The next President of the Republic must have political will and a clear long-term vision for the country, according to cargo transport industry executives.
With two weeks to go before the presidential polls, cargo community leaders shared their views with PortCalls on what it takes to be the next chief executive.
Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders Association, Inc. president Doris Torres and Uniship, Inc. president Efren Caboteja pointed to decisiveness as a necessary trait.
Torres said the chief executive must be capable of making firm decisions, otherwise projects will just stay “afloat” without ever being implemented.
Caboteja said the next president should “care about the infrastructure” network and have the political will to develop and improve the country’s seaports, airports, and connections to these hubs.
Inland Haulers and Truckers Association president Teodorico Gervacio said political will is also required to fully implement the “many good laws” that have already been passed. The next leader, he added, should not have the inclination to repay supporters by appointing them to positions they do not deserve.
Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (SCMAP) executive director Norman Adriano and Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. president Dennis Del Pilar said being incorruptible is another necessary trait for the next President of the Republic.
“He should have the will to do the right thing for the country, regardless of what favors him or his allies. I also hope to see a president who applies due diligence in making decisions for the country,” Adriano said.
The Philippines has performed strongly over the past few years, and decisions to be made in the years ahead are critical in ensuring the momentum continues, he pointed out.
SCMAP president-elect Nestor Felicio said the country’s next president should focus “on what needs to be done,” and not worry about being “too populist.”
He added that the next chief executive should continue good projects and “not care whether the persons who started (the projects) came from the same party.”
“If the projects are good, just continue. Don’t stop and start everything from scratch,” Felicio suggested.
Both Procurement and Supply Institute of Asia president and chief executive officer Charlie Villaseñor and Confederation of Trucking Association of the Philippines president Mario Yap said the incoming leader should have an appreciation of the importance of transportation and supply chain to the economy.
Villaseñor said the next president should have “deep appreciation of the supply chain” and seek to further develop an infrastructure system that supports it because the “competitiveness of the country depends on the competitiveness of its supply chain.” He noted that the new President, if not familiar with the industry, should “pull in people knowledgeable (of) this function.”
The country’s next chief executive should also have passion for his or her work but be adaptable to change, Nonpareil International Freight and Cargo Service, Inc. president Rolando Quiambao said.
Association of International Shipping Lines general manager Atty. Maximino Cruz said he or she should have a long-term vision for the country “that goes well beyond his/her six-year term.”
He noted, “This vision should encompass a wide range of reforms that will nurture and sustain growth and development.”
The next President should also be able to “insulate himself/herself from politics and… produce a Cabinet of the highest caliber, composed of energetic men and women who share his/her vision for the country.”
This set of individuals, Cruz said, should be “a select group people of unquestionable integrity and competence.”
In addition, the next leader should be firm and decisive in policy making, but at the same time open to negotiation and compromise. “I am looking for a President who can look inward and outward as a member of the international business community, somebody who knows how to balance the growing demands of global trade and the unique demands of the national economy,” Cruz said.
He further explained that the new Philippine leader should see the value of being competitive and look for ways to enable the Philippines to ably compete in the global marketplace.
“And this goal can only be made possible as long as the country can demonstrate its readiness to compete (through) massive infrastructure building and the development of an environment-friendly backdrop that can attract more investments in the country. The policy direction should therefore be along this line,” he said.
But more important, Cruz noted the next president should have the “heart” to do what’s good for the country, combined with an unqualified willingness to serve and the capacity to endure sacrifices for the sake of the people he or she is governing. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
