Sunday, March 15, 2009

10 Reasons why there is genuine hope for the Philippines

1) WE ARE LOCATED IN THE 'CENTER' OF EAST ASIA. We are strategically located at the heart of East Asia. North East Asia (Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, HK) and South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos) combined makes East Asia. Every major city in East Asia is 4 hours or less away from the Philippines by air transport. If ours were a real estate venture in a commercial area, ours is a location to die for. We can be the shipping and air transport hub of East Asia. We can be the top tourist destination of the region. We can be the cultural center of the region for performing arts.

2) WE ARE NO. 1 in AQUAMARINE RESOURCES WORLDWIDE. We have the most diverse aquamarine ecosystem in the entire world that if managed properly will feed not only our hungry people but will be a source of huge revenue coming from a world in dire need of aquamarine resources such as fish, seaweed and other similar products. The Seafood basket and aquamarine resource center of the world. We can be the aquamarine resource powerhouse of the world.


3) WE HAVE A HUGE TOURISM INDUSTRY POTENTIAL. Our people are by nature extremely friendly and hospitable. We are only doing/achieving some 3M tourist arrivals annually while our neighbors are doing four or five time more with 12 to 15 Million tourist visits annually. It has been said that other countries in the ASEAN are doing so much more with so little in terms of natural wonders and beautiful sites while we are doing so little with so much. With the right infrastructure such as highways and airports and seaports in place we can be the number one tourist destination in Asean if not Asia.

4) WE ARE NOW NO. 2 IN THE BPO INDUSTRY WORLDWIDE AND CAN BECOME NO.1. We are, I am told currently second to India in the Business Process Outsourcing Industry. I am told as well that this industry expects 30 percent growth this year despite the worldwide recession as foreign companies look aggressively to lowering costs of doing business and therefore look to business outsourcing.

5) WE ARE AN EXTREMELY CREATIVE AND ARTISTIC PEOPLE. We have been called the songbirds of Asia. Our reputation as performers is legendary throughout the world (although we have never been boastful about it). We can be the center of performing arts in Asia wherein millions would visit the country annually to marvel at our cultural performances and our artistic productions.

6) WE HAVE THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW GENERATION OF PROGRESSIVE AND RESULTS ORIENTED PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERS. Since the restoration of democracy in 1986 and the passage of the Local Government code in 1991 (or some 20 years now), public officials have began to work with new resources (40 percent of national taxes are now plowed back to LGUs compared to less than 10 percent in 1986) made available by decentralization. Today a new generation of public sector leaders is emerging that is empowered, that is vision driven and results oriented. This explains why we have successful Local Government initiatives in Marikina, Makati, Naga City, Davao City, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Calbayog City and General Santos City among others. Hence from a generation of public sector leaders that by and large was corrupt, lacking in vision, lacking in creativity and innovation, we now have the emergence of a new generation of public sector leaders with integrity, with proactive leadership and with a commitment to reform and genuine change. New governance models and templates that are solving age old problems in the field are being forged, being tempered as we speak. A new brand of political leadership is emerging focused on solving age old problems in governance. The old, failed methods utilized by the trapos will soon be crushed and defeated.

7) INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT IS ENHANCING OUR SENSE OF NATIONHOOD. We are fast becoming one nation, rather than a 'country' of many languages and many islands, now being connected by information communication technology. The ethno-linguistic barriers that used to keep us divided are being shattered by the interconnectivity of information technology. Today an entire generation of Filipinos fully understand and can connect with the Filipino language because of 2 decades of television news in Filipino (all TV news used to be English until 1986). The 3 elements of nationhood are common language, common territory and common economy. We are now becoming a nation because information technology is breaking the barriers that have prevented us from becoming united as a people. It is also now reconnecting some 10 Million Filipinos overseas to the motherland. We are becoming one nation and one people.

