It would appear that corruption is alive and well

[mountainside]

4 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Are we hopeless?

ChatGPT (new to me) agrees with your cited author:

Why has the Philippines fallen so far behind its ASEAN neighbors?

ChatGPT: 

There are several factors that have contributed to the Philippines falling behind some of its ASEAN neighbors in terms of economic growth and development.

Firstly, the Philippines has faced political instability and corruption issues in the past, which have hindered its economic growth. Weak governance, political instability, and widespread corruption have discouraged foreign investments and resulted in poor public service delivery, which has undermined the country's competitiveness.

Secondly, the country's poor infrastructure and transportation systems have hampered its development. The Philippines has struggled to improve its transportation infrastructure, which has negatively impacted the flow of goods and services, as well as the mobility of people.

Thirdly, there has been a lack of focus on the development of key industries and sectors in the country. Unlike other ASEAN countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, the Philippines has not been able to develop strong industries such as manufacturing, textiles, and electronics.

Fourthly, the country's education system has been inadequate in providing the necessary skills and training needed for the modern workforce. The education system in the Philippines has been criticized for its poor quality, which has led to a shortage of skilled workers and has made it difficult for the country to compete with other ASEAN countries in terms of human capital.

Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the challenges faced by the Philippines, particularly in terms of its economic recovery. The country has experienced a significant decline in economic growth due to the pandemic, which has worsened the already existing challenges faced by the country.

Overall, the Philippines' slow economic growth can be attributed to a combination of political instability, corruption, poor infrastructure, lack of focus on key industries, inadequate education system, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[hk blues]

I try to be pragmatic about things like this.  Looking at my personal position, the option of returning to the UK and facing all the challenges there is much less attractive than those I face here.

[OnMyWay]

8 hours ago, hk blues said:

I try to be pragmatic about things like this.  Looking at my personal position, the option of returning to the UK and facing all the challenges there is much less attractive than those I face here.

Yes, most of us come here with eyes wide open, and in a roundabout way, corruption feeds the attraction for retirees like most of us.  If the economy, infrastructure, etc., were allowed to prosper, e.g., Singapore, Philippines would probably become an unaffordable place to retire.  Instead, the elite families gather all the wealth and most others stay poor, keeping the cost of labor down, and prices down.

13 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

No wonder even our own young people from the middle class who are not doing badly, but can migrate, leave the country for Canada, Australia, or the US to give their children a future.

Quoting the author of that article.  I was wondering, do Filipinos who left to find their fortunes overseas really want their homeland to improve by leaps and bounds?  Many plan to retire at home.  Really no point unless the cost stays much lower in PH.  Most OFW and emigrants will be "rich" when they return and have a higher class than when they left.  BIL is example of emigrant.  Moved to New Zealand then to Melbourne.  Made a ton of money in the real estate boom.  Now he has bought many hectares of land and will start building a retirement house.  Another Filipino friend is an OFW working in the oil industry, on drilling ships.  He gets to come home often and is now quite wealthy by local standards.  Do these guys really want PH to improve so much that they will not be perceived as kings when they are at home?  Pure speculative conversation starter on my part, but there are millions of Filipinos like this who can sway things in one way or another.  The BIL and his family were big supporters of BBM, which is bizarre to me.

 

[mountainside]

3 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

21 hours ago, hk blues said:

I try to be pragmatic about things like this.  Looking at my personal position, the option of returning to the UK and facing all the challenges there is much less attractive than those I face here.

Yes, most of us come here with eyes wide open, and in a roundabout way, corruption feeds the attraction for retirees like most of us.  If the economy, infrastructure, etc., were allowed to prosper, e.g., Singapore, Philippines would probably become an unaffordable place to retire.  Instead, the elite families gather all the wealth and most others stay poor, keeping the cost of labor down, and prices down.

On 5/10/2023 at 6:35 PM, OnMyWay said:

No wonder even our own young people from the middle class who are not doing badly, but can migrate, leave the country for Canada, Australia, or the US to give their children a future.

Quoting the author of that article.  I was wondering, do Filipinos who left to find their fortunes overseas really want their homeland to improve by leaps and bounds?  Many plan to retire at home.  Really no point unless the cost stays much lower in PH.  Most OFW and emigrants will be "rich" when they return and have a higher class than when they left.  BIL is example of emigrant.  Moved to New Zealand then to Melbourne.  Made a ton of money in the real estate boom.  Now he has bought many hectares of land and will start building a retirement house.  Another Filipino friend is an OFW working in the oil industry, on drilling ships.  He gets to come home often and is now quite wealthy by local standards.  Do these guys really want PH to improve so much that they will not be perceived as kings when they are at home?  Pure speculative conversation starter on my part, but there are millions of Filipinos like this who can sway things in one way or another.

I'd be honored to meet the person with overseas income, now retired in his less expensive home country, who roots for a declining standard of life for himself and his dependents in order to incrementally foster the betterment of his homeland.  

[stevewool]

On 5/11/2023 at 6:29 AM, hk blues said:

I try to be pragmatic about things like this.  Looking at my personal position, the option of returning to the UK and facing all the challenges there is much less attractive than those I face here.

So true , I’m here in England thinking we have enough to support us living in the Philippines as a guest and not bothering about politics or cost of living compare to England, I’ve just got to convince the wife now 

[MikeB]

On 5/10/2023 at 8:35 PM, OnMyWay said:

Maybe Filipinos are so used to suffering and being poor. The psychological defense mechanism is to be hopeful even if the situation is hopeless.

Well, that nails it. It's virtually impossible for someone from the 1st world to understand the hopelessness and cynicism of a people born and raised in a place so rife with corruption at every level. On my 1st trip there many years ago a Filipino friend gave me the best advice I've heard, "Enjoy the good, forget the bad. You can't change it. It's always been like this, it always will be."

[hk blues]

11 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Yes, most of us come here with eyes wide open, and in a roundabout way, corruption feeds the attraction for retirees like most of us.  If the economy, infrastructure, etc., were allowed to prosper, e.g., Singapore, Philippines would probably become an unaffordable place to retire.  Instead, the elite families gather all the wealth and most others stay poor, keeping the cost of labor down, and prices down.

You've more or less hit the nail on the head. 

I'd hazard a guess that the majority of us are here because the cost/benefit analysis works in our favour - there are some issues to living here but they are more than compensated for by the lower living costs - sure, it's not all about the money but ultimately it's a big factor for me.  I wouldn't put up with some of the nonsense that goes on here if it was no more affordable than back home.  

[Jack Peterson]

7 minutes ago, hk blues said:

I wouldn't put up with some of the nonsense that goes on here if it was no more affordable than back home.  

 Do you think there is no corruption in the UK?  You only need to look up the profits of some of the companies and little tax paid

[hk blues]

3 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Do you think there is no corruption in the UK?  You only need to look up the profits of some of the companies and little tax paid

Huh - where did I suggest there was no corruption in the UK? I already stated clearly in an earlier post that living here poses fewer challenges than back in the UK.

[Jack Peterson]

2 minutes ago, hk blues said:

where did I suggest there was no corruption in the UK?

 Implied my friend implied