For traders, experience trumps all

Experience counts heavily if you ask the head of the country’s largest business organization who he would vote for in May.

“What we want in the next president is for him or her to hit the ground running. He or she must already know the issues, what should be done and how to muster resources. That’s why I would heavily consider experience, or who has been there before,” George T. Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said in an interview Monday.

“Former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas has been with the government for a long time with his stint at the Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Interior and Local Government. His grasp (of the issues) is there,” Barcelon said.

“On the other side, Vice President Jejomar Binay has been in public service for a long time and we cannot negate what he has done and the improvements he has made while he was the mayor of Makati City.”

Reacting to Sunday’s national debate organized the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Barcelon noted that all the presidential candidates came prepared, had a good grasp of the most important issues and were able to pitch their respective platforms.

“Binay (brandished) his track record and what he had done in Makati, while Roxas had always been eloquent as he talked about the ‘daang matuwid’ thrust of the Aquino administration and how this has benefited the country… Sen. Grace Poe came prepared because she laid out many issues and details,” Barcelon said.

For Management Association of the Philippines president Francisco F. del Rosario Jr., Poe was the headliner among the candidates.

“I choose Grace Poe for her achievable and people-oriented plans, especially on inclusive growth and education. She communicates well and is action oriented,” Del Rosario said in a text message. Amy R. Remo