Mr. President, the nation is no longer approaching a breaking point; we are already in it.
For millions of Filipinos, survival has become a daily struggle, not a distant fear. Rising costs, stagnant wages, and deepening uncertainty have long weighed heavily on our people—even before global tensions escalated this February.
Today, what we face is not just an economic crisis it is a crisis of leadership, accountability, and trust.
Our nation is at a breaking point.
Long before the global tensions of February, Filipinos were already struggling. We are currently grappling with:
- A Crisis of Confidence: A historic trust deficit in government institutions.
- The Highest Costs: Among the highest electricity rates and petroleum price increases in Southeast Asia.
- The Weight of Corruption: Persistently ranked among the most corruption-challenged countries globally.
The oil crisis has triggered a surge in the cost of all basic commodities. Mr. President, this is the ultimate test of your sincerity.
You can restore the people’s confidence by taking these immediate actions:
1. Subsidize and Rollback Petroleum Prices
Follow the lead of Vietnam and Malaysia. Subsidizing fuel will have the most significant impact on the prices of rice, vegetables, canned goods, transportation, and electricity.
2. Prioritize People Over “Windfall” Profits
I disagree with claims that the government “loses” ₱320B through subsidies. That figure is **opportunity income**—a windfall profit from rising fuel prices. It is unconscionable for the government to profit while ordinary citizens and small businesses carry the burden of a slowing economy.
3. Fix or Phase Out “Ayuda” Culture
Programs like AICS, AKAP, and 4Ps are “band-aid” solutions that have become highly politicized. We must *either completely remove these programs or impose stricter controls and absolute transparency* to ensure they aren’t used as a source of corruption.
4. Lead Through Personal Sacrifice
As an ultimate act of leadership, reduce the Office of the President’s ₱4.5B confidential fund to the levels maintained during the Arroyo or Aquino administrations.
5. Reallocate Environmental Funds
Suspend the DENR reforestation budget for at least two years. After 40 years of funding, our archipelago should be teeming with forest cover. During this national emergency, these funds are better spent on immediate economic survival.
6. Dismantle “Embedded Pork” in the DPWH
Reduce the DPWH budget by 25–40%. Recent expert testimony reveals that infrastructure spending has become a “vast pool of resources” that functions as a sophisticated, invisible pork barrel. Until “ghost projects” and overpriced work are addressed, we must prioritize maintenance over new, massive spending.
The Real Human Cost
These are not just technical budget flaws; they are human tragedies. As economist Solita Monsod recently argued before the Supreme Court, misaligned spending is a “Robin Hood in reverse” system. While we fund “embedded pork,” the Philippines lags behind its ASEAN peers in life expectancy, infant mortality, and education.
Every peso lost to waste is a peso stolen from a child’s future or a senior’s healthcare. Development targets cannot be met if the Filipino people are being robbed.
Mr. President, this is your moment of truth. History will not remember excuses—it will remember action, or the lack of it.
Every peso wasted is a life made harder. Every delay in reform pushes another family closer to poverty. Every failure to act decisively erodes the trust of the Filipino people.
The question is no longer whether change is needed—it is whether your administration has the courage to deliver it.
The Filipino people are not asking for miracles—we are demanding fairness, accountability, and leadership that puts our survival above all else.
Mr. President, it is time to prioritize the survival of the most vulnerable.
Now is the time to prove that this government truly serves its people.
Nepomuceno M. Terrible (“Nelson”) is a Philippine business leader known for pioneering the affordable condominium concept, introducing value-driven housing during the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. With a background in banking and finance, including roles at Jardine Manila Finance, he built a career focused on resilient, market-responsive development.
He leads companies such as Techno-Asia Construction and Development Inc. and developed Club Balai Isabel in Talisay. A zero-waste advocate, he founded the Sagip Taal Lake Movement to promote environmental protection around Taal Lake.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
