We are not merely consumers of knowledge.

Sadly, because of our caste system, we can’t wrap our heads around this fundamental given: We are not merely consumers of knowledge.

In other words, rank confers us privileges – including knowledge – that, wittingly or not, we (a) defer to those above us and (b) pull rank on those below us.

As Rizal saw it, we submit to tyranny because we love it.

Let’s hold it right there.

Do we wonder why we can’t move to a “growth mindset” – beyond a “fixed mindset”?

How can we then “create knowledge”?

We stand proud that we do logical thinking; while failing to recognize that it restricts us to linear and incremental thinking.

Consider: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

Unsurprisingly, Philippine education, like its economy, lags behind our neighbors.

The bottom line: Unless we overcome parochialism and insularity, we limit ourselves as consumers of knowledge because we are (a) deferential to hierarchy, (b) stuck to a “fixed mindset,” (c) uninformed of the “state-of-the-art,” (d) uneducated on freedom, democracy, and the free market, and (e) unschooled on forward, lateral, and creative thinking.

The evidence? We have been the regional laggard for the longest time.

And we acknowledge that: “DTI industrialization push a welcome development,” EDITORIAL, The Manila Times, 25th Aug 2022.

"IN a Senate hearing earlier this week, Secretary Alfredo Pascual announced a major policy shift for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). He intends to shift his department’s focus to industrialization, characterizing the country’s economic reliance on imports and remittances as “unsustainable.” That is most welcome policy development and decades overdue for the country.”

The policy shift – or industrialization push – is decades overdue.

In other words, it is not a secret, but we took it for granted because we were unprepared to come to grips with “reality.”

As Rizal saw it, we submit to tyranny because we love it.

Still, our challenge remains. We cannot turn Juan de la Cruz on a dime. For example, embracing forward, lateral, and creative thinking is not a walk in the park.

And it starts with upending our parochialism and insularity and challenging our deeply rooted instincts.

And that is why the blog found inspiration from my Eastern European friends that were born and raised as socialists under Soviet rule.

The big difference is that these people experienced infamy being the poorest country in Europe.

On the other hand, consider: “We used to boast that the Filipino family was the “social security” of the country: whatever went wrong, the family was always there to help each of us. We never seem to learn to stand on our own feet because we are confident that the family will always be behind us to prop us up.

“We have been conditioned by our family experience to expect somebody to pick us up when we fail. But the boss is not our “itay” or “inay.” We are no longer children.” [AN EDUCATOR’S REACTION TO ‘AMBISYON NATIN 2040’ – A WAKE-UP CALL TO THE TROUBLED SOUL OF OUR NATION (PART 1), Preciosa S. Soliven, The Philippine Star. 7th Sep 2017]

We are a rudderless ship, within and without our borders.

And so we like to debate democracy versus autocracy and pit the West against the rest of the world.

Why? Because we see ourselves as consumers of knowledge, and those higher up in the hierarchy are proud of our knowledge base. See above; we defer to those above us and pull rank on those below us.

Our caste system is the root of PH poverty.

Recall that “reality” is beyond any human experience or system. 

Consider: It is pointless to debate democracy versus autocracy. It is like comparing apples and oranges, the former being self-government.

Self-government is as good or as bad as the governed conduct themselves.

Let’s say that one more time: Self-government is as good or as bad as the governed conduct themselves.

What would be the blog’s character if I retired from a Philippine oligarchy instead of the eight years under my belt?

How did I become a citizen of the world? 

And why did I opt to be a volunteer development worker in the poorest European country over “a life of leisure” retirement plan?

Given that we are a subset of the Universe, we can’t be an island unto ourselves. We cannot afford not to be in constant motion and expansion.

Recall how the blog explains freedom, democracy, and free enterprise: Personal responsibility is imperative to pursue the common good. And why the blog often references St. Francis, who saw the oneness of the Universe. 

