"Travel. Cars. Wine. Eating out. Clothes. Millionaires tend to splurge on the same five things. "[ Https://www.businessinsider.com/millionaires-tend-to-spend-money-on-same-things-2019-3 ]
At the opposite extreme, "There is still a lot to be done if the Philippines wants to up its game in terms of leveling up FDI inflows to the tune of the region's pace ... A restrictive investment environment [is the] main hindrance to higher FDIs to the Philippines. "[PHL still an FDI laggard in region, Bianca Cuaresma , BusinessMirror, 26th Mar 2019]
We in the elite class can relate to the above recent news report from the West. Because we too live in a world of our own.
What about Juan de la Cruz? According to NEDA, Our Ambition 2040 spells out his vision: "In 2040, all Filipinos will enjoy a stable and comfortable lifestyle, secure in the knowledge that we have enough for our daily needs and unexpected expenses, that we can plan and prepare for our own and our children's futures. Our families live together in a place of our own, yet we have the freedom to go where we desire, protected and enabled by a clean, efficient, and fair government. "
It appears Juan de la Cruz does not see himself in the same league. It is not surprising given our hierarchical instincts and why we are leader-dependent - ie, we value hierarchy and paternalism.
However, is the elite class up to the task? Alternatively, do we even recognize that the ball is in our court? Sadly, rank has its privileges yet carries no accountability.
Que sera, sera! Which explains why we've been kicking the can down the road. For the next generation to hopefully save us from ourselves? Can we figure out why our Chinoys dominate the Philippine economy?
"It is ... in promoting ... the common good ... that we as a society appear to have fallen short, both in our personal actions and in our government decisions." [ Squandered wealth, Cielito F. Habito , NO FREE LUNCH, Philippine Daily Inquirer , 26th Mar 2019]
Consider: " Asked on the chances of the proposed measure to achieve third-reading approval in the Senate before the 17th Congress ends, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said in a text message to BusinessWorld , 'It depends on whether it's controversial or not . '"[Foreign Investments Act amendments being rushed, Camille A. Aguinaldo, PHILSTAR, 28th Mar 2019]
In other words, the effort to up our game and match the region FDI-wise is half-hearted at best. Clueless that we're living in the 21st century and where the price to pay can only be exacting.
So why in a recent posting the blog discussed Mahathir. Also, before that the Asian Tigers. There is a reason why they became economic miracles, and that is by purposely accelerating economic development. Which was no secret and why the rest of the region followed suit, Vietnam being the latest example?
We know the history behind the creation of Singapore. Malaysia grudgingly ceded them a tiny piece of land, which was not even arable and with no water to tap. [Think how much water we have in the Philippines yet we are masters in squandering God-given resources. Why? Community and the common good is not in our consciousness.] It would have been an utter embarrassment for Malaysia if they did not turn prosperous like Singapore. What to do? Enter Mahathir.
Deng Xiaoping took the story to heart. So several times the blog raised the chorus Deng heard from Lee and Mahathir: Beg for Western money and technology. However, parochial and insular as we are, we chose to be blind.
One more time with feeling, here is Mahathir: "He is credited with replacing colonial subservience with national pride, and raising a country from the Third World to developed world status at an astounding pace.
"One of Dr. Mahathir's ambitions was to make Malaysia into an Asian Silicon Valley. [Foreigners were invited to invest in a 'Multimedia Super Corridor' between the new international airport and the twin Petronas Towers, which rise like gigantic pewter cocktail shakers in the center of Kuala Lumpur.
"Malaysia in the 1990s was reminiscent of South Korea in the 1980s and Japan in the 1960s and 1970s, when people became intoxicated with their new affluence and happy to leave their poverty behind them.
"Over these three decades Malaysia accomplished a transition from a primary product-dependent economy to one in which manufacturing industry had emerged as the leading growth sector. Rubber and tin, which accounted for 54.3 percent of Malaysian export value in 1970, declined sharply in relative terms to a mere 4.9 percent in 1990.
"Mahathir bin Mohamad was the leading force in making Malaysia into a major industrial power. He is credited with turning Kuala Lumpur into a modern city with (for a while) the world's tallest building and high-tech industrial areas but criticized for ignoring the villages and provinces. Even, his home province of Kedah seems undeveloped and stuck in a time warp. "
How different is that from our values, instincts, and biases? Mahathir did not succumb to crab mentality. He knew his priorities and being a "cyber addict" understood big data and analytics if not his Pareto.
Likewise, he had the foresight to drive development and understood cause and effect. That poverty is the effect of underdevelopment while we have it in reverse, that the war on poverty is what will lift Juan de la Cruz from bondage.
Also, we applauded when Du30 added the war on drugs. Not a surprise. Our parochialism and insularity explain (a) our inability to see beyond the horizon (b) connect the dots or (c) square the circle. Recall how our inexperience in development informs our perceptive judgment.
Otherwise, we will not let two administrations to back-burner Arangkada because (a) it could have given us valuable experience and lessons in the pursuit of industrialization and (b) encouraged foreign investment and technology to come to our shores.
Technology does not have to start from square one. We can leapfrog development through partnerships. Of course, we must upgrade higher education, but that is a separate track altogether. It is not an enigma. Adulthood comes with development like experience comes with perceptive judgment.
Consider: " Malaysia's rapid development has been attributed to the transparency of government policies, its educated and skilled workforce, well-developed infrastructure, good communications facilities, and efficient bureaucracy." [ Http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Malaysia /sub5_4a/entry-3627.html ]
Disclosure: The writer was a regional manager and in the decision-making process when his MNC-company chose Malaysia to be the center of excellence and shared services hub for the IT function.
General Electric that had begun their globalization efforts being primarily a US domestic company took note. So chose to compare notes aware of their inexperience.
There is a reason why FDIs elude us: We can not live in our little world.
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]
"You have to have a dream, whether big or small. Then plan, focus, work hard and be very determined to achieve your goals. "[Henry Sy Sr., Chairman Emeritus and Founder, SM Group (1924 - 2019)]
"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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