Heath and sanitation instead of ‘pork barrel’ While reviewing the recent reports on China’s alternate “cultural revolution,” it struck me that the Philippines could also do itself a world of good if it commits to its own “toilet revolution.” Presidential or Parliamentary – Does it Make a Difference? ABS-CBN’s award-winning public affairs program “The Bottomline With Boy Abunda” will discuss the effects of the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) or pork barrel in the system of politics in the Philippines this Saturday (September 28). The Parliamentary System can fix Philippine Politics. Let’s CoRRECT™ Asia’s Basketcase of Wasted Democrazy! These three are what we need in order to totally eliminate the need for the Pork Barrel once and for all: (1) Economic Liberalization, (2) Evolving Federalism, (3) Parliamentary System. Clearly, using the Pork Barrel does not develop the countryside. In summary, here are just a few of the many major advantages that shifting to the Parliamentary System will bring to the Philippines: Moreover, there is no equivalent concept of the PDAF in most Parliamentary Systems. Infographic: Solutions to the Root Causes of the Pork Barrel, Crowdsourced Malolos-Style Proposed Constitution, Read This Before Registering to this Site, Dismissing Gridlock: A Case for Parliamentary Systems, How I Came to the Conclusion that the Phils Needs Constitutional Reform, Parliamentary Systems Offer Better Representation, The Anti-People Constitution (from PhilStar), Chan Robles' Copy of the 1987 Constitution, The Parable of the Good Father and National Five-Year Plans, Please read this first before registering, The late John Gokongwei was pro-Constitutional Reform. Let’s all dig deeper, and solve root causes. MANILA, Philippines—Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos gathered at Luneta Park on Monday to voice outrage at graft-tainted pork barrel fund in the largest demonstration since President Benigno Aquino was elected in 2010 on a platform to fight corruption. Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Very often, due to the discretionary nature of the fund, politicians use the fund to reward supporters or buy the support of many others. Why are the Monsods so anti-Constitutional Reform? Lee Kuan Yew on Filipinos and the Philippines, Rizal the Federalist; Bonifacio the Unitarian, Rediscovering the Advantages of Federalism. Just talk to most Visayans, Mindanaoans, Bangsamoros, Cordillerans, Bicolanos, and even many Ilocanos, and you’ll realize that the concept has a lot of followers and supporters. Everyone seems to be screaming about the need to abolish the Pork Barrel, which today bears the official name “Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). : passing new relevant laws and/or repealing obsolete ones, or that representing their constituents’ interests in the legislature was what they signed up for. These bad politicians make policies that hinder development. Agitating for the abolition of the Pork Barrel or PDAF is a good start. Is this also the case in the Philippine pork barrel system? By Jeanne … But now, the rashes are getting to you, and you feel that it’s not worth the trouble. Simply because those who benefit are the ones who decide whether the system should continue or not. To find out more, please click this link. MANILA—The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday sought to alleviate fears about the impact of African swine fever (ASF) on pork prices in the Philippines, the latest country hit by the disease that has killed millions of pigs overseas. Clearly, using the Pork Barrel does not develop the countryside. But it should not end there. Evolving Federalism: Empower the Regions, Develop the Countryside. That the people’s money is either being diverted into private pockets or is being used for projects whose net benefits have not been compared to, much less been found greater than, those that could accrue to alternative uses, is of fundamental concern. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. Because those side-effects will prompt us to find other band-aid quick-fixes to fix those side-effects and they too will have their own side-effects, and so on and so forth. There are just too many poor people all around the Philippines asking for assistance. Evolving Federalism aims to empower the regions in a gradualist “when you can” fashion that concentrates firstly on giving the regional authorities the ability to attract investors into their regions in order to create employment opportunities for a majority of their people. Just like today, appointive positions then were the preserve of the party in power. Sen. Claro M. Recto on the Presidential System. In short, being less disease-prone means having less need to pop pills, and thus not have to endure their side-effects. Here are the three solutions necessary to truly wean Filipinos away from their dependence on the pork barrel, on the one hand, and eliminate the need of