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Kabataan Partylist Seriously Needs to Learn ECONOMICS from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union

Vietnam National University, Hanoi

Kabataan Partylist, is that you? No, it's actually the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (Đoàn Thanh niên Cộng sản Hồ Chí Minh), or alternatively, it can be called the Vietnam Youth Union. The color blue may remind some of Kabataan Partylist. Both Kabataan Partylist and the Vietnam Youth Union are involved with recruiting youths into the organization. However, there's a crucial difference between Kabataan Partylist and the Youth Union in how they view economics.

The Kabataan Partylist Laguna's blog even writes this:
It believes that the Philippines, as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country, is plagued by a system which allows foreign and big business interests to dominate, while the majority of our countrymen are left poor and hungry. We are living in a society where foreign subservience, peasant landlessness, and rampant corruption are the top three ills. To that end, Kabataan Party-list strives to galvanize the Filipino youth in upholding, protecting, and defending our interests and in harnessing our full potential as a sector.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Youth Union transitioned with the whole Communist Party of Vietnam, with Doi Moi. As we read through this post, this may be the post Kabataan Partylist badly needs to read! 

Learning about Doi Moi, the economic policy that the Vietnam Youth Union is promoting 

Nguyen Duy Cong (Do Muoi) and Lee Kuan Yew
Source: VOVworld5

Vietnam went from isolationism to prosperity. In contrast to what the Philippine Anti-Fascist League said about Vietnam developing through self-industrialization, the author of that page, some bratty Gen-Z person, may have never read about Doi Moi. Doi Moi was the program that Communist Vietnam set. The late Nguyen Duy Cong, aka Do Muoi (left), was with the late Lee Kuan Yew. After reading From Third World to First, Vietnam didn't self-industrialize. Instead, Do Muoi (who later sat as the General-Secretary, the highest position, equivalent to the chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines) set up a new economic policy (read here). 

The Global Asia reveals this detail on Vietnam's move from isolationism to prosperity, through open FDI:
FROM ISOLATION TO PROSPERITY
 
By the mid-1980s, the development model Vietnam had borrowed from the former Soviet Union and its East European allies had revealed numerous flaws and was proving outmoded. On the political and diplomatic front, tense relations with China, the heavy burden of Vietnam's troop presence in Cambodia and strict sanctions imposed on it by the US placed Vietnam in a difficult bind. On the one hand, the country was blocked from cultivating new relations with other countries; on the other, it had become ever more dependent on the Soviet Union for political support and economic and military assistance. 

The turning point came with a dramatic reduction in Soviet economic and military assistance after the mid-1980s and the economic hardship this caused. For the sake of the country's survival, Vietnam's leaders were forced to adopt economic and political reform, or Doi Moi. In essence, Doi Moi in its early stages was focused mainly on the removal of self-imposed barriers to progress and the utilization of various market-oriented measures, including liberalization of the domestic market, encouragement of foreign direct investment, or FDI, and the private sector, and reduction in subsidies to state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

These steps quickly brought positive results. From a country faced with perpetual food shortages, Vietnam in 1989 for the first time exported 1.4 million tons of rice. It has since remained a rice exporter. In 2008, it exported 4.7 million tons, becoming the world's second largest rice exporter after Thailand. Indeed, Vietnam's exports were instrumental in stemming the threat of a severe international food crisis in early 2008.

What impresses most, however, is the continuous high economic growth rate that Vietnam has recorded in the 20 years since the introduction of Doi Moi. Vietnam recorded average annual economic growth of 6.5 percent over that period, one of the highest rates among developing countries. And with annual per capita income of $1,000 in 2008, Vietnam was removed from the list of the world's least developed countries. The high economic growth rate in turn helped reduce Vietnam's poverty rate from 70 percent in the mid-1980s to 37 percent in 1998 and 19 percent in 2007.

So much for Kabataan Partylist's claims against FDI. It's tiresome hearing the stupid statements of the like of former Kabataan Partylist representative Sarah Jane Elago (who's now part of Gabriela Women's Union) or Raoul Abellar Manuel's rants. Speaking of which, it should be strange that the Vietnam Youth Union has a Raoul-lookalike named Pham Huy Hoang, who's also a mathematics major!

