It's not just persons that matter but also political systems that matter
Some people say that it's just a matter of changing people from incompetent to competent. I'd like to refute that idea with some common sense. If you've observed the current Philippine constitution it only allows six years -- no more and no less. Some people wanted another six more years for Noynoy Aquino while others think that it's enough. The problem is that the six years no more no less limit is that it's too long for incompetent people and too short for competent people. A good example is how former president Fidel V. Ramos' economic reforms fell flat after his six years ended -- some of them were practically destroyed by former president Joseph Estrada who peacefully stepped down.
If you say it's just people in power that matter then here's another thing to throw at it. What's the use of having competent people in power if you give them a faulty system to work with? An illustrative example would be giving a competent person some faulty tools. Do you remember Johann Sebastian Bach with his Air in G String piece? Well, it's a nice piece but wouldn't you want to hear him play from a complete set in the violin? Sure, the answer mostly lies in the hand and not in the blade but remember the broken sword was discarded at the end.
The presidential system is based on popularity than credibility -- where elections allow stupid people to run in power as long as they're popular. Why do you think the Philippines had a cycle of competent-incompetent-competent? It's because the president is voted based on popularity regardless of one's credibility. Why do you think Erap and Noynoy won? It's because of their popularity. Erap was a popular movie star and Noynoy is the child of Ninoy and Cory.
What's the use of having credible people in certain regions of the Philippines if it's under a highly centralized system? It doesn't matter how credible the head of a certain region or municipality is as long as it's under an incompetent person heading Imperial Manila. The opposite can be true that it doesn't matter how competent the person in Imperial Manila is if he or she is surrounded by so much incompetence in other regions. The idea of federalism is to have two levels of government to participate in decision making -- which can allow weaker people to be easily weeded out without too much intervention from the imperial capital.
Economic policies also matter in bringing a reliable cash flow
Some people want to insist in the stupidity of saying that there's no need to amend certain economic provisions from the 1987 Constitution. They want to stress that it's all about budgeting plans. But here's the question -- do they even know why the Philippines is left behind compared to its ASEAN neighbors or other Asian neighbors?
I love to bring it how there's always the misconception concerning Foreign Direct Investors is causing the 1987 Constitution to be a failure. Some have the misconception that only the foreign investors will get rich or that they're foreign invaders where both ideas are ridiculous. Foreign investors will get rich but that doesn't mean their income isn't taxable. All investors whether they are Filipino or not are required to pay taxes or face closure of their businesses. That means all foreign investors are subjected to Filipino laws and must follow them even if 60/40 has been removed.
The whole idea of increasing funding through 4Ps is stupid for this reason. It's like waiting for a shower of gold coins. It's not an investment at all and it's mendicancy. One could argue that the 4Ps is being used to purchase necessities but how sure are we that it's purchased for necessities? It's not generating jobs but making people who get 4Ps reliant on it. How sure are they that the money is purchased at stores that also get taxed? The problem with 4Ps is that it barely increases the amount of money. It's just putting money in a spin cycle and don't even get me started with the idea of self-funding because it's ridiculous.
On the other hand, FDIs would grant more jobs for more Filipinos. It's not waiting for 4Ps to come out. Instead, Filipinos will get jobs and a steady source of income. If these FDIs together with Filipino businessmen contribute that much then expect the minimum wage to increase. Spending can only increase significantly if people have much more higher money. Both FDIs and Filipino businesses can end up helping the Philippines to have more income. The idea that 4Ps generate jobs and FDI doesn't provide revenue or income can only be said by a senile mind.
The tax system is also in need of a change of policy for income taxes. I'm glad that Filipinos are now getting taxed less for their individual incomes though I think the excise tax on gasoline may need to be lowered to removed while other excise taxes can stay. I think excise tax on wants over needs would help Filipinos think twice about how they budget their money on what they need vs. what they don't need. It's like I think taxing gasoline would mean that more Filipinos will think twice not to buy a car if they can't afford gasoline. If the TRAIN Tax Law would mean no more freeloaders then it'd be better because you either pay for your ticket or you can't board the train.
Tax evasion is so high is because of the super high income taxes. Who would want to increase one's personal income if punishment is all you get for achieving one's higher personal income? For instance, if a person manages to get PHP 500,000 and higher yet they get taxed at 32% -- wouldn't that discourage the person from earning more? The super high tax system in the past may also be a reason why that people don't declare the right amount of taxes but also choose not to achieve more. What's the use of achieving if all the government does is punish it?
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The 1987 Constitution is really nothing more than an incompetent system that should be blamed for adding to decades of suffering for the Filipino people!
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