More than a century after Jose Rizal wrote “The Philippines, A Century Hence”, not much has changed. The Philippines remains
“– without confidence in their past, without faith in their present and with no fond home of the years to come. The former rulers who had merely endeavored to secure the fear and submission of their subjects, habituated by them to servitude, fell like leaves from a dead tree, and the people, who had no love for them nor knew what liberty was, easily changed masters, perhaps hoping to gain something by the innovation.”
Philippine Independence? That's a nice idea? But can Filipinos keep a Republic? Much less build one?
Time, to be more specific – more than one hundred years after Rizal, has not changed the Filipino at all. Contemporary Filipino society needs still depends on the “noblesse oblige” of the Filipino oligarchy’s neocolonial welfare system.
The Philippine Neo-Colonial System
The word neocolonialism is very dominant in the Philippine left. It is generally defined as
political control by an outside power of a country that is in theory sovereign and independent, esp through the domination of its economy.
Foreign investors have been turned into a bogeyman of sorts by the local Filipino monopoly business interests. The myth being perpetuated is that ALL foreigners are evil people who will take away the wealth of the Philippines and leave Filipinos forever poor. It is this irrational fear which has allowed a flawed protectionist 60/40 economic policy into the 1987 Philippine constitution. Three sections in the mother of all Philippine legislation has given birth to a slew of highly restrictive economic laws like the Foreign Investments Negative List or FINL, the Retail Industry Laws, the Renewable Energy Act, the Rice Trading restrictions among others.
The latest government creation – a DOJ agency to ensure competition is an administration public relations move. It tries to present the government as trying to do something to ensure competition – a) within the framework of a protectionist constitution; b) and a policy which does not prioritise charter amendments to remove the 60/40 restrictions. Another red herring to take the ignorant Filipino in a wild goose chase. The most effective way to ensure competition is through a free market – not through protectionist legislation, not though a government agency – and a Filipino one at that.
Pseudo-liberalization: New Results from Same Old Protectionist Constitution?
There is so much chatter about becoming “more competitive”. Fact is the Philippines is rated as among the most restrictive economies in the world. According to The Heritage Foundation,
The absence of entrepreneurial dynamism, however, still makes long-term economic development a difficult task.The Philippines has pursued a series of legislative reforms to enhance the entrepreneurial environment and develop a stronger private sector to generate broader-based job growth. Progress has been mixed, although some fiscal reforms have been accomplished. Deeper institutional reforms are required in four interrelated areas: business freedom, investment freedom, property rights, and freedom from corruption. The government imposes formal and non-formal barriers to foreign investment, and foreign remittances do little to promote sustainable growth. The judicial system remains weak and vulnerable to political influence and corruption.
What the current slew of pseudo-liberalization measures offer is just a repeat of the hearings of the NTC with regards to the faux “competition” between PLDT, Globe, Bayantel, and Digitel. Why faux? Because there are more competitors in the global telecom industry – there’s Verizon, NTT, AT&T, Sprint, many more – who can match even outclass PLDT and Globe. However, these companies are being prevented from providing Filipino consumers and job-seekers with better choices of services and jobs – because of constitutional restrictions. These same restrictions in telecoms, utilities are present in retail, in health, in education – and a whole lot more.
The Road to Serfdom is Paved with Good Intentions
All you have to do is pick up a copy of the Foreign Investments Negative List and weep at how our constitution has barred our countrymen from getting better paying jobs and services.
The only way for foreign investors to come in – is to partner with a Filipino national. And according to the 1987 constitution – the foreigner cannot own more than 40%. The Filipino will always have a minimum of 60% ownership. This is wrong on many counts. One, how many Filipinos are there who can match the required 60%? Two, just because there are no Filipino joint venture partners, should Filipino job-seekers be deprived of employment and income? Three, economic policy should be provided for in legislation – not in the constitution. From a flood of domestic protectionism Filipinos ride the boat of serfdom into foreign shores. Is this being “independent” or has our dependence gotten worse. We have become entertainment for ABS-CBN, cash cows for NLEX/SLEX/MAYNILAD/Globe, SM, PLDT, PAL, drug mules for China and HK, DH for Saudi and Singapore.
Colonies of the Oligarchy, Vote Farms of the Trapos
After removing the Spanish, we replaced them with Hollywood and temporarily with Tokyo. Today, to re-echo F Sionil Jose – we have become a colony of our own elite.
The centuries have found the Filipinos intoxicated in a heady mix of predatorial and rent-seeking economic protectionism laced with a culture of entitlement, victim mentality, and passing the buck.
A Tradition of Folly
Having been bred illiterate and at best miseducated and misinformed, the Filipino is used to having a padrino (government/trapo/church/collective) to watch after his own welfare. Thus, through the centures we perpetuate a welfare state – from the tribal and feudal “noblesse oblige” to the altruism of the socialist.
Indeed as China was bullying around, Vietnam stood up for its territory and announced live fire drills. All the Philippine can muster is to run to Uncle Sam and beg for protection.
To Juan de la Cruz – the thought of actually having to think for himself in order to move on in life – on his own merit – is scary. To actually think – is scary. To challenge the authorities is scary. To open ourselves to competition – is scary. To learn new things about the world and ourselves – is scary. We have paranoia and anxiety as the main drivers if not the centerpiece of our national policies. To actually stand for something – is scary.
A century and a half after Gat Jose, Filipinos still do not know what liberty is, still easily changes masters from one egghead to another dumbass, perhaps hoping to gain something by the innovation.
And so the tragedy of the Filipino repeats itself. Retreating into an age old tradition of limp dicked, wimp ass thinking – or the lack thereof. The Filipino today can take heed of its modern persona – incompetent, lazy, uninspired and dull – Pres BS Aquino III.
Celebrate Philippine Independence Day? That’s a nice idea – it will have to wait for the day when the Filipinos cease to be slaves of PLDT/MAYNILAD/ABS-CBN/PAL/SM/MERALCO, exercise their choices well and become truly independent.
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