Why is the Philippines Poor?

Dear Friends,

Here is a good article sent by Dr. Arsenio Martin of Fort Arthur , Texas ..
Enjoy reading.

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.

This things happen because of our lack of discipline & laziness
our love for intrigue and politics, our indifference to saving for the future, our stubborn attitude.

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

10 Things Young Filipinos can do to help country

By Harvey S. Keh

1. Stay informed and updated about what is happening in our country. It’s so easy to stay in our comfort zones and just turn a blind eye on what is happening to our country especially if we aren’t directly affected by these problems. Find time to read the newspaper, watch the news on TV, surf the internet or listen to the radio.
2. Organize discussion groups among your friends and peers to discuss current issues in our country. Don’t be apathetic and encourage your friends to also know more about what is happening to our country. By talking about these issues, you are able to make more people aware and ultimately be made more vigilant against rampant corruption in our government. The government is just waiting for us to stop talking about these major scandals such as the corruption-laden ZTE Broadband Deal, Hello Garci and the 1 billion peso Fertilizer Scam, let us not allow them to get away with it by ensuring that these issues are very much in the minds and consciousness of the general public.
3. Share your thoughts and opinions to the public by writing Blogs on what you think about these current events and national issues. Many Young Filipinos maintain Livejournal, Blogger, Friendster, Multiply and Facebook accounts and these can be used to make many other Young Filipinos aware of what is happening to our country. Use these internet tools to post and promote statements by credible institutions and individuals on the current state of our country. You can even make a video blog expressing how you feel and sharing your thoughts. Whether you are Pro-GMA or Anti-GMA, it doesn’t really matter as long as you are able to take time out to think critically and share your thoughts with others.
4. Support the Sumilao Farmers. Its been more than 10 years now since they held a hunger strike, they walked more than 1,500 kilometers last year to bring public awareness to their cause and they still don’t have their land. Pres. Arroyo met with them and promised to give them back their land but two months have passed and nothing has happened.

Lanuza – Surfing gateway of the Phil.

Known as the surfing gateway of the Philippines, the town of Lanuza is definitely making waves in terms of being a prime tourist spot in the country. A province of Surigao del Sur, Lanuza is a simple town that could provide a memorable time as guests surf its local waves. Aside from surfing, Lanuza has recently added new sets of nature activities making it one of the most complete adventure spots in the country.

Anchored by its famous waves, what makes Lanuza stand out from other surfing spots are its diverse surfing grounds. Doot Poktoy is the most famous among these surfing grounds that has a soft sand bottom which makes it ideal for beginners. Yet it could also satisfy amateurs looking for a thrill ride. What makes it even more enticing is

how these waves are conveniently accessible in front of the town.

“Aside from Doot Poktoy, various surfing grounds are located adjacent to the town.

Around one or two kilometers away are seven reef breaks, namely, Castor Reef, Habag, Punta Left and Punta Right, Sibahay, Badjang, and Cagmino. The waves in these Reef breaks could reach up to 10 feet from October to April,” expressed Lanuza’s Mayor Algerico Irizari.

The waves in Lanuza have been host to national and international surfing events. In 2002, the town held a local surf camp and organized the first ever National Surfing Festival which has become an annual festivity. In 2004, Lanuza’s surfing festival added the International long board invitational, which is a three-day international event for surfers.

The National Surfing Festival also held competitions for short boards in different brackets, namely, for seniors, juniors, and grommet (below 12 years old). The event has been flocked by surfers coming form Siargao and mostly in nearby province in Luzon such as Bicol, Baler, and Aurora.

New 7 Wonders of Nature Update (june 22,’08)

As of June 22, 2008, phenomenal gains for Palawan’s Tubbataha Reef, Bohol’s Chocolate Hills, and Puerto Princesa’s Underground River which are now all in the Top 5 in the recent count of the New Seven Wonders of Nature survey.