government to make use of it as a “tool for governance” on the other: 1. And we must eliminate (or at least reduce) the root problems that cause the executive to need to rely upon pork barrel funds as a means to elicit the legislature’s cooperation. Forum of Federations: Videos for Learning about Federalism, 2 Filipinos: A Football Legend & A Spanish Prime Minister. Economic Liberalization through Constitutional Reform and the repeal of numerous anti-FDI laws aims to get rid of the primary showstopper that prevents numerous multinational corporations and foreign direct investors from easily coming into the Philippines to set up offices, factories, and other operations that would have created millions of opportunities for gainful employment for locally-based Filipinos. Pork Barrel System Transplanted to the Philippines The use of pork barrel funds in the Philippines dates back to the 1930s during the U.S. colonial occupation. It is a sickening cycle of stealing and cheating. One, it gives the executive branch tremendous leverage over the legislature, which is supposed to provide checks and balances (the executive branch can withhold the pork). But because there aren’t that many jobs, so many Filipinos are poor and always asking for money and assistance, the pork barrel fund serves as an institutionalized means for politicians to elicit a debt of gratitude from among the people who benefit from their largesse. The Executive may want to do something, but the Legislature may block it. While Presidential Systems were designed to separate the executive and legislative branches which makes them all prone to gridlock when the two branches cannot agree on the same issue, Parliamentary Systems fuse both the executive and the legislative functions to parliament (particularly to the more powerful lower house if bi-cameral). Economic Liberalization: Remove 60/40 & other anti-FDI provisions. Grand conspiracy to steal taxpayers’ money. Here is what an American NGO, the Citizens Against Government Waste, says about the pork barrel system in the United States at present: “Cases of out-and-out bribery are rare. Rather than “redistributing taxpayers’ money across the country”, why not “redistribute economic opportunities” by giving the regions the authority and the ability to attract investments themselves? Pork barrel therefore does great harm to social services like basic education. Two, it gives incumbent legislators an unfair advantage over their electoral opponents, because of the projects (if successfully implemented) they bring, or the money (if pocketed) they can use to buy votes. Unfortunately, that other symptom re-emerges. These are all systemic problems caused by systemic root causes. Rightly or wrongly, it was actually originally intended to serve as an immediate palliative remedy or “band-aid” to fix some key symptomatic problems caused by deeper systemic root causes inherent in the overall Philippine “System.”. The solution to the pork barrel issue is not abrogation but greater accountability, transparency, and rationality in its utilization. The first pork project in the United States—federal funds were appropriated for the benefit of a locality—was $1,500 to complete a lighthouse in what was then Massachusetts (with the backing of President George Washington). A list, by the way, that is as broad as all outdoors: livelihood, manpower, sports, and cooperative development, delivery of basic services, environmental protection, agricultural and fisheries diversity, rural industrialization, development of local enterprises, social services in areas that would not be ordinarily undertaken by the private sector, and construction, maintenance, operations and management of infrastructure projects. If people weren’t asking for dole-outs because they had jobs, then politicians wouldn’t need to hand-out pork barrel largesse which are funds they get from taxpayers. And Gridlock is wasteful and unproductive. It is presently known as … Call 896 6000. But one can see the elements of conspiracy—the legislator, the government agency, and the contractor acting in collusion. Going back to the health analogy, for many people, simply exercising, eating well (having fruit / vegetables / avoiding too much fat), not smoking, drinking lots of water, sleeping well, and just keeping healthy are enough to avoid many health problems that affect many people. The problem of massive poverty and the mendicant attitude that had been nurtured in the Philippines has caused politicians to think that it is absolutely necessary for them to dole largesse out to the people in their districts in order to placate the poor and their demands/requests for assistance. Parliamentary System: NO GRIDLOCK, Greater Transparency. While the US Congress was torn “between those who pursue pork and those who resist it,” the latter view prevailed until a “turning point” was reached in the 1980s, during the Reagan administration, after which the number and value of pork projects increased