Skip to main content

Filipino First Policy Linked with Crab Mentality


Having sea crab yesterday or just eating crab, I always think of that old commercial in the 1990s. It was called, "Iwasan ang crab mentality." or "Avoid crab mentality." This makes me recall a scene when I was a child. I saw a pail full of mud crabs (called alimango in Filipino) and if one crab got out, the others pulled it down. The TV commercial showed how if the crabs got together, they could all escape their grizzly fate of becoming eaten for human consumption. Chefs are just lucky crabs pull each other down. However, it also shows that the crabs would rather all be cooked together than let that crab escape. 

Unfortunately, crab mentality is one of the biggest problems in the Philippines. It's not all that unique among Filipinos. However, it doesn't Filipinos should ever take comfort in engaging in a crab mentality, just because other people do it. Here's an interesting excerpt from Inquirer by Jerry Peres de Tagle PhD:
Studies in human behavior show that one’s crab mentality comes from a personal insecurity or low self-esteem, which is usually unknown to the individual. It may be that the feeling of disdain, jealousy, and antagonism is justified. There is usually a sense of being self-righteous and virtuous. But, why is this behavior prevalent in particular societies? I have seen it across the various cultures and countries. It seems to be common with societies and groups that have experienced suppression, bullying, and oppression for a period of time, across generations and decades, if not centuries.

Crab mentality is learned as part of societal acculturation, adaptation, and survival.  It is learned by parents and elders to suppress the success-linked behaviors of their children and of newcomers in a tribe. This is the adaptive behavior of the family to survive and escape the wrath of the masters in the community. Intelligent and success behaviors in children were seen as dangerous for the people who held power. The masters who wielded power over the group knew that intelligent and self-determined children would grow up to question, rebel, and subvert the existing power structure of the community.
As I looked into the article from the Inquirer--it may explain the Filipino First Policy even further. One may read this in Carlos P. Garcia's statement:

THE “FILPINO FIRST” POLICY

The ”Filipino First” policy of this administration re­ceived a resounding popular indorsement in the last election. Politically we became independent since 1946, but econom­ically we are still semi-colonial. This is especially true in our foreign trade. This policy is therefore designed to regain economic independence. It is a national effort to the end that Filipinos obtain major and dominant participa­tion in their own national economy. This we will achieve with malice towards none and with fairness to all. We will accomplish this with full understanding of our inter­national obligations towards our friends of the Free World. We will carry this out within the framework of our special relations with the United States to whose citizens we granted until 1974, by Constitutional provision, equal rights as Filipinos in the exploitation of our natural resources and public utilities, and to whom we also granted trading parity rights under the Laurel-Langley Agreement. Under this policy we will welcome friendly and understanding foreign capital willing to collaborate with us in the exploitation of our vast natural resources preferably on joint venture basis.

It is my hope that legislations under this orientation will be enacted this year.

In Garcia's wish that Filipinos would obtain major and dominant participation in their national economy, he only wants to see more Filipinos succeed than foreigners, in the Philippines. Sure, it sounds good on paper but can you imagine a shopping mall where most of its establishments, are owned by the shopping mall itself? I've gone to SM and Ayala and that's not the case. If the shopping mall's establishments were majorly owned by the shopping mall, why even bother opening a mall? Most of the shopping mall's income is from tenants, not from the establishments owned by the mall.

I wrote an article where Filipino entrepreneurs say, "Only FDI will get rich!" equals "I hate competition." I wrote it because people saying, "Only FDIs will get rich." can easily translate into envy, instead of their so-called "concern" for the nation. If they did care about the nation, they would've had already known how FDIs have been used to uplift countries from massive unemployment. They have a poor understanding of the word profit. Such people may be confusing profits with revenues (read here). No, profits are what's left of revenues minus all expenses!

Instead, Filipino First Policy can be summed up as, "If Filipinos can't succeed, neither can foreigners." That's probably why the 60-40 policy was created. Sure, it doesn't discourage FDIs but it's discouraging. Who would want to invest in a business where you can only keep 40% of your profits? The profit is what's left from revenues minus all expenses. What's left after revenues less expenses is barely even half of revenues! Even non-profit organizations still need a profit to keep it going. The difference is non-profit organizations don't share the profit with their members!

These lawmakers who defend the Filipino First Policy are like crabs too. As mentioned earlier by Tagles, the problem is that intelligent and successful behavior among people--can be viewed as a threat. Rebeling for the right reasons could happen when people gain insight. That's why crab mentality is a powerful tool. Mao Zedong used it to curb rebellion through programs like the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the Hundred Flowers Campaign. Mao may have known what he was doing--he knew how to keep people too hungry and weak to overthrow him! Hungry people make bad rebels. Mao's programs were probably meant to keep him in power, until his death. A similar motive may be true for lawmakers. Lawmakers who defend the Filipino First Policy like Atty. Neri Colmenares and Atty. Teodoro A. Casiño, are most likely after their own interests. Sometimes, I can feel that these people know they're lying.

