Self-government is as bad as we conduct ourselves.

Can we look in the mirror and ask, How bad are we?

Consider: “The Philippines has the worst state of malnutrition in the ASEAN; having the worst learning poverty rate is not a coincidence.

“The Philippine Business for Education (PBS) highlighted the relationship of (a) the poor quality of Philippine basic education and (b) the state of malnutrition of children.” [“Addressing the challenge of agricultural development: Recognizing the causes,” Bernardo M. Villegas, Human Side Of Economics, BusinessWorld, 30th Aug 2022]

Then consider this news: “Diokno explained that “Ayuda” to Filipinos concerning the pandemic is no longer necessary at this point because the economy has already recovered from the health crisis.”

Translation: Recovery from the health crisis for Juan de la Cruz means accepting the worst state of malnutrition and the worst learning poverty rate.

That’s not the end of the story.

“Our people feel betrayed by past administrations, and for a good reason. Outside the top two percent of society who live in comfort, one hundred ten million Filipinos exist from hand to mouth. They endure without life’s basic safety nets like quality medical care, decent housing, and good education to prepare them for the future.

“Exacerbating matters is the lack of opportunities available to them. No surprise, swaths of our population seek their fortunes abroad. Without political “clout” or capital, it is impossible to climb out of poverty.

“Our political system and laws were set up to serve the interest of the political and business elite, not the greater majority. And this is where our leaders failed us.” [“PBBM and the moral revolution we need,” Andrew J. Masigan, THE CORNER ORACLE, The Philippine Star, 31st Aug 2022]

What else is new?

“I argued back in 1966 (with the amendment of the military bases agreement to remain in force until 1991), we had 25 years to “get our act” together, but we did not.

“The sorry state of our sugar industry is evidence of our lack of resourcefulness to rationalize our “industries” and thus improve the economy.

“As a sugar planter said then, the domestic cost of production was almost 15 cents a pound, the world price was 10 cents, and the US sugar market paid 21 cents per pound. That distorted production efficiency. The sugar producers had no incentives to cut costs and to diversify and develop by-products.” [“Philippine sugar, independence, and US military bases,” Oscar P. Lagman, Jr, Musings, BusinessWorld, 29th Aug 2022]

Aren’t we in familiar territory?

Did we “get our act together” behind the rice challenge?

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

We need more than “analysis-paralysis.” And the barrier comes from our caste system. Those higher up in the hierarchy instinctively do the intellectual gymnastics, yet Juan de la Cruz continues to sink into the abyss.

In other words, as the blog argues, forward, lateral, and creative thinking is beyond logical yet linear and incremental thinking.

But we won’t overcome our “fixed mindset” if we keep flaunting our knowledge base and not pursue knowledge creation.

Here’s a quote from an earlier posting. 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.

Benchmark. Benchmark. Benchmark.

We won’t know and recognize the “state-of-the-art” if we don’t benchmark.

We are the least developed amongst our neighbors, notwithstanding our knowledge base.

Should we stop right there?

Why are we tripping all over?

We can’t prioritize if we can’t do forward, lateral, and creative thinking. But it all starts with upending our parochialism and insularity.

For example, we can’t prioritize because of the sacredness we put to the 6%-7% GDP growth metric. And explains the Diokno snap-back that the economy has already recovered from the health crisis.

That is classic “The surgery was successful, but the patient died.” In other words, it is an academic assessment devoid of real-world consequences.

To prioritize, we want the GDP to take a quantum leap.

Should we stop right there?

Think of the Guangdong model, anchored on the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone. And Ramon Ang of San Miguel has a similar model beyond Bulacan airport.

NEDA, DTI, our think tanks, and legislators should do a rigorous benchmarking exercise to learn how Guangdong did it.

In other words, we can continue with the zillion other LGU initiatives we want, take them as the “trivial many,” but prioritize our version of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone.

The object of the exercise is for the GDP to take a quantum leap.

