SEVERAL government instrumentalities are considered to be specialist in nature, and therefore require a specialist to be in charge.
So runs the conventional wisdom.
But is the conventional wisdom always wise?
I don’t think so.
Last week, Gregorio B Honasan II took his oath as Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Nobody regards Honasan as the Philippines’ answer to Bill Gates. Honasan is not a techie. Not a specialist. But is a specialist necessary to head a department which is highly technical? Not necessarily, says Malacañang.
I agree.
But the law that created DICT, RA 10844, specifies that the department secretary should have at least seven years of experience in information and communication technology (ICT). In all honesty, I do not think that Honasan has this experience. Does it matter? I don’t think so.
There is a tendency by those framing requirements for people holding senior positions to make those requirements mandatory. This is not a good idea. For example, I do not think it is necessary for the Commissioner on Higher Education (CHEd) to hold a doctorate degree. An advantage? Possibly. But mandatory? No way.
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DICT is at the helm of government strategy designed to help us have a world-class telecommunications environment.
For a long time, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) held a virtual monopoly. Relatively recently, Globe Telecom has, by virtue of its energy and nimbleness made great strides. The media talks in terms of the current position being a ‘duopoly’ of PLDT and Globe. But in reality, Globe has pushed its way in. Well done!
An early challenge for Honasan is the question of the third (after PLDT and Globe) telecommunications (telco) player. This is a decision which has dragged on. This issue is that the third telco player was originally Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company (Mislatel) but has now created a Mislatel consortium formed by China Telecommunications Corp., Dennis A Uy’s Udemma Corp., and Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp.
Meanwhile PLDT and Globe, the original two telcos, are making infrastructural investments at the rate of P3 billion per week(!). Delays in the third telco deliberations, therefore, are to the advantage of the PLDT/Globe duopoly and disadvantageous to the third telco consortium.
We hope Honasan can engender progress towards the necessary approvals for the third telco.
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DICT is not the only instrumentality which has experienced a move from the specialist to the generalist.
I believe the appointment of Benjamin Diokno as head of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is fairly analogous to the Honasan appointment.
Diokno’s BSP predecessors, Amado Tetangco and Nestor Espenilla were both specialists. Diokno is highly knowledgeable, but his expertise runs broadly across the whole of the macroeconomic landscape. Diokno is a generalist.
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The Insurance Commission, also, has been the preserve of specialists. Emmanuel F. Dooc was succeeded by Dennis Funa, the incumbent.
The Insurance sector in the Philippines, under the regulation of the Insurance Commission was, and is, characterized by a lack of probity.
It is high time that this was changed.
A generalist appointment could help.
As a radical recommendation I support the move of current Philippine National Police Head Oscar Albayalde to Insurance Commissioner when he reaches his 56th birthday, the mandatory retirement age from the PNP.
His culture and experience would help to improve probity.
Uberrima fidei – the utmost good faith – has not yet become fully entrenched into our insurance environment.
The discipline of an ex-cop is sorely needed. /PN
