Editorial
Good governance is possible, and works
EVERYONE in this country knows that infrastructure projects – from major highways to barangay and farm-to-market roads, bridges, schools, other public buildings, even a simple waiting shed – is more likely than not to be tainted with corruption. Kickbacks passed under the table have become so inherent in public construction contracts that the Filipino society as a whole, its citizens and the few good men in public office, often merely shrugs its shoulder about it.
It is a real shame that it had to take an external organization like the World Bank to rouse such heated ruckus over infrastructure scams such as what we have been seeing over the last couple of weeks. But just as well, better now than never ever.
The ongoing Senate investigation on cartels in the construction industry with the involvement of prominent government officials (and their relatives), on top of the series of national scandals on corruption relating to other sectors and projects, seem to be giving the impression that corruption is prevalent only in the national level. The fact is, the collective and total estimated revenues lost to corruption in the local level greatly surpass those reported in the national level. While indeed the big fishes in the nation’s capital bask in millions of dirty money, the many small crooked hands in our local governments, when put together, are jointly responsible for more funds lost to greed. “Tong-pats” of projects implemented in the local level easily range from 30-50%.
But there still are exceptions and shining examples. Hereabouts, the Sta. Barbara government, under the first term of Mayor Reynaldo Velasco, has shown that it can build classrooms that cost cheaper by half and of higher standards than those constructed by the national government.
Other encouraging examples are reports of not just honest-to-goodness infrastructure initiatives but good governance as a whole from constituents served in the four cities of Pangasinan: Alaminos, Dagupan and San Carlos; as well as in the municipalities of Binmaley, Pozorrubio, San Fabian, Sison, and Sto. Tomas.
The leaders and their administration prove that our local governments can in fact provide more for their constituents no matter how meager their financial resources if corruption is taken out of the equation of governance.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
