My Recollection of Students' Desire to Get that Degree to Seek Greener Pastures Abroad

-

I could remember back in high school how scores were of utmost importance. The emphasis were grades on English, Mathematics, and Science. I felt so insecure as I suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) meaning mathematics becomes a chore one way or another. The importance of those grades (not necessarily be the top of the class) was emphasized on courses. I remembered how the Hotel and Restaurant Management courses were often looked down upon. Not just HRM but also Bachelor of Science in Business Administration which was becoming a dumping course. The worse part was how often is commerce is often looked down upon. 

What courses were often in-demand for abroad? 

When we had our college plans--it was often because of courses in-demand abroad. It was during the 2000s and some that I could remember are as follows:
  1. Engineering courses were the most common. Some of my peers took engineering for that reason. Sometimes, it's not because the parents forced them to take it. It's because they want to go abroad.
  2. Information technology was once my dream course--never mind that higher mathematics wasn't my forte. Why did I want to take that course even if my parents told me I could be better off taking commerce? It was because "it was the fad" to take an IT course, am I right? 
  3. Nursing is another one why many took it. Some of my friends in the medical technology course shifted to nursing to go abroad. One of my high school batch mates shifted to nursing, finished it, and is now in Alberta, Canada. Before that, he worked in Chong Hua Hospital. However, some of my peers who took nursing haven't put it into practice. Some are even real estate agents and AXA financial managers.
  4. Physical therapy is also in demand abroad. However, one of my high school batch mates didn't put into practice and ended up working in AXA. Wouldn't it be better also if he just took a commerce-related course instead?

What's causing students to desire to go abroad?

I must confess I had the desire to go abroad. My dream country back in the early 2000s was the United States of America. Others aimed for Canada. I really felt the Philippines was a "hopeless" case. I soon fret over the fact that I didn't get accepted int BSIT after I took Associate in Computer Science. Well, it was justified because I barely passed programming. The former section head of the Mathematics and Computer Science department had every duty to reject my application. Good thing I had BSBA in my mind but I battered myself in secret more than once over why I didn't qualify for BSIT. I even did it more to myself even after many BSIT students shifted to either BSBA or Bachelor of Science in Management Accounting. Some people are good in math but just don't get technology as well as they should. In my case, I suck at both though I did manage to understand business calculus.

The dream to go abroad is often equated with "to escape the miseries of the Philippines". Having a low salary is one. I knew someone who wanted to take nursing because of their financial situation. Some parents even urge nursing to the point it's an abused course. BSIT has become another course that's become so absurdly taken for that reason. That's why I wanted to take BSIT--to go abroad and live life in the US of A. Other miseries would involve the lack of employment. The Philippines may be a democratic country but it does lack one thing--more economic freedom. Job opportunities tend to be scarce in other areas

What's the real cause of a lack of job opportunities?

The real cause of job opportunities has to do with economic freedom. The 1935 Constitution was highly protectionist. Carlos P. Garcia made the "Filipino First" policy which I'm afraid eventually allowed more failures than successes. The 1973 Constitution under Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. was also protectionist leading to the well-documented cronyism as explained in textbooks. The 1987 Constitution did start to ease certain restrictions but it wasn't enough. 60-40 was still enforced to a certain extent--something that I feel is just ridiculous. It's all about saying that Foreign Direct Investors can only own up to 40% of shares in the Philippines while 60% must belong to Filipino businessmen. Former president Fidel V. Ramos up to outgoing President Rodrigo R. Duterte worked on easing certain sectors which prevented the Philippines from becoming another Venezuela or North Korea.

The big problem of 60-40 needs to be viewed this way. Who in the right mind will rent a space if they could only own 40% of their profit shares in their area? Would you seriously want to give 60% of your net income to the lessor? 60-40 is not about land ownership. A lessor doesn't necessarily own a share from his tenants.What the mall owner owns is the commercial space. Unless the lessor purchases shares from the tenants--he or she isn't a shareholder. For example, I rent a space in Robinson's to run a steakhouse. Robinsons has no share in the profits from me but they receive the mandatory rental payment from me. I owe Robinson's my monthly rentals but never 60% of my profits. Net profits come after all expenses such as operating expenses, rentals, and income taxes are paid. The lessor only gets rent. A lessor can only become a company shareholder through a purchase of a certain amount of stocks. 

