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231st Issue Volume 55 No. 1 Wednesday 8 July 2009 |
In this issue |
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SME in Focus First World Dreams
Challenging this view, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently reiterated her bold vision of the Philippines “on the verge of the First World in 20 years.” The Philippine population has ballooned to 91 million, driven by one of the highest birth rates in Asia. Meanwhile, 40 percent of the population is hard up and surviving on less than two dollars a day. The ADB’s ‘A Cross-Country Analysis of Achievements and Inequities in Economic Growth and Standards of Living’ estimates that it will take 151 years before the average Filipino achieves the life expectancy of citizens of industrialized countries. It will take 132 years to achieve full literacy, and 241 years before all birthing mothers can be attended by medical professionals, among other quality of life indicators. To bridge the development gap that spans three generations in 20 years is nothing short of fantastic. Yet, Mrs. Arroyo seems to think it can be done. Mrs. Arroyo has stressed that the need for more investments in the three E’s, i.e., education, economy, environment including the pro-poor agenda to accommodate more Filipinos advance into middle class and have a massive reduction in poverty. Allow us to add a fourth e which is teaching Filipinos to become enterprising. Rather than keeping Filipinos dependent on self-proclaimed saviors and strong men who dole out fish in the name of progress, will it not be better to teach people to rely on themselves? Let the communities learn enterprise. Let the people learn to build their own boats and weave their own nets, with which to harvest the bounty of the country’s seas. It might take 151 years, or 80 years before we reach the promised land but when that happens we can truly and proudly turn to each other and claim, “This we did ourselves!” Member-At-Large RJ Photo Digital Solutions
SME Special Report SME.com.ph head speaks at IBM Business Reality Summit
Tax Calendar 2009 July
SME Events 2009 July
SME Power Quote “A cardinal principle of Total Quality escapes too many managers: you cannot continuously improve interdependent systems and processes until you progressively perfect interdependent, interpersonal relationships.” –
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It will take the Philippines more than 130 years to attain the living standards enjoyed by advanced countries, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) working paper.
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