If more Filipinos get job opportunities, they will soon learn stuff they should've learned years before. Filipinos who get good job opportunities, whether foreign or local, may learn to manage money properly or even have better ideas for starting a business. Filipinos might start building their own businesses with more technology and ideas from FDIs. How can one expect Filipinos to get creative if there's nothing to work with, thanks to Filipino First Policy? That's probably why the greedy oligarchs and protectionist lawmakers, choose to keep most Filipinos poor. They only want to succeed on their own. If they can't succeed then neither can their fellow Filipinos. They want to succeed only for themselves! 

This may also explain why some Filipinos blame richer countries for the Philippines' lack of development. Let's face it--the Philippines will never get richer by blaming its richer Asian neighbors (read here)! The Filipino First Policy may have encouraged Filipinos to blame foreigners for their plight, instead of learning from foreigners to succeed. Has years of blaming and crab mentality did any marvels for the economy? Instead, development has been short-term thanks to the Filipino First Policy, which actually promotes crab mentality

Popular posts from this blog

I'll Vote for Teodoro A. Casino for Senator, IF His Supporters Can Run a SUCCESSFUL #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba Business That Pays PHP 1,200.00 Minimum Wage

If there's anything I want to say--only economically illiterate people would vote for Teodoro Casiño's promise. The chances are that (1) it's all for a vote, or (2) he doesn't understand what he's doing. In my case, I assume that Casiño is simply saying it, all for a vote instead of the second option. Chances are that he's only saying it, for a vote. Because nobody in the right mind would push a PHP 1,200 minimum wage, given the condition of the job market! I would like to write this article because what he's pushing is inflationary . It's because no matter how much you look at it, #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba is plain bad accounting (read here ). How can you increase wages without increasing the prices of goods and services? Business & Plans   I wrote about opening #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba stores nationwide . Until now, nobody has ever bothered to do the challenge. Why haven't they opened a single successful #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba store? As one would lo...

Filipino Halal Resto Owners Can't Blame Arab Halal Resto Owners When Their Businesses Sink Into Quicksand

Food Craving Reviews Tomorrow is Hari Raya Puasa. Previously, I Googled "Mhat Am Kape" some time ago, only to discover that the place had been permanently closed . It was closed in 2020 before the Delta Variant came out in 2021. Their Facebook page is still on but the place is already closed . I tried eating there, calling the place mediocre, and when I talked with workers for Arabian halal resto owners, they mentioned that the place was definitely dirty. I could imagine how the Arab bosses would react to the lack of proper hygiene in the place.  I'd like to share a few photos I took from Mhat Am Kape's Facebook page. One needs to find out why the place closed down. I assume somebody sent the Cebu City Health office photos. The pastils (empanadas) on the floor (right) are an open invitation to pests . As a result, the establishment would be forced to close down. If these photos were taken sometime in July 2020 and the establishment closed in August 2020-- I assume Ce...

The Filipino First Policy Caused the Philippines to Succeed!

High School Philippine History Movement Yes, you read it right! I found a hidden gem that I should've read years ago! It's the book Nationalist Economics by the late Alejandro Lichauco, who is part of the magnificent IBON Foundation. It's a shame I refused to read it. I should've read Lichauco's book instead of the late Lee Kuan Yew's book From Third World to First . What a shame that I didn't look into the details that LKY was a dictator, that Flor Contemplacion was indeed innocent, and that Singapore is a state comparable to Nazi Germany. As I bought my copy of Nationalist Economics from the Trust Me Bro School of Economics--I'm now convinced that the Filipino First Policy caused us to succeed! LKY ruled Singapore for 31 years, meaning it's a frightening thing indeed! Six years is the magic number ot establish a benevolent rule!  Who should we all listen to? Should we listen to foreigners or should we listen to our fellow Filipino? We must think st...

Yes, the Philippines Can Self-Industrialize Because Filipinos Are the Most Powerful Race in the World (NO JOKE)

Yes, you got that right! This meme is a fact that Filipinos are the most powerful race in the world. That has been proven by the Trust Me Bro Factcheckers of the Philippines. It's the case of Filipino Exceptionalism. One can read on Facebook something like, "How many times do I have to tell you that the Philippines isn't Vietnam/Singapore/China/Taiwan/Japan, etc.?" Ever read that? If you haven't then you must be exceptionally stupid. That's why the Philippines should never learn from other countries, especially from Singapore. Why are you always listening to foreigners? Why listen to the advice of a stinky Indian when you can have the advice of the best constitutionalist in the world, Atty. Hilario G. Davide Jr.? You say that nations of the world go to Kishore Mabhubani in Singapore instead. Forget them because the Philippines is so unique that it can do everything on its own. It was proven by the greatest president that the Philippines always had, namely Carl...

