PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF CONGRESSMAN ROILO GOLEZ Congressman Roilo Golez, 2nd District of Parañaque City
“SA IKAUUNLAD NG BAYAN, DISIPLINA ANG KAILANGAN”

“SA IKAUUNLAD NG BAYAN, DISIPLINA ANG KAILANGAN!”

That was one of the slogans of the Martial Law years under the late President Ferdinand Marcos. To those who were already alive and with a certain degree of discernment that time, that slogan was one of the most remembered and probably the most transforming.

Whatever the people’s feelings are about the Marcos regime, many concede that the Marcos program to inculcate National Discipline was one of the positive legacies of that period.

Thirty five years after, the ills that afflicted our society then continue to afflict our society today.

There is chaos on the roads as traffic rules are violated with impunity.

Public sea, air and land transport units are frequently late.

There is rampant street littering even in many public places like streets and parks.

Discourteous and tardy employees disrupt government services.

Respect for parents and elders is waning.

And here at home, there is the chronic failure of the House of Representatives in previous congresses to muster quorum.

Since most of these ills are attributable to lack of national and personal discipline, I urge that we revisit the slogan: “SA IKAUUNLAD NG BAYAN, DISIPLINA ANG KAILANGAN”

Before civil libertarians and detractors of the late President Marcos rise in protest and shock, let me first raise a few points.

First, the inculcation of discipline is enshrined in and mandated by our Constitution.

The Constitution mandates all educational institutions to develop discipline among students. Article XIV (EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ARTS, CULTURE AND SPORTS), Sec. 3 states:


1. All educational institutions shall include the study of the Constitution as part of the curricula.
2. They shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the country, teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral character and personal discipline...

To libertarians, let me state that even the internationally revered Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is a strong adherent of discipline as a vital ingredient of human and economic development.

In her acceptance speech as recipient of the 5th Annual Gandhi Award, given Oct. 2, 1995, Madam Aung San Suu Kyi stated:
“It is only through our disciplined efforts that we can achieve the highest norms of human development that cover political stability, sustained economic growth and social harmony. But first the people have to be convinced that it is in their own interests to develop discipline: discipline has to be the result of a general acceptance of the need for all of us to work together in mutual trust and understanding.”
Discipline has its deep spiritual and philosophical foundations.

St. Thomas Aquinas, the philosopher theologian of the 13th Century, the Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Universalis, considered by many Roman Catholics to be the Church's greatest theologian, was asked about “the purpose of human law, that is, of the law to be articulated and enforced by political authority.”

Aquinas replied as follows:

“As we have stated, man has a natural aptitude toward virtue; but the perfection of virtue must be acquired by man by means of some kind of disciplining (disciplina) ... Now it is difficult to see how man could
suffice for himself in the matter of this disciplining, since the perfection of virtue consists chiefly in withdrawing man from undue pleasure… Consequently a man needs to receive this discipline from another.... But since some are found to be dissolute and prone to vice, and not easily amenable to words, it was necessary for such to be restrained from evil by force and fear, in order that, at least, they might desist from evil-doing, and, …. being habituated in this way, might be brought to do willingly what hitherto they did from fear, and thus become virtuous. Now this kind of discipline, which compels through fear of punishment, is the discipline of [human] laws.” (Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I.II 95.1, tr. Pegis, adapted)

Thus, “Aquinas sees human law as having the purpose of disciplining people ‘prone to vice’ and with ‘no high standard of morality’. Such discipline is effected through the threat and reality of public judgment and penalty. This disciplining of people cannot make them act morally (because moral action is free action), but it trains people in the way necessary for good conduct to become habitual.

Aquinas supports the “understanding of coercive discipline and human freedom as not incompatible. It is only freedom to do what is morally right that is valuable
enough to be protected by political authority.”

The Bible enjoins discipline as a virtue:

1. Discipline establishes parameters. Proverbs 19:27

2. Discipline brings peace. Proverbs 29:17

Discipline is espoused in the teachings of Confucius.

Zhouyun Xu, Professor of History, National Taiwan University, states:

“that the Confucian virtue of li was at the center of life for the feudal warrior, as well as the Confucian concept of order in government. Li has been generally defined as propriety in accord with social institutions and conventions; however, li only represents the observance of rituals, but also a philosophy of social order, control and army discipline.

“Confucius advocated the virtue of li in an attempt to bring a sense of order and discipline to the family and society, which would necessarily carry over into the realm of government as the outward display of respect and deference to superiors. Li might be considered a pre-modern foundation for the contemporary Chinese civilian and warrior ethos.”

Our global competitiveness has declined. Many are expressing concern that if we don’t get our act together, Vietnam might overtake us.

That concern is not unfounded considering Vietnam’s impressive growth performance in the last decade.

Discipline is one of the development pillars of Vietnam.

