Change management

 

Change management

BY FORMER SENATE PRESIDENT MANNY VILLAR

  

OF TREES AND FOREST

Jeepneys are not just utilitarian modes of transportation for Filipinos. It is that, yes. They offer an affordable mode of transportation for students, workers and the general population that also supports the livelihood of thousands of drivers and independent operators. Back in the day, the jeepney was my go-to ride when going to school or when my friends and I would go to downtown Manila to watch movies and eat. Nag-eenjoy ako sumabit sa jeep. The wind against your face (hindi pa masyado polluted noon) and the sense of danger I experienced at that young age.

This is the reason why the issue of the jeepney modernization program is not just an economic or even a political issue. For many—the drivers, operators, the riding public—it is deeply cultural and personal.

Some years back, the government launched the modernization program which has a noble aim: to modernize our transportation system by making them more efficient, safer and environmentally sustainable. Unfortunately, this involved phasing out old and dilapidated public utility vehicles, including the jeepneys. But the objective was very good. Modern transport systems are the backbone of successful economies, they are the lifelines of cities and regions, and provide important economic and social factors. Just look at Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Modernizing the Philippine transport system means moving more people faster. It also means developing sustainable solutions that are clean, resource efficient, safe and affordable.

Fast forward to today when transport groups held a nationwide strike to protest the jeepney phaseout and decry the implementation of the modernization program. Thanks to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., that strike was averted when he promised to review the program and its implementation.

I was impressed by the way President Bongbong handled this crisis. Since the campaign in 2022, he has consistently placed transportation and infrastructure as critical elements of his economic blueprint. He said: “I assure the Filipino people that the government will strive to modernize and improve the country's transportation system. This will be one of the cornerstones of our progress as we move full speed ahead into a brighter tomorrow.

But while he acknowledged the lofty goals of the transport modernization program he also saw the need to make sure that our people are not left behind by the move to phaseout older vehicles. “Ngunit sa pag-aaral ko,” the President explained, “parang hindi maganda ang naging implementation nung modernization.” He added: “May luma naman na maganda pa rin. May luma naman na puwede pang gamitin.” Such wise words from the President!

The President is essentially saying, “this is something we need to do, but we need to do it right.” With the nationwide strike called off, the government needs to sit down and recalibrate its efforts to modernize our transportation. And there is one principle they need to understand.

Change is difficult. People are generally averse to change especially if they are abrupt and if it will completely threaten their livelihood. For this reason, societies and organizations need to plan changes. In business, we have what we call change management. It refers to the actions a business needs to take in order to effect change or adjust a significant component of its organization—technology, company culture, internal processes, corporate hierarchy, and the like. Government needs to understand that they have to guide all stakeholders of the transport sector in the process of modernization. They need to involve everyone who will be affected by this enormous change from the earliest stages of planning down to its execution.

An important part of change management is preparing all sectors that will be affected for the change that is coming. This in turn requires an effective communication strategy for the modernization plan and how it will be implemented. As a first step, perhaps government should stop using the term phaseout. It is so cold and cruel of a term to be using in an emotionally charged discussion.

In business, it is unthinkable for a manager to just show up at a meeting one day and tell everyone that changes will be made. It does not work that way in business and most certainly, in government which deals with public interest. I hope that with the guidance of the President we can finally get this right.

For comments, please send email to: mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph and/or http://www.mannyvillar.com.

Higher gear

Published January 11, 2023, 12:05 AM

by Former Senate President Manny Villar

OF TREES AND FOREST

Former Senate President Manny Villar

As we enter a new year, the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. endeavored to write a new chapter in Philippine-China relations. In his speech before embarking on a historic trip to Beijing, President Marcos laid out the fundamental objective of his visit: “I will be opening a new chapter in our comprehensive strategic cooperation with China.” He added that his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping will shift “the trajectory of our relations to a higher gear” and broaden cooperation between the two countries.

The three-day trip was an important one coming as it was amidst the territorial disputes between the two countries. This is complicated by the deep historical ties we have with the United States which has engaged China in an economic and geopolitical tug of war. The state visit, which came after his visit to the US, was seen by experts as indicator of the shape of things to come as far as bilateral relations between the two countries are concerned. 

The first thing that I was really impressed by was President Marcos’ assertion of our country’s sovereignty. He reported that during his talks with President Xi he expressed his administration’s intention to pursue an independent foreign policy. This was, of course, in line with the Constitutional mandate and an important statement to make at the onset. President Bongbong said: “I emphasized how my administration intends to pursue an independent foreign policy, that we are more than willing to cooperate whenever possible in the pursuit of regional peace and our two countries’ national interest.”
This is the perfect follow up to the theme of President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy direction that also insisted on our sovereignty and the insistence that we be treated as equals in the global community. Sustaining this policy position was very critical not just to the status of the new Chief Diplomat but also the position of our country among the community of nations.