8) WE HAVE A RE EMERGING MIDDLE CLASS MINDSET. After over three decades of the OFW boom, we now have a new generation of citizens steeped with modern ideas coming from the highly successful host nations like Japan, Honh Kong, Singapore and the United Sates. Europe too has become host to hundreds of thousands of OWFs. The OFWs who have experienced life in these highly developed nations can now compare and contrast these experiences with the experiences in the motherland. In highly developed nations there is to a greater extent, a greater sense of accountability and a greater sense of justice and fair play.Our OFWs bring all that back home and having been enlightened by the experience will demand greater of their leaders back home. People are beginning to say enough is enough and are actually doing something about it.

9) WE ARE A YOUNG NATION. Close to 30 million of our 45 million voters are 18 to 35 years old. Very young. If harnessed effectively, these young voters can usher in the political and electoral change that we need to happen for genuine political and economic reforms to take place.

10) WE ARE A PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO LAUGH, WHO LOVE OUR FAMILIES. We are a resilient people. We can draw unimaginable strength and fortitude in times of difficulty in order to move ahead. We know how to survive despite so much pain and suffering. We know how to cope. We are willing to sacrifice so much of ourselves in order to provide for our family, our loved ones. This strength will not only bring us out of the mess we are in but will ensure that we are able to reach greater heights in our collective desire as a people to have a better life for those we truly care for, for those who mean the world to us. Our resilience in the long run will not only make us survive but will also ensure that we will triumph in the end.


We have enough reason to hope. We have, as a people, enough reason to act on these hopes and when we do, the genuine change we all seek will finally see the light of day and yes, by all means, in our lifetime.


K


Sampung Dahilan kung bakit may tunay na pag-asa pa para sa Pilipinas.

1. Tayo ay nasa sentro ng Silangang Asya.
- Ang ating bansa ay nasa puso ng Silangang Asya. Ang pinagsamang Hilagang Asya (Japan, Korea, Taiwan at Hong Kong) at Timog-Silangang Asya (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos) ang bumubuo sa Silangang Asya. Lahat ng lungsod sa Silangang Asya ay hindi hihigit sa apat na oras ang biyahe gamit ang transportasyong pang-himpapawid mula sa Pilipinas. Maari tayong maging sentro ng pambarko at pang-himpapawid na transportasyon ng Silangang Asya. Tayo ay maari ring maging pangunahing destinasyon para sa turismo ng rehiyon. At maari ring tayo ang maging sentro ng ‘performing arts’ sa rehiyon.

2. Tayo ay nangunguna sa likas na yamang pantubig sa buong mundo.
- Ang ating bansa ang may pinaka-malaking yamang tubig sa buong mundo na kapag napangalagaan ng mabuti ay mapapakain ang mga nagugutom na tao at maari ring mapagkunan ng malaking kita na nagmumula sa mga lugar na may matinding pangangailangan sa likas na yamang pang-tubig tulad ng isda, seaweed at iba pang lamang dagat. Tayo ang Seafood Basket sa daigdig. Maaari tayong maging pangunahing pagkukuhanan ng likas na yamang pantubig.

3. Mayroon tayong malaking potensiyal sa industriya ng turismo.- Ang mga mamamayang Pilipino ay likas ng mabait at maasikaso. Sa ngayon, tayo ay nakaka-hikayat lamang ng 3 milyong turista taun-taon samantalang ang ating mga kalapit na bansa ay nagkakaroon ng 12 hanggang 15 milyong turista na bumibisita taun-taon. Lumalabas na nauungusan tayo sa turismo ng iba pang bansa sa ASEAN kahit na nakakahigit tayo sa kanila sa likas na yaman at magagandang tanawin. Gamit ang tamang inprastaktura tulad ng mga highways, paliparan at daungan ng mga barko, sa tamang panahon ay kaya nating maging numero unong destinasyon ng mga turista sa ASEAN at maging sa buong Asya.