In 2004, General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, presiding over the ninth Plenum of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee, announced that one of the targets of the 2001-2005 five-year plan – with a view to narrowing the development gap between Viet Nam and regional countries and create favourable conditions for the next five-year plan – it was:

Target no. 5. “A profound and comprehensive change in Party building and rectification and the whole political system should be created; administrative reform should be actively carried out; and bureaucracy, corruption and wastefulness should be eliminated. Special attention should be paid to renewing the Party leadership method, building the rule of law, promoting democracy, enhancing discipline and consolidating the great national unity.”

And we marvel at… nay, we are awed by one of the greatest economic miracles in the history of mankind: the South Korean miracle.

In his paper “Technology and Korea’s Business Systems in Action (Revised 1999 -forthcoming in Continuity and Change in Asia’s Business Systems)“ Linsu Kim of Korea University and the MIT Sloan School of Management, submits that:

“The high levels of education are not the only labor force factor influencing the rapid development of technological capabilities in Korea. Another factor is one that both reflects and contributes to “national culture”: a strong emphasis on discipline and effort, and a willingness to work extremely hard to achieve goals. Even the Japanese, who are regarded as chronic workaholics by Americans and Europeans, marvel at the long work hours and dedicated effort of Koreans (Vogel, 1991: 48). There are several explanations for this work ethic, and until we see some major changes in it we cannot begin to weigh their relative importance. One set of explanations stresses the combination of a harsh physical environment (with a scarcity of natural resources, a severe climate, and a large population in a relatively small area, only one-third of which is arable) with the recent historical experience of hardship and deprivation. The emphasis of the school system on discipline and effort is another explanatory factor, reinforced for every male Korean by three years of compulsory military service in a context where the threat of invasion is by no means illusory. And there is a strong national sense of wanting to beat the Japanese, the former (and much-resented) colonial power. Japan provides both an example of what can be accomplished and a target for Korean competitiveness. Finally, and most elusive, Korean scholars have identified what they call the “han psyche”. Literally this means “resentment” or “grudges.” It is rooted in a Confucian-based status system requiring children in the family, employees in the company, and people in society generally to behave with outward respect towards fathers, superiors, and rulers, regardless of any feelings of unfairness or frustration. This inability to change the context of action, and the need to excel in order to win approval from authority figures, produces enormous energy that is directed towards tenacious efforts to strive for the betterment of one’s family and one’s country. The image of the tenacious, almost driven Korean, is grounded in reality, as we shall see when we turn to Section 3 below.”

Kenichi Ohno of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies of Japan in his 2002 paper entitled “East Asian Experience in Economic Development and Cooperation?” observed that:

“The most basic task of the East Asian governments is to establish a stable political regime and social integration which are the preconditions of economic development. For this purpose, most countries in East Asia have chosen authoritarian developmentalism [Watanabe 1995]4. This regime, which is quite different from simple dictatorship, features (i) economic nationalism in pursuit of material prosperity; (ii) obsession with external competitiveness under industrialization and export orientation; and (iii) top-down decision making under a powerful and economically literate leader and a supporting elite group. Such a regime often emerged after a military coup and under a severe threat to national security from within or without. Its management is not necessarily “democratic” by Western standards. Evaluation of this regime varies. However, it is clear that the adoption of this regime was motivated by the external and temporary need to initiate growth in the regional environment. Since its value is historically conditioned, the very success of economic development will in time deprive its legitimacy, forcing its exit and an introduction of a more democratic regime. Such transition has already occurred in the forerunner societies including Korea and Taiwan.

I am not espousing this concept of “authoritarian developmentalism” because it is fraught with hazards. Although there is that reassuring observation that “the very success of economic development will in time deprive its legitimacy, forcing its exit and an introduction of a more democratic regime.”

The clamor for national discipline is everywhere.

It is even in cyberspace.

Diosdado Lopega, an ordinary Filipino overseas worker doing social work in Taiwan, published an article in the internet entitled “Of Discipline, Economic Prosperity and Dignity.” In very simple, yet eloquent words, he heaved out the longings and heartaches of many Filipinos who have personally seen how much we have fallen behind neighbors like South Korea and Taiwan which used to be our equals only thirty years ago.

