There is a lot of ongoing debate on whether or not a cha-cha is necessary to attract foreign investors. Presumably we are missing out on foreign investments due to our restrictive constitution. Such foreign investments are instead going to Vietnam and other nearby countries.
But the Constitution is just a minuscule part of the problem. There are a lot of small problems on why we are still the sick man of Southeast Asia. And these can be dealt with without tampering with the constitution if we are really serious in improving our lot.
Number one is red tape. One alternative medicine practitioner last week honestly worked on his business permit and was shocked to find out so many requirements were redundant or repetitive. Why was he even required to submit a building permit of the building where he is renting? City Hall knows almost all of the buildings around town renting out office or business spaces have building permits since long ago.
Then there was the other requirement, occupancy permit. The owner of the building where he is renting has been renting out business spaces for decades already. Certainly, there was an occupancy permit issued for that building. City Hall knows that. And yet new tenants are being required to submit such permits. What a waste of time, saliva and effort.
If only government, including local government units, are really serious about making this country an attractive investment destination, there are millions of small things that can be worked on without touching the Constitution.
But then again, government and its officials are just good in talking. Doing, however, is farthest from their minds.
Unless officials of every department of government are made to sit down with the private sector and come up with simple measures that can be implemented immediately—THERE IS A LOT OF THESE READY FOR THE PICKING—to make doing business easier, we will just keep on blaming bad provisions of the Constitution without really doing something about the problem.**