A Study on the Effectiveness of Private Sector Representation in the Regional

Development Council

KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW

June 06 2018, NEDA Regional Office 3, San Fernando Pampanga

INTERVIEWEE: Governor Amor Deloso

Interviewers: Wilfredo Nuqui, Joel Pagsangjan
Record Time: (18 minutes)

Willy Nuqui: Good afternoon Governor

Governor Deloso: Good Afternoon.

Willy Nuqui: Let me introduce myself. I’m Mr. Nuqui, I used to be an Undersecretary sa
NEDA tapos si Joel Pagsangjan po is one of our members of the team who
is an expert in Civil Society and Governance. So we wanted to talk to you,
just for a few minutes for the purpose of getting your views with respect
to the subject of Enhancing the Effectiveness of Private Sector
[Representation] in the Regional Development Council. So I would like to
draw the first question:

Sa experience nyo po as RDC Chairman, what is your general assessment

of the RDC effectiveness and the role of the private sector
representatives?

Governor Deloso: Well actually, I am impressed and I find the necessity of the role of the RDC
because if we drew it back even from the NEDA, kailangan nila eh,
kailangan ng NEDA to control. Remember all developments here are
always equated with the cost and the benefit. If walang NEDA na
magcontrol, eh yung kayabangan ng mga politico, sosobra. It will come to
a point na gagastos ka ng 10M na tulay tapos ang nasa kabilang panig pala
ay tatatlong pamilya. So NEDA through the RDC ay nakokontrol ito,
nasasala ba. That’s important for the Filipino People to maximize the use
of money.

Willy Nuqui: Yung dynamics po ba ng sa Provincial Development Council tsaka RDC with
respect to Private Sector Representation, kasi sa Provincial meron ding
25%, pareho lang din ba yung relationship na iyon? Or are they significantly
different?
Governor Deloso: Well actually, in the field of Politics, may mga personalized [sa probinsya].
If you are my PSR pagkatapos medyo Pilosopo ka, it will not look good at
you. That’s personal eh. As far as planning is concerned, wala iyon.

Willy Nuqui: That’s probably baka exception nalang iyon.

Governor Deloso: Pambihira nalang naman iyong mga ganun.

Willy Nuqui: Okay.

Governor Deloso: Usually, I would take the cudgels of the PSR na talagang agrabyado sila at
minsan yung mga meetings malalayo, ni pamasahe wala, ni matutulugan
wala, kawawa naman sila. Mabuti sana kung_________ kagaya dito sa
Region 3…hindi sila maki-ano, kahit anong grupo iyong nandyan, nandito
lang sila, malapit. Pero minsan po ay nililipat iyong meeting sa ibang lugar.

Willy Nuqui: Oh, Joel, you want to… ?

Joel Pagsanghan: Sir, Ano naman ang assessment ninyo sa quality ng contribution ng mga
PSRs?

Governor Deloso: Sa experience ko, yung nakikita ko ay may quality. For example na isang
PSR (04:02)______ She is an ordinary woman but she is a successful
business[person] as making use of the product of the mangoes. Siya ang
naka-conceptualize ng “Mango Wine” at kung anu-ano. So knowledgeable
sila on that aspect or endeavor and (04:23)____

Willy Nuqui: Doon po sa Selection Process ng PSR. My understanding is that, yung mga
geographic representatives ay nominated by the governor? Am I right

Governor Deloso: Hindi Po.

Katulad sa Zambales, wala kaming geographic representation kasi tatlong
bayan lang kami

Willy Nuqui: I think the rules is by election. By the way, do you have a problem with
respect to the RDC having a stronger hand with respect to the selection of
the Civil Society Representatives? Kasi yung product ng election may not
necessarily match the requirements.

