A human President needs the people’s support

As final preparations are being made for the inauguration of Rodrigo Duterte as the 16th President of the Republic, we sense that the public’s expectations are running high – so much that we may be setting up ourselves for disappointment. In some modern economies, including the Philippines, people have developed an image of the President as something akin to a superhero, rather than that of a mortal with all the normal flaws that we attribute to human beings.

Indeed, President-elect Duterte has reason to be confident. As we have said in this space before, the next President will inherit a fast-growing economy that is being fueled by remittances from overseas workers and the business process outsourcing sector – each accounting for about 10 percent of the GDP. There are also so-called low-hanging fruits, such as the promising tourism industry, which can be developed to contribute another 10 percent to GDP and become the third pillar of the economy. Of course, a robust economy offers our next leader more capabilities and policy options in addressing the needs of the Philippines.