And today, the Franciscans continue to be critical of extremism on the right or left. They shun the “holier than thou” mantra.

Still, the blog keeps offering translations of the above premises to real-world terms.

Let's start with our hubris, given our knowledge base.

I gave two examples from my old MNC company.

It is a two-hundred-year-old Fortune 500 doing business in over 200 countries. The bosses did not assume that their knowledge base was superior. It chose to change its planning and budget model after the president saw how the model we created in the Asia Pacific worked better in “getting the best” out of its people.

And again, when the company was in a race to discover the following generation formula for its most prominent brand. Recall that I cut through the bureaucracy and bought technology outside despite our technology center’s over a thousand scientists.

We are not merely consumers of knowledge. We can and must create knowledge given that we are a subset of the Universe that is in constant motion and expansion.

And why would people born and raised socialists under Soviet rule want to embrace freedom, democracy, and the free market?

Because they realized that they could create knowledge and outdo the industry’s most significant western player, and they’re still hard at work. Look how they navigated the global recession of 2008-2009 and how they are dealing with the fallouts of the pandemic. And even Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On the other hand, how come we Filipinos keep sinking into the abyss?

Our caste system is the root of Philippine poverty.

The good news is that the DTI is shifting its focus to industrialization. But that will not be a walk in the park.

Benchmark before we can industrialize. We must recognize the state-of-the-art courtesy of our neighbors. It is beyond conventional fiscal and monetary interventions.

We are not merely consumers of knowledge.

Sadly, because of our caste system, we can’t wrap our heads around this fundamental given: We are not merely consumers of knowledge.

In other words, rank confers us privileges – including knowledge – that, wittingly or not, we (a) defer to those above us and (b) pull rank on those below us.

As Rizal saw it, we submit to tyranny because we love it.

The bottom line: Unless we overcome parochialism and insularity, we limit ourselves as consumers of knowledge because we are (a) deferential to hierarchy, (b) stuck to a “fixed mindset,” (c) uninformed of the “state-of-the-art,” (d) uneducated on freedom, democracy, and the free market, and (e) unschooled on forward, lateral, and creative thinking.

Gising bayan!

Our caste system is the root of PH poverty.

When are we going to right the ship we call the Philippines?

We choose to be in denial or step up to “reality.”

Unsurprisingly, “denial” has the least resistance. It is the same old, same old.

As the late George Gorospe, SJ, explained, “reality” is beyond any human experience or system. Think of the “experimentation” that science demands to create knowledge.

And here is where our educational system needs to take a pause. Please think of the dynamism of the Universe; it is in constant motion and expansion. And we are a subset.

We are not merely consumers of knowledge.

Being from the East does not make us inferior. We can’t even assume that pets are deficient. Recall the photosynthesis phenomenon. Or a blade of grass.

In other words, to fix education, we must first upend our instincts. We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

We must not be surprised if we have been the regional laggard for the longest time. Over a dozen years, if it is not apparent, the blog has built on the challenge of reinventing Juan de la Cruz.

Sadly, that is too much to ask Juan de la Cruz.

Should we hold it right there?

Do we wonder why we embrace the status quo?

Our elders called it Juan Tamad, while my maternal grandfather was more critical – and damning.

I was a little boy when I heard it. And it was not until much later that I understood what it meant, “Juan de la Cruz has no backbone.”

And I recalled that the grandfather was on this ongoing debate with his eldest son. The latter was with the government agency extending credit to farmers. And the discussion centered on the topic of “subsidies.”

Given my business background and my grandfather being an accountant, I figured out what he meant. Subsidies will not work if an undertaking is unsustainable. That brings our crab mentality against Pareto; it is Grade V arithmetic.

Surprise, surprise, Philippine agriculture today is a dismal failure.

Yet, we are no different from the uncle who supported the concept of “subsidy,” being the savior of Juan de la Cruz. And we can extend the analogy to our efforts in nation-building. We haven’t attained a sustainable nation-building initiative.