Diosdado Lopega, writes:

“As migrant workers, we have important roles to play towards such an end. And the simplest we can do is to change our ways, and instill discipline in ourselves. We believe that the key to our economic development does not lie in the impeccable economic plans of the government but does lie in the people - we. Sad to note, it seems that we failed to internalize the basic discipline our parents and teachers taught us. Oftentimes, we keep on pointing our fingers at government officials blaming them for our country's economic collapse. Well, some government officials deserve unpalatable comments from an irate public for they themselves lack discipline, but it seems that blaming them is useless for they already seem deaf to complaints. Even deaths of Filipino Overseas Workers (OFW's) do not seem to weigh in favor of foreign remittances by these same OFW's.
… “The very simple thing of disposing garbage properly is one. Generally, we Filipinos are clean, but oftentimes we also take joy and contentment in throwing garbage in the wrong place. This is evident not only in the Philippines but also here in Taiwan especially in places where Filipinos converge like in churches, train stations and fast-food stores. Let us learn to discipline ourselves by putting garbage in its place. In the process, we will then be helping the government. In Manila for example, a lot of money could be saved if we would only dispose our garbage properly.
“Refraining from writing on walls, posts and in other visible areas is another. A lot of us Filipinos have that bad habit of writing slogans on walls in public places. Just ply along C.M. Recto Avenue in Manila and you will not fail to read such slogans… Again, this shows that we lack discipline. Walls and posts are not the proper places to redress our grievances. Why not air our views on the radio or television or write to newspapers?
“There are other simple things that we can do to help the government and in the Philippines, particularly in Manila, we need not be a lettered lot in order to identify them. We can for example, line up and take buses or jeepneys in their designated stops and refrain from "making those bit obscure side of city streets or the not-so-visible street corners as our comfort rooms."
“You may ask what is the connection of lining up for buses or jeepneys to our economic prosperity. Simple. If we shall line up or take buses or jeepneys in their designated stops, traffic will be eased. Studies show that traffic is a factor which slows down economic output. True, if one can report to work at 8:00 AM, he or she can do more things or can produce more goods than one who can report to work at 11:00 AM. It is disheartening to note though that we always equate traffic with the number of cars on the road or with the scarcity of well-paved roads. We do not see the connection of traffic and discipline.”
From cyberspace again, a certain Katie Torres, age 30, born before the declaration of martial law in 1972, wrote in 2005 in her blog entitled Katie vs. the Philippines:
“There is no more curfew and we can go wherever we want whenever we want, but we probably won't do that because the streets are not safe. We don't practice military discipline among pedestrians anymore, but this has been used as an excuse for people to violate even the simplest traffic law.”
posted by Katie at Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Yes, the bottom line towards success in any human endeavor is discipline.
I therefore urge a revival of the spirit of “SA IKAUUNLAD NG BAYAN, DISIPLINA ANG KAILANGAN.”
My colleagues, that slogan has no ideology. Discipline is apolitical. We have all been daily victims of our fractured society because of the problem of lack of discipline.
Compare us with our neighbors: Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam…. we are probably the most undisciplined society in this part of Asia!
We must take drastic action now.
I propose that we establish ZONES OF DISCIPLINE as a bold start.
1. Let us start with our own home, the House of Representatives. I propose we start our sessions promptly at 4 p.m. with a roll call. Mr. Speaker, I propose we do away with deferring roll calls. I will make that a motion at the proper time.
2. EDSA, the country’s longest and most visible avenue, should be made a show window of traffic order and discipline. We have enough traffic laws and enough law enforcers along the way to do this and enough police generals to make sure this is done. As Aquinas said, erring and wayward drivers should “be restrained… by force and fear” the way it is done in most of the modern world. And EDSA can be replicated in all major avenues nationwide.
3. All public transport services… ships, ferries, buses, trains, planes… should be on time… to the minute! The mail must also be on time. It can be done with a more activist, militant Department of Transportation and Communications and its field enforcers ready to suspend or revoke certificates of public convenience of erring public utility operators.
4. All government offices must observe punctuality and courtesy and the full force of the law must be applied to violators. The Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman should act promptly and forcefully on tardy and discourteous government employees.
5. Littering in public places like streets and parks and improper throwing of garbage should be severely punished. Again, there are enough ordinances and law enforcers to achieve this.
6. And finally, let us go back to the old-fashioned value of respect for parents, elders and authority. Our educational institutions should perform their constitutionally mandated duty to “develop moral character and personal discipline” among the youth.

Those are just starters and they are all doable.
There is no need to craft new laws.
By accomplishing them, our nation can make a big leap. Instead of the twenty years that the President said in her SONA it would take us to reach First World status, perhaps it would take us only ten years, well within the foreseeable future.
I would like to end by again quoting Diosdado Lopega, that ordinary Filipino social worker based in Taiwan:
“We are ignoring these simple things and we seem not to realize the good result if we shall practice such routine. How about doing it now?
“Anyway, it is clear then that economic prosperity will end such misnomers for the Philippines as ‘The Sick Man of Asia.’ Most importantly, if we attain economic prosperity, we will no longer be going overseas for jobs. By that time, we shall regain our human worth and dignity.”
Yes, Diosdado Lopega is right. We can regain our human worth and dignity by bringing back the spirit of these words:
SA IKAUUNLAD NG BAYAN, DISIPLINA ANG KAILANGAN.

Thank you.