Governor Deloso: No. I do not see any objection. In my part, from my experience, [05:28],
wala namang objectionable. Pero siguro, maybe in my long years in public
service, my capacity of tolerance has…hindi ako imposing eh. I am the
politico na hindi imposing. My leadership is transformational eh. Hindi ako
transactional na… ito gawin mo, ito ang gawin mo… I meet with them and
 transform their thinking into the way I want things to be ran. In so doing,
nababawasan ang friction.

Willy Nuqui: Ni-raise ko po iyong question na iyon kasi kung minsan, hindi naman natin
ma-avoid na may mga ibang PSR na masyado naming tahimik sa meeting,
di masyadong nakakaparticipate, sana kung mamimili, makaka-influence
naman yung selection.

Governor Deloso: [6:17] Sa amin sa Zambales, basically, ang mga tao ay hindi masyadong
maiingay. Kung maingay tapos nag-i-ingles malamang iyon ay lasing.

Willy Nuqi: Mayroon po ba kayong objection, not necessarily in Region 3 if we have `

some RDC chair[person] from the private sector?

Governor Deloso. Wala akong Objection. I have been there for seven years. I have been
directing region 3 for (06:56). I am happy. I am proud of myself. I don’t talk
about it but for myself, I am proud. No objection po because no one has a
monopoly of wisdom. And the best thing in life is to invite all the emerging
ideas although it might [choke] your belief.

Willy Nuqui: Gov, hindi pa malinaw kung ano yung magiging impact ng federalization,
kasi ang sabi ni Former SC Justice Nachura, baka daw, yung pinag-usapan
nila sa committee is 17-18 [regions/states]. Let’s assume na there will be
(kahit sabihin na natin na kahit sampu lang), Anong palagay nyo? I don’t
know whether…anong implication ng setting up of regional states at saka
RDC? Will the RDC survive?

Governor Deloso: We are tired of too much dealing with the several subsidiaries… of the
government. Humihina ang pag-usad ng development. Sa iyon lamang ay
nahihirapan na eh, papasok ka sa munisipyo, sa bise [08:10] tapos sa
governor, matagal na yan bago aabot sa taas tapos dadaan ka pa sa region.
Eh basically, tayong mga Pilipino sobrang galling natin, overqualified tayo
dyan eh. Ang Original plan ng Diyos ay dito ipanganak si Christo sa Pilipinas
eh. He needed only three wisemen, ditto ang daming wise [wais], kaya we
are disqualified, kaya doon nalang sa Bethlehem [8:40]

Willy Nuqui: I assume wala rin po kayong problema dun sa…napakalaking mga…ng
RDC…kagayan ng mga sectoral committees,..wala naming isyu dyan?

Governor Deloso: Maybe I’m exceptional, I love debates eh…I’m a lawyer, Wala akong
imposition eh, alam ni Badette yan, [Chief of Staff], alam ng department
heads ko yan, they are free to move eh, galit pa nga ako kung tanong nang
tanong eh. Alam nyo kamo mga bata, kapag dalawang tao ang nag-iisip
nang mag-isa, useless ang isa…oo…I want you to maximize your talent. If
 you are in doubt, then it’s time for you to go. But do not develop the habit
of always looking at the governor na baka magalit [9:30]. Importante ang
debate in life. Even in the house, Husband and Wife na parehas nag-iisip,
mabagal ang development. Minsan-minsan you have to accept na under
ka, di ba? Para mag-move.

Willy Nuqui: Do you any ideas on how the RDC system, secondarily, private sector
participation can be improved over time? Happy na kayo under the present
arrangement?

Governor Deloso: Happy po ako. Under the present set-up po kasi, in the day-to-day life ko,
for example, isang barangay captain, or a Mayor asked me,[10:11], you
need to approve a major project [ditto]. I usually infuse that idea na iyang
gobyerno natin, it is always the logic of cost and benefit. If I spend this, ano
ang benepisyo natin? I-identify nyo sa akin anong benepisyo ang sinabi ko
kanina. It is crazy for me to spend 10 Million across the river na tatatlong
tao lang ang nakatira sa kabila, di ba? Eh di ibibili ko nalang sila ng bangka,
mas “minus” pa. Nakakadeflect na sabihin mo na the tendency of political
leaders to make money out of everything.

