The Filipino Anguish

Chu called me today and proposed that we acquired a tricycle for Marlon.

Marlon is not able to find work having failed in his attempt to start a billiard salon and a drinks store. His wife, whom I have met while she came to Singapore to work, has left him for Manila in a futile effort to get employed. Chu said that she managed to get a domestic helper job but the pay was a meagre 2000 peso a month that she herself would not be able to survive on that amount. She will quit this 19th July and come back home.

Chu will go today to look for a second hand tricycle and I will put the deposit on their behalf. As long as the tricycle is running Marlon should be able to make some money for the family as well as pay for the installment of 100 peso a day. This would at least put food on the table while the family worries about sending the children to school.



The situation in Philippines today is economically and politically bad, getting worse. While there are thousands of strong, well educated men scurrying the streets looking for work, there just isn't enough jobs to go round. I was told that hundreds would queue up for factory work as simple assemblers; some of them are full graduates competing with low wage unskilled workers for the same pay. Such sad situation.

On the other hand, half the country is now on strike in the streets of Manila asking for the President to step down. She was accused of election rigging and corruption in her family. It appears that for a long time now the country has been besieged by political upheaval and this lack of stability in the government has created a bad image and sense of uncertainty for investors from abroad. This is a chicken and egg story. Without a stable government the investments would not come in, there will be no jobs, the people will be disheartened and will be easily influenced to create instability. Government changes, hopes raised for a while, few years down the line, bad press for the President, call for resignation, and the cycle goes one full round.

The government of Philippines really need time to get the whole country in order. They need a strong and no nonsense leader. The people of Philippines need to understand that electing capable, efficient and corruption-free parliamentarians into government is very essential to their livelihood. Forget about the showmanship, forget about famous people, actor whatever. Get the technocrat, well trained politicians with a good manifesto and support them all the way. Then the country can be once again strong and self dependant.

Then people like Marlon can get a good job to support the family and can educate their children to be useful and honourable citizens of the Philippines.