In short, the 60-40 shares arrangement discourages foreign investors to invest if they have to give up 60% of their net profits to Filipino businessmen. It's one thing if the Philippines refuses to sell land to foreigners. I heard China doesn't sell land to foreigners. Neither does Vietnam. However, foreigners are free to invest up to 100% share ownership which is different from land ownership. Tenants shouldn't expect the malls to sell the commercial space to them. However, tenants should expect to pay a monthly rent in the spaces they rent. FDIs are expected to pay rentals to Filipino landowners along with the government fees such as registration, taxes, and welfare payments. If FDIs fail to follow any rules such as the Fair Competition Act--they can expect to pack their bags and leave. Tenants who don't pay rent have to leave. FDIs that don't follow local laws have to leave.

The solution to produce jobs is pretty much inviting FDIs. The late Lee Kuan Yew had to face the challenge of the economists of his day. In his book From Third World to First--he also discussed in Chapter 4 "To Survive Without a Hinterland" the common knowledge among the economics graduates of his day. Lee had to face with economists who believed that FDI was bad. However, FDI was proven good as proven by the fact that when Lee invited FDIs--he produced more jobs for Singopreans. Deng Xiaoping also followed the same role model for the People's Republic of China. Before that, Taiwan or the Republic of China defeated China by doing so. Taiwan in itself was first to open to FDI before China. Lee proved the economists of his day wrong when he produced more jobs by welcoming FDI.

The Philippines can do the same thing. Right now, more sectors are getting liberated to 100% foreign shares ownership. Take note of the word shares because it's not the same as land ownership. If there were more FDIs in the Philippines--there will be less desire to move to the greener pastures. In turn, an improvement of national economy would mean minimum wage can be increased. The average salary of Singapore is SGD 5,783 per month. The average salary in the Philippines is PHP 44,600.00 per month. A computation from SGD to PHP will tell you the average salary in Singapore is PHP 220,861.00--a lot higher than the Philippines. No wonder Singapore is one of the dream destinations.

The big aim to truly go from third world to first also involves economic liberalization. Though, it's not the whole thing since Lee also focused on greening Singapore and fighting corruption. However, we need money to do green the Philippines and fight corruption. The Philippines has become a rising tiger but it still needs to grow. Fortunately, laws to pass more economic liberalization are there such as the liberalization of the public utility sectors. The fight for more economic liberalization would force the local players to either innovate or perish. In turn, other local businesses might end up generating better employment when they can get more suppliers and service providers to help them expand their businesses to greater heights.

The agenda is to really amend the Foreign Investments Act. Get rid of unnecessary restrictions immediately. Sure, I'm not in favor of foreign landowners. However, I'll still in favor of FDIs owning up to 100% in terms of shares. This isn't the new imperialism. This is all about inviting new ideas and FDIs as tenants while the Philippines is the commercial space. This will generate more jobs, better economy (which will inevitably raise minimum wages), and may cause lesser people from seeking to move abroad.

References

Books

"From Third World to First--The Singapore Story: 1965-2000) by Lee Kuan Yew
Harpers Collins Publishers

Websites

"R.A. 7042 – “Foreign Investments Act of 1991.”

"SINK OR SWIM: CHANGING THE 60-40 RULE ON FOREIGN OWNERSHIP AS KEY TO SURVIVING GLOBALIZATION" by Glenndale Cornelio

"How Much You Should Be Making in 2022 | Ultimate Singapore Salary Guide" (January 3, 2022)

Popular posts from this blog

The "Kahit Konting Awa" Attitude Wouldn't Help Alleviate Anyone from Poverty

-
Image
  As the countdown to Christmas continues--it's easy to expect the toxic Filipino trait that I'll dub as "Kahit Konting Awa". The literal meaning is "Just a Little Pity". I named it after that song by Nora Aunor, the theme song of The Flor Contemplacion Story . I wasn't a bit surprised when the hit movie was uploaded on VIVA Films' YouTube page last 2013 (read here ). Back on the topic, I noticed it's easy for people to desire to reconcile because it's the Christmas season. The Philippines has the longest Christmas season. However, people love to do last-minute Christmas shopping presumably due to their poor budgetary habits. Ever heard of the one-day paycheck pandemic in the Philippines? It's a common abusive trait in the Philippines to have that "Kahit Konting Awa" attitude. There's the problem of "Utang (debt) is life." It's no surprise that financial literacy is that low in the Philippines. A not fun fact a
Read more

