Is Anybody Willing to Prove Filipino First Policy Has a Place in the Rising Asian Century for a Million Pesos, Tax Free?

Yesterday was the birthday of former president Carlos P. Garcia, who died in 1971. Garcia is often associated with the Filipino First Policy. Back in the 1990s, I remember how Filipino First Policy was taught in values education classes--never mind the glaring contradictions. The contradictions are that imported equipment was used, or that we can literally never escape the use of imported equipment. I wrote an article discussing why Garcia's Filipino First Policy has no place in the rising Asian Century. I haven't done academic work right now, having been disgruntled by the Filipino education system. Sadly, not even graduate school taught me the basics of stock market investment (such as equity funds) or how Cash 2 Go works. That's why some people say, "It's just a degree!" I often said, "Well your doctor went to college, your lawyer went to college, etc." However, it looks like a college degree may not be for everyone, under K+12! 

Some people are saying that Filipino First Policy works. One of the sources mentioned is the late Alejandro Lichauco, who died in 2015. The Bohol Provincial Library cites this of Lichauco and Garcia:

CPG adopted the “Filipino First” Policy to promote greater Filipino participation in business, and to put the Filipinos in control of the economy. After which, according to the economist Alejandro Lichauco’s book (1988) “Nationalist Economics,” during CPG’s time, the Philippines was the Tiger Economy in Asia. And by the end of his term, the Philippines was the only leading economy of Southeast Asia.

Where's the proof of Lichauco's claim in his book then? You can write a book all you want. However, if the data is faulty then the book is just a book. A thesis is just a thesis and it can be full of misinformation. Andrew J. Wakefield wrote several studies to cite vaccines cause autism. Wakefield's studies were refuted. There's a statement in English that says, "Words are like leaves. It's rare to find fruit among them." Take note that Lichauco was also part of IBON Foundation--the favorite source of many anti-reform people, aside from Hilario G. Davide Jr. and the Monsod couple. When I quote a foreigner, these people hypocritically say, "Why are you quoting a foreigner instead of a Filipino." However, they may be rejoicing when a foreigner arrives such as the incumbent Pope of Catholicism, a delegate from another country looking at the human rights situations, etc. Why would they oppose FDIs but welcome the ICC or EU delegate?  IBON is still used as a source by anti-reforms like Wakefield is used as a source by the anti-vaccine movement. They wouldn't accept any sources except from within their circle. 

The big problem with Lichauco's claims is the lacking evidence. When did the Philippines become a tiger economy thanks to protectionism? An irony when you think that Lichauco has Chinese ancestry. The one who helped Garcia's Filipino First Policy was a Chinese Filipino. One anti-FDI idiot I met on Facebook was surnamed Lao, admitting he was also Chinese by blood. In short, they have foreign blood. Today, the stupidity even goes further when you've got xenophobic Filipinos ranting stupidity on American-based platforms like Facebook. When I raised the issue, "Are all your stuff made in the Philippines?" They would mockingly answer, "Not that question again!" They may even say that they have no choice because foreigners "unfairly" own the means of producing equipment (read here). Even funnier is when they're ranting for Filipino First recording it with an iPhone or iPad. That's why I wrote asking if they were forced to buy the luxury products went they could buy non-luxury products.

The quest to prove Filipino First Policy works... but there's a catch!

I wrote an article where I dared people to prove that systems don't matter, only people do. Some people literally take pride that they could recite the preamble of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines. What's the use of reciting it if one can't even understand that the constitution wasn't even meant to be set in stone? This time, the challenge is to prove that Filipino First Policy has a place in the rising Asian Century. It's getting evident that the Philippines is still left behind by the ASEAN. Sure, there was some economic improvement during the time of the late Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" C. Aquino III. However, certain factors (such as term limits) prevented Noynoy from doing a better job. In short, systems shape behavior and will either be, do better or better off without that person.

I cited Lichauco earlier because he's the favorite source of such people. There's also the IBON Foundation. However, to have this challenge to prove that the Filipino First Policy works--one must have a wide range of sources. One must learn to think outside the box, get sources that are both Filipino and foreign. One can't rely on just, "Well IBON Foundation is a Filipino foundation, therefore it must know better than foreigners." If the late Lee Kuan Yew had that nonsense, he would've never hired the late Albert Winsemius to check what could be done for Singapore. LKY's ideals soon got copied even by two Communist countries--China and Vietnam. The late Nguyen Duy Cong established Doi Moi in the 1980s. Deng Xiaoping established Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the 1970s. The results were vastly different compared to the Filipino First Policy. Nguyen aka Do Moui studied foreign literature in remaking and reshaping the policies of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

These people should go beyond their circle of sources, such as Davide, the Monsods, Bayan Muna members (like Atty. Teodoro A. Casiño and Atty. Neri J. Colmenares) and the staff of the IBON Foundation. Instead, they should search for other sources, beyond their circle, that can help validate their sources. They need to cite economists from first-world countries. They could start off with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and look for its current dean or its former dean. That's why I even dared them to look for Kishore Mahbubani. Speaking of which, I wrote an article what a "bumbay" can teach Filipinos this Asian Century. 

This would involve them trying to prove their claims with evidence. Those holding a leftist ideology may want to present their studies to schools in Vietnam--like the University of Economics-Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) or the Foreign Trade University (FTU). Some people who still quote LKY on the Marcoses but not on economics, need to go to the NUS (or any related university) to prove that Filipino First Policy works. I wonder if Davide still has the strength to prove to Mahbubani his claims? Both Davide and Mahbubani are former UN diplomats too. They should show that Filipino First Policy works to the nations doing better than the Philippines.

If they can do it, they deserve a million pesos, tax free. However if not, they don't deserve that money!