Vietnam's principle went with accepting FDI as part of its economic policy. Although Vietnam calls itself a Communist state, it actually involves free markets for most sectors. Only a few sectors remain in protectionism. Even more, protectionist measures aren't put within the constitution but only with legislation. Protectionist policies are supposed to be temporary measures to cool down an overheating economy. The problem is when protectionist policies are used long-term or standard.

Kabataan Partylist should also learn from the Vietnam Youth Union's entrepreneurship spirit

FTU Vietnam

In  short, the Vietnam Youth Union has become involved in challenging itself to do better. Instead of asking for stuff like, "The government should fund local manufacturing."--they supported Doi Moi. The Vietnam Youth Union can understand business better than the Kabataan Partylist for this reason: they are engaged in small businesses. In the process, Vietnam Youth Union members see how difficult it is to make a good one. Instead of asking for protectionism, the Vietnam Youth Union members are having a business mindset--despite being in a socialist, left-wing state!

The National Defence Journal of Vietnam gives out this important detail of the Vietnam Youth Union: 

Currently, the cause of national construction and defence are posing new and more challenging requirements for the work of building and developing human resources in general and the intellectuals, especially young intellectuals, in particular. The Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to develop robustly, fundamentally changing the social labour forces. Our country is promoting deeper and wider international integration, industrialisation and modernisation associated with the development of a knowledge-based economy,... This poses new requirements for people working in the science field that science must be built to become a direct productive force in all fields. Therefore, thoroughly grasping and implementing Resolution No. 45-NQ/TW, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union needs to continue to promote its role and responsibility in building the young intellectuals with the following measures:

Firstly, deploying diverse forms of propaganda about the Party and State's guidelines and policies on the development of Vietnam's young intellectuals, raising the awareness of the position, role and importance of the intellectuals and the young intellectuals. Promote the application of digital transformation, innovate content and methods, improve the effectiveness of propaganda and mobilisation work to enhance the consensus of the intellectuals for the Party's guidelines and policies, and State law. Focus on promoting the honour, morality, dedication, and responsibility of young intellectuals towards the Fatherland and the nation.

Second, continue to research and perfect the system of mechanisms and policies to innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of training, fostering, using, remunerating and honouring the intellectuals and the talents, creating a favourable environment for young Vietnamese intellectuals to develop and contribute. In particular, there should be mechanisms and policies to mobilise intellectuals, especially the industry-leading ones, to directly train the next generations to make strong and comprehensive changes in the training of highly qualified human resources, and the development of talents in higher education institutions and scientific research institutions.

Third, discovering and honouring outstanding young intellectuals in a careful manner. Actively and effectively deploy the Creative Youth movement; create favourable conditions and environments for early training, discovery and honour of young intellectuals. At the same time, effectively leverage mass media, the press - publishing system, and social networks to propagate outstanding young intellectuals; the products and works of the young intellectuals; share models of honouring, supporting, connecting, and promoting young intellectuals at home and abroad.

Fourth, improving the quality of awards, contests, and competitions to promptly discover domestic and overseas Vietnamese talents, and create positive motivation for the young intellectuals to take part in training, improving themselves, and have the opportunity to be recognised and praised for their efforts.

Fifth, enhancing the support of young intellectuals to get access to opportunities of work, research, develop ideas, products, and start-up to legitimately enrich themselves, the community and the country. Support the implementation of startup ideas and projects of young intellectuals in practice, making practical contributions to the country's development. In addition, there should be solutions to support young intellectuals to access capital to start their business. Actively innovate the content and methods of operation of intellectual organisations, etc., contributing to the successful implementation of the Party's resolution, building a contingent of young intellectuals with dreams, ambitions, and aspirations to develop themselves, make contribution to the country, and follow the entire intellectuals of the country on the path of integration, development, and make the country increasingly rich, prosperous, civilised, and happy.

