As we listen to the campaign rhetoric and are subjected to a barrage of promises of potential presidents, one would think that the election of any one of them would solve all the problems facing the Filipino people. The reality is not one of them will be able to totally solve any of the country’s problems because of many factors that limit any president’s ability to perform.

First is that he has only six years to do the job. Most of the solutions are anchored on society’s ability to change, adopt new modes of thinking and behavior and stick to this new discipline. Take the everyday occurrence of pedestrians crossing the street with total disregard to the vehicular traffic, putting themselves at risk. The solution is not for them to be caught and fined when they do it, since that will necessitate an army of policemen. Rather, at grade school, the children should already be taught to look right and left before crossing the street. Sounds simple but it will mean including this in the curriculum and reinforcing it on a regular basis. This will take time.

A president with the necessary experience and his own mind will need less time to act than one who still has to learn the ropes or trying to digest the many and at times, conflicting recommendations of advisers. A president who has managed his own company and knows the various aspects of organizing, planning, directing, controlling and has implemented marketing, production and financial programs to produce results will need less time to start up. A president who has been subjected to severe stress in the past and not only survived but brought prosperity to the companies he owns, will be in a better position to cope with the Philippine crises. A president who knows how to manage his time to address the various demands of his office will be a distinct advantage for the Philippines.

A second factor is that he cannot do it alone – he has to work with the government bureaucracy and the elected officials. We can expect that the elected legislature, especially in Congress and local officials will come from those who have previously been in power in the last nine years. Even those who are now in the opposition, take the case of Mayor Sonny Belmonte of Quezon City who is running for congressman and whose daughter is running for vice mayor, used to be with the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. A president who is hell bent on personally making sure that all these past officials of the previous administration should pay for their crimes will find himself in a continuous battle with these elected officials to the detriment of whatever programs he intends to pursue for the public good. A president who is still politically naive may find it difficult to outmanoeuvre the machinations of a significant block of previous administration officials in the legislature. Any president needs to harness the support of the government bureaucracy. A president who brings back former bureaucrats who look down on those who did not follow them in leaving the previous administration may find his programs delayed by infighting in the departments by the new civil servants, the returning bureaucrats and the old guard.

The third factor is the high expectations generated by a rhetoric that promises immediate solutions. If a president has promised to eradicate corruption and jail the corrupt, he better show results on the first year or else lose the support of his backers. Given the Philippine judicial system which will take time for him to reform, it may be impossible to achieve it. Unless he decides to use people power to drag corrupt officials from their homes and line them up for execution. That can only happen under a dictatorship or a revolutionary government. If a president promises to fight poverty, he can get business to produce jobs for the Filipino workers, especially if that president has been a businessman and knows what businessmen need. The support programs may cost money which can come from both improved tax collections and tax reforms, which could raise the taxes that the rich have to pay (memberships in exclusive clubs, inheritance, etc.)

The next president must know his priority – that is to unite the Filipino people not divide them; to create jobs for the Filipino people not for his supporters; and to bring in honest officials who have the experience and courage to act and not just bask in the halo of their moral ascendency.

Business Bits. We congratulate the Metrobank Foundation for winning the Grand Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines. The Anvil Awards honors the best practices in public relations.