4. Tayo ang pangalawa sa industriya ng BPO at maari pang maging pinaka-una sa buong mundo.
- Sa aking pagkakaalam, tayo ay pumapangalawa lamang sa India sa industriya ng BPO (Business Process Outsourcing Industry). Akin ding napag-alaman na ang ating industriya ay umaasang magkakaroon ng pagtaas na 30 porsiyento sa kabila ng pandaigdigang recession dahil na rin sa kagustuhan ng mga kompanya sa ibang bansa na bawasan ang kanilang gastos na siya naming dahilan ng business outsourcing.

5. Tayo ay likas na malikhain at (artistic) na mamamayan.
- Tayo ay tinaguriang Songbirds ng Asya. Ang ating reputasyon bilang mga performers ay makasaysayan sa buong mundo (kahit pa hindi natin ito ipinagyayabang). Tayo ay may kakayahan na maging sentro ng performing arts sa Asya kung saan milyon ang bibista sa ating bansa taun-taon upang masaksihan ang mga kultural na palabas at mga malikhaing produksiyon.


6. Tayo ay mayroong papaangangat na henerasyon ng mga progresibo at results-oriented na lider sa pampublikong sektor.
- Mula nang maibalik ang demokrasya noong 1986 at maipasa ang Local Government Code noong 1991 (o mga dalawampung taon na ngayon), ang mga lokal na opisyal ay nagsimula ng magtrabaho gamit ang makabagong resources (40 porsiyento ng pambansang buwis ang bumabalik ngayon sa LGUs kumpara sa mas maliit pang 10 porsiyento noong 1986) dahil na rin sa desentralisasyon. Sa ngayon, may bagong henerasyon ng mga lider sa pampublikong sektor ang umuusbong at sila ay may mataas na pananaw at positibo sa magagandang resulta. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit mayroon tayong matagumpay na mga proyekto at ideya sa Marikina, Makati, Naga City, Davao City, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Calbayog City at General Santos City. Mula na rin sa henerasyon ng mga lider sa pampublikong sektor na sa simula pa lamang ay puno na ng kurapsyon, kulang sa pananaw, kulang sa pagka-malikhain at pagiging makabago, mayroon na tayong papausbong na panibagong henerasyon ng mga lider sa pampublikong sektor na may integridad, positibong pamumuno at may adhikain para sa pagsasaayos at tunay na pagbabago ng sistema. Ang bagong modelo ng pamamalakad na tumatalakay at lumulutas sa mga dati ng mga problema ay nababago at napapalitan. Ang bagong uri ng politikal na pamamalakad o pamumuno ay patuloy na umaangat at naka-sentro sa paglutas sa dati ng mga problema ng gobyerno. Ang luma at dati ng gamit na mga pamamaraang ginagamit ng mga tradisyunal na pulitiko ay di maglalaong matatalo at mapangungunahan ng makabagong pamamaraan.

7. Ang pagsulong ng teknolohiya para sa impormasyon at komunikasyon ay nag-aangat sa ating pagiging makabansa.
- Sa kasalukuyan, tayo ay mabilis na nagiging isang nasyon sa halip na isang bansa na may iba’t ibang lengguwahe at maraming isla. Salamat sa teknolohiyang pang- impormasyon at komunikasyon na nag-uugnay sa atin. Ang pagkakaiba-iba ng lahi na siyang dating naghihiwalay sa atin ay nawala na dahil sa teknolohiyang pang-impormasyon. Ngayon, may malaking bilang ng henerasyon ng Pilipino ang nakakaunawa at nakakaintindi sa lengguwaheng Filipino dahil na rin sa 2 dekadang balita sa telebisyon na nasa Filiipino (lahat ng salita ay dating nasa Ingles hanggang 1986). Ang 3 elemento ng pagiging makabansa ay ang parehong lengguwahe, parehong teritoryo at paraheong ekonomiya. Tayo ay nagiging isang bansa dahil sa ang teknolohiyang pang-impormasyon ang siyang sumisira sa mga bagay na hinaharangan ang ating pagkaka-isa bilang mga mamamayan. Ito rin ang nagbu-buklod sa mahigit 10 milyong Pilipino na malayo sa kanilang inang bayan. Tayo ay nagiging iisang bansa at iisang mamamayan.