Learning from a star member of the Vietnam Youth Union and her promotion of Doi Moi

24h.com

Alice Leal Guo is that you? I remember showing this photo to someone at a Banh Mi Kitchen branch. I won't disclose the person's identity for privacy protection. The person thought the woman in blue (who's only 22 years old, by the way) was Alice as a member of Kabataan Partylist. I told her that it was the Vietnam Youth Union, and she commented, "They look like Kabataan Partylist!" Instead, we're talking about the smartest woman in VNU, Ha Thi Thu Trang. I'd like to point out some words that Thu Trang had said, that Kabataan Partylist needs to hear:
Ha Thi Thu Trang shared that the secret to her success is not a common formula for all, but perseverance and the spirit of continuous learning. "No success comes easily. The way I do it is to persevere every day, little by little. Learning is a long journey, not just to get points but to enrich knowledge and develop yourself," Thu Trang said.

"Start with the smallest things, don't think you have to do big things right away. The important thing is that every day there is progress, even if it is small." Thu Trang also shared that, in addition to studying, participating in volunteer activities or social work is a great way to develop soft skills and broaden horizons.

In short, Thu Trang has a development or growth mindset. She believes in developing one's own mind continuously rather than expecting sudden perfection (read here). It's a far cry from Sarah who graduated with a cum laude from the University of the Philippines, but continues to promote third world mentality. I'm thinking about the difference Thu Trang has made as a youth recruiter.

If it only comes to high grades in academics, Thu Trang will probably just be a good student, but what makes her different is her contributions to social activities. Taking on the role of Vice President of the Hanoi National University Student Union and President of the Student Union of the University of Natural Sciences, Thu Trang has spent a lot of time working with the Association and the Youth Union, not only organizing cultural and sports activities but also promoting volunteer campaigns.

Raoul can brag about his cum laude status all he wants. However, Thu Trang has formed the map for success beyond academics. The Vietnam Youth Union is involved in both civic welfare activities and entrepreneurship. It's no wonder they don't get themselves involved in the nonsense of #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba economics! Can we really expect anything great from the Filipino education system? Honestly, the faulty education system might even justify why I hated going to school, back in high school. It took two great teachers (and the other one, I fondly call her my Miriam Defensor-Santiago style teacher) to convince me not to quit. What's the use of Raoul (and also Atty. Renee Co) bragging they both graduated cum laude, if they're promoting third world economics?

In fact, when it comes to the road to success, Thu Trang gives this advice:

"I always live, study and work with the concept: "On the road to success, there are no footprints of lazy people" and "If you try, you will achieve worthy results". As a young person with the mission of building an increasingly rich and strong country, I will work, train, and study hard so that when I look back on the journey, I will see that I once had a full youth," Thu Trang expressed. 

Kabataan Partylist

Kabataan Partylist may not like it because, based on their rallies, they're still demanding for more free stuff. That's why I'm no longer that impressed if someone has a cum laude, like I used to. Fortunately, some people I know who are consistent honor students didn't turn out the way that both Raoul and Renee turned out. Raoul may have a cum laude in applied mathematics degree, but demanding for PHP 10,000.00 cash handouts? Demanding more free education? Demand for this and that? What's the use of graduating with a degree and a cum laude in applied mathematics, from a difficult-to-enter school? Can Raoul find a realistic computation that will allow #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba to happen? Raoul might face off against his doppelganger, Huy Hoang, in practical mathematics!

As I start to write it down, Thu Trang might show how Vietnam, despite its Communist status, may have a more practical education system. Thu Trang placed more emphasis on continuous learning. In Kabataan Partylist's case, Raoul even says, "Give funding for local manufacturing." In doing so, it makes businesses a mendicant to the government. There's the old proverb, "Give a man a fish and he will only have a meal for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he will have a meal for a lifetime." Subsidy here, subsidy there, that's really not a road to success. In that kind of mentality, there will be no footprints leading to eventual success! 

When I think about it, it wouldn't be surprising if Thu Trang will eventually become a mayor in her home province of Bac Giang. Bac Giang is an agricultural hub. Thu Trang probably grew up on a farm while attending school. Thu Trang may have what it takes to be mayor, might already be receiving training to become a town mayor, and may become mayor soon enough. Reading through Thu Trang, it's really something like she's a rare gem as a good student who says, "The learning is never over." 

Conclusion

That's why I can only say, "Kabataan Partylist, when will you learn you're promoting nonsense?" Kabataan Partylist might be considered a cheap substitute, one that would only promote third-world ideals. That's why I don't bother endorsing them or the Makabayan bloc. They're nothing more than nuisances. 
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