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The country's economic woes are far from over. Our neighbors
may be on the brink of making a turn around with everybody mouthing that the
Asian Crisis is finally winding up and affected countries like Thailand,
Indonesia, Malaysia are on the way out of the mess. We would like to think
that the Philippines is in that same category if at all.
And the irony is, we are far from over the hump. We have yet
to go back to basics and relearn the fundamentals for an honest to goodness
economic recovery. We have to resolve our food security nemesis first. And
later resolve the fundamental needs to be competitive as a nation and as a
people.
We are still going down and nobody would dare admit it for
fear of being ridiculed. The flow of commerce is getting to be very
restrictive and more impeded. The cost of doing business is growing to be
very prohibitive. Basic goods and services are still available to some but
getting to be scarce to most. By the time they become unaffordable and
hurting, it would be too late to do anything about it. Economic collapse or
disintegration would consequently follow.
Our present malais is like the disease of cancer .... that
by the time it hurts, it would be too late.
We have to arrest that economic decline fast by defining its
hard bottom soonest so that an economic rebound becomes possible.
Ironically, that role belongs to a VISIONARY, a character that the whole
country lacks so badly. Today, not even one visionary could be named at all
.... only reactionaries!
At best, we have a "hero" in the making .... but needs to be
imbued with the VISION to absorb and eventually mouth as its own. This
"credible hero" can then share this learned vision with the Filipino people
to firmly establish that COMMON AGENDA to "will for". Only then can a
CRITICAL MASS ever emerge to share that single vision and make positive
reforms and meaningful changes really happen.
Of all the institutions from the private sector, business,
church or the academe, only the latter would have a good chance of doing
something positive about it. The University of the Philippines (UP) is the
only institution that can play that hero's role and nobody else.
UP is madated by its own charter to "create its own
government" within its metes and bounds in its pursuit of academic
excellence. UP can therefore really set up the correct values, priorities
and directions it deems proper. It is only a question of UP rethinking its
vital role in our present society.
Its credibility as the academe then is beyond reproach that
it used to lord over practically all issues regarding politics, economics,
social and even the physical infrastructures. But that was many decades ago
when UP could afford "to lead the nation". Due to its own complacency and
neglect, UP simply lost its economic independence, stature and leverage as
well. As a result, UP just became a member of the crowd instead of being
above it.
UP is now part of the mendicant lot, waiting for its yearly
government budget that is not even enough to run the University
efficiently. Worse, UP waits to be told what to do even by a lowly
government clerk. UP in fact has lost its charm and mystic. UP is now a
member of the rent-seeking society that we already are .... inefficient,
inept and helpless.
With survival as its only option, it is highly improbable for
UP to live up to its calling. UP could not afford to be creative or
innovative at all. UP is devoid to do any "visioning". Indeed it is
foolhardy to freely think with an empty stomach.
Yet, of all the country's solutions possible to include its
economic recovery, only a revitalized UP could provide the suitable answer.
UP has the only mandate to do something positive about it .... only IF IT
WANTS TO.
UP obviously must be jolted from its lethargic state TO WANT
IT .... to play hero and lead this country from its stupor and
complacency. UP obviously must clean up its acts and ranks, first and
foremost.
And this is where we need your help!
We from the Sierra Madre Foundation have been trying for at
least six (6) years to convince the UPAA (UP Alumni Association) to join
this advocacy to no avail. And that is after sitting down with the heads of
the UP system itself. Both UP and the UPAA have become advocates of the
status quo of affairs and would prefer not to rock the boat at all. They
are now spectators and mute witnesses to the ongoing decay of the
University.
We may have convinced a good number of luminaries from both
sides but not enough in numbers to create an "exodus" to turn the tide to
change the status quo. We really need an IMPACT!
We need an inspired group of UPSILONIANS who can see the
whole forest and necessarily free from being intimidated by the "planned
scarcity" that the status quo leaders presently wield.
We need to "VISUALIZE", fast and sweeping the opportunities
in the offing for the State University to envision "its mandate to lead".
Only then can we crystalize that COMMON AGENDA to inspire every Filipino to
act and think as one. That CRITICAL MASS would naturally emerge.
UP MUST TRANSFORM its' IDLE LAND GRANTS into productive
endeavor starting with its DILIMAN Campus. UP MUST EARN ITS ECONOMIC
INDEPENDENCE and PURSUE ITS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE TASK TO THE HILT EVEN
WITHOUT ANY MORE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY.
The University of Washington in Seattle is the model for this
prospective development. The downtown area of Seattle was planned within
the university campus so that its lease rentals alone would be more than
sufficient to support the university's total needs.
The very same environment could be master-planned for the UP
Commonwealth Property (part of the 494 hectare UP Campus) and the entire
Philippine business sector would be scampering for their own location within
this exclusive business environment "where the correct things are allowed to
happen". The planned merger between the business community and the academe
becomes a "practicum" for the UP students as a natural consequence for
advanced learning.
An ALTERNATIVE ENVIRONMENT would be born where business can
be done in a very businesslike manner. It would in fact hasten the blending
of industry, business and the academe .... a prerequisite to recovery.
In one fell swoop, the master plan would define the HARD
BOTTOM of our declining economy to enable the true REBOUND of our RECOVERY!
The true productivity in its pure sense will be allowed. Free Enterprise
would reign supreme. Respect for Market Forces and Rule of Law would be
held. Time and Rights would be respected. The flow of goods, services and
people would be free-flowing. By comparison, this emerging ALTERNATIVE
ENVIRONMENT would be the mecca of all the present businessmen, local or
foreign.
The "master plan" up to the SECURITIZATION of this new
UNIVERSITY TOWN will take about 10 months to accomplish by the following UP
colleges. All these colleges could be networked to work as one dynamic
planning team. The "univeristy town" concept as a goal is itself a very
intimidating yet inspiring motivation.
UP School
of Urban Planning
College of
Architecture
College of
Fine Arts
College of
Mass Communication
College of
Engineering
College of
Business
College of
Law
It is estimated that the planning cost is about US$250,000.
(Can Upsilon spearhead this task?) The resultant contract documents will be
used as the main basis for the BUSINESS PLAN that will be prepared by the
Sierra Madre Foundation together with the investment prospectus and the
PROJECT CHALLENGE. The latter is the legal and logical means to win the
award in putting up the "UNIVERSITY TOWN".
Another three years will be needed to raise the INVESTMENTS
to put up all the planned infrastructures and the installation of the proper
"substructures" to accomodate the influx of the "superstructures".
In a nutshell, the above is a process that requires hard work
and determination. A world class general contractor can be appointed to
implement the project on a turnkey basis. SECURITIZATION of the whole
development can be implemented and expressed in bankable and investment
grade securities that can be absorbed by a unique group of investors.
With UPSILON SIGMA PHI leading the way, the
175,000 strong alumni organization could be encouraged to invest for a
worthy and profitable cause. Unknowingly, the inspired UPAA would catalyze
the emergence of that CRITICAL MASS .... And why not?
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