The seeming aversion of Filipinos to large-scale infrastructure projects — the sorts needed to achieve the vast economies of scale needed to compete in the global market likely stems from the Filipinos’ heritage of smallness. This prescient snippet quoted from Nick Joaquin’s seminal piece describes the underlying character of Philippine culture that is at the root of this national affliction…
The depressing fact in Philippine history is what seems to be our native aversion to the large venture, the big risk, the bold extensive enterprise. The pattern may have been set by the migration. We try to equate the odyssey of the migrating barangays with that of the Pilgrim, Father of America, but a glance of the map suffices to show the differences between the two ventures. One was a voyage across an ocean into an unknown world; the other was a going to and from among neighboring islands. One was a blind leap into space; the other seems, in comparison, a mere crossing of rivers. The nature of the one required organization, a sustained effort, special skills, special tools, the building of large ships. The nature of the other is revealed by its vehicle, the barangay, which is a small rowboat, not a seafaring vessel designed for long distances on the avenues of the ocean.
Filipinos, quite simply, cannot be bothered to think that far ahead and are entirely focused on the short-term need of scratching in the next morsel of grub to get through his sub-productive day.
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Filipino “economists” habitually screech about a “lack of money” to build stuff. They fail, however, to look deeper into why Filipinos suffer a chronic lack of money — or, in more precise terms, capital. They fail to realise that societies that enjoy a surplus of capital did not achieve that wealth overnight. It is an accumulation of centuries of building upon the rewards of innovation, bold exploration, an enormous appetite for conquest, and the audacity to dream big that motivates the funding of big projects and grand designs.
What the capital-rich world enjoys today is the outcome of a brilliant intellectual tradition and a blood-drenched history of violence. Without a doubt, Filipinos lack the earlier but, one can argue, have a talent for the latter. Indeed, the Philippines remains one of the most violent societies in the world and smaller minds would point out that if war builds wealth then the Philippines would be the richest nation on the planet today. This misses the finer points of what it means to have a talent for violence. The ancestors of what were to become the colonial masters of the world had progressively built a talent for systematically effecting destruction on their enemies. Sadly, the Philippines did not go down the same path.
Over the centuries, the literal bang for buck delivered by better methods to kill the enemy the then-advancing world developed far outstripped those of societies that were to become today’s Third World. Military organisations kept honing their weapons of destruction and death and building the increasingly complex organisations required to wield them — from throwing spears and rocks, to raining arrows launched with bows, to using explosive oxidation processes to launch projectiles at progressively distant targets with increasing accuracy. Winning societies got better at killing the enemy than “dying for their countries”.
That is what a talent for violence is really all about.
As shown above, even in effecting violence on their enemies, the advanced world makes use of capital-intensive methods to which long traditions of scientific and technological achievement contributed progressively. Did we, earlier, mention that slow-brained Filipino “experts” would argue that Filipinos may lack scientific prowess but possess a talent for violence? True at one level. But as usual, they missed the connection between real talent for anything that builds strong nations and intellectual achievement.
What does this have to do with infrastructure development? All the same principles. Military capability is as much a piece of national infrastructure as a road or rail network is. The existence of an ethic of building big things through projects that span years, terms of office, and even generations spells the difference between societies that win big and fail big. Which shoe Philippine society fits is pretty evident in this regard. We can see this in the way critics of any sitting Philippine government have made a cottage “activist” industry out of both microscopic nitpicking and bullhorn screeching about the costs of building infrastructure.
Until Filipinos drop the whole lame act of being bleeding-heart victim-pandering “decent” people and embrace the killer instinct to succeed in a competitive dog-eat-dog world where winners win big and losers get crushed under the weight of the bags of gold being repatriated to the winners’ treasuries, they will forever be the mere footnote in world history they always have been — despite their enormous numbers.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Seems impossible, there’s a few exceptions to the rule there, but the cultural zeitgeist for the Filipinos still remains the same. Crab mentality, bahala na, Philippine Time, and the emotions over logic, and the short term over the long term, and lastly the Cognitive Dissonance that affects the brain with too much emotions, like being for Law and Order while being against the People who are supposed to enforce it. The ones I can see this going for is the new middle-class that stopped playing victim and actually planned for their entire future then and there or the Chinese-Filipino community where people are envious of their hard work. And completely agree, the drive and organization of the Military, and it’s enduring of hardships and tackling challenges and overcoming them, is what’s needed, but there’s too much a divide.
