REPRESENTATIVES FROM the government, civil society organizations and the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) recognized the reform achievements of the Aquino administration in a forum held last August 1 in ASoG.
The forum, entitled “Reform: What Have We Achieved and How Can It Be Sustained?” was organized by ASoG’s Political Democracy and Reform (Poder) Program in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
The latter is a non-profit German political foundation committed to promoting public policy issues through education, research and international cooperation.
Apart from discussing Aquino’s reforms, the forum speakers also examined the means for the president’s current programs to be sustained beyond the 2016 national elections.
The speakers in the forum included the following: ASoG Poder Program Director Joy Aceron, International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance Executive Director Tanya Hamada, National Coordinator for the Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas Divina Luz Lopez, and Executive Director for the Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute Karen Tañada.
Also present in the forum were ASoG Dean Antonio Laviña and Department of the Interior and Local Government Planning Service Director Frank Cruz.
Reform gains
Aceron noted that in the first half of its term, the Aquino administration emphasized reforms in transformation, participation, inclusivity and shifting of power back to the people.
The forum speakers recognized the need to sustain such reform gains through political and electoral reforms.
According to Hamada, three clusters of reform must be implemented in order to continue the changes the Aquino administration has begun.
These include the rule of law and transformational leadership, the use of budget as a tool for social reform and the need for open data and an open government.
Hamada further insisted that the Freedom of Information bill is key to creating a community with open data and an open government.
Meanwhile, Tañada said that advances on the peacekeeping process are not easy tasks but are being steadily managed by the Aquino administration.
He cited the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro entity as an example.
“The only way that [we] can have sustained peace is if [we] really address [the root of the] issues such as elections, agrarian and land reforms,” she said.
Lopez, on the other hand, said that local governance has improved in terms of reviewing the policies already in place, extending networks at the local level and sustaining engagement through well-built partnerships.
Challenges
During the open forum of the event, obstacles in sustaining the Aquino administration’s current reforms were addressed by the speakers.
According to them, changing the mindset of the Philippine electorate to become more reform-oriented is hindered by lack of information and the personality-based politics of the country.
In particular, Executive Director of the Transparency and Accountability Network Vincent Lazatin said political dynasties exist in the Philippines because the current political parties don’t function the way they are supposed to.
“Right now, families are the de facto political parties. Until we work on real political parties, that’s the way the situation’s going to be,” he said.
“There is just not enough to separate the current political parties from each other,” Lazatin added.
He said a more mature Philippine democracy would entail the structuring and formation of “real” political parties.
