The Philippine Dev't Puzzle

The Phil. Dev’t Puzzle
By: Balicasan

Why it is called Philippine Development Puzzle?
There is a need to realign the economic system of the country from the micro level to respond to the macro level of the economic trends of the global development. In doing this, we need to adopt a long-range plan to define sustainable development for the country. We need to be decisive in planning, establish structure that will be responsive to the globalization and to provide a catch up programs to uplift our domestic problems of population, infrastructures, graft and corruption both in public and private sectors, and empowerment of the social sectors in assisting the government in various needs to provide an efficient services to the Filipino people.

Admittedly the author stressed it is evident that the Philippines lack harmony between political structures and the needs of economic development.

To augment the pileup loopholes of all the Philippine leaders from the past to the present it would be no help to point out who are to be blame as well as to keep on searching who will be an appropriate person to give the solutions for our economic deterioration compared to our neighboring Asian countries.

The Philippine government is not decisive to find a solution how to augment what has been lost for the economic development of the country. This is the reality however; we go back to a personal question. I the government seems to be complacent, who would bother to be decisive?

I do agree to the author’s statement that our economic development for over the past half-century was minimal.

I would like to compare the above statement to a “Turtle Walk” we are enjoying leisurely and find a temporal consolations from the little pack of bread available in the vicinity of our habitat without knowing that we can move like an eagle to conquer the best for our constituents This might be too ambitious for the Filipinos but we can not deny the fact that when we see the progress of other countries we are always at owe to their discipline, projection and attitude towards life always making abreast of a competitive economic structure to respond to the growing needs of the humanity and its constituents.

This is again another reality that most of us will say, “ How I wish the Philippines will be progressive also?”

Will this statement remain as a dream? Can we possibly venture to find concrete solutions to make this dream a reality? Who shall start? Are we ready for the consequences of the criticism both from private and public sectors? Are we ready for the consequential effects of this dream? Will we sustain to achieve our dreams for the Philippine Economic Development?

All the answers to these questions I leave it to you. Let us take these questions seriously or else who would bother?

In this initial stage of us, aspiring a to contribute the best effort for our country, I would conclude that the Philippine Economic Development is promising for all of you starts to think of what we can do to augment all our economic setbacks for the past decades. This is our individual moral responsibility as Filipino citizens.

Let us together bloom where God has planted us and to be fruitful in administering the land entrusted to us. Let us together solve the Philippine Puzzle in the shortest time possible for the greater good of every Filipino citizen. In this effort, may we truly live up in protecting the natural and spiritual treasures of our country “The Pearl of the Orient Seas.”

Phil. A Captive Land

Is Philippines a Captive Land?

Are Filipinos imprisoned to be tillers of the oligarch's land?

Was there a chance for them to chose to a landowner or a tiller?

Did the Filipinos ever think of these issues seriously that it will affect their future?

In the pre-Spanish time Filipinos where expose to the scenario that they are working under the supervision of the Datu and function his daily responsibilities according to one's social status. Those who are slaves and non-slaves they were treated according to their respective social status. This mentality has been carried on to the Spanish Period who treated the Indios as their servants and laborers . Filipinos were slaves in their own land to all their colonizers and in the present times they are still servants to their Filipino-Chinese and Spanish blooded landlords.

If Filipino peasants be given the chance to administer the property of their landlord. What kind of managers will they be? Will they be strict , untouchables and inconsiderate as their landlord to the plight of their own people? If given the chance to be the master over their present landlord how will they treat their own landlords? Will they be effective manager, planner and organizer of all the activities for the next 10 years?

To be effective manager, administrator and leader in cultivating one's land the above questions are very important to approximate the success of one's effort as a landowner and tiller.

Reviewing the history of the land reform during the time of the American Filipinos were given a choice to own a land or to be a worker in a land. Some Filipinos took the risk to work to own their own land even it was undeveloped, remote and backward from civilization. While others opted to remain worker and employees of the existing well- established institutions to ensure their benefits without much risk of any unforceable events.

I would believe that in every choice it involves risk. The greater the risk one faces he might end up with a greater opportunity and the less risky the opportunity might be more tangible. In this aspect, we differ in our choices to be an employee, worker or land owner.

Where we are now are the results of the choices of our ancestors they made for us. Sometimes we think that we could have been smarter than they are. We are in the reality that we can not unfold history to our favor. However, may we not also miss the opportunities set before us to chose the best choice. The question is do we have the courage to take a risk in making a choice for our future. We can venture to be an employee, worker or land owner according to the opportunities given to us by the events of time or fate of life.

To own a land might be a solution to the issues of poverty, unemployment and political unrest. However, it will not solve all our problems today for not everybody can be efficient farmer and landowners. We can be efficent worker but not necessary owning the land, we can be efficient owner but not efficient farmer worker. Thereofre, we continously exert effort to use our land to the best of our abilities either as landowner or as an employee or worker.

Philippines is not a captive land for we were given a choice to become the best of what we could be to become a productive Filipino citizen.

Historical Role of State in Philippine Development

The Role of State in the Philippine Development from the Spanish Period up to the present is a clear picture of coordinated activities to protect personal interest of the public officials for its perpetual benefits in terms of economic, political allignment and future investment of wealth.





In every election all Filipinos are aspiring to find a Filipino leader that can assure them of better services and efficient state administration and see in action programs for Philippine development.


However, this quest of economomic development aspired by its citizen seem to be a hopeless dream for the Philippine state to accomplish. When the public officials assumed their offices with all its comforts seem to forget their election promises, election circus played, election jingles that entice all its electorate to vote for them.





Until when will the Filipinos scout for truthful leaders to man their statehood? A state that is willing to stand for long-term economic and political development for the beloved Philippines.





Is there a hope to establish a truthful role of the state in these days? Do our newly public officials bother themselves of the State's Role in the Philippine development as part of the political agenda ? Or are they already preoccupied of whom to vote for the speaker of the house or the president of the senate? Are they considering to pursue the cause of Philippine development even at the expense of their own personal interest? Are we willing as a Filipino citizen to cooperate in the initiatives of our Filipino leaders to implement programs for Philippine development without counting its cost against my personal interest?





Unless we are united into a common cause for the common good and willing to sacrifice our personal interest we can start together as a nation to build among ourselves the avenue to help our State leaders in intensifying the significant role for Philippine development.