Freeportopia

When SBMA, business, and SBFCC work closely together to address problems affecting us all.

Historically, government, business, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have always been at odds with each other. "The business of business is business" as what the economist and Nobel Prize winner, Milton Friedman once said. NGOs want everyone to do good things - which cost money that people are reluctant to dole out in the first place. Governments, on the other hand, are seen by business as imposers of rules and taxes that they can do well without, and seen by NGOs as insufficiently moral and ridden with corruption. Although these three sectors have worked with each other, expediency rather than trust govern the relations.

Are the relations between the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), business, and the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) any different? Yes, better than most but still at loggerheads with each other, collaborating but not as a team, there is regard for each other but not much trust.

Can something be done about it? Absolutely! How?

First, ask yourself this question: "Does it make sense to work together and will building the relationship be mutually beneficial?" If your answer is no, then you do not have any problem, can pursue your own agenda in isolation, and should stop whining (if you are). If yes, be prepared to make compromises - this is the only way working together is going to work. Trade-offs are necessary to produce results that will benefit us all.

Second, there needs to be a convenor; one that can bring the right people together in order to identify and understand the extent of shared interests and in the process, creates a potential for joint action. The SBFCC can, and is willing, to step up to this task. We are already doing this, as a matter of fact, but our resources are limited. With assistance from the other parties, we can do more.

Third, all parties need to understand and be prepared to work around the core requirements or "red lines" of other parties.

Fourth, solutions to problems must be co-created and where implementation procedures must be agreed upon by all.

In line with the above, SBMA and SBFCC are now actively discussing the mechanics in the formation of joint working groups. In the past, SBMA decisions are made based primarily on inputs from SBMA's own working groups. Arrangements are now being discussed where members of the Chamber are "embedded" in those working groups. The locators' voices can now be heard before crucial decisions are even made. A special locator's congress was also done last Feb 10 to gather issues that are of primary importance to locators. The collated issues will be used as basis for determining what working groups should be given priority.

Are we anywhere near Freeportopia then? Far from it. As all other utopias are, reaching that idyllic state is mostly mind feed. We just want to have a more or less safe, nice, productive, and friendly place where we can reasonably work and live in peace, quiet, and harmony. Right now, we are making another baby step towards attaining a semblance of it.