HERE’S an unsolicited advice for President Aquino if he wants to leave behind a great legacy of his own, perhaps far greater in history than any of his predecessors and, in the process, perpetuate the memories and ideals of his parents and save our people from the bondage of poverty and lawlessness, including a possible war in Mindanao:
Implement an existing law—The Magna Carta of Social Justice and Economic Freedom or Joint Resolution 2, passed jointly by Congress and enacted into law on August 4, 1969. You may not know it, but one of those who sponsored and signed this document was your father, Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., now a martyr.
The President can use this law to strengthen the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao by fusing a revised Bangsamoro basic law (BBL) into it and by turning the area into an industrial hub, using the P75 billion the BBL needs to implement. You may then issue a general amnesty for all illegally possessed firearms and exchange them with farm and fishing facilities to create food security for the region while it moves for rapid industrialization.
I was then a Manila Times reporter covering city hall and had to walk daily to the original Congress nearby in my spare time just to listen to the debate of the Magna Carta. It was not an ordinary legislation. Indeed, it was a product of serious and extensive public hearings by a Congress whose members reflected independence, brilliancy and high mindedness that drew my personal attention.
The Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, headed by the late Jose W. Diokno, whose intellect, courage and foresight are unmatched by today’s standard, sponsored and defended the joint resolution. Among his peers who strongly endorsed it were Senators Aquino Jr., Salvador Laurel, Jovito Salonga, Dominador Aytona, Ernesto Maceda, Ambrosio Padilla, Arturo Tolentino, Gil Puyat and Gerardo Roxas, then president of the Liberal Party.
While Diokno defended the Magna Carta on the floor, it was Speaker Laurel who did the same in the House. With him was Justiniano N. Montano, then minority floor leader. Among the most skillful lawmakers who supported it were Cornelio T. Villareal, Joaquin Roces and Jose Yap.
The ones who legally and technically assisted the Senate and the House in finalizing the Magna Carta were Isagani Cruz, who became associate justice of the Supreme Court, and Emmanuel Q. Yap, the first director general of the Congressional Economic Planning Office, who also assisted Laurel in the consultation with the private sector.
The Magna Carta is reflected in Section 7, Article II, of the 1987 Constitution, which, by the way, was framed largely on the initiative of the late President Corazon C. Aquino. The section mandates that: “The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states, the paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination.”
For 46 years now, this law has not been implemented because of strong foreign interventions and this is why the country has remained agrarian, violent, a mere labor and raw-materials exporter and a huge consumer of imported products in a region vibrating in modern industrial economy, cyber communications and sophisticated transportation.
Harvard-trained lawyer-economist Ding Lichauco said:
“So crucial and imperative was the state objective legislated by the Magna Carta that even after Marcos had dissolved Congress, he never lost sight of the document’s overriding objective. He saw the enduring validity of its central proposition: that the nation must industrialize if it is to survive. The Magna Carta was founded on that imperative. The very security of the state, military and not only economic, ultimately depends on that. Even social justice depends on that.
“In this space and nuclear age, a nation that is not industrialized is an economic paraplegic that counts for nothing in the intensely competitive community of nations. It might as well be transported back to the Dark Age. Even its military establishment can only be a standing joke because it must depend even for its boots and shoe polish on others.
“It is not a coincidence that the two most dynamic NICs in Asia, South Korea and Taiwan, were propelled to their spectacular condition by political and military leaders: Park Chung-hee (South Korea) and Chiang Kai Shek (Taiwan). Because more so than the civilian mind, the military easily grasps the strategic value of industrialization, particularly an
industrialization based on industries precisely contemplated by the Magna Carta: industries that would make a nation self-sufficient in machineries and industrial raw materials; industries founded on steel and metals.
“To Park, the steel industry was important not for the number of people that it could employ, but for the strategic material it represented. To develop the capacity to produce that strategic material was worth the cost, any cost. And events vindicated him.
Another country much closer to home that is frantically trying to industrialize is Indonesia, a nation also led by a sagacious militarist who realizes the economic-military value of an industrialization based on the heavy industries.
“This was what Marcos grasped. That was why in 1976 he pressed for the speedy implementation of an integrated steel mill that had been on the drawing board since 1958, and three years thereafter directed the installation of 11 major industrial projects. By 1979, he had begun to panic because he saw that South Korea and Taiwan had sprinted beyond reach in the developmental race. South Korea began the construction of her steel, engine and machine industries as early as 1969, while Taiwan did so in the mid-1970s.
“And so Marcos, not to be outdone, in 1979 formally announced a program that would give the nation the projects needed to launch the country into the industrial age by early 1980s.”