Filipinos lack simply the innovativeness to pursue great things; to go where no one has gone before; to venture in the unknown.
Our minds are set toward, the :”get rich quick” scheme/scams. That is the reason our politics, is full of corrupt characters of every shade.
Most of the first world countries, have innovative people; whether in business, or in scientific and technological field.
It is ingrained in our mindset and in our culture, that we are passive people, playing safe in the game of life, and we don’t want risks.
Of course, we have the Filipino OFW slaves, who risk everything, including their honors and lives, to get a better paying job abroad.
We are like the Mexicans and South Americans illegal immigrants, who travel miles and miles of dangerous roads, just to climb over the border walls of U.S.- Mexican borders, for manual labor jobs in the agricultural sectors of the U.S., paying slave labor wages.
This is where I am amused, that we have the same mindsets with these pathetic people… If you are willing to risk everything: why not go for the big rewards, not for the “slave wages” rewards !
“Filipinos lack simply the innovativeness to pursue great things; to go where no one has gone before; to venture in the unknown.
Our minds are set toward, the :”get rich quick” scheme/scams. That is the reason our politics, is full of corrupt characters of every shade.” – HAYDEN
OUTSTANDING OBSERVATION
@Oratio Imperata:
I wish, I had written it in a better way…
@333Hyden007Toro8888.777
EASY TO TAKE RISKS IF YOUR NOT STARVING IDIOT!
OFWs are like the explorers of old. Definitely modern day heroes.
They keep the economy afloat in terms of dollars and help joeld PAY FOR HIS DAMN SUV!
Hate to tell you, but it seems you’re totally fine about our OFWs suffering from abroad because there are little to no opportunities here.
I am an American OFW, OFWing in the Philippines as conversational English instructor to BPOs.
Not because there is no opportunity in the U.S. it is because I am tired of living in the U.S. So do Filipino OFWs. Working peace and quiet and orderly. No Filipino jealousy. No Filipino crabs. No Filipino tsismis.
@Oratio
You could have chosen to work in another country of choice but why choose the Philippines, a third-world country wherein you have a lot of things to say about which you do not like?
And in spite of the over-all better socio-economic conditions of the US, when you’re making comparisons here with the Philippines, what made you decide that you’re tired of living in there?
Isn’t that somewhat contradictory?!
I have spent 6 months in Thailand another 6 in Vietnam both of these countries are crawling with foreigners … why Philippines? Because Philippines is a backwater in tourism. Few foreigners. I STAND OUT!!! Less competition!!!
It is here in the Philippines I am treated like a KING !!! by white-loving Filipino-hating Filipinos.
In Thailand and Vietnam I am a nobody. I am just another white tourist.
Thailand and Vietnam compared to Philippines are just outstanding countries in culture, mish-mash of culinary masterpieces and architectural wonderland. Bourdain and Zimmern covered these countries several times but what I heard they only covered Philippines just for the sake of covering it.
@Darth M:
You are a despicable idiot. And, you are a paid political hack of the Aquino Cojuangco political axis.
There are no Filipino OFW slaves, if good paying jobs are available in our country. Industrialized countries, with good functioning economies, barely have OFW slaves.
Filipino OFW slaves are the results of the FAILURES of the Aquino Cojuangco political axis , rule for more than 30 years .
All they did was to ransack the National Treasury, for themselves. Made and enabled the mainstream media to sing praises to them, and made them their propaganda machines.
They also named international airports, memorial stadiums, buildings, roads, etc.. for themselves.
They themselves and their minions who were, incompetent and corrupt people, who ruled during the Aquino era were the results of the Filipino OFW slaves !
