OFW - Industrial Export

Were it not for the OFWs the Philippines would have been a failed State. We were burdened with onerous international loans, corruption and insurgencies, where our generals seemed to be incompetent for so long that they cannot end it from way back.

It is up to the policy makers in the Philippines to go beyond their petty needs and limited vision.

Unfortunately, this whole "mother tonque instruction" route and the "right to be educated in the native tonque red herring", is like the medieval version of local nationalism, being translated from Latin themes that belonged to a world of feudalism.

When the rest of the world have already given way to the Industrial age. We carry that backward mentality of a nationalism fit for the 19th and 20th centuries.

We can only attract investors abroad like companies from Spain, Europe and other multinational companies with the right education and the right laws.

In a word, We have to create the environment that will make it worthwhile for international manufacturers to invest with an educated and skilled work force. China for example have made it a condition that companies invest and make those products in China. So you see, it is not a zero sum game.

I am sorry but any local language and the national language called Tagalog respelled "Filipino" is not going to hack it to meet the economic demands of this age.

The Philippines have relied on OFWs remittances that they dont feel any need to make the changes in the laws necessary. Thats why it perpetuates that backward mentality of "imperalism" and "colonialism" passe and the sloganeering.

I have always thought the pre Martial law days when tagalog was taught minimally as a separate course is harmless to non-tagalog languages because our universal language of communication was English only. And Spanish, was our ceremonial official language for everybody.

That past produced many of our technocrats and businessmen when we were transitioning to manufacturing.

Sad, but our politicos were creatures of American dictates then, because of the cold war that the Philippines became a market for American goods, sacrificing our chances to be industrial.

But the world have changed and going back to the days where both Spanish and English was our universal languages seemed to be the fastest and practical solution to regain what we lost in skilled work force and intelligent technocrats.

I think the past status quo was more equitable in educating both the rich and the poor. Everybody had to learn English (and Spanish) and be immersed in it from day one. We were one of the best in the educational fields in Asia.

What we really have is an elitist education for all the local medium of instruction brouhaha. For this is just to make everybody relatively functional to be lead by the few who are adept at English and Spanish, while the rest remained compliant from their limited education of "native tonque instruction."

So we have the OFWs and that is our "industrial export". I hope things will improve.

But in my opinion only a new Constitution will help alleviate the structural weakness we need to progress economically and preserve the Union. I am not impressed with the current one.

Another of My Two Cents.

bangkaw