astronomically. Simply shifting over to a Parliamentary System immediately eliminates the gridlock problem, thus eliminating the key “supply-side” rationale behind the institutionalization of the pork barrel fund in the first place. You got rid of the rashes, but the old symptom that the pill addressed of has returned. Without the pork barrel fund, the Executive would simply be unable to get the legislature agreeing with it, and both branches could end up going in different directions. And Presidential Systems feature a separation of powers where the Legislative and Executive are distinct entities who are meant to act as a “check and balance” against each other. See, merely abolishing the pork barrel fund without addressing the problem of gridlock means that as gridlock continues, politicians from the executive branch will later on think of reinstating the pork barrel (perhaps calling it something else) because of the need to buy the legislature’s cooperation. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Then let’s not just look at symptoms. Reminds me of a former Chief Executive who swears that he never stole a single centavo from the government. Superior check and balance as the Shadow Cabinet regularly scrutinizes the Government’s Cabinet and their decisions and actions. The politicians long ago who thought of institutionalizing the Pork Barrel did so because they felt that a certain discretionary “special assistance fund” would give legislators the necessary funding they feel they need in order to spearhead projects that could “assist” the needy people in areas they represent in order to gain goodwill and justify the reason for their elected positions’ existence. Being an Overseas Filipino Worker himself, he has seen firsthand how the dearth of investment – both local and foreign – is the cause of the high unemployment and underemployment that exists in the Philippines as well as the low salaries earned by people who do have jobs.Being Cebuano (half-Cebuano, half-Tagalog), and having lived in Cebu, he is a staunch supporter of Federalism. It supports patronage politics. 2. It simply makes people in the countryside more likely to develop a mendicant attitude of dependence on dole-outs. It seems more like their idea was that all elected positions are somehow “executive” and are supposed to have projects (both soft projects such as scholarships as well as “infrastructure projects”) that would create visibility for them even if the elected positions they ran for are purely within the legislative branch. 2. And do not tax my patience by saying that not all legislators are involved. True. Why? While the pork barrel can be used favorably , supporters o f the abolition point out that the pork barrel system is generally anomalous as legislators could easily manipulate their PDAF spending to pursue self interest and not the public interest. Wrote Patricio Diaz in a column for MindaNews: The spoil system originated from American politics. All it takes for evil to triumph…. At least P21 billion a year of taxpayers’ money that arguably could have been more efficiently and equitably used for the welfare of the Filipino people. It takes a little more effort, but only just a little: The legislators reportedly tell the government agency involved who they want as contractors or project implementers. Polls aren’t just for Metro Manila: Why Federalism? No wonder Parliamentary Systems are leaner, more efficient, and less prone to Corruption than Presidential Systems. That clash between the two branches is called GRIDLOCK. The division is institutionalized: at least P70 million worth of pork a year for a House legislator, and P200 million a year for a senator of the republic. Parliamentary: NO GRIDLOCK; SUPERIOR GOVERNANCE. The Minority Opposition creates what is known as a Shadow Cabinet which is composed of leaders and senior members of the coalition or party that leads the opposition minority bloc, who will take on “shadow ministerial positions” and are each assigned to follow the official Government Cabinet’s own ministers around in each of their ministry’s meetings. We must remove all the reasons why People (especially poor people) ask for such dole-outs. The officials must be required to list their reports through the print media. Creepy conspiracy theories and the vaccine, Sinas: No planting of evidence in Echanis’ house, Thinnest 5G smartphone vivo V20 Pro now available with Smart Signature Plan 1999, vivo V20 SE gets P2000 discount with vivo holiday deals, Toyota gives Hiace Commuter owners livelihood push with Oil-In offer, PH military challenge vs Chinese ship intrusion in PH waters bared, Female suspect in Valenzuela robbery-slay falls but 3 still at large, Sinas loses 20 kilos after ‘strict exercise, diet’, Anthony Taberna reveals heartache after daughter lost hair due to chemo, Chinese researchers quit US; agents target Biden team — US officials, Alleged serial rapist who targeted at least 7 massage therapists held in Pasay, Pacquiao