If you would clip articles we read from local media and put them together like a narrative, how do you think the narrative will read? Try the following for size:
"THE WORLD BANK has downgraded its 2018 economic growth forecast for the Philippines - making it the third multilateral lender to do so since last week due to heightened external uncertainties and surging inflation locally ... the slower-than-expected six-percent growth in the second quarter that compared to 6.6% in the same period last year and last January-March [is] due to weak exports and weak farm performance. "[WB flags growth slowdown, Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan, BusinessWorld, 5th Oct 2018]
Yet this is not new ...
"The Philippines failed to reach that 10 percent, one of the very few countries in Asia to fail to solve its poverty. Poverty stalks the land, bedeviling 21 percent of the Filipino population. Why did the Philippines fail to solve its poverty? " [ Rice, poverty, insurgency: It's a vicious cycle, Tony Lopez, Virtual Reality, manilastandard.net , 5th Oct 2018]
And poverty can only aggravate and explain a declining IQ level?
"I am afraid that hurtful as it sounds, our IQ level as a people may indeed be declining. That's because poverty continues to plague a good number of our people. Our high birth rate, especially among those who remain dirt poor, aggravates the problem. "[Low IQ (?), Boo Chanco , DEMAND AND SUPPLY , The Philippine Star, 5th Oct 2018]
Yet our efforts in education are likewise heartbreaking!
"The quality of our education is lagging behind many of our ASEAN neighbors. In the 2018 Times Higher Education - Reuters ranking of the top 1,250 universities in the world, only two Philippine universities were included - University of the Philippines and De La Salle University. In comparison, Thailand had 12 universities, Malaysia had 11, and Indonesia had four universities in the world rankings. Singapore also had two but one was No. 21 and the other one was in the top 100. "[Thank you to great teachers, Elfren S. Cruz , BREAKTHROUGH, The Philippine Star, 7th Oct 2018]
And when all is said and done, we are regressing into a failed state if we're not there yet?
"It should be evident by now that [the Duterte regime] is at the very least underperforming - or at the worst, rapidly bringing the entire country to ruin.
"What this suggests is far from flattering to Filipino political culture. The country's heroes - Dr. Jose Rizal, the lawyer of Apolinario Mabini, the law student Emilio Jacinto, the worker of Andres Bonifacio - were all children of the Enlightenment, and passionate in their commitment to liberty, equality, human rights and the rule of reason.
"But most of those who pay lip service to these exemplars' contributions to the Filipino nation eagerly approve of such false, simplistic solutions to complex problems as the execution, without due process and the presumption of innocence, of alleged wrongdoers." [Trapped in the 17th century, Luis V. Teodoro, Vantage Point, BusinessWorld, 4th Oct 2018]
We can try PR efforts but the rest of the world is smarter than that?
"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.
"Harry, no matter how many times you use 'clear' or 'cleared' in your BBC interview, there is nothing in the Alston report that clears your principal. This seems to be proof positive that you can brazenly lie with a calm face. "[Here's what the Alston Report says, Harry; Solita Collas-Monsod , GET REAL, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 6th Oct 2018]
Still, we have friends that want us to succeed ...
"USAID is a close partner of the Philippine government in investing in human capital development and employing science, technology, and innovation to bolster growth ...
"The ... project was launched in 2013 in partnership with RTI International to provide research and technology transfer between industries and universities. It also provides grants for collaborative industry-university research projects and scholarships in American universities. "[USAID commits funding to extend innovation program, Camille A. Aguinaldo, BusinessWorld, 4th Oct 2018]
But what to do ... really?
"[B] efore we even unpack corporate income tax reform and fiscal incentives rationalization, there must be some consensus on what the country's growth strategy should be. How can we create more jobs without killing the ones present today? What industries should we incentivize? What should we do today so that we boost our competitiveness now, while preparing for growth opportunities tomorrow?
"Answering these would greatly provide some context and rationale to the ongoing discussions on the Work bill. More important, it would provide the basic ingredients for a solid plan-a unifying economic vision even-around which all stakeholders can rally and coordinate their own efforts. "[The bigger questions, Sonny M. Angara, BETTER DAYS, BusinessMirror, 5th Oct 2018]
The narrative will now take a bow ...
What would be your reaction? Am I in living in the here and now? Are not we in the 21st century? Is this the Philippines that I was brought up in?
