"It has actually been brought up by various local personalities (including my husband, if you will permit me to add), but you know us: If it is said by a foreigner, it has more pizazz.
"The BBC documentary aired last weekend, 'Philippines: Democracy in Danger?' has a subliminal message for us Filipinos: 'Do not miss the forest for the trees,' meaning let's not miss the big picture by focusing too much on individual details. Federalism, Charter change, national security, martial law, the Supreme Court decisions, the forthcoming elections, the guessing game on the President's health-these issues occupy our minds so much, we may fail to appreciate an emerging pattern pointing to our democracy in danger . "[Here's what the Alston Report says, Harry; Solita Collas-Monsod , GET REAL, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 6th Oct 2018]
Is it about "Pinoy kasi" that our paradigm is cast in stone? And it explains why over the last 20 or 50 years, we could only be bystanders as one country after another demonstrated how they were moving from poverty to prosperity?
Consider: "Prof. Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chair of the WEF ... call for leaders and citizens - to 'shape a future that works for all by putting people first, empowering them and constantly reminding ourselves that all of these new technologies are first and foremost tools made by people for people '- is worth repeating and translating into official national policy.
Here is an aside: Because PH is the regional laggard, we are not in the forefront of innovation. True innovation is not incompatible with people first. Because truly sustainable innovations are designed to raise man's well-being. As a development worker in Eastern Europe the last 15 years, the writer is witness to third parties' continued visits to his friends to marvel at how a small group of young people in the middle of nowhere that time cruelly left behind could accomplish so much in a relatively short period [which includes tapping new technologies from different parts of the world that they incorporate in their product development efforts.]
Because their efforts in pursuit of innovation are purposely driven to raise man's well-being. And they are doing day-to-day products people need not high-tech devices. Sadly, in the Philippines, we read people first to mean as making cheap products for poor people instead of creating product portfolios that move across the value chain. As important, to be driven by innovation and global competitiveness. And so we pay the price for being the least able to export.
"Is the Philippines putting its people first? This is the only way it can truly be competitive in the world - to focus on doing better for the 104 million Filipinos in its midst. "[ We can do better, Editorial, Philippine Daily Inquirer , 22nd Oct 2018]
But we do have a response: " Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (English: Bridging Program for the Filipino Family), also known as 4Ps and formerly Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino , is a conditional cash transfer program of the Philippine government under the Department of Social Welfare and Development . It aims to eradicate extreme poverty in the Philippines by investing in health and education particularly in ages 0-14. It is patterned on programs in other developing countries like Brazil ( Bolsa Familia ) and Mexico ( Oportunidades). The 4Ps program now operates in 17 regions, 79 provinces and 1,484 municipalities and 143 key cities covering 4,090,667 household beneficiaries as of 25 June 2014. "[Wikipedia]
Note that this is as of 25 June 2014. Yet PH poverty remains stubbornly high at over 20% while our neighbors have long subdued the curse.
And we can add the OFW phenomenon, the BPO industry, the land reform and the Napoles scandal re pork barrel as well as the party-list system and the efforts towards federalism and charter change, among others.
Have not we been putting people first? What are we missing? We are so fixed in our mindset and paradigm that we're still rudderless in the pursuit of industrialization. For example, we like to address the poverty of coconut farmers [despite the tons of money from coconut levy funds.] But what is the big picture if we are to pursue industrialization? It is to exploit this top agricultural export. The operative word is top.
We keep figuring out how to rapidly drive exports and national income or GDP. "Top" is it ... but because we are not an industrial economy we do not have the perceptive judgment. There is a body of knowledge behind it (a) from the laws of physics that Pareto codified and (b) in the social science, ie, force field theory developed by Kurt Lewin. And this is not the first time the blog raised it.
Coconut is a versatile fruit and offers a range of products that will scale the value chain. But we must benchmark the portfolio against neighbors that have grabbed the leadership from us so that we can figure out which ones give the biggest returns and largest margins and must be the focus. In other words, the coconut industry must be founded on innovation and global competitiveness. That is the big picture - the industry must generate enormous wealth that will lift all boats within the industry, especially farmers, and appreciably raise its share of exports ... and PH per capita income.
But it requires technology to develop these products. Technology in fact is demanded across the board, from farming to production as well as marketing of these products.
But we can acquire technology from other parts of the world and do not have to reinvent the wheel as we like to do. As in: parochial and insular. To develop STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) does not mean reinventing the wheel. How many decades have we wasted and yet are still clueless going forward because we can not shift paradigms?
