WE could not immediately see his motive to propose to stop the massive floods in Metro Manila, but we could sense that Ramon S. Ang was sincere in his idea to to stop those flood issues once and for all by dredging the waterways in the metropolis.
Ang, or RSA in the business community, local or international, is determined to the point of an obsession to fix the flood issues in Metro Manila at no expense to the government. Question: Is he sincere or just nuts?
RSA, the moving spirit behind food and infrastructure giant San Miguel Corporation (SMC), is not new to giving a free ride to the government. It’s all for the government to take.
In Bulacan, for instance, RSA, through SMC, has been dredging the waterway system there at no expense for the government. Critics claimed what he has been doing is to atone for his “sins” because Bulacan is the site of the SMC multibillion dollar airport venture there.
RSA is being accused of environmental destruction because the SMC’s airport project could cause massive floods to the adjoining towns. But RSA is unaffected because it is exactly the point. He is pursuing the dredging of the Bulacan waterways for the simple reason that it is best to be prepared for any eventuality. In his judgment, it is best to pursue the solutions now than wait for the problems to arise.
Modern day corporations pursue what is termed as corporate social responsibility (CSR) mainly as an act of self-regulation. Private firms could be social monsters in their pursuit of huge profit and unmitigated expansion, but this tendency could be tempered by pursuit of CSR projects, which are essentially “conscience” projects. They serve as the virtual brake to the “evils” that could be spawned by corporate greed.
Progressive firms set aside a certain part of their corporate profit for pursuit of CSR projects as their way to give back a part of their income to the community. Their acts could be regarded as essentially altruism or philanthropy, although corporate advocates admit it is still part of many corporations’ “creative greed.”
For instance, certain corporations pursue environmental projects because the environmental destruction or degradation could lead to destruction of their market.
When asked how he would solve Metro Manila’s perennial flood problems, Ang’s answer was short and brief. The solution could be quick, he said, and it is by just removing the blockages in the rivers, esteros, and other waterways in the metropolis.
Is that all? Yes, RSA said. But is he so simpleminded not to see the potential repercussions of his proposal, mainly the political aspects. For instance, it can make many officials uncomfortable with his proposal to stop floods in Metro Manila.
First, senators, congressmen, mayors, and other local officials, who are involved in flood control projects in Metro Manila would oppose it because it would mean a substantial reduction of their usual kickbacks from the flood control budget.
Second, RSA proposal would expose the sordid reality that current and previous presidents and mayors of Metro Manila cities, and don’t forget the past and present chairs of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were incompetent and lacking the foresight to stop the flood issues, which have plagued the metropolis for decades.
Billions of pesos were spent every year to fix the flood problems, but it only goes to show that any local engineers and scientists were not consulted at all. The logic is simple: while RSA’s solution is quick, why has this not been pushed and pursued over the years.
It only means a single thing, which many officials refuse to admit: our leaders have no political will.
Somebody joked that if RSA fixes the flood problems in the metropolis, our leaders should resign and let San Miguel Corporation govern the Philippines. Of course, it is a joke, an obvious dig on our leaders.