Willy Nuqui: Another question po: Yung sa RDC Structure, there is a provision for an
Advisory Committee to allow the congressmen to have some… okay lang
naman po sa inyo?

Governor Deloso: Okay lang sa akin. Especially yung congressman ko anak ko. Mas mataas
man position nya sa akin pero pagdating sa bahay anak ko pa rin iyan eh.

Willy Nuqui: Ay Syempre.

Pero basically, you have an advisory committee made up of congressmen?
Walang isyu dun?

Governor Deloso: Wala isyu iyon. We always trust people and the talent of the Filipino. Ang
kabutihan nyan ay multifarious sector ay coming together, they develop
and expand our purpose. It’s better to be poor in your purse than your
purpose in life [11:32]. Here we can have that.

Willy Nuqui: Napag-usapan naming kanina, We need to have the same strategic
questions to commensurate with his wisdom and stature. Let the nitty
gritty…So wala po kayong…[12:04]

Governor Deloso: Wala ako sa overall. Because the conceptualization of a regional level of
governance is mali poi yon. The architects of federalism must come with a
specific view of what kind of federalism they want. First, they must realize
 that there are different forms of federalism. I still did not make any
position [12:29] about it because… ang makakapigil kasi sa akin ay ang anak
kong congresswoman eh. I do not want to jeopardize her position…[12:43].

Ang advise ko lang ay ganito: I believe personally, as a Filipino that

Federalism is “hindi akma” sa Filipino Mentality and culture. In the concept
of federalism, ako ang gobernadora, ako ang hari. I am not under any
bureau or the President. If I abuse [my power], I cannot be suspended…
ang tagal ng proseso. Who will control me? So kung inaapi kita and you are
my kababayan ang tendency mo is to organize your private army then fight
me, multiply that by the 81 provinces, just imagine the trouble we are
getting ourselves into. Tayo kasi, masyado tayong [13:25] pramis… May
ina, kung Kompare mo, ipipikit mo iyong mata mo. Successful [ang
federalism] sa US because they are inter-related…[13:40], May Griyego,
may Aleman, may Italyano, nagsama-sama. Eh tayo, iisa lang eh. Iisang lahi
halos eh. O katulad nila Ampatuan nung araw, nobody checked them, with
54 ka tawo itinambak lang sa isang butas. Who will controlled them? Wala.
If that will be multiplied in the concept of Federalism [14:06]… na talagang
maayos mo eh. I do believe as of now that the best form of governance
invented by man is democracy. There is nothing wrong with our system.
There is something wrong with people in the government. Palitan mo ng
patriotic people yan, successful tayo.

Willy Nuqui: Yung Regional Development Committee, where the idea is… there is a
committee of congressmen and RDC chairmen yata… of a larger picture of
Luzon… wala po bang problema dun?

Governor Deloso: Magulo at pagdedebatehan iyon. Buo iyan at kanya-kanyang gilas yan.
They have to protect their own turf [14:55]… Ma-rason tayo eh. We were
taught by the Americans to debate and not to work. Kaya tayo
nababagalan sa development.

Willy Nuqui: Just another question po, I don’t whether this is relevant, yung [issue] on
West Philippine Sea…

Governor Deloso: Zambales..(15:15) Hindi na po ngayon. [Maluwag na sila] Maluwag na po

iyan. Meron nang definition of terms eh,..its just 65 Kilometers from my
hometown of Masinloc, Even in the old old map, it’s called the “Bajo de
Masinloc”. Sa amin poi yon. As early as 1952, Thomas Cloma, founder of
the Philippine Marine Institute already told the President, take possession
of these [area/islands]. The Filipino took it for granted and it came to a
point na naging issue. Nandyan na. The apparent issue there is control for
maritime sailing and mostly oil [joint exploration].
Willy Nuqui: Marami pong Salamat po Governor.