It's More Fun In The Philippines Thanks to the Filipino First Policy

I guess it can be called a day, right? This April 1, 2023 , I'm finally calling it quits with fighting for economic liberalization! Yes, that's right! All the advocacy for economic liberalization is just garbage. Why did I even spend so much time writing this blog only to find out that I've been duped? I hereby renounce everything I wrote here. I finally saw how brilliant the Filipino First Policy is. Man, what have I done? How much damage have I caused in advocating for economic liberalization?  The greatest president we ever had was... High School Philippine History Movement It's time to listen to the economic genius known as the late Carlos P. Garcia. Yes, he has to be one of the greatest presidents that ever existed.  I took this note from the Bohol Provincial Library and found this about CPG's Filipino First Policy ; CPG adopted the “Filipino First” Policy to promote greater Filipino participation in business, and to put the Filipinos in control of the economy...

Continuous Improvement is Better Than Expecting Sudden Perfection

I found this meme on Facebook. Fortunately, there's already an attribution on the picture. In my case, I prefer to say, "Continuous improvement is better than expecting sudden perfection." It's because perfectionism is lethal, and we're all but human beings. As the midterm elections come in, there are still people who may either be (1) reminiscing that "perfect leader" (ex. Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, etc.) or (2) still expecting the perfect leader.  It's sad some people still believe in the old lie repeated all over again, "It's not the system that's the problem. It's the people that's the problem." They still wait for this "grand glorious leader". That's why I often joke on Facebook saying, "Why don't you create this perfect leader so I too may follow him to victory!" Of course, there's no perfect leader, and trying to genetically engineer that...

Trying to Plan Out What to Do as a Bull Market Starts

I was laughing just thinking about ignorance about the bear and bull markets. Yes, we know about social media gossipers (seldom called a marites in Filipino) tend to spread gossip. I ran into several people panicking when the Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) was mostly red. Others would panic but Warren Edward Buffett recommends, "Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful." That's the best market timing. Some people do cost averaging because it's practically less risky in contrast to lump sum investing. Buffett recommends that non-technical people should periodically invest in a low-cost index fund over a period of ten years.  Now, the Philippine Star has an article by Wilson Sy, where the first paragraph talks about the Philippines' entry towards the bull market : Most stock markets have undergone a dramatic shift to start the year, transitioning from a bear market to a bull market. Peak inflation, a slower pace of interest rate h...

Why I Think Many Filipinos Are Easily Fooled By Financial Scams

Dreamstime It's April Fool's Day and I think it might be a great opportunity to write about why many Filipinos get easily fooled by financial scams. I was doing some reviews of mistakes I made and mistakes others make. I can't get over losing a huge sum of money to a family friend . I can't get over how we also lost a lot of money to those who were supposedly close friends. It was also during my MBA days at the University of San Carlos-Main Campus when the scams happened and some MBA students were victimized. I was an MBA student at that time when I defied common sense by allowing a family friend to purchase in credit. I thought she would return the money after she paid for her first transaction. During the pandemic, I had gone on a blocking spree when I'm getting text messages offering to pay me a much higher pay (per day) when it was too good to be true. The Philippines will still need to develop its economy before it can be legitimate that Filipinos can get a min...

Why I Stopped Investing in Stocks and Bonds for Cryptocurrency

This April 1, 2023, I made up my mind with a new investment strategy. Forget about what Warren Edward Buffett said to Jeff Bezos of Amazon. Instead, I decided to invest in the newest, hottest tool ever known as cryptocurrency . I would like to say that I already sold off and withdrew all my funds from all the financial companies I got invested in to put it all in cryptocurrency .  Why did I even believe in those investment schemes where I have to wait. Forget about waiting as it's just a game for losers. If I invested with Buffett's style of cost-averaging my money into an index for, let's say, 10 years, that would be plain boring. Instead, why not go for excitement with the world of cryptocurrency. I heard of how cryptocurrency can increase my PHP 100.00 to a huge amount of money in such a short time . Too good to be true you say? Well, that's just because people who are investing in stocks and bonds are just jealous of cryptocurrency investors, who are getting rich fa...

Remembering the Red Tape of Requiring People to Learn Hokkien Before Learning Mandarin

  It's no secret that I had bad grades in elementary and high school. There's always this distinction between huan-a (which may no longer be offensive, and refers to anybody of the Malay-Indo race ) and the lan-nang (our people). However, I prefer to call myself hua-lang (華人, Huárén) over lan-nang. Early last year, I wrote about why the old Sin Jiang textbooks were written the way they were . Barely anything can be understood by the non-Chinese speaker! It's funny but true! Honestly, we were even forbidden from romanizing, and we had to use Zhuyin Fuhao--something no longer applicable with Standard Chinese! Taiwan is still left using Zhuyin. Zhuyin may be best rendered as obsolete as the Alibata for standard writing or inputs. The Chinese schools in the Philippines all operated under a single standard. Learning Chinese was often characterized by the "死記硬背 sǐ jì yìng bèi" or "Memorize to the point of death" mentality (read here ). People had to learn Hokk...