8. Tayo ay may mga papausbong Middle Class
- Makalipas ang mahigit 3 dekada ng paglaganap ng pagkakaroon ng OFW, mayroon na tayong henerasyon ng mga mamamayan na may mga bagong ideya na nanggaling pa sa iba’t ibang matagumpay na bansa tulad ng Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore at Estados Unidos. Ang Europa ay lugar rin kung saan mayroong daan-daang o libo-libong OFWs. Ang mga OFWs na mayroon ng karanasan sa mga umuusbong bansa ay maari ng ikumpara ang kanilang mga karanasan sa kanilang sariling bayan. Ang ating mga OFWs ay nadadala ang lahat ng positibo sa bansang kanyang pinagtrabahuhan sa kanilang pagbabalik sa ating bayan. Sila’y naghahanap ng maagaling na lider at magandang uri ng pamamahala at gumagawa ng paraan upang ito’y kanilang makita.

9. Tayo ay isang bayan na binubuo ng mga Kabataan.- Mahigit sa 30 milyon n gating 45 milyon ngn mga botante ang 18 hanggang 35 na taong gulang. Napakabata. Kung mahahasang mabuti, itong mga batang botante ang puwedeng magsulong ng mga pagbabago sa pulitika at ekonomiya sa tamang panahon.

10. Tayo ay mga mamamayang masayahin at mapagmahal sa pamilya. - Tayo ang mga matatag na tao. Kaya nating humugot ng tapang at lakas ng loob sa oras ng pangangailangn para makasulong. Alam natin kung papaano mabuhay sa kabila ng sobrang sakit at paghihhirap. Alam natin kung papaano makibigay. Kaya nating mag-sakripisyo para lamang mabigyan ang ating mga pamilya at mahal sa buhay ng mga bagay na kanilang kailangan. Ang lakas na ito ay hindi lamang nakakatulong para umiwas tayo sa mga gusot o gulo ngunit para pagpapatunay na kaya natin ang mga abutin ang kahit sa pamamagitan ng iisang kagustuhan nating mga mamamayan na magkaroon ng maalwan na buhay para sa mga taong mahal natin at mahalaga sa atin. Ang ating pagiging matatag kung maglaon ay hindi lamang makakatulong sa atin para mabuhay. Magiging dahilan din ito para masiguro ang ating tagumpay.

Marami tayong sapat na dahilan para patuloy na umasa. Tayo ay may sapat na dahilan para kumilos para sa mga pag-asang ito. Kung ito ay ating gagawin, matutupad ang lahat ng pagbabagong ating hinahangad.

15 comments:

Photoblogger said...

absolutely beautiful post! Every reason is very inspiring and I totally agree that Philippines can move forward.. It all starts with everyone, and also with the end of corruption of our Government. God help the Light of Asia..

j bayogan said...

agree ako sa lahat ng 10 points. ang idagdag ko - marami pa ring mabubuting pinoy sa tabi-tabi. bigyan sila ng pagkakataon at tiyak may magagawa para sa bayan.

Jason Bruce said...

What a wonderful post! I like #5, 6, 9 & 10. The Pinoy's strong traditional family values is also a quality that brings hope to the country.

Ipat Luna said...

I really like number 7. But it also means you should translate your post into Filipino, or better yet, into the myriad mother tongues of this great and diverse nation of ours. Get someone to do their versions. You going to run a campaign based on this?

wernicke said...

On tourism: I'm now studying here in Australia and I feel bad whenever my European classmates tell me that they haven't been or will not be going to the Philippines even if the rest of Southeast Asia have been or are part of their itinerary. And then I get creeped out when I imagine them getting out of Terminal 2 greeted by the not so friendly cyclone wite enclosed waiting station... and the lack of express train going to the city, or even a decent, convenient shuttle which will bring them to the domestic terminal if they want to go straight to an out of town destination. I cringe at the thought of what their impression would be and the patience that will be required of them to give the Philippines a chance, long enough patience to get them to, say, Sagada, which will simply, for sure, will take their breath away.

