Madame President -
prod the bureaucracy

The bureaucracy of the government often is responsible for delays in completion of projects, either because of inefficient compliance with deadlines or through a breakdown in the releases of funds.

Often, it takes the top man to spur the bureaucracy to wake up from its relaxed attention span. The prodding from the top often is needed to rouse bureaucrats form their contented lifestyle.

And that seems to be what is needed. The President must be able to spur faster implementation of the completion of the Silay Airport (or Bacolod-Silay). I refer to what Rep. Monico Puentevella had exposed a few days back on the non-completion of the runway extension by 500 meters despite the release of the funds, two years back, I understand from the solon. And then, there's again the slow implementation of the access road program. This involves the right of way problem plus the planned linkup with the Circumferential Road or any other artery to tie it up with the road to the airport.

Now, this reportedly will entail a lot of time lag, and, possibly, lead to delays in the operation of the airport. Surely, many of these things could have been solved by simply asking those tasked with the multi-million peso project to explain the delays and to address these problems.

Very often, the road right-of-way problem boils down to the pricing of the property. And, of course, in the way the private owners are paid their due.

A latter example of this problem was the closure by Joaquin Bilbao, Jr. of the family property which the government or the Department of Public Works and Highways had taken over a few years back. Now, the Bilbaos finally blocked the area and started to ask for toll fees from vehicles passing through the disputed property.

Bilbao has been charged before the courts for depriving the public the use of the road. Unfortunately, it seems the DPWH officials have forgotten that the whole thing boils down to why they have not paid the property owner for the use of his property until now.

And the law is specific, one is not deprived of his property unless properly compensated.

So, what gives?

This is not the first time that happened. That episode simply projects to the public bureaucratic arrogance. And I think the President can expedite the Silay project by simply telling the DPWH people to pay promptly the private property owners what is due them.

Of course, DPWH officials may hem and haw. But the President can simply lecture them what had been included in the loan package means that the funds are due for release and should not be subject to further delays in implementation.

The same thing with the link-up with Bacolod. By now, it seems that the government planners should have already drawn up plans of where the road is going to lead and how it could provide access to Bacolod.

If the plans had not been completed yet, then it's time for the President to lecture her underlings on the planning process. And if they can't comply with it, then better let them go.

I think the President could very well delegate to Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Rafael Coscolluela the powers he needs to prod the bureaucracy to work more efficiently and expeditiously.

How come it always takes a President to do the things that her Cabinet secretaries are supposed to do? But in the Philippine setting, it often demands that the President has to do the telling of directions by herself.

The regional presidential assistant should be adequately equipped with the necessary authority to prod bureaucrats to do things faster than the normal way they operate. No ifs or buts about it.

Problem-solving should not all the time wait for a President. The presidential assistant is supposed to be the alter ego of the Chief executive.

Since she cannot be everywhere, it is through them that the president monitors what is going on and spur underlings to do the job they had been hired to do.

I guess that's the only way some of these localized problems can be tackled.

***

Just for the record, Fr. Michael de la Cruz, the recently ordained priest by Pope Benedict XVI will be staying here until next month. In short, we can enjoy his presence here with us until then.*

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