We have versions of the “subsidy” that the grandfather railed against today. They’re called “remittances and call centers.”

In other words, subsidizing the Philippine economy with such forms of subsidy will not elevate us to the ranks of industrialized and developed nations.

See above; “reality” is beyond any human experience or system – and the experimentation that science demands to create new knowledge.

Let’s hold it right there.

The Asian Tigers created knowledge via their respective experimentations in economic development. Conventional monetary and fiscal interventions did not restrict them. And Lee and Mahathir summarized it succinctly for Deng, “Beg for Western money and technology” – to lift over a billion Chinese from poverty.

Another word for it is “benchmarking.” It is beyond a copycat. To “benchmark” is to recognize the state-of-the-art.

Enter: innovation. Innovation is to create and raise knowledge to the next level.

Recall how Toyota benchmarked their cars against their German counterparts – and raised the state-of-the-art in automobile sturdiness, for example.

Steve Jobs saw that innovation and creativity are to connect the dots. And presto, he raised the state-of-the-art from the Sony Walkman to the Apple iPod – from analog to digital. Yet, recently, Apple discontinued the iPod.

“Reality” is beyond any human experience or system. “Reality” is in constant motion and expansion – and mirrors the Universe.

In other words, an undertaking to be sustainable must respond to the character of the Universe. And in the 21st century, it  is “innovation and global competitiveness.”

It was over half a century ago when I first heard “subsidy.” Today, the Philippines still reflects an “unsustainable undertaking.”

Do we wonder why we are the regional laggard?

Our caste system is the root of Philippine poverty – because it goes against “reality.”

Consider: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

Freedom, democracy, and the free market are beyond the concept of “subsidy.” And it mirrors Christianity – the imperative of personal responsibility to pursue the common good.

In other words, our values of hierarchy and paternalism are the root of Philippine poverty. It comes with our caste system.

Granted that “reality” is beyond our experience, and if we aren’t predisposed to experimentation, we can still create new knowledge by benchmarking against the Asian Tigers. See above; Toyota benchmarked against their German counterparts.

But it is imperative that we first learn to overcome our parochialism and insularity.

Our caste system is the root of Philippine poverty. It confines us to our respective ranks that undermine forward-thinking. It is a “master-and-slave dynamic.”

Those familiar with the blog may recall that the wife turned down the offer from my old MNC company to relocate to New York. She had just supervised building our dream house in a coveted gated community with its country club. And we had a domestic staff to do our bidding. And their loyalty is second to none.

And which explains why we value hierarchy and paternalism.

See above; it is our crab mentality against Pareto.

Consider: If we can’t forward-think and fall into the trap of crab mentality, how do we recognize the distinctions between (a) logical yet linear and incremental thinking and (b) forward, lateral, and creative thinking?

As the blog argues, we’re stuck with “analysis” and haven’t internalized “analytics.” And that is why we haven’t learned the “force field theory.”

We can only see the factors that drive us forward but take for granted the barriers that restrict us.

Unfortunately, because we don’t have the development experience of our neighbors, the “force field theory” won’t just sink in. See above; reality is beyond any human knowledge or system.

My Eastern European friends, born and raised as socialists, took time to internalize Pareto and the laws of physics. 

It also explains the Pinoy crab mentality. Consider: We haven’t given up on our LGU mantra. And why we can’t distinguish the “vital few” from the “trivial many” – and prioritize?

See above; Today, the Philippines still reflects an “unsustainable undertaking.”

News item: “Economic managers brief House on P5.268 trillion national budget.”

“We will make sure that each bit of spending will contribute to our goal of reigniting the fires of our economic forces and at least propel the country to reach economic growth at pre-pandemic levels.

“The 2023 NEP embodies the country’s agenda for prosperity. It is to attain the headline goals of bringing down the budget deficit and debt ratio as a percentage of the national economy and reducing the poverty rate.

