Saturday, February 18, 2012

Why government needs to learn from Eat Bulaga instead of Showtime

Eat Bulaga is again trend-setting this time
 in the change business
There are always two fundamental things in the change business---the style of helping others in their individual predicaments and the long-term vision of changing things. 


In the first, there are essentially two styles: the "bunot" agad style, where the donor immediately gets cash out of his pockets and give it to the needy. And of course, the other is, the "when needed" style--one gives when he is asked or as the situation warrants it. 


The "bunot" style is exemplified by the Willie Revillames in our midsts. They have achieved financial stability already and since they came from the ranks, so to speak, they know the psychology of the needy, that's why they immediately give assistance. The rationale is simple--those who need money will not ask for it if they have options left. Commonly, those who do, they have nowhere else to go to.


The when needed style are those who work in charitable institutions or rescue organisations such as the Red Cross. They are always there whenever there is a calamity or whatever.  


Those in the business of long-term change management ideally, should actually be working in government. The problem is, the people whom we elected in local posts have this Willie Revillame thinking, while those in the national levels, they think like Red Cross does. They do not realize that what the People need of them is provide solutions so that these unfortunate incidents, like tragedies or the scourge of poverty will be effectively addressed. 


Yes, you're right---those in government have the wrong mindset. They think that needy people want more Revillames and more Red Crosses. 


Strategic thinking--that is what is needed, yet, government is incapable of thinking strategically because most of their lives serving government were wasted acting, and thinking like Willie. The years they spent in government service had convinced them that, for them to stay in power, they may have to be like Willie Revillame or the Red Cross. 


Whenever they think or act like that, they justify the corruption they are forced to do simply to fund all these Will time big time acts. 


It is very costly to be in power in the Philippines because of the sheer enormity of money you need in order to maintain the support of the people. 


Blame it to the mindset. Blame it to the lack of strategic thinking. Blame it to government who always think tactical or use tacticals just to prep itself up in power.


The solution is always simple--assume an Eat Bulaga thinking when in government service. True service is institutional. 


Eat Bulaga's "Juan for all, all for one" is not your ordinary public service program. It is innovative in the sense that it tries to give people not just money, but financial support for their future.


Eat Bulaga gives depressed families the hope they need. They usually give at least sixty thousand pesos for the lucky family picked in a barangay where they visited. Instead of just allowing the family to spend the money in reckless fashion, Eat Bulaga encourages the family to invest the money in business. With that, Eat Bulaga helped not just that family, but the entire community, what with another entrepreneur family created from the donation.


Eat Bulaga likewise encourage the communities and barangays to consider keeping a healthy and orderly environment. Eat Bulaga has a program where they collect plastic bottles. These bottles are in turn, converted into plastic chairs and donated to far-flung schools. Incentives are also given to barangays who take part in the program and members acted responsibly and in order. 


UNwittingly, Eat Bulaga is revolutionalizing the change business in the Philippines in such a way that is highly invasive without firing even a shot. 


Eat Bulaga's Juan for all, all for one is Bayanihan in action! They are doing things in their small ways, but effecting change in a big way. 

1 comment:

  1. Marami sa atin ang nagmamahal sa EB Family dahil hindi entertainment lang ang kanilang handog kundi isang taos puso pagtulong sa mamayang Pilipino

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