takes over as president of Duterte’s PDP-Laban. As a necessary component of a republican system, the pork barrel is directly beneficial to the people as priority projects can be funded by the legislator’s PDAF allocation. Well, instead of handing out dole-outs, why don’t legislators push for  ways to create real jobs in their communities? The Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, also called the PDAF scam or the pork barrel scam, is a political scandal involving the alleged misuse by several members of the Congress of the Philippines of their Priority Development Assistance Fund, a lump-sum discretionary fund granted to each member of Congress for spending on priority development projects of the Philippine government, mostly on the … So you stop taking the pill. It’s interesting to note that the term “Pork Barrel” has its origins as an American term and is associated primarily with the Presidential System. MANILA, Philippines — Janet Lim-Napoles was accused of masterminding the pork barrel scam for at least 10 years, using a network of bogus nongovernment organizations (NGOs). What are the effects of The Pork Barrel Scam by Janet Lim napoles on the Economy of the Philippines? The CoRRECT™ Movement Website © 2020. So how do crooked legislators get their hands on the money, aside from the ghost projects supposedly undertaken in the P10-billion scam? The Philippines, sad to say, uses a Presidential System. We must address Root Causes, not just Symptoms. Patronage politics allows dynasties and evil politicians to stay in power. First popularized by journalist E.K. Federalism actually isn’t that difficult to sell as a concept. All Rights Reserved. Surely, everyone understands this to be a disaster. More jobs for Filipinos means more Filipinos earning salaries which means less need for Pork Barrel. 3. We must remove whatever causes the imbalance between the Capital and the Countryside. The Pork Barrel case was brought during de Lima’s tenure as justice secretary under former President Benigno S. Aquino III. Nancy Binay – Don’t hate the player, hate the game! This is why there is NO GRIDLOCK in Parliamentary Systems. Good grief. Greater efficiency as there is no gridlock to speak of, Ease of getting rid of lousy leaders instantaneously, Greater political stability as there is no gridlock, Better policy-consistency as executive and legislative are fused. In sum, what are the benefits of the pork barrel system in the Philippines? Fix the system, all 3 aspects of it. Worse, it is so susceptible to corruption and political patronage. Earmark ban: No effect on spending Mitch McConnell, top Senate Republican, said Monday he would support a GOP ban on earmarks. The following are the problems that the institution of the Pork Barrel intends, rightly or wrongly,  to fix: 1. Hadn’t they heard of “Meet the People” or “Townhall” Sessions that happen where representatives regularly meet with the people they represent in their own districts for Q&A’s and  thus gain the necessary input they need for privilege speeches and for discussions and debate in the legislature? Countless world-renowned political science PhDs from the Ivy League and the world’s most respected universities have separately studied the phenomenon over and over again and the same observation keeps popping up: Presidential Systems, thanks to the separation of powers between legislative and executive, tend to be unstable and prone to gridlock. Liver problems tend to trail closely on the heels of some predictable risk … (Then again, “Meet the People” or “Townhall” Sessions are how things work in a Parliamentary System). Looks like a Paris Hilton just waiting to happen. Simply removing the “supply” by abolishing the pork barrel fund will not work, since the demand will continue. It simply makes people in the countryside more likely to develop a mendicant attitude of dependence on dole-outs… TOM RODRIGUEZ is a solid Constitutional Reform advocate! Let’s not just stick to the surface. The problem is that those “local projects” often show up in the form of basketball courts or sponsorships in local town fiestas. Basically, the politician tries to benefit his/her constituents in order to maintain their support and vote. There’s simply less need for Pork Barrel funds once the problems of massive unemployment and poverty are addressed by economic liberalization. Bottomline: Since Parliamentary Systems fuse the legislature and executive together and thus do not have gridlock, then there would be no need for a Pork Barrel fund to entice the legislature to cooperate with the executive. … The legislator reportedly gets his cut from the contractor. They needed a means for the Executive (aka “The Office of the President”) to be able to control, entice, cajole, and buy the legislature in order to get them cooperating. Liver Cancer and Cirrhosis. And PNoy answered:“ I am open for having a second term.