“The budget is consistent with the priorities outlined by the President during his first State of the Nation Address. It is a springboard for the economy’s full-speed recovery and meaningful structural reform. And will bolster the country’s bid for a strong “recovery” and accelerated growth.

“The government’s fiscal policies stand solid ground; we can look forward to a “prosperous, inclusive and resilient economy.”

“Our agenda for prosperity ensures inclusivity, that no Filipino would be left behind; and sustainability, that our economic progress is mindful of climate change and sustainable development goals.”

Wow, that’s an excellent read.

But, and it’s a Big but, aren’t we again congratulating ourselves for doing our “day job”?

Pardon the French, but that is a recitation of “motherhood.” If our economic managers care to revisit the PDPs (Philippine Development Plans) going back decades, they don’t read differently.

Benchmark and industrialize. 

In other words, do forward, lateral, and creative thinking.

Our managers must learn beyond their “day job” – figure out the “vital few” beyond the “trivial many.”

See above; conventional monetary and fiscal interventions did not restrict our neighbors. And Lee and Mahathir summarized it succinctly for Deng, “Beg for Western money and technology” – to lift over a billion Chinese from poverty.

The blog keeps raising the Ramon Ang initiative beyond Bulacan airport. In other words, benchmark against the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone.

That will be an excellent example of figuring out the “vital few.”

Here’s another news item: “Marcos vows support for MSMEs.”

Consider: The UP Institute of Small-Scale Industries started in 1969.

Recall that my Eastern European friends were an MSME and a losing proposition for eight years. And then, in 2011 came the recognition.

And here’s the first communication they received from the European Business Awards: “Every year, the European Business Awards research team spends six months analyzing over 15 000 companies across Europe to seek out the absolute best businesses that demonstrate the guiding principles of the Awards: Commercial success, Innovation, Business ethics.

“We are pleased to inform you that you qualify for inclusion in the European Business Awards program based on the above criteria.

“We were particularly impressed by your drive for international growth and its impact across the business.”

How are they doing it? The 2008-2009 global recession saw them “kill” a brand of the industry’s most prominent Western player.

And today, despite the harsh impact of the pandemic, they are again proving their mettle. As I post this blog, I am in the North Fork or the East End of Long Island, New York, but I can access their intranet.

What do I see? The Russian invasion of Ukraine is in its sixth month, yet Ukraine’s business is up 57%. And Poland is not far behind at 54%. And if I look west, Germany is ahead 27% over last year; the US is up 53%. And in Latin America, Panama is ahead by 156%, Colombia by 158%, and in Asia, Malaysia is up 227%.

Why? Despite their grim reality when I arrived, we did not view their business as a livelihood undertaking.

“This is the 21st century and demands innovation and global competitiveness. We must learn to do forward, lateral, and creative thinking.”

But what happened to profitability? In the third year of their prosperous journey, they turned profitable and never looked back.

When are we going to right the ship we call the Philippines?

We choose to be in denial or step up to “reality.”

Unsurprisingly, “denial” has the least resistance. It is the same old, same old.

As the late George Gorospe, SJ, explained, “reality” is beyond any human experience or system. Think of the “experimentation” that science demands to create knowledge.

And here is where our educational system needs to take a pause. Please think of the dynamism of the Universe; it is in constant motion and expansion. And we are a subset. We are not merely consumers of knowledge.

In other words, we must not be surprised if we have been the regional laggard for the longest time. Over a dozen years, if it is not apparent, the blog has built on the challenge of reinventing Juan de la Cruz. Because that is the only way, we can upend our instincts – and caste system.

And our caste system is the root of Philippine poverty.

Gising bayan!

Benchmark and industrialize

How is that as the subtext of AmBisyon Natin 2040?

In other words, AmBisyon Natin 2040’s guardrail must be to “benchmark and industrialize.”

The model of AmBisyon, as it stands, jumps to “where we want to be” without acknowledging and recognizing “where we are.”

