The Aftermath

Manang Myrna, our live-out laundry woman, comes in twice or thrice a week. Last Saturday, she requested for a day off to be at the grounds of the Mall of Asia during the ‘miting de avance’.

She is an Ilocano. She and her family simply admire the Marcoses. Some say this is because the Ilocos region was a beneficiary during the reign of the deposed dictator, specifically the good road network.

Therefore, it was just natural that Manang Myrna and her family rooted for Junior. However, truth be disclosed, that she along with nine others were fetched by an air conditioned van, given P1,000 and brought back home after the political event.

“Even without such amenities, my vote is for Bongbong, simply because he is an Ilocano,” she tells me. This just proves that indeed there’s not only the much talked about INC vote but the Ilocano vote as well. Or even the Bicolano and Cebuano votes. It’s regionalism at its peak.

That said, will regionalism become the order of the incoming administration? Of course, it’s just natural for people to be comfortable with a leader who hails from their province or region. Proud even!

But what’s at stake here is not only the province or the region but the country, in general. The Philippine economy, slumped, went into recession in 2020, registering a negative 9.5 percent for the full of 2020. It was the worst economic recession ever in decades on the account of the pandemic that virtually put most of the activities on hold.

In the aftermath of its so-called landslide victory, the incoming administration must be astute in choosing who will be engaged in helping the government shepherd and nourish the economy back on a sustainable track. Reverting back to the growth path is our aspiration, including Manang Myrna.

Except for presumptive vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio, who has been appointed to the Department of Education, the list of the Cabinet men is very fluid. Rumour has it that high school classmate in La Salle Greenhills, retired Senior Executive Vice President and head of the Institutional Banking Group Walter C. Wassmer may join the government service, either as finance chief or may head the state insurance firm – Government Service Insurance System or Social Security System.

Ace-banker, Jose Arnulfo Veloso, president of Philippine National Bank, is also in the list, either to head the trade and industry or the department of finance. Likewise, in the list for the finance portfolio is Joanne de Asis, an investment banker in Morgan Stanley, and the wife of the late Jose Conrado “Joly” Benetiz.

For the justice department, the name of defeated senatorial bet Rodante Marcoleta, still a sitting partylist representative and became famous following the rejection in the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, is being floated.

Politician and venture capitalist Al Tengco will assume the DPWH post left behind by Mark Villar, now a presumptive senator. Tengco is one of the contractors of the Museum of Natural History.

Then some are saying that current Secretary of Transportation Art Tugade may stay, while former Finance Chief Cesar Purisima, who was dubbed as the architect of Hyatt 10, will be engaged to man his former domain along Roxas Blvd.

The list is long, though, not winding. Still, in the aftermath of the election, the new administration must be careful in its selection process. We have to move on but as citizens, who are religious taxpayers, we should not compromise vigilance in protecting our rights.

And just on the side, it was said that Sara was originally eyeing the national defense post but was overruled. Does this mean that this early, there’s already a crack in the uniteam?