If Mr. Diokno is listening, we can’t shove the responsibility to the LGUs to take on more accountability; the national government must get the GDP to take a quantum leap.

What about this “prescription”? Many would share it, so let’s dig in: “The Philippines and its location right along the West Philippine Sea will remain a focal point for the struggle between China on the one hand and the alliance of Japan, Australia, and the United States on the other hand. The next time anyone genuinely wants to understand global conflicts and politics, one should have a globe and maps of the world right by your side.” [“Understanding geopolitics,” Elfren S. Cruz,  BREAKTHROUGH, The Philippine Star, 1st Sep 2022]

In other words, we still have to contend with geopolitics beyond malnutrition, learning poverty, and life’s basic safety nets – e.g., quality medical care, decent housing, and a good education.

And here’s a news item: UN Slams Extrajudicial Killings in Philippines’ So-Called War on Drugs. Question: Don’t we have a globe and maps of the world right by our side?

Geopolitics is a result of our national conduct. See above; our self-government is as bad as we “conduct” ourselves.

Singapore is a tiny city-state. Will China or Russia want to fool around with Singapore?

Or look at how the world came to embrace Ukraine while Russia displayed its incompetence. Instead of a quick, surgical invasion of a few days, their attack on Ukraine is now over six months.

Have we heard about “credibility”?

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

On the other hand, we are a subset of the Universe – and must reflect its character and be in constant motion and expansion.

It is not only America that is a land of immigrants. Humankind migrated from Africa because of the need to survive – from climate phenomenon. Europeans created the “new world” – the US of A – because of the need to stay – from persecution and climate.

What was behind the “crusades”? To Israel, it was no different from past invaders. Beyond autocracy is the need to survive physically and economically. And why aristocracy abounds to this day. Think of the Middle East; and autocracies like Russia and China.

Invaders and colonizers can learn to overcome a “fixed mindset.” But many don’t. Look at how America and Australia progressed while Latin America continued to stagnate.

Why are we afraid of a China invasion? On the other hand, consider what Sweden and Finland did – joining NATO – despite their long-held belief in neutrality.

Which country came to the rescue of Europe and the rest of the world during WWII? Who is carrying the most significant role in defending Ukraine?

Which country would lead efforts to defend Taiwan if attacked? Who had the Subic Bay Base that we kicked out?

Enter: China WPS adventurism. 

Aren’t we wondering why we keep shooting ourselves in the foot?

We are a subset of the Universe. It is dynamic and interdependent – as in the photosynthesis phenomenon.

Even the continents are a product of the Universe’s dynamism.

Thanks to the Greeks, humankind learned how to respond to our dynamic milieu. 

Consider: Personal responsibility is imperative to pursue the “common good,” including geopolitics.

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

Sadly, we are a rudderless ship – that we can’t right the ship we call the Philippines.

If it is not apparent, the blog teed up a simple model to translate forward, lateral, and creative thinking into real-world terms, called the GPS: Where are we; Where do we want to be; How do we get there?

The blog also dissected how our neighbors rapidly moved from third-world to first-world nations.

And the model works in the private sector, too, i.e., (a) in a Fortune 500 and (b) an MSME in a former Soviet satellite state.

Let’s pause and address our MSMEs: This is the 21st century. Recall that the UP ISSI came into being over half a century ago. And what are we doing? More of the same?

If the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone must be our benchmark to jumpstart industrialization, do we want my Eastern European friends to be the benchmark for our MSMEs?

Do I see raised hands? I am waiting.

Here’s a quote from an earlier posting: 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, and 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.

In other words, beyond logical yet linear and incremental thinking, there is the wisdom of “forward, lateral and creative thinking.”

But we Filipinos are so inward-looking that we can’t see beyond our respective ranks and knowledge base.

Unsurprisingly, the demands of the century — Innovation and global competitiveness — aren't in our crosshairs.

“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]

How bad are we?

Self-government is as bad as we conduct ourselves.

Gising bayan!