Thursday, June 28, 2007

PERCEPTION vs. REALITY

A friend at Foundation University sent me an interesting article. I want you to read some thought provoking extracts.

THE BETTER SIDE OF THE PHILIPPINES
by INTEL General Manager Robin Martin

Filipinos tend to dwell too much on the negative side, and this affects the perception of foreigners. The negative perception of the Philippines is way disproportionate to reality. Let us all help our country by balancing the negative with the positive especially when we talk
to foreigners, whether based here or abroad. Looking back and comparing the Philippines today and 1995, I was struck by how much our country has progressed physically. Consider the following:

1. The great telecom infrastructure that we have now did not exist in 1995. Since then billions of dollars have been invested in both fixed line and cellular networks producing a system with over 5,000 km of fiber optic(s). From a fixed line capacity of about 900,000 in 1995 we now have over 7 million. Cellular phones practically did not exist in 1995; now we have over 11 million.
2. The MRT, many of the EDSA flyovers, the SKYWAY, Rockwell and Glorietta 4, the Fort, NAIA terminal 2 and most of the new skyscrapers were not yet built in 1995.
3. If you drive to the provinces, you will notice that (many of) the national roads are now of good quality.
4. Philippine exports have increased by 600% over the past eight years…Philippine mangoes are now exported to the US and Europe.


Additional tidbits :
1. INTEL has been in the Philippines for 28 years. The Philippines plant is where Intel's most advanced products are launched, including the Pentium IV. By the end of 2002, Philippine operations became Intel's biggest assembly and testing operations worldwide.
2. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS The Baguio plant is the largest producer of DSP chips in the world. DSP chips are the brains behind cell phones ( the ) Baguio plant produces the chip that powers 100% of all NOKIA cell phones and 80% of Erickson cell phones in the world.
3. TOSHIBA laptops are produced in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
4. If you drive a BENZ, BMW, or a VOLVO, there is a good chance that the ABS system in your car was made in the Philippines.
5. TREND-MICRO, makers of one of the top anti virus software PC-Cillin… develops its "cures" for viruses right here in, Quezon City.
6. Today a majority of the top ten U.S. Call Center firms in the U.S. have set up operations in the Philippines, we are the best in the world in terms of value for money.
7. America Online (AOL) has 1,000 people in Clark answering 90% of AOL's global e-mail inquiries.
8. PROCTOR & GAMBLE has over 400 people in Makati doing back-up office work to their Asian operations including finance, accounting, Human Resources and payments processing.
9. Among many other things it does for its regional operations network in the Asia-Pacific region here in Manila, CITIBANK also does its global ATM programming locally.
10. This is the first year ( 2003) ever that the Philippines will be exporting cars in quantity courtesy of FORD Philippines.
11. The government is shedding off graft and corruption slowly but surely. This is the first time in our history that a former president is in jail and facing charges of plunder. Next time you travel abroad and meet business associates tell them the good news. A big part ofour problem is perception and one of the biggest battles can be won simply by believing and by making others believe. This message is shared by good citizens of the Philippines who persevere to hope and work for our country.

Making your focus constantly on the negative is MORE than just depressing. I feel that negativity is largely responsible for slowing the economic growth of the Philippines AND giving us the false reputation of being the “Most Corrupt Nation In Asia”. HOW ? Annually there is a survey to determine the most corrupt Asian country. A relatively small group of businessmen tell the world what they think about corruption here in the Philippines. If all those businessmen have heard, all year long, is the "NEGATIVE"; then of course those businessmen are going to give a negative report. Foreign investors, fearing corruption, turn to other countries to build their factories hurting the Philippines. I am sorry, but instead of embracing the “most corrupt” label, President Arroyo should have challenged it. We put a sitting Philippine President in jail for corruption. Name another nation that has done that.

One Pinoy blogger stated that a "nation that looks to the past or the present is stagnant". I strongly disagree. Lessons from the past and the present are the keys to improving the future. Inspiration, from past and present, gives impetus and power for progress. Those who do not know or appreciate history are doomed to repeat it. We all need role models and heroes to inspire us to try; to believe in ourselves; to constructively engage the future.

NONE of the problems that face the Philippines are unique to the Philippines. EVERY nation has wrestled with them. Many are still fighting them NOW, just like we are. If all you look for is the "darkness" you miss the sun rise. Be an Everyday Hero “think and speak positive”; be constructive not destructive.

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