Orgs gather at local media-led forum in Palawan SU Amphi
By Rhey Flores, Vic Albert Bagaan, Felix Espino III | posted 08/05/24
Different organizations in Palawan convened at the Palawan SU Amphitheater on Tuesday, May 07 for PN Conversations, a project of Palawan News, a local media firm in the province, aiming to shed light on societal issues having to do with the lives of the contemporary Palaweños.
Marking the program as an inaugural event created by the said local media, the discussion revolved around the controversial constitutional reform that has been rallied in Congress for many years. The event’s objective was to inform participants of the good and bad of the said proposal through the insights given by the speakers.
EIC Anda points out traditional media’s relevance to society amid social media, vlogging influence
In his message, the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Palawan News, Mr. Redempto Anda, emphasized traditional media’s relevance despite social media’s emergence. He also highlighted their important objectives as they set the agenda for every issue, and reiterated the importance of traditional media for processing the information meticulously.
The resource speakers of the inaugural episode were Atty. Florianne Aerika Relova and Prof. Aileen Joy Pactao, both faculty members of the University, and Mr. Orion Dumdum, co-founder of the CoRRECT (Constitutional Reform & Rectification for Economic Competitiveness & Transformation) Movement, an organization campaigning for the “amending [of] the 1987 Constitution so that the Philippines can drastically improve its economy and create more jobs for its people through systemic reforms,” according to its website.
Mr. Ralph Pulanco, a faculty member of the College of Arts and Humanities as well as the technical adviser of this Publication, served as the moderator of the said event.
The resource speakers respectively discussed topics such as follows: the role of the 1987 Philippine Constitution to the ordinary Palaweños, the key considerations entailed towards an informed decision on constitutional amendment, and the economic constitutional amendment based on RBH 7 (Resolution of Both Houses №7) aiming to allow foreign ownership of certain industries.
Relova: Firsthand knowledge of the Constitution important
Atty. Florianne Aerika Relova, a faculty member of Palawan State University School of Law highlighted the structure and importance of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. She also narrated the reasons for knowing our Constitution, and how it benefits Palawenos and Filipinos in general aspect.
“The matter of changing the constitution is something that concerns not only the government, not only businesses, not only the academe; but all of us, we, the sovereign Filipino people. Sovereignty resides in the people, and all government authority emanates from them,” she emphasized in her talk.
She also added during the question-and-answer portion that change “will not occur overnight” even if the constitutional amendments happen. “There’s no silver bullet, meaning, there’s no miracle that will save all of us and make the Philippines develop overnight. Even if we change the constitution, meron tayong mga deeply-rooted problems in the Philippines that I can say as now, constitutional change will not answer that. You should focus on capacitating the local government, equipping the leaders with the proper training [and] mindset. In that way, it would be a bottom-up development.”
Dumdum rallies removal of restrictions in foreign investments, ownership to businesses, downplays studies that are against constitutional amendment
Mr. Orion Dumdum, one of the proponents of constitutional modification for the country’s economic development, highlighted the pitfall of unitary government to the economic aspect that plagued the Filipino generation for too long.
He also pushed the three ideas in constitutional reform proposed by his organization: “economic liberalization, evolving federalism, and parliamentary system.”
“Ang pinapapasok nating foreign investors, konti lang dahil sa mga restrictions natin. Kung pinarami sana natin ‘yung investors, dadami sana ang mga trabaho,” he said during the event.
He also claimed that open and direct foreign investments have benefited various countries, such as Singapore.
“Singapore allowed foreign investors to easily come into their country, to create jobs, to make jobs that before did not exist.”
He also “refuted” studies from the IBON Foundation and the UP School of Economics , that have deemed the change in the Constitution as “unnecessary,” and that the Philippine economy has been liberalized even without needed changes in the Constitution.
“According to the foreign investors, Philippines is hostile when it comes to them. Yung unang nakikikita ng foreign investors ay konstitusyon natin, so, instead of having so many foreign investors coming in, kakaunti na lang ang mga pumapasok. We can see why mas marami tayong taong nagiging OFW, mas marami tayong Pilipinong napupwersang mag-migrate na lang, when in fact, we could have done the opposite which is papuntahin na lang natin sa Pilipinas yung mga job-creating foreign direct investors,” he also added when asked by an audience.
Pactao: “Informed opinion” on making views in consti amendment
Ms. Aileen Pactao, a faculty member from the College of Arts and Humanities (CAH) highlighted the idea of “an informed opinion,” and should make views that are not partisan by not having confirmation bias, should consider the good and the bad of constitutional amendment.
She also emphasized the fact that constitutional reform is not perilous unless the motive for the said move is unclear, and reiterated the point that making an opinion on constitutional reform should rely on facts and reliable sources at hand and must rely on academic studies, not on social media.
“Ang unang tanong na dapat nating masagot, “alam ba ng bawat ordinaryong Pilipino kung ano ang saligang batas at ang nilalaman nito mula sa artikulo uno hanggang sa artikulo pang-walo?” Kung pulso ng mamamayan ang ating pakikinggan, dapat magsimula sa kung alam ba nila ang nilalaman ng ating Saligang Batas,” Pactao also added.
However, Ms. Pactao added that there should be guaranteed safeguards on implementing constitutional reform, when asked during the question-and-answer portion. “Ayokong masanay tayo sa thinking na ‘highly conservative,’ ‘yung hindi na tayo bukas sa mga posible pang improvement at innovation. Hindi natin maitatanggi ang pagbabago ng panahon na may pagbabagong demand at kinakailangan ng innovative na action. Ang kailangan lang nating intindihin ay ano pa kaya ang kailangan nating busisiin o silipin. Hindi mahirap i-embrace ang pagbabago kung ang worry ng tao ay nasasagot ng safeguards.”
Palawan News also hoped that the discussion forum would be one of many episodes to come.
The said event is in partnership with the Palawan State University College of Arts and Humanities Communications Department and Extension Office, the Palawan National School Humanities and Social Sciences Department, the Palawan National School Young Social Scientists Organization, SM City Puerto Princesa, Infinite Media and Techmart Solution.
