Next president must ‘be a good navigator, have clear economic agenda’

Pres. Noynoy Aquino (P-Noy) flashes the faces of the top three would-be presidential candidates for 2016: VP Jojo Binay, Sen. Grace Poe, and Interior Sec. Mar Roxas, during his last SONA.
(Screenshot courtesy of PCI live stream via RTVM)

MANILA – With the presidential elections nearing, foreign and local investors hoped that the Filipino people would vote a candidate who has ‘integrity and a clear-cut economic agenda.’

“We would want to have a leader with integrity. I think that kind of covers a lot of things that you would want to see in a leader,” banking giant ING country manager Consuelo Garcia said in a press briefing.

With President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s “Daang Matuwid” (Straight Path) type of governance, Garcia acknowledged that the investor confidence in the Philippines increased in the past five years.

She admitted, however, that businessmen still have ‘uncertainties’ sometimes.

“But at the end of the day, what they look for is a front-runner and if that front-runner has clear economic policies, then the uncertainty is reduced… The market or the investors just don’t want to be surprised,” she said.

“If you look at the ones that may be running, they seem to be saying the same things,” she added. “The market wants to see a front-runner. If it’s a close fight, uncertainty comes in.”

Aside from having integrity and a good economic agenda, human resource managers also believed that it was necessary for the country’s next leader to be a good navigator.

As a good navigator, the president should have analytical skills, judgment, decisiveness, tolerance for ambiguity, visionary leadership… and driving performance, People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) president Roberto Policarpio said, advising voters to look for these in their presidential bets.

Importantly, the president should also genuinely serve the people and have humility, continuous learning, results orientation and stress tolerance, he added, hoping that Aquino’s successor would also be a ‘guardian of national wealth.’

“The next leader must ensure that the national wealth and resources are used properly, demonstrate strong political will, champion the fight against graft and corruption, ensure a level playing field, promote competence and professionalism and uphold the rule of law,” Policarpio asserted.

As of posting, three politicians have officially declared their presidential bids – Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay, former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and Senator Grace Poe.

Binay has been facing corruption allegations hurled against him; Roxas has yet to present his running mate; while Poe recently announced joining the presidential race.