In launching the 11 major industrial projects, he warned:
“If we do not shift gears and get on the same fast track [as our neighbors] we would not be able to catch up and shall be left to receive the dust of those we follow.”
To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@gmail.com
26 comments
Like the inspiring songs of Whitney Houston which did not prevent her from getting into drugs, good intentions or inspiring words are easier said or written than done. That’s why I’m into blogs, hehehe!
tama ka riyan Tupyok, implementing this law is easier said than done. Kaya nga pa-jam jam na lang muna ako hangat nariyan ang mga corrupt sa goverment. Masasayang lahat ng naiisip natin na mga bagay para sa kaunlaran ng bansa. Panahon ba ni Makoy, yan na ang slogan.”Sa ikauunlad ng Bayan, Disiplina ang kailangan”. Wala ngang disiplina ang mga noypi.
That’s I oberved too with the slow-paced of development of our country compared to our neighboring places. Mindanao is such a land of the future when our leaders knows how to think positively. Pnoy can do this when he’ll think it that way.
If Marcos will continue to run the Philippines, I think, development will push through but the negatives of his leadership must be controlled for people’s freedom. But look at it nowadays, just one event could make the Filipinos to comments, give advices, demonstrations, pointing fingers, etc.. As of now, we need leaders for development not opposition people who damaged the freedom we acquired.
Ang tinutukiy nyo po ba ay Si Bongbong Marcos, kunfg siya nga Ayos na ayos, Manok ko yan sa 2016 eh. Pero balik po tayo sa piinag-uusapan.. Mgandang payo po ito para kay Pnoy. So sure na magiiwan siya ng magandang legacy sa mga susunod na herasyon. Ang problema lang po, higit isang taaon na lang siyang manununungkulan at hindi na sapat upang maihanda ang bansa sa pagiging industrialized nation. Siguro nga po ang kailangan natin ay mga leaders na pagtutuunan ang welfare ng nakakarami at hindi ang pagpapayaman. Nasaan kaya sila, kasama rin ba doon sa mga fingerpointing people na walng alam gawin kundi buhayin sa isipan ng bansa ang ‘crab mentality’ .
Right now, I agreed with, “Another country much closer to home that is frantically trying to industrialize is Indonesia.” This country is not well-developed compared to our country before. We are developing in another scope but not an industrialized country.
It seem that this Magna Carta of Social Justice and Economic Freedom or Joint Resolution 2 is the answer for moving into the future a industrialized country than agricultural. Filipinos still kept hold of these notions about “greening of the mountains.”
How could Filipinos be able to think this “industrialized fasttracking” when they’re busy watching each other moves? We are just a bunch of “tulingan for broiling” and more oppositions were doing their best to stop every new moves for improvement? Demonstrations, media buzzing, finger pointing…
YES!!! tama ka riyan. We are a society that thrives with finding the fault of others. If can’t throw away this mentality then, its bye-bye for the “industrialized fasttracking” our leaders wanted to reach. Hilig kasi nating magturo-turuan. Why not, instead of fingerp[ointing and searching for someone to blame, Let the government and private individuals work hand -inhand for the betterment of our nation.
Mindanao is so ripe for the picking ..ika nga.
The author give much points for pushing our country for development through industrialization and minimize the agricultural sectors. The Mindanao is waiting for leaders who could change its course into this thinking. Is Pnoy has it or anybody in the political arena?
I agree, good suggestion by the writer. But I bet Mindanao leaders specially the MILF is not keen on putting this Magna Carta Law of Social Justice and Economic Freedom put into place. Yes, they adhere for social justice and economic freedom, but on their own way. All they wanted is for a separate Mindanao State free from the clutches of the incumbent leaders hands.
“If we do not shift gears and get on the same fast track [as our neighbors] we would not be able to catch up and shall be left to receive the dust of those we follow.” Is this happening right now? I’m sure, it’s happening ince in 1990s and until now. That’s why China is bullying us in the West Philippine Sea.
We have the raw materials for this magna carta -indutrialization – but we don’t have leaders and people who will initiate in pushing this industrialization. Politician doesn’t give much attention to this improvement thing but they have time for squabbling each other.
you have your point there. All we have now are politicians tht are greedy of their personal interest. Basta yumaman lang sila, kahit pulutin pa sa kangkungan ang masa. We have the means nga to push this indistrialization phase in our country but we need leaders who have the political will to do so. Eh, halos puro pa-pogi lang at palaging absent ang karamihan sa ating mambabatas. Ayun , absent tuloy ng pagdebatihan ang mga sensitibong bill na mag-tataas sana ng antas ng kabuhayan ni Juan dela Cruz.
