Philippines: Export oriented-Import dependent Economy

All of us are hoping for a better year in fact anything that is introduced as lucky charms to attract good vibes and prosperous living is deliberately being adhered to for the hope that it will bring us positive result. Unfortunately, there are inevitable events which are not controlled by these lucky charms. These are events which are not perceived even by the toughest fortuneteller. One peep on the year ender reports from different Medias will attest to this fact because if not, thousand of people who were killed from so many calamities and wars might have been spared. Even the toughest and mighty countries were not spared from this. Their technology and forecasters never perceived that this economic turmoil would end up to economic downfall like a plague.

The Philippines alone has reduced its population by death tolls from sea vessel’s accidents, plane crash, storms, floods, massacres, death in Mindanao due to war, political killings and natural deaths. I guess we need another Merlin or the wizard of OZ for best predictions. Well, these are just the repercussions of men’s greed and neglect of environmental issues. You reap what you sow according to old saying and yes, it’s true.

The other day, as I walk home, I meet an old friend, my co-worker at the company where I used to work. According to her, IWSPC, a subsidiary of SWS Japan, has announced their recent work schedule. They are now working 6 hours/day and 3 days/week. I was stunned by that news. How will an employee survive with that scheme? She told me that her recent earning is only 800php or a measly $17 and she has to budget it for 15 days. How can she make both ends meet with that income? I guess she needs to enroll herself to Harry Potter’s school and aim for the wand. I can’t sympathize further for I, myself is suffering with the same grief. If we lost the court battle with demolition issue, we will be losing the roof on our head at the end of this month.

Despite GMA’s denial that Philippines is not affected by recession, the gleaming truth is slapped right in the face of many workers who are being hit by different inhumane labor schemes just to cope up with the economic turmoil. We all know that most industries and factories in the Philippines are run by Multi-National Corporation from Japan & the US and these countries are in the midst of recession. The final way out is thru retrenchment or at the maximum is to close the company and return to their homeland leaving the Filipino workers jobless with no separation pays.

This only proves that we can never achieve a genuine progress unless we change our economic system. An economy which remains to be an export oriented and import dependent will always ends up at the dumping area. We are more than 80 millions Filipinos, producing our own local products and selling it at the local market is the only way to move out from this dreadful situation. More than 70% of the products we used are being produced by other countries. Look, from the tip of your toe to the tip of your hair, you are using imported products. “Imported per se” is not just products available at Clark or PX stores, these are products produced by non-Filipino owned companies. Though their companies were erected at Philippine land, their sales and profits will be returned to their own countries. The only reason why they are here is not because they want to help us but because they want to take advantage of our cheap and docile labor.

Japanese will only buy cars made by Japanese corporations, but the local artists in the Philippines seldom uses beauty products made from the Philippines. Remember, each time we buy imported products, spend our vacation abroad, purchase property outside the Philippines, our money go out leaving our peso floats and drowned by inflation.

Money Cycle

Thanks to the living heroes who untiringly take back the money we spent outside the Philippine territory, despite the loneliness, dangers and abuses, they remain meek because of the call of earnings for the sake of their families. Do you have an idea who are those people? They are the OFW workers who are unceasingly working to earn not only for their family but for the country’s economy as well.

And Kudos to online workers like us who are also earning dollar from home. You are helping our country to get the money back and return it to circulate here. And to those who are hoarding the money and investing it outside the Philippine territory, you are one of the reasons why the Philippines remain poor.

Gumising na sana tayo….

 

~Juliet Corpuz~

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