05/09/2025
Editorial: Solutioning as Governance in Action
Two months into her tenure, Governor Sol Aragones has introduced her brand of leadership as “Gobyernong May Solusyon.” It is a governance style rooted not in pomp or political favors, but in direct problem-solving. Yet, in the age of social media, some voices-often anonymous, sometimes troll-driven, have sought to reduce her actions to political grandstanding.
But governance, at its core, is management. It is the coordination of people, strategies, and resources to achieve collective goals. Within this framework, solutioning is a critical management act. It demands identifying problems, analyzing their causes, developing alternatives, and carrying out chosen solutions with transparency and accountability. This process is not theoretical; it is practical, grounded in communication, collaboration, and results.
Governor Aragones’ early months in office illustrate this management act in motion. By personally broadcasting the issues she encounters and the solutions being undertaken, she departs from the old playbook of politicians who hide inefficiencies under the guise of favors and backroom deals. Instead, she has chosen visibility, even at the risk of criticism, to underscore that governance is not about appearances but about action.
Transition periods are often messy, but they reveal intent. In the case of Laguna, what we are seeing is a governor exercising her management prerogative to diagnose, respond, and adjust. Critics may dismiss it as political theater, but to citizens who value accountability, it is the sign of a public servant who treats problems not as propaganda but as opportunities for solution.
“Solutioning” may sound like a management buzzword, but in the context of governance, it is the very essence of leadership. For Laguna, this is not politics as usual. It is governance that dares to solve. Via Zen Trinidad
P.S. The Laguna University main building was declared unsafe due to structural defects. By ordering the conversion of a warehouse into 15 classrooms, Gov. Aragones prevents two risks: student harm from a possible collapse and CHED’s delisting of the university for failing to meet the 75% face-to-face learning requirement. This is governance that dares to solve.