As a start the Pnoy Administration had done the cleansing from the inside of the political party. But, more oppositions are doing their share of negating it. Changes in leadership is needed now and could think this industrialization of Mindanao and other places in the Philippines not only for tourism.
This industrialization of Mindanao will forever be a vision if corruption is not eradicated in our society. Sa parte po ni Pnoy, I must agree na he is doing his best para mapaunlad ang Pilipinas pero cleansing his party (Liberal Party) of scalawags. No way, nabubuhay pa rinj po tayo doon sa ‘utang ng loob’ mentality. hindi nya kayang alisin ang mga taong may pinagsamahan sila. Hindi na po ako mag-mention ng name. Pero marami po sila na nariyan pa sa serbisyo.
Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, China and other Asian countries are gaining future developments while the Philippines still aiming to be developed in other areas while maintaining its agri business and tourism. Much to be desire by some Filipinos to contradicts this development by opposing it.
Sorry to disagree. Since the start of Pnoy term, we have establish a far better economic growth than our Asian neighbors. Maintaining a stable agricultural business atmosphere is good. Boosting our country’s tourism gain will translate to more dollars. I guess, the Filipino nation have no inclination to make this country into an industrial hub now and in the near future. Why then kasi na not even a single legislator both in the Senate and the House of Representative had stand up to make this law be implemented.
Indeed, this Magna Carta of Social Justice and Economic Freedom or Joint Resolution 2 is the key element for our country to be at par with our Asian neighbors. There’s no harm in putting our resources on uplifting our agricultural sector by providing more farm to market roads and others. But, shifting our attention to making our nation into an industrial hub is by no means a better idea to pursue. I can’t just imagine, 45 years since this law was enacted and up to now it is not being implemented.
The answer is ..It is not a priority for our government to implement. Perhaps, the administration sees other than this industrialization stuff that would gives more revenues to our country. Or, they are now contented with what we have,,, Dollars from our OFW. No money to be invested and just enough time to promote our workforce to the international market.
The problem is not with our present system of governing the country, but with the leadership. Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Arroyo and now Benigno Aquino … they have one thing in common .. Each one of them has no political will to implement this industrialization scheme a reality!
Napakagandang suhesyon nito Gg. Arillo. Tama po kayo na maaring ito ang susi sa madagal na nating minimithing kapayapan sa Mindanao. Kung maisakakatuparan lang sana ito , eh maitaas ang antas ng mamayan hindi lang sa Mindanao bagkos sa buong kapulungan. Ang tanong lang po rito ay … wala bang kokontra? Sa palagay ko mismong ang MILF ay tututulan ang pagpatupad ng batas na ito. Ang nais talaga nila ay ganap na kasarinlan ng Mindanao sa kamay ng gobyerno.
Sang-ayon din po ako sa advice ng writer. Napansin ko lang po ito. ” “You may then issue a general amnesty for all illegally possessed firearms and exchange them with farm and fishing facilities to create food security for the region while it moves for rapid industrialization.” Easier said than done po ata iyan.
General amenesty para sa lahat ng nakakalat ng armas? Nangangahulugan bang ipabubuwag ang mga ‘private armies’?
Dadanak ang dugo sakaling mangyari ito. Sa akin lang po kasi, yang mga private armies at breakaway groups ang mga ‘pasaway’ para matapos na ang Mindanao issue.
All the hard effort of those icons in Philippine politics have gone to naught! These personalities have dreamt of making our country a far more better place to live in. But what to the next sets of leaders do… to gain more wealth while in office and care not for the welfare of the people. If only we are blessed in having a leader who will set aside his personal interest in exchange for the general interest of the citizenry ..then 46 years is a long time to make our country be an industrialized one.
Korek po kayo dyan.. How long have we been branded as a corrupt country, more than decades na po. But up until now we are still struggling to get our hand free of this ‘corrupt’ image we are branded of. Political will po ang kailangan ng leader natin. Kung nais nyan maka-compete tayo fair and square with our Asian neighbors in the industrialization field. Then, this law enacted 46 years ago must be implement ASAP.
This is a sound suggestion from who knows his Philippine History. Mindanao have long been envisioned as a place of promise by past Presidents. But they have done nothing to making this vision into a reality. We have this Magna Carta for Social Justice and Economic Freedom for so long a time and yet it wasn’t even deliberated in past Congress sessions. It only implies that our leaders are not than keen in pushing for an ‘industrialization Renaissance’ to happen. They are all content for pushing agricultural reform which I say is good. And pushing the Philippines as a tourism mecca in Asia, which also have my affirmative vote. and lastly, they taught (leaders) revenues from OFW are enough to augment most if not all the government expenses.
It is high time that we make Mindanao gets it much needed industrial boom.