Food shortages, joblessness and West Philippine Sea tension

Filipinos are in the grip of three major crises: a food shortage, joblessness and the West Philippine Sea tension.

To cope with the first two, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has deployed technocrats to handle the economy – Ralph Recto, 60, as Finance secretary and Frederick D. Go, 54, as secretary for Investment and Economic Affairs.

Ralph and Deck have spent 30 years each in their fields to reach the top and make an indelible mark.

Ralph was the youngest congressman when he joined the House of Representatives where he served for 11 years, rising to No. 2 as a deputy speaker. He was senator for 18 years (rising to No. 2 as Senate president pro tempore). Ralph was also president Gloria Arroyo’s economic planning secretary for one year.

“No other legislator, past or present, has spent more years in Congress legislating tax laws than Secretary Recto. He knows what is proper in principle and pragmatic in practice,” says Albay Rep. Joey Salceda.

Ralph knows the boldness of legislation in its fine print. He knows crisis when he sees one. When he entered Congress, he recalls, “in many places, when you opened the taps, there was no water. You tried to catch a plane, there was none. You lifted the phone, you got a busy signal. You switched on the lights, there was no power.”  He helped solve those problems.

In 31 years, Frederick built from scratch 54 shopping malls, 31 office buildings, 28 hotels and resorts, six industrial facilities and 19 mixed-use developments.

In response to the WPS issue, BBM has tapped 1989 Bar topnotcher and Harvard-educated (Master of Laws) lawyer Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. as secretary of Defense. He is also a technocrat. Gibo’s strategy so far is to be belligerent towards China, the intruder into the South China Sea territorial and sovereign rights claims of the Philippines, and to boost the country’s naval weaponry.

The Manila Overseas Press Club hosts Secretary Gibo as speaker during the MOPC Defense Night on Jan. 23, 2024 at the Fairmont Hotel Ballroom.  Those who want to hear him, please contact MOPC’s Miss Dena, 0920-204-9229 or email this columnist.

The underlying problem with the food shortage, joblessness and the WPS tension is lack of