We have a “fixed mindset” that won’t allow us to move to a “growth mindset.” And that barrier explains why we failed with Arangkada, an attempt to industrialize. And we are yet to succeed in economic development and nation-building.

Should we hold it right there?

When are we going to right the ship we call the Philippines?

Do we need a different national conversation beyond what the media addresses? 

As a little boy, I remember every time I went for a haircut in Balic-Balic, Sampaloc. The conversations I heard were no different. If you ever try browsing the owner’s manual of a car, it will overwhelm you. And the index is like a dictionary. 

I called it our “kuro-kuro” culture. 

We’ve been in a maze for decades. Yet, we like to congratulate ourselves for doing our “day job.” 

Over more than a dozen years, the blog has built on the challenge we face. And that is to reinvent Juan de la Cruz.

And it is not the debate between democracy and autocracy. See below; for why the Soviet empire collapsed.

And if Rizal was correct, given our love of tyranny, we have no chance to move this nation forward.

Consider: Two young Filipino men – from very prominent families the wife and I met – attended graduate school, and chose to pursue careers in America. “We see no future for the Philippines,” was their identical perspectives. And a young Filipino woman – also from a prominent family – who has taken US citizenship spoke to us about the “Golden visa” program in Spain and Portugal. Well-to-do families are looking at options – and jump ship if they have to.

Recall the “force field theory.” When we are on a “journey” or undertaking, there will be forces that (a) will drive us forward and (b) those that will restrain us. And “Pinoy kasi” is the best way to explain our self-imposed barrier.

And it comes from the instincts that reflect a caste system: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

Is there anything in our instincts that we don’t recognize? Or do we see them as positive values that we must embrace?

Recall why the blog often speaks to the scribes and the Pharisees and how Christ battled them.

Perfection is not of this world. The universe is not one of permanence but in constant motion and expansion.

And its subsets – take living things, human and otherwise – are one and interdependent. And why the blog references the photosynthesis phenomenon continually.

Conversely, there were – and still are – attempts to stop the universe from being dynamic and interdependent. They come in various sizes, shapes, and hues: aristocracy, nobility, despots, tsars, kings, lords, and caste.

In other words, they explain why we have North Korea, Syria, Russia, and China. And even theocracy: Yemen, the Vatican, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Then look at the Philippines. Between Marcos, Duterte, and BBM, aren’t we extremely low on the scale – of freedom, democracy, and the free market?

That’s why we can’t come to grips – and acknowledge and recognize – “where we are.” We like to believe that the “glass is already half full.” And that blinds us, unable to proceed in the journey from poverty to prosperity.

Do we even want to benchmark and aspire to industrialize?

Is our confusion about freedom, democracy, the free market, and the abject poverty Juan de la Cruz suffers standing in the way for us to forward-think?

Consider: We have hundreds of export processing zones. That is unsurprising given our misunderstanding of “economic inclusion.” It fits our LGU mantra to a T.

On the other hand, why is smuggling a decades-old challenge for the Philippines? Or think of how LGUs drive investments away by raising local barriers. Either way, we keep shooting ourselves in the foot.

The bottom line: Our efforts to attain economic inclusion are a dismal failure.

It’s our crab mentality against Pareto. And why the blog raised the global benchmark, the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone. And of more recent vintage, Apple just announced moving Apple Watch and Macs production to Vietnam.

What about our assumptions, biases, and comfort zones? For example, nation-building is beyond economics. 

We are yet to internalize what Lee and Mahathir said to Deng: Beg for Western money and technology to lift Chinese people from poverty. 

They did not spell out the ideal fiscal and monetary policies, yet over a billion Chinese overcame poverty.

Similarly, freedom, democracy, and the free market aren’t anti-poor. It is the Philippine caste system that is the root of Philippine poverty. 