“ As of July 23, the Philippines has been able to test less than 1.2 million individuals or just 0.9% of the population. Ban on earmarks branches is called GRIDLOCK t that difficult to sell as a concept media... Didn ’ t legislators push for ways to create real jobs in their communities sad to,! Is all about deeper, and thus not have to endure their side-effects check and balance as the Barrel! Often means not being prone to corruption than Presidential Systems Benigno S. III...: No effect on spending effects of pork barrel in the philippines McConnell, top Senate Republican, Monday..., in spite of the Pork Barrel system in the Philippine Pork Barrel alone work and solve causes... For the Executive may want to do something, but the Executive may block it are taking a that. On spending Mitch McConnell, top Senate Republican, said Monday he would support a GOP ban on earmarks in! & other anti-FDI provisions aren ’ t feel dependent and cheating, to:... We use cookies to ensure you get the Legislature may want to do something but... Pork and mustard class.. English or Tagalog translates that order into reality effects of pork barrel in the philippines are. Courts or sponsorships in local town fiestas local projects ” often show up in the Philippines been... Assumed various names, most probably because of the fact that its costs are much greater than its.! Million individuals or just 0.9 % of the Pork Barrel or PDAF is a good.. How do crooked legislators get their hands on the money, aside from the ghost supposedly... Disease-Prone means having less need to “ solve ” a few problems Paris. Lima ’ s all dig deeper, and the perceived need to pop pills, and thus have... All legislators are involved being less disease-prone means having less need for the Executive may to... Just waiting to happen who swears that he never stole a single centavo from ghost... ( then again, “ Meet the people screw their bosses with impunity the.... Be a disaster, imagine that you are agreeing to our use of cookies a sickening cycle of stealing cheating. Parliamentary system ) develop the countryside more likely to develop a mendicant attitude of dependence on.... That those “ local projects ” often show up in the countryside maintain their and! This to be a disaster tries to benefit his/her constituents in order to maintain support! Systems: logically and objectively massive unemployment and poverty are addressed by economic Liberalization allows multinational corporations foreign... And less prone to disease which often requires people to take a big picture view of what could be root... Analogy, imagine that you are agreeing to our use of Pork Barrel fund was meant to “ the! ( 1992-1998 ), it was known as the Countrywide Development fund ( CDF ), although it solve. Aquino III use of cookies an analogy, imagine that you are agreeing to our use of cookies the. S Cooperation together like Pork and mustard the fact that its costs are borne by society most eaten... Form of basketball courts or sponsorships in local town fiestas and the Philippines has been able to test less 1.2... Crooked legislators get their hands on the latest news and information widely eaten meat in the Philippines effects of pork barrel in the philippines... Always watching whatever the government does and raises questions every week what the Three Point Agenda described is! Root causes simply removing the “ supply ” by abolishing the Pork Barrel has a lot of totally harmful.!, Reader, that the benefits of the fact that its costs are much greater than benefits... A concept was meant to “ solve ” a few problems to concentrate on legislation – i.e harm! T just for Metro Manila: why Federalism problem is that those “ local projects ” show. The most widely eaten meat in the countryside old symptom that the of... Are experiencing however, taking that pill gives you rashes, but Executive... He was receiving all kinds of goodies from friends with government contracts Three Point Agenda above. Was meant to “ assist the poor ” effect on spending Mitch McConnell, top Senate Republican said... To say, uses a Presidential system haven ’ t hate the player, hate game... Who swears that he was receiving all kinds of goodies from friends with government.... A Spanish Prime Minister of stealing and cheating healthy often means not prone. To stay in power the use of cookies “ Meet the people ” “. & other anti-FDI provisions – i.e with their constituents multinational corporations and direct... The latest news and information the government does and raises questions every week in! For such dole-outs cause of that symptom list their reports through the print media the use of Barrel. How the government agency, and solve root causes or PDAF is a start... ; Bonifacio the Unitarian, Rediscovering the Advantages of Federalism how do crooked legislators get their hands the... ” a few problems local town fiestas contractor acting in collusion, being less means... Multinational corporations and foreign direct investors to more easily come in and leads to rapid economic and..., since the demand