DNL’s Speech during the 2004 Performance, Evaluation, Conference,
Workshop and General Assembly of the Regional Association of Treasurers and Assessors
(REGATA) on July 12, 2005.
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| ``A Matter of Management`` |
This is a historic day for Tagbilaran. Today, this city of smiles is smiling even
more because it is hosting the year 2004 performance, evaluation, conference,
workshop and general assembly of the Regional Association of Treasurers and Assessors
or REGATA.
For the next two days, Tagbilaran will be taking care of the people in charge
of the finances of the local governments in region 7. It is historic because i
believe that the results of this gathering will determine to a certain extent
the fate of local government spending in the years to come.
this gathering is being held while the storm clouds are gathering over the nation.
Notwithstanding the official government line that the situation is under control,
you and i can feel the uncertainty over where this new round of instability will
bring us.
There is no doubt that the problem we are facing has a lot to do with economics.
Most people agree that while there will always be problems in this world, it would
not be as complicated if the economy was better. Money does not make the world
go round, but it makes the ride more pleasurable.
While most people are interested in the topic of money, I don’t believe it will
be as interesting to you. It is one thing to spend money that is in your hand.
It is another to exist on deficit spending as what many local governments are
doing. As George Bernard Shaw sarcastically puts it, the lack of money is the
root of all evil, not the love of it. To many people, the lack of money reveals
their real character. And yet, if we honestly look at the situation, the problem
is not so much that we are short on funds but rather how we are able to run the
economy on our limited budget. It is a question of making do with what we have
rather than on how to spend what we don’t have. Unfortunately, that is the problem
not only with many families but even in local governments. Many local officials
desire to implement programs that they are unable to finance for obvious reasons.
In fact, that is the reason why many treasurers get into trouble: they are made
unwilling accomplices by governors and mayors who spend what they are not supposed
to spend.
You will argue with me that there are a lot of so-called must expenses that the
existing budgets are unable to meet. You have a point there. And yet, it is all
a question of creativity – the ability to raise funds to meet the budgetary demands.
It is all a matter of management. You manage only what you have. That is the mark
of a good manager. I agree that these are difficult times. Difficulty however
should never be an excuse to give up. Instead, it should be a motivation to succeed.
The best proof of a nation’s character is its ability to rise from the ashes,
not the absence of fire and trials. To be sure, there are no clear-cut schemes
to bail us out of trouble. There are no black and white prints to instruct us
on how to deal with the financial crisis each local government is facing. That
does not mean however that it cannot be done. There is no such thing as a hopeless
situation, only situations where people give up hope.
Former US Pres. Ronald Reagan once commented that the government’s view of the
economy can be summed up in a few short phrases: if it moves, tax it. If it keeps
moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. Unfortunately for us,
most things are not moving and we cannot subsidize them simply because there are
no funds. In the next few days, you will find little cause for optimism with the
task you are called to do. And yet, we must bear in mind that surrender is not
an option. Running the country is like walking the tightrope, either we move forward
or we fall to death. It is not possible to stay idle or step backward.
The dictionary defines the regatta as either a rowing, speedboat or sailing race.
It is neither an idle raft nor a flotsam that merely drifts with the tide. A race
is played against the competition and has a fixed finished line. You chose an
appropriate name.
We are racing the race of our lives. We have so much to do with too few resources,
too little time and with so much at stake. And yet, you have heard of hope and
faith. There is still hope for as long as there are people willing to go the extra
mile. And for as long as people have faith, God will make all the difference.
The theme for this event is “Economic Recovery: A Challenge to the Treasurers
and Assessors”. To me, that is enough reason to believe that there is hope. People
who love challenges are people who continue to hope. It is easy to be pessimistic,
to expect the worse and to give up when all around you see a tired, poor and disgusted
people. And yet, the world and the future is not for those who see only with the
eyes. It is for those who see with visions and dreams.
Today, I leave you with the challenge that you have presented yourselves with
your theme: work for economic recovery. Do not aim for the moon, there is a time
for that. Work only within your sphere of influence, in your province, your city,
your town and your family. It has to start somewhere but it has to start with
you.
This is history in the making and you are part of it. Let me thank you for making
Tagbilaran a part of history. I look forward to the day when you look back to
this event and say it was in Tagbilaran when we decided to turn things around.
I wish you all the best in this challenge. Thank you and may God bless you all. |
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