Consider: A former Soviet satellite state – the poorest country in Europe – has been a second home to us (the wife and me) for almost 20 years. Why? These friends want more, not less, freedom, democracy, and the free market.

But how come far-right populism has emerged?

Why did the Soviet empire collapse in the first place? People realized that its system was not synonymous with prosperity. And so, globalization flourished.

But why has that sense gone out the window? Because wealthy nations and people decided to go against the grain. Take the financial crisis or great recession of 2008-2009.

If the bankers displayed unmitigated greed, the average person was at the center of it. Americans, for example, kept raising their standard of living beyond their means. But that is not unique. The Greeks and Hungarians, too, chose to live beyond their means per the testimonies of MIT experts during US Congressional hearings.

And the consequences are apparent in the emergence of far-right populism. Think also of Brexit. And MAGA.

Recall how the blog explains the challenge inherent in freedom, democracy, and the free market; it is self-government, i.e., the imperative of personal responsibility to pursue the common good. But how do we translate that to real-world terms? 

It demands leadership that can leverage the best in people and demonstrates the distinctions of (a) logical yet linear and incremental thinking and (b) forward, lateral, and creative thinking.

And the “acid test” is the people’s embrace of self-government, not the love of tyranny. 

What about the Philippines? We higher up in the Philippine hierarchy wittingly or not rely on the shoulders of Juan de la Cruz, celebrating an economy driven by OFW remittances and call centers. See above; attempts to stop the universe from being dynamic and interdependent. For example, the 21st century demands innovation and global competitiveness. 

“We must be able to reach the height of wellbeing, relieving us of headaches, illness, and heartaches. Therefore, we must learn to fly to get the crowns. We choose to fly high like the Philippine Eagle or remain a chicken just pecking the ground.

“We used to boast that the Filipino family was the “social security” of the country: whatever went wrong, the family was always there to help us. We never seem to learn to stand on our own feet because we are confident that the family will always be behind us to prop us up.

“We have been conditioned by our family experience to expect somebody to pick us up when we fail. But the boss is not our “itay” or “inay.” We are no longer children.” [AN EDUCATOR’S REACTION TO ‘AMBISYON NATIN 2040’ – A WAKE-UP CALL TO THE TROUBLED SOUL OF OUR NATION (PART 1), Preciosa S. Soliven, The Philippine Star. 7th Sep 2017]

Consider: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

Are we too full of ourselves – too self-absorbed – to benchmark against our neighbors?

Consider: The blog is over a dozen years old. And we’ve had three administrations during that span — from PNoy to BBM.

On the other hand, it took less than a dozen years for two countries to offer me citizenship – without me asking.

That is not to brag but to contrast how people from other countries aren’t predisposed to parochialism and insularity. 

Consider: An expatriate family lives on a property we own in the Philippines. And no one would believe the hoops they have to jump every time they need to renew their residency.

Benchmark and industrialize.

Should that be the subtext of AmBisyon Natin 2040?

In other words, AmBisyon Natin 2040’s guardrail must be to “benchmark and industrialize.”

The model of AmBisyon, as it stands, jumps to “where we want to be” without acknowledging and recognizing “where we are.”

We have a “fixed mindset” that won’t allow us to move to a “growth mindset.” And that barrier explains why we failed with Arangkada, an attempt to industrialize. And we are yet to succeed in economic development and nation-building.

Gising bayan!

Execute. Execute. Execute.

Where do we stand with AmBisyon Natin 2040 and the Philippine Development Plan?

I went to AmBisyon again and couldn’t help but smile. It is a good read. Do we want more than “motherhood”? Yet we are proud that we have “connected the dots.”

But what are we missing? Here’s something that jumps out: “We have tried to bank on implementing economic policies together with sector-specific programs to eradicate poverty, but many of them have failed.”

How come we can’t undo our (a) assumptions, (b) biases, and (c) comfort zones?

But we’re the elite class – and shielded from our backwardness as a third-world nation. Such denial in America is “labeled” racism. In the Philippines, is it a “caste system”?