During the meeting between the two leaders, Presidents Marcos and Xi agreed to “appropriately manage differences,” and “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region.” This is a clear and unambiguous statement from the Philippines and China that should set the right direction in our foreign relations. The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between the two countries and in fact in the region. Controversies would periodically flare up sending the two countries into a series of diplomatic protests, denials, and assertions of sovereignty over the disputed territory.

The two leaders also agreed to resume negotiations on joint oil and gas explorations in an effort to revive their economies amid the pandemic downturn and address tensions over the South China Sea.
In addition to these accomplishments, the state visit of President Marcos, Jr. generated an estimated $22.8 billion worth of investment pledges which included $13.76 billion for renewable energy, $7.32 billion for electric vehicles and mineral processing, and $1.72 billion for agriculture.

Some quarters have criticized the frequent travels of the President linking it to extravagance. These critics need to realize that official visits to other countries are important because they are essential tools of economic and political diplomacy. The Presidency has a multitude of responsibilities, some domestic, some global. When a president travels it does not mean that he is neglecting his duties at home. The bureaucracy still functions and with advancements in communications technology, the President can always attend to urgent matters when they arise.

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And it is not as if these visits are for sightseeing purposes. Malacañang reported that in his first six months in office, President Marcos’ visits to Indonesia, Singapore, the US, Cambodia and Thailand have generated a total of $23.6 billion in investment pledges. I have been to numerous visits during the term of President Duterte and I can tell you that they are no picnics. The delegations have hectic schedules and meetings with counterparts and more importantly, with the Filipino community in the host country.

The first months of his presidency has demonstrated President Marcos’ knowledge of statecraft. He understands that the requirements of good governance include building a healthy and productive relations with allies. And so rather than baseless criticisms, we should instead give our chief diplomat the support he needs to be successful in foreign relations.

For comments, please send email to: mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph and/or http://www.mannyvillar.com.

Diplomatic balancing

by Former Senate President Manny Villar

OF TREES AND FOREST

Last Sunday, Sept. 4, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. left the country to embark on his first ever state visit as the Philippines’ chief diplomat. Or, as he mentioned in his departure speech “mangangapitbahay muna para sa ating bansa at para sa ating ekonomiya.” His first overseas trip will bring him to Indonesia and then to Singapore. And then, as I understand it from the announcement of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), PBBM will also fly to New York to speak before the United Nations General Assembly.

These are very important foreign trips for the President and for the country not just because these will set the tone of the foreign policy directions of this administration but also because it will allow the country to strengthen ties in the region as we collectively face the challenges facing the world.

Just like his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, President Bongbong has chosen to visit our allies in the Southeast Asian region. As the DFA pointed out, this is important because as “close neighbors and founding members of ASEAN, the Philippines enjoys active engagement with both Indonesia and Singapore in terms of myriad areas including security and defense, trade and investment, people-to-people exchanges and more.”

The President is expected to meet Indonesian President Joko Widodo as well as Singaporean President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. I am sure that while many geopolitical issues will be discussed, President Bongbong will emphasize the need to protect the welfare of Filipinos working in these two countries. These foreign trips are good opportunities to strengthen bilateral efforts to protect our OFWs worldwide.

In fact, based on statements made by the DFA, Presidents Marcos, Jr., and Widodo are scheduled to discuss the case of long-detained overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso who has been on death row for over 12 years in Indonesia.

These state visits will also provide an opportunity for the President and his economic team to strengthen economic cooperation and promote the country as an investment destination. I am certain that the business delegation will meet with various business groups in Indonesia and Singapore in order to entice them to do business in the country.

Geopolitical issues will, of course, be the centerpiece of the visit. There are two items in the agenda that I think are very crucial: the West Philippine Sea conflict and counterterrorism. According to the foreign affairs department, there will clearly be discussions on key regional issues of mutual interest, including the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea issue, cognizant that all three countries actually have the common goal to maintain peace and stability and prevent incidents in this particular part of the world.

This visit will give us the first clear indication of how President Marcos, Jr. intends the handle this geopolitical landmine that has been hanging like Damocles’ sword in the region. I find it interesting that PBBM seems to be cautiously balancing the benefits of strong relations not just with China but also the United States. In early July, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, became the first foreign envoy to visit to the Philippines under the new Marcos presidency. And now, in late September. PBBM will visit the US first via his trip to the UNGA.

The President has emphasized the need to strengthen bilateral relations with Beijing but he also insisted on avoiding a myopic view of this relations: “One of the ways I’ve consistently suggested is that we have our relationship not only on one dimension, not just all about the West Philippine Sea. Let’s add to that – cultural exchanges, educational exchanges, even military if that will be useful.” In other words, the Manila-Beijing historic ties go beyond the conflict. The imperative of course is how to work around this controversy so both countries work on economic and cultural ties.

This is going to be a diplomatic balancing act for President Marcos, Jr. that will test his diplomatic and political skills. I have no doubt that the President will pass this test with flying colors. He has demonstrated his deep understanding of foreign policy issues but more importantly, he has proven that the overriding factor shaping his foreign policy is the national interest.