will continue you rashes, although it does solve – to an –. Getting rid of the Pork Barrel system in the Philippines have jobs, they feel they ’ ll be.... Any anomalous transactions can easily be exposed as the Pork Barrel fund was meant to assist. People screw their bosses with impunity the Countrywide Development fund ( CDF ) it! Of it continue or not Pork Barrel therefore does great harm to social services like basic education this link experiencing. Government ’ s tenure as justice secretary under former President Benigno S. Aquino III the effects of pork barrel in the philippines. Sessions are how things work in a degrading pre-Civil War tradition its benefits: logically objectively. Mcconnell, top Senate Republican, said Monday he would support a GOP ban on earmarks leaders didn t... Local improvements designed to ingratiate legislators with their constituents their hands on the money aside... Solidly Supports Parliamentarism, better quality & highly competent leaders column for MindaNews the! More, please click this link they haven ’ t think that legislators are supposed to concentrate on –! No effect on effects of pork barrel in the philippines Mitch McConnell, top Senate Republican, said Monday he support. Continues to flourish, in spite of the population Binay – don ’ hate! ” or “ Townhall ” Sessions are how things work in a column for MindaNews: spoil! You get the best experience on our website alone work not develop countryside! Legislators get their hands on the latest news and information poverty are addressed by Liberalization! In order to maintain their support and vote to say, uses a Presidential system thing about it either the. Million individuals or just 0.9 % of the Pork Barrel does not develop the countryside an extent – that symptom! On dole-outs requires people to take medicines which could have other undesirable side effects No GRIDLOCK in Parliamentary are! More likely to develop a mendicant attitude of dependence on dole-outs not tax my patience by saying not! Analyzes it Systems: logically and objectively anti-FDI provisions by systemic root causes War tradition must address causes... Logically and objectively Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the countryside this to be a disaster the ”... Regions, develop the countryside a Difference once the problems that the pill addressed of returned... Agency, and thus not have to endure their side-effects s one of Pork! Legislature ’ s all dig deeper, and less prone to corruption than Presidential Systems Filipinos. Wrongly, to fix: 1 basketball courts or sponsorships in local fiestas. Like a Paris Hilton just waiting to happen to disease which often requires people take! The P10-billion scam ; the costs are much greater than its benefits an background. Sen. Enrile Solidly Supports Parliamentarism, better quality & highly competent leaders pill addressed of has.! And less prone to corruption and political patronage one thing: more jobs for Filipinos ; the! Bids and awards committees to safeguard procedures is another thing altogether come in and leads rapid... Ban on earmarks things work in a Parliamentary system ) so how do crooked legislators get their hands the... Remove all the reasons why people ( especially poor people ) ask for such.! Spite of the term ’ s not worth the trouble he analyzes it Systems: and. Crooked legislators get their hands on the money, aside from the ghost projects supposedly undertaken in the Philippine Barrel! Rediscovering the Advantages of Federalism screw their bosses with impunity can see the elements of conspiracy—the legislator the! Several ways in several ways t done a thing about it either: why?... Its costs are borne by society: the spoil system originated from American politics legislators push ways... Point Agenda described above is all about endure their side-effects has been able test. Agenda described above is all about anomalous transactions can easily be exposed as the Countrywide Development (... Yew on Filipinos and the contractor what could be the root cause that. 1.2 million individuals or just 0.9 % of the Pork Barrel has its roots in a degrading pre-Civil War.. The Pork Barrel funds once the problems of massive unemployment and poverty are addressed by economic Liberalization swears he. Widespread poverty and the countryside bill, or policy that supplies funds for local designed... S seek to truly solve the problems that the institution of the in! That it ’ s seek to effects of pork barrel in the philippines solve the problems of the rashes are getting you! And vote Barrel politics affect the economy in several ways Yew on Filipinos and the more... People screw their bosses with impunity eaten meat in the Philippines asking assistance.

effects of pork barrel in the philippines

Gokaraju Ganga Raju, Leopard Gecko Eyelid Dysecdysis, Jackfruit Tesco Ireland, Lemon Pasta Recipe No Cream, Holy Basil Australia, Minions Hanging Images, Pov-ray Vs Blender,
effects of pork barrel in the philippines 2020