Kiko Pangilinan said...

Thank you for your comments! I welcome feedback and other insights so that we can improve on the subject. Please feel free to write your thoughts. Yes, Ipat, I will have it translated to Filipino. Thanks again!

Louie Bryan M. lapat said...

senator,
tama po kayo. Hope is really within us..it's really up to us to harness our full potential. I like the 9th reason. Kabilang po ako dun..and i promise na hinding hindi ko sasayangin ang isa kong boto kasi future ng ating bansa ang nakasalalay. We can't afford another GMA.
gud luck po sa pagbo-blog.
may the force be with you!
LOUIE BRYAN LAPAT
tagum city

Kiko Pangilinan said...

I realize that readers have their own preferences as to which of the 10 they like the most. Please feel free to let me know what your top two or three choices are.

Also, please feel free to add your own reasons that may not be in the list. If we can make it 20 then there are more reasons to be hopeful! That would be great, wouldn't it?

Cheers!

K

Vox Populi said...

There is only genuine hope for the Philippines if the death penalty will be imposed for corruption and rigorously and consistently implemented no matter how powerfully connected the individual is.

What this country needs is a massive ethical cleansing so we can get rid of all the unscrupulous thieves and criminals in our government and public sector.

Kiko Pangilinan said...

In order to squarely face corruption, the President must at the beginning of his term sit down with his or her Secretary of Justice and identify 15 to 20 big cases that are to be prosecuted in full and convictions secured within say 18 months. The Secretary is to coordinate with the Office of the Special Prosecutor in this respect.

The President then tells his or secretary that he is to be updated weekly as to the status of these cases. Finally, he or she will relay to the Secretary that he is to resign at the end of 18 months should these 15 to 20 cases remain unresolved.

Only when we begin to punish more and punish swiftly will people begin to fear the law and have a healthy respect for it and only then will we see the end to the pervasive corruption.

K

Henry Villena said...

In this time of growing numbers of hopelessness and insecurity, we really needed people like you Sen Kiko who can propel hope and incite people to take better alternatives. Indeed, it is not the end of the line... that we still have 10 reasons to stay in the Philippines, work and live happily w/ our family here in our very own country.

But the stakeholders have to seriously perform their roles. It is not like majic.

And we need to place Sen. Kiko first in a position w/ more influence and authority to orchestrate these "10 reasons" and make these felt by common Pinoy.

More power to you, We wish you good health, good health and good healh. Kaya po natin yan, at kailangan marating natin at mapaliwanagan and lahat ng Pilipino na may pag-asa pa dito sa Pilipinas.

mikeblanco said...

Thank you Sen. Kiko for sharing your thoughts and actions! I too believe that our country still has hope. Thanks too for remaining to be the principled leader that we saw in you in 2001. If these 10 points are accomplished by our leaders like Kiko, just imagine the growth our country will have. Good luck next year sir! You have my 101% support!

Leila Verceles said...

Our nation does not experience (any) external constraints, that prevent or discourage our nation to be successful. Our leaders (who call the shots in terms of legislature and govt spending) need to realize that their job is to focus on getting their act together (teamwork) and solve our nation's problems (plan their work and work their plan). They should focus on the problems at hand, and not waste tax payers money by listening to show biz squabbles. I am overseas right now and am very embarrassed on reading the last fiasco.

Unknown said...

i completely agree most especially point number 4 regarding the BPO industry-in the recent survey Cebu City is the number 1 emerging ICT hub in Asia Pacific! And we're working on being the #1 ICT hub worlwide:)

Unknown said...

Nice to hear that Philippines still has a hope..The BPO industry here in Philippines is keep on growing bigger and better..

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