Lol Benign0. You keep harping about “building something”. Pinoys can’t build anything blah blah blah. Usually when a person points at something, 4 fingers point back.
Look at this very website. It looks like it was built upon using circa late 90’s blogger platform technology. Look at the way this website is designed. Poor formatting when the design field has moved waaaay past this. When was the last time you updated the look of this website?
THIS WEBSITE ISNT EVEN MOBILE READY?!?!?!! CANT EVEN BUILD IT PROPERLY BENIGNO.
Why do the comments/replies become super narrow when I’m viewing it on my mobile phone?
Look at your analysis Benign0. Compare it to your western contemporaries. Where is the data to prove your claims? Where are the references to studies? Maybe if you had a phd in economics from a leading Philippine university you can have something with more rigor.
Which part of my article do you disagree with?
Out of Topic:
@ Benign0, he disagrees with pretty much everything….. DM means, dakilang mangongontra. He spews garbage here claiming that what he knows is the ultimate fact.
@benign0
The entire premise of the article is wrong. It implies that ‘dreaming big’ is the only thing holding pinoys back from building great things. It’s like the philosophy of the secret applied on a national scale.
Ramon Ang can build you a massive world quality airport with a train system within a year if you clear government obstruction. There was a consortium that wanted to build a highway from the airport directly to the casinos in moa. It’s NOT dreaming big that’s the issue, its that the people in power always want to hold you back.
And having a solution of “more government”/ “dictatorship” is insanity (i.e. doing more of the same that got us to this mess).
As an aside, the Philippines was self-sufficient in rice and food prior to Agrarian reform. Which again is government regulation.
@joeld
GO RIDE YOUR MODIFIED SUV! YOU FAKER!
VOORROOOM VROOOOMM VOOOOOM!!!!!
What are you compensating for with your massive SUV joeld. You know what they say about guys with big cars….
@DM: Nope. My assertion is that dreaming big is the root driver of capital creation and growth.
Work on your comprehension.
@benign0
Lol. Comprehension is just fine Tony Robbins. You mean if filipinos dream big they will suddenly be rich? (capital creation and growth). Anyone can dream big. Look at the metro manila subway it’s there as a “dream”. Or the transit that connects clark to naia, still there as a ‘dream’. Or all the tambays, dreaming of making businesses. Pinoys ‘dream’ too much. It’s all about putting in the WORK and building SYSTEMS. Which no one wants to do.
That’s why I ask for CONCRETE recommendations. That’s why I ask for DATA. Instead you just circle-jerk your pseudo-philosophy and blame the lizardmen. It’s no better than the drunk tambays and the usapan lasings who endlessly circle-jerk their problems dreaming of solutions.
You don’t even bother to WORK on this circa 90s dial-up website. Yet you regurgitate the same article over and over and over again. WHY CANT I VIEW THIS ON MY MOBILE BENIGNO?!?!?! WHY ISNT THIS MOBILE READY!!!!!!!???!?!
I didn’t say “suddenly” either.
@benign0
“My assertion is that dreaming big is the root driver of capital creation and growth.”
By replying “I didn’t say “suddenly” either” to DM’s assertions, I get that you’re not exactly denying there really is no absence actually of Filipinos dreaming of big things. It’s just there’s the problem of funding.
With your statement above, if you’re to be in a position to make things happen, what are the things will you propose to realize that into fruition?
Who will you point to, as relevant social agents, that can realistically start that meaningful drive towards capital creation and growth? The ordinary people, the elite/oligarchs/business sectors, the people in government…
@Dexter: Actually, the possibility is always there that this “absence actually of Filipinos dreaming of big things” actually exists (i.e., the absence of big dreamers exists). As Nick Joaquin, pointed out, this condition seems to have existed from the earliest days of settlement.
So what would I do if I were in a position to make things happen? Lots of stuff many of which ain’t very democratic. Indeed, Lee Kuan Yew and Mahathir Mohammed are examples of people who saw things down to the root of the problem at the very fabric of the societies they presided over. And we all know what measures they had to take and what approaches they applied to act on those insights.
