Is the Philippines Poorer Because Singapore is Richer?

-

Lawrence Wong's Facebook Page

Yesterday was Singapore's 59th foundation day. Okay, I missed it but it's not too late to write this post. Above is a photo of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shaking hands with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. Whenever Singapore is mentioned, I noticed that some Filipino clowns on Facebook (or any social media) tend to say, "Oh no! Not Singapore again! The  Singapore card again! I'm getting tired of the Singapore argument!" Some of these Filipino Facebook clowns may even have the habit of blaming the rich for their poverty, saying that the rich don't really need that money (never mind big businesses require big amounts of money to sustain it), and maybe even raise the same old Flor Contemplacion Card (read here). This reminds me that I wrote a post mentioning that the Philippines will never get richer by blaming its richer neighbors. One of the neighbors is Singapore.

It can be a common practice for the poor to hate the rich. Okay, not all the poor hate the rich and not all the rich got rich by exploitation. However, some fools on Facebook say that rags-to-riches stories are impossible--unless one did something illegal. I wonder where they get their ideas? They still believe that all the rich are evil only because they're rich. What they don't realize is that the rags-to-riches journey is never a get-rich-quick-fast story. If only they read more rags-to-riches stories, they would realize the journey was never easy. The late Henry Sy Sr. started out peddling shoes and Lucio Tan Sr. was once a janitor at Fortune Tobacco. Maybe, my favorite example is Warren Edward Buffett, something I'll never be but he's someone I can learn from. Singapore is also a rags-to-riches story as demonstrated by the great late Lee Kuan Yew, someone who people tell me that I should follow him to the grave. I guess these people are still mourning over Flor, never mind that the evidence of her guilt is that stacked up.

While reading the book From Third World to First by LKY, I was amazed at the policies that he went for. In fact, LKY had to deal with third-world-minded economists who taught people that foreign investment is bad. However, LKY proved them wrong when he brought in the late Albert Winsemius to help Singapore. LKY made policies that allowed Singapore to become a shining example. A lot of photos of Singapore before LKY, would look like Tondo, Manila, today. Singapore's rise from rags to riches attracted other countries. In fact, people went to Singapore seeking LKY's advice. Today, we've got people looking up to Kishore Mahbani, not Atty. Hilario Davide Jr. for advice on national success!

As I was reading From Third World to First--I saw the difference between the Philippines and the other Asian countries. China was devastated by the late Mao Zedong's long reign. Vietnam was still learning the ropes of economics. The Philippines had suffered economic setbacks during the first Marcos Administration. However, there's a difference there. Vietnam's late great leader Nguyen Duy Cong aka Do Muoi was amazed by LKY. Instead of blaming Singapore, Do Muoi decided to learn from Singapore. The late Deng Xiaoping did the same thing. The late Fidel V. Ramos wanted to implement reforms. However, misinformation on the part of the Philippine media was there. Later, LKY called the Philippine press to be rambunctious. The same truth is true today, as it continues to demonize the need for charter change. 

If you think about it, the poor aren't necessarily poor because the rich got richer. I'm not saying that the exploitation of the poor by the rich is non-existent. Some people get rich by exploiting the poor (and some poor people even got there) but such wealth is unsustainable. Any wealth that's not given to long-term isn't advisable.  Eventually, the employees either do a riot or peacefully leave for better employment. However, when I listen to some people who used to be poor, they talk about why some of their childhood peers remained poor. Some poor people remain poor because of their poor choices in life. Some people are born into poverty. However, some people become poor or stay poor because of poor life choices. Is it the fault of the rich if a poor person remains poor because he or she chooses to go gambling instead of investing (read here) or other similar habits? Is it the fault of the rich if the poor person remains poor because they choose to drain their paycheck (read here)? 

If Singapore gets rich, it doesn't automatically mean the Philippines become poor. Was it Singapore's fault that the Philippines is still following the lousy Filipino First Policy? Was it Singapore's fault that the Philippines continues to have too many restrictions in the outdated 1987 Constitution of the Philippines? Was it Singapore's fault that the Philippines is so much into personality politics? Why can't we have a win-win scenario where the Philippines can get rich while Singapore gets rich too? Instead, some Filipinos want to play the zero-sum game where the Philippines loses if Singapore (or any richer neighbor) wins. I believe that any Filipino saying, "We can't learn anything from Singapore." might be a bitter person, thinking it's Singapore's fault that the Philippines is poor. If they want to say that the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. made Singapore "rich" with the Marcos Wealth--that can be easily disproven by LKY's words in the book From Third World to First. Take note that LKY also called Cesar Virata a non-leader, verifying that the Philippines never had a parliamentary form of government.

That's why the ASEAN was formed. That's why the Philippines is part of ASEAN. ASEAN was created to promote economic and political stability. The Philippines was never meant to be an isolationist state. The Philippines can learn from its ASEAN neighbors, which includes Singapore. As Buffett would say, "Surround yourself with people better than you are." Nothing good comes out of hating people more than you are. The Philippines can't expect to get better if it just keeps playing the blame game either. 

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