced Scorecard argue that ninety percent of strategies are poorly executed.  Ernst & Young, management consultants, reveals that sixty percent of strategies are never executed while Deloitte, another management expert asserts that the hindrance to achieving targets is poor execution.  These teams conducted years of research and studies to come up with these game-changing statistics.

Obviously, these scientific accounts assert that achieving targets depend on how well companies or individuals execute their strategies, no matter how these strategies are poetically articulated, as in most cases.  One more time, these accounts include New Year’s resolution.

More than 30 years ago, Filipinos gathered at EDSA to call for the resignation of the late Ferdinand Marcos.  Organized by the late Cardinal Sin, it gained support from Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile, two of the prominent stalwarts and allies of Marcos.  That catapulted his expulsion from Malacanang through the help of the American government.  The first lady president, Cory Aquino then governed the greed-adorned Palace by the murky Marikina River.

Novel ideas were deliberated and awesome strategies crafted with the help of old, aspiring and new politicos sans personal interests hidden in the rhetoric of all recommendations, actions or arguments they laid down on the table of political, socio-economic and cultural discourses.

We then thought we could move fast-forward.  Little did we realize that we were actually chugging towards development.  The only significant achievement Aquino administration can boast of is the amendment of the Constitution with uncalled-for re-naming of edifices and landmarks on the side; Ninoy Aquino International Airport is one of those.

Fidel Ramos took over amidst election protests from the camp of Mirriam Santiago.  Joseph Estsrada succeeded Ramos but was ousted for plunder in less than two years through the less popular EDSA 2 Revolution that ushered the petite lady of Pampanga to the Palace, ruling the country for about ten straight years, with a material number of high-profile graft and corruption cases recorded.  Benigno Aquino III, succeeded the Rule from Gloria Arroyo via his infamous “Tuwid na Daan” vehicle. 

Over time, Malacanang controlled the State:  Senate ruled, Congress banged its gavel unopposed, Supreme Court dissented anytime, Cabinet obeyed, and local governments submitted.  Much was done in favor of the few and privileged.  Individuals disappointed of results marched down the streets to express their most-of-the-time self-vested interests, shouted at the top of their voices behind picket lines. 

They argued much; they worked less.  Worse, they delivered the most mediocre of services.  It happened before; it is still happening today!

And what has become of us after 30 years of EDSA?  Amazingly, EDSA still stands as the most congested highway bringing the public to several behavioral disorders:  Budgets inflated to accommodate Pork Barrel, crimes increased, graft and corruption cases ballooned, insurgencies rose, etcetera.  An overwhelming lists of crimes, grimes and slimes more than achievements are exposed daily.  Wow!

Lately, rumors circulated that the opposition is cooking a mega-rally.  Allegedly funded by a Fil-Am billionaire, it is aimed at ousting President Duterte for the following simple reasons: They hate his firm resolve to kill criminals, jail corrupt government officials, and renew the face of the Archipelagic Philippines, literally.

EDSA has become a byword in political arena; it has gained criticisms across the globe:  For one, it marks the historic feat against tyranny; two, it shows the courage of the Filipino people to assert their rights; and, three, it gives the impression that Filipinos never have learned from one failure to another.  I love the first two points but the third sounds intriguing:  We never have learned from one failure to another over time!

Is another EDSA still worth the effort?  If I may put my two cents in, the answer is no because signs are telling us.  We have been accusing each administration for failing to steer the country to progress but we never realize our failure to assess how well we responded to every problem, how effective we resolved, how efficient we managed damages, and how openly we cooperated or openly accepted proposed changes.

Arguably though, another EDSA may not be the ultimate solution.  Mahatma Gandhi has something better to offer:  “Independence means voluntary restraints and discipline, voluntary acceptance of the rule of law.”

Aren’t we are missing the whole point?