While the United States is much advanced as a superpower, the Philippines lags behind in terms of financial resources. But in terms of budgeting, the Philippines is ahead of the United States. In the United States, the US Government is virtually paralyzed if the US Congress would fail to pass its national budget on time. In the Philippines, we have the so-called re-enactment of the national budget of the previous year if the Philippine Congress would fail to pass the national budget on time.

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Whatever negative effects on the non-passage of the national budget in the Philippines, these negative effects are offset by their positive effects. One of the positive effects of the non-passage of the 2006 national budget is that the government's budget deficit would be trimmed down to as low as P40 billion, according to estimates of the Department of Finance.

With the deficit expected to hit P40 billion this year, the national government could easily achieve a balanced budget by next year, or a year ahead of its target.

(Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 14, 2006, p. B1).

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This writer received a letter through the e-mail from a pro-globalism reader, Rev. Pidi Suson Estorgio. His letter runs as follows:

To: jorcabalit_tagbi@yahoo.co.uk

Subject: Comments/Reactions submitted from www.BoholChronicle.com
From: "Rev. Pidi Suson Estogio" <pastorpidi@cs.com>
Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2006 00:03:57-0500
Sender's Name: Rev. Pidi Suson Estorgio
Province/Country: Hawai, U.S.A.

Treat the balikbayans and former Filipino nationals as citizens, then you have a flow of cash going into various investmens in the mother country. Filipinos are Filipinos no matter where they are at. By that I mean the Philippines as a country and their love ones left behind in their thoughts and prayer. Let Cha-Cha reflect balikbayan ownership embodied in the constitution then you will see milk and honey flowing into the country. Try globalism as a trial balloon instead of insisting nationalism that doesn't work. An inclusive approach in framing a Cha-Cha will do good for all of us, both of us who are back home and abroad. Joseph in the Bible and his fellow brothers who were separated can speak in our behalf as Filipinos because some of us are in that situation while most are still back in the old country. Joseph longs to help but with some qualifications. I therefore support multi-national land ownership if it can be worked out so as to benefit all parties, local or balikbayan. God bless.

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The pro-nationalists, through the Foundation for Nationalist Studies, issued its statements regarding Charter change (Cha-cha), as follows:

The move to change the Constitution is not new. Previous administrations have pushed for Charter change (Cha-cha), though none succeeded. After her inauguration in 2004, Gloria M. Arroyo also pushed for Cha-cha, which she began to fasttrack this year.

While Cha-cha proponents say that the changes will solve our political problems, it is obvious that GMA is using it to cover up the issue of illegitimacy of her presidency.

Also, the focus is on changing the form of government. Not discussed are the proposals to remove provisions which protect Filipino interests and restrict foreign investments, especially in natural resources.

Like previous administrations, GMA's economic strategy hinges on greater private sector participation and more foreign investments through further liberation, privatization and deregulation of key economic sectors and industries. This strategy was adopted with the prodding of the U.S. government, multinational trade and financial institutions like the IMF, World Bank, ADB and WTO.

The Consultative Commission created by GMA in 2005 proposed that fully-foreign onwed firms be given the same rights as Filipino-owned firms in the exploitation of the country's natural resources. This will render natural resources and local communities virtually defenseless against further exploitation and degradation by foreign firms.

The ConCom also proposed to remove the present citizenship restrictions on franchises and ownership of public utilities and services, mass media and advertising companies.

This will make consumers more vulnerable not only to joint ventures like Maynilad, Manila Water, and independent power producers, but also to fully-foreign owned profiteers.

We have suffered enough from these neoliberal economic policies - high prices of goods and services such as water and power; domination by foreign investors, weakened local enterprises and businesses, joblessness; ballooning government debts; hunger and poverty.

Yet, instead of reversing these policies, GMA now wants to bind future generations to these policies by turning them into constitutional provisions. Instead of implementing the nationalist and social justice provisions of the Constitution, which are all that remain to protect the interests and welfare of the Filipinos and the underprivileged, GMA wants these removed.

We cannot allow a Charter change which protects foreign instead of Filipino interests. (FNS Bulletin Boar, May-June 2006).

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For comments and reactions, send mail to Atty. Jorge D. Cabalit, Cabalit Law Office, 74 Belderol Street, Tagbilaran City or send e-mail to: viewpoints@boholchronicle.com