“…building big things through projects that span years, terms of office”
LOL Benign0. While this administration didnt even bother continuing the infra plans/work done by the previous government?!?! Why don’t you highlight that?!
It takes years of careful planning to build large scale projects. So every administration that comes in and scraps the plans of the former has to start from scratch.
When Leni becomes president, all the infra projects now in the pipeline is scrapped. It’s a cycle. But you need to be OBJECTIVE and highlight that this administration is doing the same.
If anything, it seems you forgot that the current administration focuses more on infrastructure than the previous administration. And as a whole, most of previous administrations never focused on infrastructure. Ever.
I recall how Noynoy even cancelled former president Arroyo’s flood control project that could’ve help us in the long run. And, surprise, his reasons for cancelling it is stupid.
Just think about it, if it’s still the previous administration are doing those projects, it will take 10-20 years to finish those infra projects as they continuously pillaging the country. And you’re trying to say this administration is also doing it? You can’t even back it up.
Langya, Basta lang mang-oppose e.
@Shadowland
Yes, I remember pnoy cancelled gma’s projects which is a dumb move. Pnoy during his term could also point out to a bunch of no-nothing projects like classrooms or something like that lolz.
Im not pro-Pnoy. I just don’t understand the hard-on you have for Du30 when he has proven himself to be more of the same. Its the same shit!
@DM: Nope, Noynoy did it out of personal vendetta. I just want to remind you that the houses at Samar built for people who are affected of the supertyphoon Yolanda are substandard.
When Duterte did something similar, he’ll just replace it with a much better one and with more improvements. I also want to cite about the much better housing in that place.
This is what happens with your overeliance on the biased mainstream media and hurling labels and insults when someone disagrees with you. Joeld is right, you’re just opposing for the sake of opposing. Sad.
The Pilipino mentality is just limited within the idea of” who is the much better ‘elite’ that we can elect as a leader of our country?” beyond that idea, NOTHING!
Observation: pinoys lack discipline with simple posted rules in the streets, in coffee shops and in the workplace.
Historical reality: Philippines have never taken over a country or successfully repelled an invasion by themselves. They need the help of an invader turned ruler.
Economic reality: Filipinos do not provide jobs for other nationalities. Filipinos often have to find jobs in countries , often in jobs they are over qualified for.
Question: where exactly does pinoy pride come from??
It is a pride coming from being an elite, an elitist mentality is all about ego, and this is just about only what the Pilipino have, pinoy pride indeed.
PINOY PRIDE took root FROM … drum roll please … ta … da … MANNY PACQUIAO !!!
MANNY PACQUIAO makes Filipinos proud !!!
The nationalist jingle in ‘Toopid Filipino Channel lovingly called TFC is a show that FILIPINOS ARE NOT NATIONALISTIC !!!
HOW CAN FILIPINOS BE PROUD when their hated colonists gave them employment with excellent benefits and pay?
HOW CAN FILIPINOS TAKE PRIDE when Filipinos hate their looks and their skin color?
HOW CAN FILIPINOS TAKE PRIDE when they leave their country at a drop of American Visa?
HOW CAN FILIPINOS TAKE PRIDE when their contestants to Miss Universe are half-bred half-white hybrid English-speaking crossed-bred “Filipino”?
THERE CANNOT BE FILIPINO PRIDE. Because Filipinos hate themselves.
@Oratio Imperata
The only one who hates themselves as a filipino is you and GRP.
Go back to your mom’s basement you incel.
He has a point, though.
What’s bad about someone who is pointing out the Filipino dysfunctional culture, which YOU are exhibited every time you post here.
If someone should go back to your mom’s basement, it’s you.
There is nobody so irritating as somebody with less intelligence and more sense than we have.
W-R-O-N-G !!!
There is nobody so irritating than FILIPINO with INTELLIGENCE. Take U.P. Ateneo la Salle and PMA graduates. They have been advertised as graduates with intelligence. Where are they now? They are now in the U.S. as caregivers. THEY ARE EXCELLENT CAREGIVERS. Thank goodness !!! AND THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE ONLY GOOD AT.
