In selling products, packaging is essential. Customers get attracted to certain products because of quality packaging. When two companies manufacture the same type of product, the one which uses better packages always makes higher sales, holding other things equal. In practice, when companies already experience a plateau sales level, they sometimes resort to innovations on the package, rather than on the features of the product itself.
In political circuses, packaging is essential, too. This is how I make an analogy on the exposè made by Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr. regarding the scandal-ridden National Broadband Network Project. It’s the same story by a new personality, similar to the business strategy of offering the same product with a new packaging.
When asked by the press if Lozada’s exposè was really explosive, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said it is the same old story as that made by disgruntled businessman Joey de Venecia, and almost of same substance as the piecemeal testimony of CHED Chair Romulo Neri. The difference is that this time around, the “performer” in the person of Jun Lozada delivers the story, complete with dramatic projection, side-lighted with a kidnapping interpretation of a supposedly requested security measure.
Quite an effective performance! What Joey de Venecia and Romulo Neri failed to bring about, Lozada successfully delivered with a significant impact. Click na click sa takilya kumbaga. Kaya nga siya tinawag na “star” witness, dahil kumikinang ang kanyang pagka-bituin. And that’s why nuns and priests volunteered to take part in the support cast. Ambitious politicians, publicity-hungry civic society organizations, opportunity-driven business groups and other parties are following suit. Indeed, it could be an all star-cast, well-directed production.
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I am still skeptical, however, and I am still discerning on where this political circus is heading. Before I will be totally misled by the crying guy’s indiscriminate namedropping, l would have to take note that Lozada also had lots of questionable deals when he was still the President of the Philippine Forest Corporation. My idol in the Senate, the ever-bombastic senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, pitched various strikes on the credibility of the whistle-blower. With
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A few members of the influential Makati Business Club (MBC) disclosed that they received threats and harassments from a Cabinet Secretary; that their businesses would be closely scrutinized by government authorities if they continue to take part in anti-GMA moves. “If you want a fight, we’ll set the BIR loose on you”, thus reported the national dailies last Friday. If these businessmen do not have something to hide, and if they rightly and honestly pay their taxes and government fees, there is no reason that they would be threatened. What about our local businessmen? Would they be threatened too if the present LGU administrations will exercise their regulatory functions over the former’s business activities?
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The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has not yet made public its position on the NBN controversy and on calls for PGMA to resign. Rather, PCCI keeps itself busy with its institutional development activities, one of which is the holding of a “Business Chamber Management and Development Training” for local business chambers under its umbrella. Dipolog Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President, Mr. Edgar Bagarinao, and Executive Director, Mr. Ernie Rojo, are going to Cagayan de Oro this week for such an activity. We hope DCCI will practice, when they come back, what the seminar speakers will share to them. I would be more interested in how DCCI, among its various functions, would proactively play its role of representing the business sector in addressing corruption in the local level, and in reducing costs of doing business.
(Tingog Peninsula February 17 issue of Minding Your Business, by T2 Julz)
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