How do we find our place in the sun?

But before we do a knee-jerk, let’s remember that our brains could be in “reflex” mode and why our go-to solution reflects “Pinoy abilidad.” How do we switch to “reflection” mode?

But we must first ask the question: Does finding our place in the sun mean surviving or thriving? We must ask the question because Pinoy abilidad yields “pwede na ‘yan.” And why we succumbed to the “OFW disease,” once known as the Dutch disease.

There are two sides to a coin. Even the disciplines we represent are beyond “science,” they are married to “arts.” I still chuckle every time we proudly applaud the appointments of “technocrats” to vital government positions because it reveals binary thinking.

Consider: The pandemic has scarred the economy, yet we still have to look beyond our noses. A great strategist is a great tactician to boot.

See above; we can’t be in “reflex” mode.

But because of our caste system, we take our one-dimensional world as gospel truth. Unsurprisingly, we value hierarchy and, in return, expect paternalism.

And that explains why we can’t problem-solve. 

In other words, we can’t forward-think because the caste system made our world “finite” – even when this universe isn’t.

To find our place in the sun is to thrive in this universe. 

That explains why Bongbong leads the polls. Their camp represents the hierarchy and must have the final say, as in Padre Damaso.

Where is Philippine investigative journalism? Why isn’t Marcos’s unexplained wealth common knowledge?

As my Romanian friends would remind me, think of Ceaușescu.

But then again, isn’t media controlled by the oligarchy? Of course, they have the same thing in the West. And that is why I have no respect for US politics. Those blessed with more must give more.

I would shake my head years ago every time I boarded a plane to London because they would offer trash – aka tabloids. But then, it came to the US too. Between Facebook and Fox, you can’t get much more misinformation – aka tabloid journalism.

The polarization of American politics is explained, for example, by this news item: Pro-Trump counties now have far higher Covid death rates.

But the Americans are big boys and girls. Let them sort their problems.

How do we Filipinos find our place in the sun?

The blog has offered two “concepts” to help us figure the way forward.

First are our instincts: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy that ours is a culture of impunity.

The other is the outcome we must seek: To traverse poverty to prosperity rapidly.

It is not enough to have a vision because if it represents “point B,” there is a need for “point A”?

In other words, we are talking about the GPS model: Where are we; Where do we want to be; How do we get there.

Point A is critical because we most likely won’t agree on point B if we can’t establish where we are. For example, some of us have said, “we are a rich nation pretending to be poor.”

If we are, is point B, we must stop pretending?

The blog pointed out that Thailand is twice wealthier and Malaysia is three times.

And we don’t need to be an economist to see these with our own eyes. When we travel to Bangkok, don’t we readily see that they are twice more prosperous? And KL is three times? Moreover, Singapore is more than ten times?

That frame will make for a more concrete point A – as in, we are the regional laggard. In other words, let’s not pretend that we are a wealthy nation because we are not.

But then again, we can’t keep to a “finite” world and why we are deep in the abyss. And that is why a vision cannot be finite too. And the best model the world has known is the American “pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.”

That is not finite. Americans even call it an experiment being merely aspirational.

And that will help us recognize that this world we live in is not finite. That’s why the blog keeps raising the character of the creation story and this universe, i.e., dynamism and interdependence.

If we push the envelope, we will recognize how Christianity and Democracy weave into the fabric of this universe. For example, the Vatican evolved: from a “finite” world characterized by the crusades and inquisitions to the pursuit of ecumenism.

And the West – which represents freedom-loving nations – has evolved from colonialism to a global community.

That brings us back to “Pinoy abilidad.” Keeping to our “reflex” mode will explain why we are out of sync with this world.

We need much reflection instead of falling into the trap of “pwede na ‘yan.”

The reality is “pwede na ‘yan,” coming from us in the Philippine elite and chattering classes, is a veiled assertion of rank – which has its privileges; we have the final say.

Do we wonder why the blog has asserted that if we can’t forward-think, we can’t problem-solve?

Let’s get back to our instincts. How do we undo them? See above; where is Philippine investigative journalism that the Marcos unexplained wealth is not common knowledge?

For example, as CJ Panganiban explained, the prosecutors committed an elementary error in “evidence.” They did not present original documents. Why?

If we can’t put such a glaring display of impunity to bed, how can Juan de la Cruz learn and own the efforts to change as a people and nation?

And add to that the alliance of Marcos, Arroyo, Estrada, and Duterte.

We are a banana republic.

We need more than a vision.

But we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. As the blog never tires saying, we ignored the world’s economic miracles in the Asian Tigers, China, and now with Vietnam too?

Our sense of rank and hierarchy has proven us wrong many times over. Let’s get over it.

We better get a handle on the alliance of Marcos, Arroyo, Estrada, and Duterte.

But not only. We better do the same thing with the oligarchy. And the endemic corruption in the public sector. And our pitiful education system.

We have “think tanks” and world-class economists and economic managers. Why can’t they be the core of the effort to turn this nation around? They can pull other sectors too – especially the likes of the late Fr. George Gorospe, SJ, because the enterprise must be grounded in “reality” – that it is beyond any human experience or system. But they must start as a small group to figure out a game plan quickly.

Freedom and the free market are self-government undertakings to attain the “common good.” It does not have to be a top-down process. For over a dozen years, the blog shared examples even at the risk of being immodest because we have to start somewhere.

For example, the effort to turn this nation around could support AmBisyon and Arangkada, raise them to the next level, and facilitate execution.

It can respond to the question, what “forces” are restraining AmBisyon and Arangkada? Conversely, what “forces” can move them forward? How do we either overcome or exploit them accordingly?

For instance, we must step up to the plate and eliminate the barriers to attracting the critical foreign investment and technology we must embrace.

It can also fine-tune the definition of the outcome we seek. Is traversing poverty to prosperity rapidly acceptable?

And what intermediate "outputs" must we deliver to bring us closer to the above "outcome"? For example, instead of a 6%-7% GDP growth metric, should we set $200 billion incremental GDP as the hurdle? That will make more concrete the exercise to prioritize industries.

For instance, why did Vietnam attract Samsung smartphones and we did not? That is a critical benchmark because that initiative delivers more revenues for Vietnam than our eight top companies combined for PH.

We must dig up the details of the Samsung and Vietnam partnership.

We must learn to create an actionable framework to do the exercises successfully. For example, we must distinguish between drivers and enablers.

If we struggle to make the above distinctions, the McKinsey representative at the recent Arangkada forum can be an ideal resource.

“McKinsey and Co. Philippines Acting Managing Partner Jonathan Canto said the Philippines should explore a potential niche as a manufacturing hub with 80% of US companies and 67% of European companies from China to elsewhere in Asia. And Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia are currently gearing up to take over China.

“Mr. Canto recommended that the Philippines reassess its FDI strategy and priority sectors, build unique deal-focused value propositions, focus on investment promotion, and ensure end-to-end support for investors.” [“Foreign chambers tout FDI as key to economic recovery, poverty relief,” Bianca Angelica D. Añago, BusinessWorld, 1st Dec 2021]

Even more fundamental is to unfreeze our brains and free them of knowledge that we have not challenged all along despite our predicament.

We are the regional laggard and must reinvent Juan de la Cruz.

How do we find our place in the sun?

Gising bayan!