Pinas Forum

There are not enough jobs in the country. Job creation has not kept up with population growth for years, so Filipinos accept jobs overseas. You have doctors reinventing themselves as nurses in the U.S., teachers as domestic workers in Europe... you find them even in Muslim Middle East and Galway, Ireland - places most Filipinos find unlivable... just to make a decent living. They are everyman and they are everywhere. They are very hardworking, and work overtime whenever it is available, and many hope that they can improve their positions eventually. It is a situation that is saddening... but there is something admirable, even heroic, about the OFW... the resourcefulness, the sheer will to survive and the perseverance to do better. And they do it on their own, with very little help from the government.

Corrupt and incompetent government officials and bureaucrats, arrogant and overly-ambitious politicians and military men constantly trying to wrest political power from the properly elected officials, and the irresponsible and sanctimonious Padre Damasos who endeavor to pressure government officials to adopt unrealistic and anachronistic religion-based laws and policies that are in direct conflict with the needs of the Filipino - these are the people we should be ashamed of. They all work to undermine economic progress. They are the ones to blame for the Filipino becoming the Citizen of the World. It is certainly not the economic fundamentals of the country that is a problem. The economy is actually very resilient and strong. Businesses have done fine and there is a lot of room for growth, despite the macho men.