The problem is we all take for granted that we are immune from mediocrity. And that is because we in the elite class - successful as we are in our respective endeavors - are superior to the rest of the region if not the world. We matter-of-factly all prescribe cures for what ails Juan de la Cruz. Yet Cambodia, Ethiopia, Laos, Myanmar, among others, have left us in the dust.
And that is over a 20-year span. Imagine how much momentum that translates to that can only bring greater keenness in the perceptive judgment and capacity of these nations to build on their experiences and truly make us the regional laggard if not a basket case. As the blog has discussed, perceptive judgment is a function of experience, not education, not hierarchy. More to the point, we're yet to emerge from our dark ages while they're well on the way to enlightenment.
But the writer felt a ray of light upon reading: "Answering these would greatly provide some context and rationale to the ongoing discussions on the Work bill. More important, it would provide the basic ingredients for a solid plan-a unifying economic vision even-around which all stakeholders can rally and coordinate their own efforts. "
And so he copied Sen Sonny Angara this recent posting, "PH is in our hands - The elite class." Because he hopes the senator will think through the following points: "What are we missing? We have to move beyond linear thinking and into lateral thinking to appreciate the imperative of creating an ecosystem and make major undertakings sustainable. But it needs forward-thinking and foresight; and for us to be outward- not inward-looking.
"To be outward-looking means we would: (a) have leveraged the expertise of the IRRI, for example, to lift us up from the abyss; and / or (b) shamelessly stolen the best practice models of our neighbors, eg, consolidated as opposed to fragmented farms.
"It is - surprise, surprise - a manifestation of our parochial and insular instincts. As in: ownership (aka land reform that we crow as as a demonstration of our Christian faith) is the be-all and end-all that we can not wrap our head around economies of scale as in cooperatives, for example.
"More to the point, to be forward-thinking and to demonstrate foresight means we would establish a north star [as in: 'Begin with the end in mind,' from the 7 habits of highly effective people] to guide us in our pursuit of major undertakings like: (a) the Regional Investment and Infrastructure Coordinating Hub (RICH) of Central Luzon; or (b) defining where we must be in energy beyond "Energy Outlook: Supplying Rising Demand at Lower Cost;" or (c) beyond the empowerment of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)
"If we have established a north star, the question we would be answering will instead be: (a) Given Central Luzon - from Hacienda Luisita down to Calabarzon - accounts for two-thirds of the PH economy, what ecosystem must we create to sustain growth and development in the region and beyond? An ecosystem equates to a virtuous circle which in the 21st century is founded on innovation and global competitiveness.
"And if we drill down to what it entails, it means an infrastructure development plan that will support specific sectors of the seven industry winners (defined by the JFC) and make PH competitive within the region and beyond; and (b) a critical piece to that is an energy development plan; and (c) a network of MSMEs that will feed into the requisite demands of innovation and global competitiveness. "
That clearly is a "helicopter view" but hopefully will challenge our legislators and economic managers and both the public and private sectors, ie, how can we frame a "unifying economic vision" in the words of Sen Angara?
The above is a strawman that can be fleshed out.
But then again, how prepared are we in the elite class to shift our paradigm. And speaking of paradigms, Dr. Stephen R. Covey, the creator of the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," comes to mind: "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. "
In other words, "USAID funding to extend innovation program" is bound to fail if our paradigm can only commit to small but not big changes. There is no free lunch. And aid is not a magic wand. [As some would know, the writer's presence in Eastern Europe was arranged through a similar USAID program and he opted - as a personal and private accommodation - to extend his project, going 15 years and counting, with one client but not the other because of their respective paradigms.]
And the biggest challenge comes from our instincts - starting with "pwede na 'yan" and "missing the forest for the trees" - and why the blog's constant reminder: " We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and the paternalism it brings. And we rely on political patronage and oligarchy given the spoils they bestow. That when all is said and done, we bite the bullet - aka a culture of impunity. "
With due respect - "DoF chief to seek growth outlook of IMF, WB," blurts a news report - while the writer can commiserate with our economic managers, we can not be in denial and celebrate our strengths and assets yet ignore our weaknesses and liabilities. Economic managers can distill our net worth and educate Juan de la Cruz accordingly.
More to the point, while the rating agencies were behind our credit rating upticks and the resulting positive FDI trends, Fitch in particular called attention to our weaknesses: (a) lower per capita income and (b) weaker governance and (c) business environment indicators ... compared to our peers ... to explain why we still lag our neighbors. What to do?
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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