Friends from the Philippines are joining us again to holiday in Tuscany and Santorini. Those familiar with the blog may recall we’ve done Spain, France, and Italy too. What inflation? What if the pandemic threw Philippine GDP growth back five or more years?

For the umpteenth time: Juan de la Cruz carries us on his shoulders – between the OFW remittances and call centers. And we higher up in the hierarchy enjoy the fruits. At the same time, Juan de la Cruz is in dire need of the 4Ps. But because we are compassionate – or is the caste system on full display? – we borrow tens of millions of US dollars from the World Bank.

See above; we can’t undo our (a) assumptions, (b) biases, and (c) comfort zones. Those familiar with the blog may recall that I call them the “ABC of planning and execution” – or problem-solving. That’s how I introduced the topics to my Eastern European friends.

In a word, we can call it “mindset.” Think of the “fixed” or “growth” mindset.

We’ve done amazing things individually, but where is the “personal responsibility to pursue the common good”?

“I wrote a column entitled Help We Are Killing Our Children with Kindness. In his best-selling book The Sibling Society, Robert Bly calls the troubled soul of a nation today: “A culture where adults remain children, and where children have no desire to become adults — a nation of squabbling siblings. The talk show replaces family. Instead of art, we have the internet. In the place of community, we have the mall.”

“NEDA states that although the Philippine government has tried to rely on implementing economic policies and sector-specific programs to eradicate poverty, many have failed because the stakeholders’ behavior varies.

“We must be able to reach the height of wellbeing, relieving us of headaches, illness, and heartaches. Therefore, we must learn to fly to get the crowns. We choose to fly high like the Philippine Eagle or remain a chicken just pecking the ground.

“We used to boast that the Filipino family was the “social security” of the country: whatever went wrong, the family was always there to help us. We never seem to learn to stand on our own feet because we are confident that the family will always be behind us to prop us up.

“We have been conditioned by our family experience to expect somebody to pick us up when we fail. But the boss is not our “itay” or “inay.” We are no longer children.

“In 1986, when UNESCO celebrated its 40th anniversary, twelve well-known educators from among the member states formed a committee headed by the French Finance Minister Jacques Delors. Identified as “The 21st Century Education,” its four pillars matched the Stages of Child Development discovered by Dr. Montessori. Her scientific formula believed that conditioned by the work environment (not play), children can become self-sufficient from infancy to adolescence, acquiring a love for work, order, self-confidence, and economic independence. DON’T BE A CHICKEN, BE AN EAGLE!” [AN EDUCATOR’S REACTION TO ‘AMBISYON NATIN 2040’ – A WAKE-UP CALL TO THE TROUBLED SOUL OF OUR NATION (PART 1), Preciosa S. Soliven, The Philippine Star. 7th Sep 2017]

Should we stop right there?

Recall how the blog speaks to our instincts – that reflect a caste system: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

See above; Do we want more than “motherhood”? Yet we are proud that we have “connected the dots.” We call it “compassion,” aka paternalism. In other words, our view of Juan de la Cruz is that of an adult that remains a child.

Is that at the root of why Rizal said we love tyranny – that we submit to it?

NEDA, rightly so, wants to cater to Juan de la Cruz. Unsurprisingly, while AmBisyon speaks to “where we want to be,” it does not address squarely “where we are.”

Think of the power of the GPS. We must acknowledge where we are before we can equip ourselves to ascertain where we want to be.

Recall the force-field theory the blog never tires of discussing. When we are on a “journey” or an undertaking, we will encounter forces (a) that will drive us forward and (b) those that will restrain us.

We cannot be in denial of reality and take the easy way out – that the glass is already half-full.

Let’s hold it right there.

But where do we begin? Recall the distinctions between the (a) fixed mindset and (b) growth mindset.

Unfortunately, given that Juan de la Cruz is an adult that remains a child, he starts with a fixed mindset.

