The word “change,” often coupled with adjectives such as “real,” “genuine,” “meaningful” and even “sustainable” has been routinely exploited by politicians the world over.
It panders to people’s innate desire to do something about whatever it is that makes them suffer or prevents them from enjoying their existence to the fullest.
Here at home, the desperation for “change” has brought us leaders of various forms, styles and persuasions. All of them promised to upset the status quo brought about by the people they were replacing, capitalizing on people’s dissatisfaction and frustration.
Almost always, however, the hoped-for change simply brings about yet another cycle of discontent. The promised overhaul turns out to be superficial, with only names and faces changing. Systems and norms remain, sometimes worse than ever before.
The just-inaugurated administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is no exception. By winning a plurality at a wide margin over his closest opponent, the former mayor of Davao City showed a potential to deliver a different kind of change, as indicated by his bold pronouncements, unconventional solutions and even irreverent language.
“Change is coming,” his supporters say, even as most still have no idea whether to be comforted by or afraid of what lies ahead.
The early war against red tape may just be a sign that the change to be delivered is not the nebulous, conceptual, hard-to-grasp kind. This is one that cannot wait, as the President said during his first day in office.
All permits should be signed in 30 days and a one-stop government center should be established such that Filipinos processing their documents will not have such a hard time anymore. There will be a limit to the number of days business owners should complete their documentation; there will be a cap on the number of signatures needed to begin a business.
There will also be an appointment system so that the duration of visits to government offices will no longer be based on connections, “facilitation” or the help extended by fixers.
The government must stop oppressing its own people, the President said. And how it has, the way it has through unnecessarily tedious and often costly processes.
This is one concrete instance of change we can relate to and appreciate. Many things can be said about Mr. Duterte but his decisiveness to get things done is one we do not doubt.
We can only hope that the drive against red tape will become so successful that it would cease to be a novelty and instead become a way of life.
