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~

My Home Land Philippines

At a brief glance at the map, you will notice how strategically my country is located with reference to Southeastern Asia and the Indonesian Islands.

Our Archipelago guards the approach to these regions by sea from the North and from the East. This is both a handicap and an asset to us Filipinos.

A Handicap to us in case war involves nearby countries, as powerful nation with plans to launch war against them may attempt to conquer our country first so they can use us.

We had learned this disadvantage during the second world war. At the same time, the Philippines strategic control over the northern approaches to the China Sea, and indirectly over the eastern approaches to the Straits of Mallaca, has advantages too. It adds to our Political importance among the nations of the world and above all, it makes Philippines commercially, an ideal center for the distribution of goods throughout Southeastern Asia. The Philippine archipelago comprises 7,107 islands. The total area of the Philippines is 115,600 square miles. I will share to you the poem I composed for my homeland.

A TRIBUTE TO MY DEAR LAND PHILIPPINES

By Juliet B. Corpuz 122096

We were living peacefully in this land called ‘Pearl of the Orient’

Our land was so rich and green
We have our gold, our seas and mountains
We have nothing to ask for
Everything is provided by mother nature
Then a galleon came with these foreign men

By their power, they took everything
Our land, our gold, our freedom
Our forefathers were divided
By their sword and cross, the Pearl was conquered

For 300 years they had stayed
Our ancestors became slaves
Our great grandmothers were raped
Millions of our fellowmen were killed
And all over the land, their blood had been scattered!

Then a cry of freedom rang In the ears of Balintawak!
Our Great father had stand and urge us to fight
With his bolo and great bravery,
He shouted:”We have to fight for our freedom!
We have to freed our land!”

We were almost there but then we were divided again
Some of our forefathers stood
On the side of these foreign men
By their selfishness we were weaken
Until we were conquered again.

The kind of sufferings that we experienced from these Whites
Will never be forgotten as long as we live
Millions of casualties, cities were destroyed
Their flag were victoriously hanged
Above the Pearl that mourned

While the Pearl was mourning
Another battle hits again
This time the Tiger Japs
Snatched the Pearl from Whites
By their bayonets, the land was bathed by blood.

The exploitation and slavery of our motherland
Seems like heavy rains storming its inhabitants
Freedom was just a dream
To a poor Filipino man

Then the movement had risen
To fight for our freedom
They were tag as “Huks” heroes of Japanese times
The struggle continues
We have to topple these men

As the Japs were cornered, the Whites suddenly entered
Because they claimed that it was their promise
To return as Mc Arthur said
The wise whites had shared with us
The victory that must be ours.

That was the great history of our Mother Pearl
With her beautiful feature
She is always jailed
In as much that she longs for freedom
But she was always conquered

My dear fellowmen Do we really gain the freedom?
Which been long so much by our motherland?
Do we really escape from the clouts of these Whites?
Who conquered us during those early times?

The Echo of Balintawak
Can still be heard in the wind
The way they shouted for freedom
Was like a thunder in the mountains
The cry of our forefathers were like a storm and hurricane!

How long shall we sleep?
How long shall FREEDOM be a dream?

Did you feel my anger in this piece?

This poem was posted in our company newsletter and a local magazine.

I was very active as a labor union leader when I composed this piece. I was one of those who march on the street with clench fists asking to make a difference…

JBCPEN

MY FIRST POST

Warm greetings to you! yea, you who exert an effort and time to visit my blog. Whatever is your purpose of reading this post, I want you to know I’m glad and appreciate that out millions sites in the cyberworld, you stop here to read my posts.

You see this is an overdue account… yea overdue because, I’ve been writing since grade school, composing poems, drawing and writing… writing a lot! school organ, diary, journal, newsletter… writing on a tissue paper while waiting on an appointment… I am writing in any sheet of paper at any moment in my time. Why? because I love to write.. It’s my outlet.. my bestfriend.. my tears when I’m sad, my laughter when I’m happy.

Why overdue? because I started using PC in my first job in 1988 but then I never save anything in that hard drive. I bought my first PC in 1996 and learned internet browsing the year after, and yet I never created my blog. I learned photoshop, flash, frontpage, dreamweaver and designed websites for my clients but still I have no blogsite. The first time I browse the internet 10 years ago, I told myself, oh well, now I have my chance to write everything that I want to… my poems, my opinions, my articles, my activities, my feelings… my anger!

But then I was so preoccupied of learning different programs that I forget my dream to write, not to mention my job, my family and other activities that I’m into. Those things ate my time and let me forget my passion in writing.

Last week I’ve been posting a lot of ads for my IT business and I came across this interesting blog that I read until midnight and that’s it! It makes the fire burning! I told myself, hey! that’s what you want all these years.. why can’t you stop and write your thoughts?

That’s why I’m here writing. An oldie in PC but newbie in blogging lol!

So to fulfill my innermost passion, I will write today. I’ll write tomorrow and the day after and until the day that I die. (I just hope I can really sustain this despite of my busy schedule:) But I have to! I owe this to myself!

So what shall I write?

Based on my title, A Glimpse to the Pearl, I will discuss diversified issues on parenting, relationship, activism, health, social issues, poverty and governance. These are all in the context of Philippine setting because I want to give my readers a glimpse to the Filipino way of life. Some posts may be an occasional discussion about my personal experience in the past, my jobs & struggles, local current events and tourist attractions.

I also hope to gain a fair number of readers and thank you for being one 🙂

JBCPEN