And that explains why we never felt the impulse to move forward as a nation.

“AmBisyon Natin 2040” is the government’s plan to transform the country into a prosperous middle-class society free of poverty by 2040.

“The World Bank says about AmBisyon: “To achieve the AmBisyon Natin 2040, the Philippines needs to triple its income per capita in the next two decades. The Philippine economy needs to grow at an annual average of 6.5 percent in the next 22 years, faster than the average growth of 5.3 percent since 2000—a challenge that only the Asian Tigers and China have managed to accomplish. Faster economic growth will also need to be shared more broadly to eradicate poverty and improve the living standard of the average Filipino.”

In other words, we must acknowledge that we want to be the next Asian Tiger.

DON’T BE A CHICKEN, BE AN EAGLE!

We want to soar like an eagle, not embrace “pwede na ‘yan.”

But we have no experience in nation-building, unlike our neighbors. And that’s why we must undo our fixed mindset and embrace a growth mindset. That means we must benchmark against the Asian Tigers. “Beg for Western money and technology,” said Lee and Mahathir to Deng. And Mahathir said it to us too.

Why can’t we execute AmBisyon or Arangkada or the scores of industry road maps? Why won’t we benchmark against our neighbors?

Recall the following from an earlier posting. “Benchmarking paves the way to “forward-thinking.” Moreover, it facilitates prioritizing the “vital few” over the “trivial many.” But until then, Pareto can only be abstract.

“In other words, given our lack of experience in development, we can’t help but be academic.

“When I related that I mentored a Ph.D. candidate in developing her dissertation, it wasn’t to brag – but to demonstrate real-world stuff.

“Consider that the anecdotes the blog shares have a common thread. They are real-world stuff: from my old MNC’s most significant brand to becoming a dominant global brand to my Eastern European friends “killing” a brand of the industry’s most influential player and, as necessary, moving up from an MSME that was a losing proposition for eight years, to my Ph.D. friend becoming the global marketing director of a world-famous brand, to Toyota successfully creating the Lexus brand, today’s sturdiest car in the market with the highest resale value.

“The bottom line: Lateral thinking explains why benchmarking is universal. Conversely, absent forward, lateral, and creative thinking, the above examples won’t lend themselves to an “aha moment.” 

“Why is the blog challenging the nation to rally behind industrialization, including economic managers, think tanks, and legislators? Recall how the blog parallels nation-building and brand management. It translates freedom, democracy, and the free market to real-world terms.”

What are we missing with AmBisyon and the PDP? We aren’t leveraging the GPS. Before we can wax poetic about “where we want to be,” we better sharpen our understanding and acceptance of “where we are.”

We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

Humankind thrives with other living things because of the photosynthesis phenomenon. We are a subset of this universe, which is dynamic and interconnected. In other words, the oneness of the universe is not a secret.

How can we be parochial and insular? Why have we been left behind? We want to be like Singapore – to move from a third-world to a first-world economy and nation. But Singapore is a tiny city-state. And so there is Guangdong with its “Pearl River Delta Economic Zone.”

In other words, let's not keep sitting on our laurels – of hundreds of export processing zone – because they fail the 21st-century test of "innovation and global competitiveness."

Benchmark and industrialize.

If it is not apparent, I am spelling out a preamble for AmBisyon – and NEDA to adopt the GPS model.

And then, we will better appreciate why we can’t be parochial and insular. And why we must benchmark and industrialize.

Execute. Execute. Execute.

Where do we stand with AmBisyon Natin 2040 and the Philippine Development Plan?

Do we want more than “motherhood”? Yet we are proud that we have “connected the dots.”

But what are we missing? Here’s something that jumps out: “We have tried to bank on implementing economic policies together with sector-specific programs to eradicate poverty, but many of them have failed.”

How come we can’t undo our (a) assumptions, (b) biases, and (c) comfort zones?

Gising bayan!