Filipino maids in Hong-Kong are teachers in the Philippines. They are also graduates from “prestigious” schools. Maids. That is what they are good at.
Because IT IS EASIER TO TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS THAN FILIPINOS OLD TRICKS !!!
FILIPINOS ALSO NEED TO GET BETTER AT KILLING INVESTIGATION IN ORDER TO PROSPER.
Non-Filipinos know Filipinos sucks at investigation hands-down. SEC sucks. SEC has not, in memory, ever prosecuted INSIDER TRADING !!! BANKO SENTRAL has not prosecuted anyone except that Justice Renato Corona. NBI has not prosecuted anyone based on forensic evidence. It is always Affidavit-Based prosecution.
Why Filipinos do not get educated by forensic evidence? BECAUSE RAPPLER AND THE REST OF FAKE MEDIA … (well, Philippine Media is really a fake media) promotes prosecution by typewritten Notarized Affidavits by paid witnesses, jealous witnesses, witnesses who got an ax to grind and witnesses who are forced to be witness, witnesses who are under duress …
NBI, U.P. Ateneo la Salle Lawyers LOVE AFFIDAVITS because it is easier for them because they may top board exams but do not know what to do with their knowledge.
FILIPINOS ARE BRAINLESS PEOPLE. That is why when Filipinos force countries to accept them when they apply that they be colonized and re-colonized they work in an environment that does not require brain.
They work that requires instruction because Filipinos cannot know what to do with their brains.
PHILIPPINES IS LUCKY TO HAVE THE LAST REMAINING COLONISTS and CHINESE INVADERS were it not for them Filipinos would still be planting rice. Wait a minute … no they wouldn’t be planting rice they’d be importing rice … if they cannot import they smuggle it … HOLD ON FOR A SEC … IMPORTING AND SMUGGLING REQUIRES MONEY … where do they get money from?
… They export their children in far-flung countries so they can remit money back to their country. Makati Stock Exchange cannot beat POEA Human Exchange in their slave trading floors.
Killing and cover-up requires brain. Just lookit the killings. They walk up to their victim and bam ! BANG! BANG! BANG! Without masks! Because the Low-IQ brainless killers know NBI and PMA graduates do not have the brains to investigate.
FILIPINOS ARE SCREWED !!! United Nations should take over the government of the Philippines. Would they? It is a huge headache.
Here is what U.S. President McKinley has to go thru about Philippine Problem:
I walked the floor of the White House night after night until midnight; and I am not ashamed to tell you, gentlemen, that I went down on my knees and prayed to Almighty God for light and guidance more than one night. And one night late it came to me this way-I don’t know how it was, but it came:
(1) That we could not give them back to Spain-that would be cowardly and dishonorable;
(2) That we could not turn them over to France or Germany, our commercial rivals in the Orient-that would be bad business and discreditable;
(3) That we could not leave them to themselves-they were unfit for self-government, and they would soon have anarchy and misrule worse then Spain’s was; and
(4) That there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them and by God’s grace do the very best we could by them, as our fellow men for whom Christ also died.
And then I went to bed and went to sleep, and slept soundly, and the next morning I sent for the chief engineer of the War Department (our map-maker), and I told him to put the Philippines on the map of the United States (pointing to a large map on the wall of his office), and there they are and there they will stay while I am President!
TO THIS DAY FILIPINOS NEVER LEARNED. IT NEVER LEARNED FROM COLONIST SPAIN … IT NEVER LEARNED FROM PRE-HISTORIC CHINESE TRADERS … IT NEVER LEARNED FROM UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, ATENEO, LA SALLE, PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY ….
FILIPINOS CANNOT LEARN. SIMPLE. THEY ARE UNFIT TO GOVERN. They cannot govern. They must not govern.
Filipinos should thank themselves (the brightest idea ever) to let the last remaining colonists to get the run of the country.