The Philippines 60-40 Equity Scheme Doesn't Prohibit FDIs But It's Still VERY DISCOURAGING for International Business

-
Image
First and foremost, I'd like to tell people that I don't believe that the Marcos Years were the "golden years". I still agree with economist Cielo Magno that land ownership isn't a factor, since some countries without equity restrictions, don't allow foreigners to buy land. In contrast, inflation and the like were rampant during that time. However, we need to realize that any gains after EDSA 1986 weren't realized. As I was looking at Facebook, a page called Punch the Lies by Atty. Mike Navallo stated this:  FACT: The 1987 Constitution does not prohibit entry of global investors into PH. What it regulates is foreign investment in areas deemed critical such as public utilities; exploration, devt and use of natural resources; and certain investments as determined by Congress. (Art XII)   Public utilities (water, electricity, petroleum distribution, seaports, PUVs) are considered vital to socio-economic devt that's why they're subject to foreign owner
Read more

The Irony the Philippines Starts the Christmas Season in September BUT Many Filipinos Love Last-Minute Christmas Shopping

-
Image
  Uproxx As Christmas is just around the corner--I feel more stress coming in! It doesn't help when people try to use the late Andy Williams' "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" to try and skip the problem. It's already known that most Filipinos love to start Christmas in September . However, the irony is that Filipinos start Christmas early but do their Christmas shopping late. If they began the Christmas Season early, shouldn't they think about what to do before December strikes?  Two years ago, I wrote a post discussing last-minute Christmas shopping . Many Filipinos tend to do last-minute Christmas shopping. They had all of November (when the Christmas sale usually begins) but why do the Christmas shopping in December ? One of the things I blame is the one-day paycheck lifestyle (see here ). It can be observed that many Filipinos never learn to prioritize more important things . One can get their stars when they see their paychecks. However, the
Read more

If You Want to Make the Philippines Better, Study... HARDER?

-
Image
I grew up complaining and complaining about stuff. I always looked at the Philippines as a hopeless case. I hated studying the Tagalog subject--which was mandatory by the DepEd. I was told, "Look lazy bum! If you want to make the Philippines a better place--study harder!" In college, I began to apply myself more seriously even if I didn't graduate summa cum laude. I felt a sense of achievement when I won a commerce award for making an outstanding difference. What I never thought was that during the practicum--it was working smart and not working hard. Sure, hard work is there but smart work allows more hard work to be done at a better pace. Not long after, I took my MBA course but it was also at that time, I was scammed . I discovered I wasn't alone in being scammed--many MBA students were scammed during the same time I was scammed! However, what I discovered was the problem of saying, "Your grades will determine your future!" It was typical in Philippine sc
Read more

Hussam Middle Eastern Restaurant: A Trip Into Authentic Syrian Cuisine At Ayala Center Cebu

-
Image
  The last time I ate at a Hussam Middle Eastern Restaurant branch last year, I couldn't give a good assessment. I haven't been to Hussam's main branch at Il Corso, so I didn't formally meet its owner, Hussam Alfakeh Alkourdi. The branch I ate was in Ayala Center Cebu instead. This is the interior of the restaurant. Ayala Center Cebu has Persian Palate on the third floor, above Timezone. Hussam is near one of the entrances of Ayala Center Cebu--near a Chinese restaurant. Persian Palate was my entry point to Middle Eastern cuisine.  Hussam serves authentic Syrian food. There are dishes similar to those from the Persian Palate. They serve Syrian bread, different from my favorite Pita bread served at Shawarma Gourmet (read my review here ), a Lebanese restaurant. So far, I tried their mixed meat platter with Syrian bread. My second dish there was actually baked Arabic rice with grilled beef kebab. I love their tomato sauce (which I mistook for ginger sauce) and garlic sauc
Read more

The Philippines will NEVER Get Richer by Blaming Its Richer Asian Neighbors

-
Image
iStock It would be nice to talk about the typical blame game in the Philippines. I could rememeber that, as a child and a teenager, I had this habit of blaming people I dislike that I failed an exam. The reasons are mostly imagined. What I remembered in my later college years was when I met a couple of super irresponsible students. They had this attitude to say something like, "My parents don't care if it'll take me 20 years to finish my bachelor's degree." Some people even say something like, "It's the fault of the rich that we are poor." It was a backfire when I told such people, "Isn't it any wonder why your finances are down? It's because your parents don't even value the money when they don't care if it'll take up to 20 years to finish college!"  Understanding the blame game and why it feels so good Psychology Today presents this on why some people will always blame others . These findings can help understand the st
Read more

Can Diehard 1987 Constitution Defenders Prove Their Claims to the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy?