"Paradigms are powerful because they create the lens through which we see the world ... If you want small changes in your life, work on your attitude. But if you want big and primary changes, work on your paradigm. "[Dr. Stephen R. Covey, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People"]
Do we want big and primary changes? Yet we take the big picture for granted and are focused too much on the individual details ... that we miss the forest for the trees.
Consider what the above-referenced editorial is saying. That we can do better by putting people first. " This is the only way it can truly be competitive in the world - to focus on doing better for the 104 million Filipinos in its midst ... that countries must recognize the essential role of human capital to generate prosperity, and that any policy that adversely affects people's potential will reduce economic growth in the long run. "
We can do better? Or: We must shift our paradigm? Have not we instituted numerous anti-poverty initiatives yet it appears we still are not putting people first? Recall what Fitch tells us: " That PH has (a) lower per capita income and (b) weaker governance and (c) business environment indicators ... compared to our peers."
And here's a perspective re human capital: Recall the pig industry in Denmark the blog discussed. The Danes translate human capital as the pursuit of the common good via their cooperative ethos. In other words, theirs is a democracy of the people, by the people and for the people. We better learn from Denmark so that we can replicate the true spirit of human capital in the coconut industry, for example.
And so there is a reason why PH has a lower per capita income and thus persistent poverty. And not to forget, good governance: "What else can the flaunting of dynastic rule in this current election season be but a symptom of a resentful reaction against everything that once once valued in the old society-decency, propriety, awareness of personal limit, modesty, kindness, moral restraint? Was there ever a time in our political life when husband and wife ran for governor and vice governor, or mayor and vice mayor of the same city or province in the same election?
"If this is ethically permissible, is it inconceivable that, someday, siblings, spouses, parents and their children or grandchildren would team up and run for president and vice president of the country? This early, we may as well declare ourselves a monarchy rather than keep the pretense of being a republic.
"At the rate we are going, this possibility is no longer as absurd as it may have sounded not too long ago. As morbid as it may seem, the revenge of dynastic rule is creating its own rationalizations. It's what the people supposedly want. It is supposed to simplify choices, and assure continuity and stability. "[ Unashamed: A morbid symptom, Randy David , Public Lives, Philippine Daily Inquirer , 21st Oct 2018]
In other words, Juan de la Cruz submits to tyranny good governance be damned because he loves it, says Rizal. It simplifies choices, assures continuity and stability. As in: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and the paternalism it brings. We rely on patronage and oligarchy because of the spoils they bestow. That when all is said and done, we bite the bullet - aka a culture of impunity ... We live and die by the perfect storm we kick up ...
How can we shift paradigms ... and put people first? Putting people first is beyond populist initiatives. Every nation started out poor ... and like people they grow up. But the growth process in a hierarchical culture like ours is undermined by weak governance and a restrictive economy because of its inherent parochialism and insularity.
The bottom line: Ours is a sheltered [from the outside world] upbringing and explains why our training wheels never came off. And why we can not distinguish between cause and effect and are bogged down debating which comes first the chicken or the egg. As in: reforms or people first?
And as the blog has argued, our adolescence development-wise is reflected in our poor perceptive judgment.
How did we as individuals manage to become adults - not with our training wheels on?
Gising bayan!
"Why independence, if the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow? And that they will be such is not to be doubted, for he who submits to tyranny loves it. "[We are ruled by Rizal's 'tyrants of tomorrow,' Editorial, The Manila Times, 29th Dec 2015]
" Now I know why Paul dared to speak of 'the curse of the law' (Galatians 3:13). Law reigns and discernment is unnecessary, which means there is little growth or change in such people. When you do not grow, you remain an infant. "[Faith and Science, Open to Change, Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation, 23rd Oct 2017]
"As a major component for the education and reorientation of our people, mainstream media - their reporters, writers, photographers, columnists and editors - have an obligation to this country. . . "[Era of documented irrelevance: Mainstream media, critics and protesters, Homobono A. Adaza, The Manila Times, 25th Nov 2015]
"National prosperity is created, not inherited. It does not grow out of a country's natural endowments, its labor pool, its interest rates, or its currency's value, as classical economics insists. . . A nation's competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. "[The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Michael E. Porter , Harvard Business Review, March-April 1990]
"Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow. "[William Pollard, 1911-1989, physicist-priest, Manhattan Project]
"Development [is informed by a people's] worldview, cognitive capacity, values, moral development, self-identity, spirituality, and leadership. . . "[Frederic Laloux, Reinventing organizations, Nelson Parker, 2014]
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