Systemic

FIRST PERSON

- ALEX MAGNO

Another day, another substandard public works project to view. In yet another inspection sortie, President Marcos visited a slope protection and rock shed project along Kennon Road in Benguet. Expectedly, it was another disappointing day. The project was substandard and prone to collapse after the first heavy rain.

While at it, the President might want to inspect recently built bridges. Those bridges, too, will bring him disappointment. But it is necessary to have a good look at them in the interest of public safety.

How many projects will the President have to see up close before this exercise begins to look repetitive—almost an exercise in masochism? He can spend all the remaining days of his term looking at crumbling projects and not see all of them.

At some point, BBM might want to shift his focus from ocular inspections to developing strategies to fight the cancer of corruption in our public works. At some point, he has to decide he has seen enough and start finding solutions.

The main reason the Philippines is falling behind our neighbors in the region is because our infrastructure backbone remained backward. For an archipelago, this strategic failure is inexcusable.

Last month, Vietnam finally overtook us, posting a higher GDP per capita. We used to be the most promising economy in Southeast Asia until our governance failed us. Vietnam decisively rebuilt its war-ravaged nation and surged ahead.