-
Image
It's not enough to say something. The question is, "Where's the substance or the empirical evidence?" When I start quoting from the late Lee Kuan Yew, these diehard 1987 Constitution of the Philippines defenders start diverting the topic by pointing out my errors to spite me than to correct me. They would ask if I know the Deming Theory of Management which talks about quality management in the company culture. Okay, that was something worth asking but as said, can these people really understand the problem of the Philippines has been more systemic (that is, within the system ) than just the people running the system? What allowed the legislative to be filled with people who know-nothing anyway? That's why I didn't want to vote for Senator Robin Padilla (who ironically understands the need for reforms, read here ). Unfortunately, so many Ad Hominem attacks have been done.  A past article I wrote was Should you  listen to either Davide Jr. or Kishore Mahbubani
Read more

My Experience With Delicious ITealicious' Filling in the Milk Tea Demand in Cebu City

-
Image
It's been some time since I did a food review, right? Back then, I remembered how my first love with Taiwanese milk tea was Chatime. Though. when I went to Chatime--I usually ordered fruit tea since I was trying to lose weight. I ended up trying Tiger Sugar which ordering something without sugar doesn't make sense. So, another milk tea I decided to try (via delivery, haven't gone to the branches yet since the pandemic) is ITealicious. ITealicious is founded by Taiwan-born Yuwen Chiu (who's also a Chinese teacher in Cebu Eastern College). It was founded in 2018--the time when I was so devoted to weight loss that I didn't try it until I lost some pounds. In trying to renew my driver's license--I discovered I went from 85 pounds to 79 pounds since I've been doing a lot of cardiovascular exercises during the pandemic. I decided to give ITealicious a shot after I had tasted the food at Jolly Bubble. Jolly Bubble is pretty much the ideal place to get a delicious m
Read more

It'd Be Stupid to Continue Using Obsolete Chinese Language Textbooks to Teach Mandarin Chinese

-
Image
I remember writing about how to make Mandarin Chinese more accessible in the Philippines . I remembered the day when I ended up not liking school not because I didn't want to learn. I was eager to learn. Science and history are interesting subjects. However, mathematics is taught in such a way that it's almost irrelevant. "You just need to study it, it's required by the DepEd and you can't graduate without it!" was the only reason. You're not allowed to think, just be a robot, and then parents get mad about why their children have almost no initiative and need to be programmed like robots. It's because the school system kills initiative and nobody does a robot's job better than a robot .  Bahay Tsinoy, museum of Chinese life in the Philippines I just found this photo shared on Facebook. It was the picture of childhood trauma that I'd like to talk about. The standard Chinese textbook. At first, I was excited to learn Chinese but that excitement
Read more

Red Lizard: Wrestling With Your Taste Buds With Delicious Mexican Food

-
Image
During the late 2010s, I remember one of the greatest things I got into was Mexican food. I remembered a delicious Mexican restaurant opened in I.T. Park Cebu but it was later closed down. From what I heard, the owner closed it down out of grief and I don't blame the person for it. Years later, there was El Taquito at SSY which I also enjoyed. However, El Taquito is now located on Governor M. Roa Avenue in Cebu City. I would like to talk about the Red Lizard--Taqueria which has branches in SM Cyberzone, IT Park (where I usually get my deliveries), and Ayala Center Cebu.  I had quite a wild imagination thinking the restaurant was founded by a retired wrestler. I thought Red Lizard was a real luchador or Mexican wrestler. On the contrary, the character of Red Lizard is as fictitious as Jollibee's mascot, an anthropomorphic bee named Jollibee. Further research showed that Red Lizard belongs to the Abaca Group of Companies founded by Jason Hyatt and his Chinese wife Anna (whom he m
Read more