Why is the Philippines Poor?

THE DIFFERENCE

The difference between the poor countries and the rich ones is not the age of the country: This can be shown by countries like India & Egypt, that are more than 2000 years old, but are poor.

On the other hand, Canada, Australia & New Zealand, that 150 years ago were inexpressive, today are developed countries, and are rich.

The difference between poor & rich countries does not reside in the available natural resources. Japan has a limited territory, 80% mountainous, inadequate for agriculture & cattle raising, but it is the second world economy. The country is like an immense floating factory, importing raw materials from the whole world and exporting manufactured products. Another example is Switzerland, which does not plant cocoa but has the best chocolate in the world. In its little territory they raise animals and plant the soil during 4 months per year. Not enough, they produce dairy products of the best quality! It is a small country that transmits an image of security, order & labor, which made it the world's strongest, safest place. Executives from rich countries who communicate with their counterparts in poor countries show that there is no significant intellectual difference. Race or skin color are also not important: immigrants labeled lazy in their countries of origin are the productive power in rich European countries.What is the difference then? The difference is the attitude of the people, framed along the years by the education & the culture & flawed tradition. On analyzing the behavior of the people in rich & developed countries, we find that the great majority follow the following principles in their lives:

1. Ethics, as a basic principle.
2. Integrity.
3. Responsibility.
4. Respect to the laws & rules.
5. Respect to the rights of other citizens.
6. Work loving.
7. Strive for savings & investment.
8. Will of super action.
9. Punctuality.
10. and of course...Discipline

In poor countries, only a minority follow these basic principles in their daily life. The Philippines is not poor because we lack natural resources or because nature was cruel to us. In fact, we are supposedly rich in natural resources. We are poor because we lack the correct attitude. We lack the will to comply with and teach these functional principles of rich & developed societies. If you do not forward this message nothing will happen to you. Your pet will not die, you will not be fired, you will not have bad luck for seven years, and also, you will not get sick or go hungry. But those may happen because of your lack of discipline & laziness your love for intrigue and politics, your indifference to saving for the future, your stubborn attitude.

If you love your country, let this message circulate so that many Filipinos could reflect about this, & CHANGE, ACT!

source: taken from Bukas Palad Messageboard, shared by Alexander

the next big thing

the next big thing that will happen to the Philippines for the next years is the real estate.

according to the Manila Times, "Philippine industries’ income grew more than a tenth in the first quarter of the year, boosted by the real-estate sector, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) said. In a statement, the NSCB said, the country’s total gross revenue rose by 12.8 percent in the first quarter from 15.1 percent in the same period last year.

the statistics agency attributed the increase to the real estate sector, which continued to post the fastest growth at 29.9 percent, boosted by higher income from rental and leasing operations from the country’s newly opened super malls and the sustained demand for office spaces from the business processing outsourcing (BPO) industry."

the industry is just now recovering from the effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis that brought the Philippine Real Estate sector into a long swoon. the current property boom indicates that the industry has awakened from the slumber and is now on a steady climb.

the residential and commercial/office and segments of the Philippine Real Estate industry have shown remarkable year-on-year growth in terms of the number of development projects, as well as sales.

the promising outlook for the residential sector of the Philippine Real Estate industry is fuelled by rising incomes due to the steady rise in the Philippine economy for the past several years, as well as massive interest among overseas Filipinos wanting to establish permanent or temporary residence in the country of their birth or ancestry. the increasing number of expatriates in the country likewise contribute to the demand for such residential facilities.

at least $1 billion in remittances from Filipinos alone, living or working abroad flow in every month goes into buying new houses for their families, high-end condos or resort homes for their own use and in other high rise structures as income earning properties.

the similarly rosy outlook for the commercial/office sector of the Philippine Real Estate industry is driven by the upsurge in the number of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies that are setting-up shop in the Philippines. the employment and income boom generated by these companies in turn fuel a consumer boom that has resulted in the take-up of more commercial spaces.

these developments indicate that the Philippine Real Estate industry is now on a growth trajectory that is expected to be sustained in the short to medium-term.

better prepare for the next big thing or you will be left behind.

source: The Manila Times and the Philippine Real Estate