Taiwan in My Mind

            For those who have not managed getting out from the hangover spill of PNOY’s SONA, forget it! We need to move on.

 For some quarters the SONA might have not provided clear-cut roadmap for the administration,  a maze leading to nowhere as it contained “some so-so, some pretty bad, a startling performance nonetheless not a speech but an indictment.. . “ Phil. Free Press Editorial  writes. PNOY’s advisers might have also  erred in the computation of  the remaining balance of the budget for the current fiscal year courtesy of the legacy of PGMA Cong. Edcel Lagman of the Minority cleared. But credit nonetheless should be given to PNOY for his vision never mind tentative and mixed up delivered in Tagalog, the language of the people  reaching out majority of the masses. 

The answer might be truly  hazy and not there. But if we could pull up together our efforts and resources to where they should be, methinks it’s not farfetched that the minimum basic services of food, clothing and shelter we aspire for  are peanuts and doable. Service? That’s actually politics in practice,  classical definition of politics. It’s just unfortunate though  that people with different agenda redefined it according to their whims and caprices. Thus, the existence of moneyed or patronage politics that has remained still enshrined in the collective consciousness of the people.

 That  everything is after all feasible and clear as sunny day is true and validated by history, a fact  seen in the past glory days of the country. But look how  greed for power  and patronage politics have brought us back to dark era consigning  us to the dustbin of history. If we only buckle down and get rid of rhetoric and start delivering the goods and services for the people, what happiness and enjoyment we could have continuing the good tradition of effective governance of  Pres. Ramon Magsaysay and Cory Aquino holding on for the  promising future, a legacy  we could leave to the next generation with pride. That’s why bringing back the graphic memories what I learned and seen in Taiwan two decades past it seems to me could be good example showing relevant answers to PNOY’s SONA.

Taiwan actually is smaller than Mindanao. Going there is roughly one hour and forty five minutes from Manila to Taipei just like Cag de Oro Manila route. How it has metamorphosed into an advanced Tiger Economy catching up defanging and leaving behind Japan, South Korea and other Tiger Economies as early as latter 1986s is one of the record. It’s  so rich a country that it could even give the run of the money of  other developed countries including Mainland China, its erstwhile tormentor and nemesis forcibly driving then Gen. Chiang Kais Shek out from the mainland by the marauding Red Army of Mao Tse Tung in 1948 to then Formosa re-christened into Taiwan later. Yes it’s ironic that Taiwan can still afford claiming that theirs is the legitimate seat of power and that all of the  mainland China is merely their satellite.

It was really  never the same again since then as Taiwan proceeding with blistering pace in developing their economy  carving  a niche as one of the  world’s best. Their foreign reserve is just too high indicating that it’s how to spend not how to ear their money it is the problem. It’s the premium they have reaped  after investing so much with all their resources. But it was not all easy specially when US through Gen. Douglas Mc Arthur provided them windfall of financial assistance in rebuilding and  rehabilitating their tattered  economy brought about by the chaos and destruction of  war. But known for their celebrated work ethics they literally rose from the grave and after taking everything in stride with no non-sense approach for development, they are now enjoying all the best the world could offer.  But how exactly they did it.

First no non-sense Agrarian Reform starting with land consolidation and titling.  Sorry but definitely no Stock-Distribution-Option scheme.  Farmers were given directly the land they could manage mostly one hectare but not over  three hectares. Implementation was strictly monitored. Those doing monkey business have their faces splashed the following day in newspapers. The reason, how could they face their commitment with the US if they are not doing well  their work  All is told, Taiwan would soon become so successful that it became the Mecca of Agrarian Reform where people are send their to study how they did it and hopefully replicate in their respective countries. That’s how I became participant to 54^th Regular Session of Agrarian Reform and Rural Dev’t. in 1991 among others from 26 other countries worldwide.

Absolutely no incidence of poverty as the government makes use of all available lands there is for agricultural development.  Thus from Taipei all the way to Kaoshiung, farmland are seen all over. There’s just no vacant spaces as farm are developed side by side with big buildings. Yes in villages, towns and cities! Walang patawad that rice paddies are even seen in the left and right portion of the bridges serving  as movable feast in my eyes. Ironically, Taiwan is a typhoon belt area. Yet they have shown they could manage. How? By simply consolidating first the area – uprooting undesirable materials before putting top soil and planting with rice and then constructing huge concrete like drums octopuses serving as water breaker. The result vast track of lands are secured for good harvest as water simply cascading all the way to catch-up point all the way back to sea without ever at all destroying beautifully crafted rice fields along the bridges.   Twenty four hours economy,  no traffic, effective tax collection – name it and Taiwan is showing they have it all. And here’s what they government wished for. Forty five percent of their salary are saved no matter how much they spent.

It’s unfortunate that we have so much resources than Taiwan and yet have not fully exploited them. True indeed that ours is far fertile island but how appalling that we have not developed them.  It’s because we need men and women who have fertile hearts and  minds to make them productive. Wasted opportunity translated to bad politics. That is the real culprit back here at home.