There was none . . . yet
Kennedy driven by the risk of giving the Soviets the confidence that
could have led to greater adventurism on the part of Khrushchev set
for the Americans a commitment to get man on the moon within a
decade. The reality was even the scientists were uncertain how it
would be done.
The Eastern European
representative of US AID on the ground was selling me the idea of
coming back after my one month commitment; and it so happened it was
the US Thanksgiving Day and there was a celebration in the office for
the handful of American consultants, including myself. [To the
Eastern Europeans I am "Amerikanska," and spoken in
Russian-like accent.] And one guy said he was jealous because he was
not being asked. I took it as a joke: "Vensi, there, he just
solved your problem." That night the Americans and their spouses
celebrated Thanksgiving in a fancy restaurant that later on we would
learn was not recommended for expatriates – to be expected of naïve
Americans! The buzz was it was the favorite of the "local mafia"
– former communist commissars that had controlled the transition to
free market and taken over major industries like power,
telecommunications, media and the like. Sounds familiar?
"We need to
rapidly develop our fledgling enterprises especially because in 5
years we expect to be in the EU, but even today MNCs have
already set up shop in this country. They will eat our lunch.
And in your industry there is this one company that I believe has the
best chance to successfully compete against foreign companies. They
are begging if you'd give them a few minutes to present
themselves. They asked me to have you try some of their products.”
And as they say, the rest is history. But the point to make is
that these people had no clue what they had to do other than the
aspiration to succeed in a globalized world.
It's been well over a
decade since the Ramos administration had to first deal with our
nagging power issue. And we are in a better position that Kennedy was
simply because power generation is not an unknown challenge. But it
requires a Kennedy-like mindset. For example, we have to think
outside the box, literally outside the Philippines and put out a
project brief, something like: “From the outside one would see a
market of 100 million consumers. Given this market size and the
population and economic growth rates and per capita GDP, how would
the market look like in 10, 20 or 30 years? Given those fundamental
parameters as well as the characteristics of an archipelago and the
distribution of the population and commerce and industry, what is the
ideal energy mix that this country should have? They must deliver
sustainable power supply as well as competitive rates, the object
being to spawn other economic activity, i.e., attract foreign
investments and pave the way for the establishment of strategic
industries and beyond. What will the transition scenario be like from
a supply and rates standpoint? More importantly, where are we, where
must we be and how shall we get there?
Assuming a globally
respected energy enterprise with a track record of success globally
is presented this market, will they find it attractive? Only capable
global entities will be prequalified to pursue the project; they can
partner with local players when the latter’s facility or facilities
fit the overall project design and objectives and thus would satisfy
the supply and rates parameters envisaged. And they must spell out
the mechanisms that will be put in place to ensure failure is not an
option. Given the risk of cronyism and corruption, what is the
ideal mechanism that will ensure a best-practice project management
model? How can the process be made transparent including creating a
totally independent project management team that will report to an
oversight body (headed by a Warren Buffett-type) that will in
turn be responsible to the Philippine leadership: the
president, the energy secretary and the cabinet's economic cluster?
How will the project managers interact with the relevant government
agencies, the public at large, etc.? What communication
mechanism must be in place so that there is absolute transparency;
and what safeguards must be in place to ensure efficiency
throughout the process and until project completion?”
Imagine Juan de la Cruz
is putting a man on the moon; failure is not an option! It’s not
about me and myself!
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