NICHE IN HISTORY: President Noynoy Aquino is standing on a stage of history where he could be projected as the nation’s most socially enlightened president ever.

In one bold stroke of his pen, he could be that president.

The storyline revolves around Hacienda Luisita, the family heirloom. The 6,500-hectare sugar estate in Tarlac is enough to gain for Noynoy that coveted niche in history that had eluded his father Ninoy in death and his mother Cory in life.

The entire scenario rests on his solemn presidential oath to defend the Constitution and execute the law.

He has reiterated this oath and promise so often that he is now unable to evade it. Not that he has any intention of dodging duty. He has, to use a worn-out metaphor, painted himself to a corner.

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VISION & LEGACY: If the Supreme Court decides that Hacienda Luisita must not be packaged as a corporation but parceled out to the tenants as mandated by the agrarian reform law, the President is duty-bound to carry out that ruling without mental reservation.

An SC decision adverse to the hacienda owners is still a big if. But if it does come, that could be the defining moment of Noynoy, who could then cement the Aquino legacy on social justice without having to die for it.

If he has the vision, and the right advice, Nonoy should prepare precisely for that possibility — a Court order hewing to the letter and spirit of the law giving the tenants the land they had tilled for generations.

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MODEL HACIENDA: As promised, the President should forthwith execute the decision. Despite their sentimental attachment to the hacienda, the clan should not fall back to a Plan B exploring a possible evading or diluting of the decision.

Respecting a Supreme Court decision is standard reaction. President Aquino can rise above the norm by his exemplary handling of the situation after the land is distributed to the workers.

In quick follow-up, President Aquino can make history and notch a mark for social justice by moving resolutely to transform Hacienda Luisita into a Model Agrarian Reform Area. It will be a dramatic statement that he truly cares.

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SUCCESS STORY: There are validated in-depth studies on why agrarian reform in these parts has faltered, why beneficiaries have not become productive and contented tillers after the land was given to them.

With these lessons, President Aquino can make Hacienda Luisita a success story of how government breathed life into agrarian reform and truly liberated the tenant from the bondage of the soil.

Aside from boosting production by the optimum use of credit and inputs (such as fertilizer, irrigation, certified seeds, etc.), integrated marketing, a new Luisita can be made a model community complete with the amenities of a progressive village.

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SMALL PRICE TO PAY: In short, Luisita after agrarian reform can be transformed into a model community that others, including foreign experts and scholars, will want to study and replicate.

If/when an adverse SC ruling is handed down, President Aquino should promptly announce full compliance, following up with a ready plan for the estate’s conversion into a model integrated farming community.

The President’s family need not lose Luisita altogether. It can even gain points, and revenue, by helping organize the new owners into a productive work force with the former landlord helping boost production and marketing.

Peso-wise, Hacienda Luisita is a small price to pay for ensuring the niche of the only son of Ninoy and Cory as the country’s most enlightened president in the field of agrarian reform and social justice.

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OPEN SKIES: The way the President’s men tell it, one would think “open skies” is the sure-fire trigger to a tourism explosion and the key to the labor troubles weighing down on flag-carrier Philippine Airlines.

Air flights are only one of many factors of tourism growth. There are such other things as airports, inland transport, pricing and marketing, hotels and such facilities, the destination itself, and the competition in the region.

Are our airlines ready to compete with the sudden entry of aggressive giant airlines?

If we let in more foreign flights what happens if their countries do not similarly open up to our flag carriers? The answer is: we ensure the death of our airlines, after which the foreigners will raise their fares.

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COMMENTS: A reader, “Cannon fodder,” noted: “For short-haul flights, PAL has a fleet of 36 aircraft ranging from the A319 to the A330. Other local airlines have the following: Cebu Pacific has 21 jets (A319 to A320) and 8 turboprops, Zest Air has 3 jets (A320) and 3 turboprops, and Air Philippines has 5 jets (737) and 2 turboprops.

“PAL has almost half the number of aircraft and probably more than half the number of seats for regional and domestic routes. How can the other local airlines accommodate the doubling of the number of passengers if PAL crumbles to dust?… The other local airlines probably do not have spare aircraft lying around for such an occasion.”

Another reader, penpusher, wrote: “The government has to thoroughly study the move before implementing an open skies policy. (Such ) policy does not automatically translate into more tourist arrivals or trade. Other factors that influence tourism like peace and order, security, destination, local accessibility, image, etc. should first be addressed.

“Pag labas pa lang ng airport ang sama na ng image — madumi, madilim, ang daming hustlers sa airport. Pag sakay mo naman sa taxi (not the airport taxi), lumang luma na, ang baho, ang bilis pa ng metro. Do you think this experience will lead visitors to recommend the Philippines again? No way!”

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