Palawan’s Tubbataha Reef is now in 3rd place (previously on the 2nd place), just right behind Cox’s Bazar Beach of Bangladesh. Bohol’s Chocolate Hills is right behind in fourth place and Puerto Princesa’s Subterranean National Park climbed to 5th spot. The biggest move was made by Mayon Volcano in Albay now in 9th place.

To continue voting for all the 4 Philippine nature sites in the worldwide search for the “New Seven Wonders of Nature click on this link.

Support our country. Vote for the Philippines!

Imagine A World Without Filipinos

Imagine A World Without Filipinos
Abdullah Al-Maghlooth / Al-Watan, almaghlooth@alwatan.com.sa

Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says: “When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.”

Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him. “There is no comparison between Filipinos and others,” he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.

Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers — 1,019,577 — outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors. They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.

Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors.

So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.

What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas.

Only in the Philippines

I got this 100 list in my email.. so true I guess?..

1.Merienda. Where else is it normal to eat five times a day?

2.Sawsawan. Assorted sauces that guarantee freedom of choice, enough room for experimentation and maximum tolerance for diverse tastes. Favorites: toyo’t calamansi, suka at sili, patis.

3.Kuwan, ano. At a loss for words? Try these and marvel at how Pinoys understand exactly what you want.

4.Pinoy humor and irreverence. If you’re api and you know it, crack a joke. Nothing personal, really.

5.Tingi. Thank goodness for small entrepreneurs. Where else can we buy cigarettes, soap, condiments and life’s essentials in small affordable amounts?

6.Spirituality. Even before the Spaniards came, ethnic tribes had their own anitos, bathalas and assorted deities, pointing to a strong relationship with the Creator, who or whatever it may be.

7.Po, opo, mano po. Speech suffixes that define courtesy, deference, filial respect–a balm to the spirit in these aggressive times.

8.Pasalubong. Our way of sharing the vicarious thrills and delights of a trip, and a wonderful excuse to shop without the customary guilt.

9.Beaches! With 7,000 plus islands, we have miles and miles of shoreline piled high with fine white sand, lapped by warm waters, and nibbled by exotic tropical fish. From the stormy seas of Batanes to the emerald isles of Palawan–over here, life is truly a beach.

10.Bagoong. Darkly mysterious, this smelly fish or shrimp paste typifies the underlying theme of most ethnic foods: disgustingly unhygienic, unbearably stinky and simply irresistible.

Video of the Philippines National Anthem

Got this video from you tube.

A video of Philippines national anthem “Lupang Hinirang”

Update to 7 New Wonders of Nature

As of now.. ( june 10,2008 )

The Philippines Tubbataha Reefs is in the 2nd place.
Chocolate Hills in the 4th place.
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the 6th place.
and Mayon Volcano in the 9th place.

The top 7 of the 7 New Wonders are all from Asia. This proves that Asia is really rich and equipped with a lot of biological resources.

Go Asia! Go Philippines!

Live Ranking here.

Philippine Photos here.

Philippine Trivias III.

1. Ilo-Ilo golf and country club is the oldest golf club in the Philippines. It was built at 1908 by Irish Engineers.

2· Limasawa Island – where Ferdinand Magellan first landed in the Philippines which give way to the discovery of the Philippines and where the first mass was celebrated.

3· San Juanico Strait – said to be the narrowest yet the most navigable strait in the world

4· Calbiga Cave – The Philippines’ biggest karst formations and one of the largest in Asia, the 2,968-hectare cave system is composed of 12 caves with wide underground spaces, unique rock formations and sub-terranean watercourse.

5· At the Immaculate Conception Cathedral can be found the only existing pipe organ in Mindanao. The 2nd largest pipe organ in the Phiippines. The huge instrument took 2 years to built and was brought over by sea from Germany in 23 crates.

6· Cagayan de Oro City – “The City of Golden Friendship,” known for its warm people and old-fashioned hospitality

7· Mt. Apo, the Philippines highest mountain at 10,311 feet above sea level, and considered as the “Grand-father of all Philippine Mountains”

Map of Asia

Click the Image to zoom..