All too often the Philippines is generally associated with natural disasters, insidious corruption and poverty. Disappointingly, the country only survives by exporting around 27% of its working population elsewhere. Without cost effective labour from the Philippines, many countries in the Middle East would struggle to function while the global healthcare and maritime sectors would be struggling to find credible English speaking nurses, carers and shipboard crew.
In a region where many countries have risen above their original deprivation, the Philippines is still a long way from resolving its issues. Commendable rates of economic growth are dented by high birth rates which are encouraged by a backward looking religious elite who serve themselves before their country.
Leaving aside attractive women and beautiful scenery all if which the Philippines has in copious amounts, when I think about the Philippines it is with sadness. Sadness for a culture that encourages slavish devotion to ritualistic worship that died out many hundreds of years ago in other parts of the world when logic and science replaced blind faith. Sadness that many kind and well meaning people are destined to suffer exploitation and subservience because of the poor choices made by their peers and leaders. Whilst there is always hope that the Philippines can become the next Singapore, it would be a brave man who would bet on a country where people still cannot get divorced, and where the only truly successful institution financially and in terms of its grip on popular culture is the church.
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