Good governance boosts hope for New Year

Amid a worsening national crisis, what options are available to the citizenry for building a viable future?

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Former Finance Secretary Jesus Estanislao reaffirms the vital importance of good governance as the keystone foundation. Pointing out that the national malaise has been brought about by the inability of the highest leaders to evoke public confidence, he proposes a five-point road map, as follows:

First: “Form a broad National Governance Council (NGC) within civil society.” Second: “Launch a constitutionally-grounded roadmap for the next three years.” Third: “Demand immediate governance reforms within the executive.” Fourth: “Mobilize a ‘civic responsibility movement’ nationwide.” Fifth: “Build institutional transformation platforms across national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units (LGUs).”

Far from being a wide-eyed optimist, the proponent is a hard-nosed realist with a credible track record of modeling and demonstrating the power of good governance. Through the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) that he founded at the onset of the 21st century, many traditional institutions, including the national army and police, have been transformed through the efforts of enlightened leaders who have installed performance governance systems (PGS) that work and deliver results.

The foregoing prescriptions are detailed by Dr. Estanislao in the column entitled “A possible way out of the crisis” that he wrote for the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) at the start of the week (Inquirer, Dec. 29, 2025).