Early in 2013, I joined an FB group known as Filipinos Overseas for a
Better Philippines (FOBP). The aim of the group is to share ideas and
action items in order for Filipinos living overseas to contribute to the
betterment of the mother country.
Today I take the time to share my thoughts.
1. Betterment starts from within - we cannot help others if we
don't help ourselves first. If our own lives are a mess, if we are
experiencing financial, familial or personal demons - we cannot peek
across the fence to help our neighbours. Therefore the first thing to do
is fix our own lives. Manage our finances well - pay off all debt if we
can. Advance our further education or our careers. Manage our time well
so that we have some free for other things.
2. Contribute to Philippine livelihood programs - Yes, it is
great to contribute to one-off disaster donations. There will always be
disasters happening in the Philippines what with an average of 20
typhoons a year, what with thousands of earthquakes occurring every day.
But there is more which can be done. Institutions such as Gawad Kalinga
are building low-cost housing affordable. These institutions can
certainly use a few hundred quid/bucks/kangaroo money every month to
continue their good works.
3. Sponsor a scholar - the future of any country is it her youth.
Education is the best investment there is. Sure, Joseph Ejercito was a
college dropout who became President of the Philippines. Yes, indeed,
William H. Gates was a Harvard dropout who founded Microsoft and became
one of the richest men in the world. But we have to remember that Erap
and Bill lived privileged lives; they had their well-to-do families to
support in case they failed in their attempts at a risky venture. But
many of our kababayans are not well-to-do so their only chance at
betterment is through further education.
I don't believe it matters if the scholar is a blood relative or a
stranger. A few hundred quid/bucks/kangaroo money maybe be chump change
to us but will go far in the Philippines. The reward is not in getting
something back but in the feeling that someone's live was improved
because of our help.
4. Teach our benefactors to manage their finances - many of us
send support money to our blood relatives/friends/mistresses. We can do
more than just sending money. We should educate them on how to spend
that money. Yes, it is nice to have the latest electronic gadgets or the
latest rubber flip-flops from Brazil. But is nicer if they can
establish their own savings strategy. For it is not important how much
money one earns but how much money one keeps after expenses.
5. Tour the Philippines - Yes, Paris is nice in the dark. London
is swinging. New York never sleeps. But there are beautiful places in
the Philippines, too. Palawan is beautiful. The chocolate hills of Bohol
are beautiful to behold when they change colours. The rustic homes in
Vigan and the cobblestoned streets are nostalgic. The langgoniza is
great, too. The Philippines needs our tourism quid/dollars/kangaroo
money.
6. Shop 'til you drop - Whilst in the Philippines, shop for
clothes. Shop for souvenirs. Spend for entertainment - wholesome or
otherwise. Every quid/dollar/kangaroo money spent adds to the gross
domestic product, which adds to jobs, which adds to prosperity.
7. Keep abreast of Philippine events and participate in discussions
- many of us Filipinos overseas have travelled worldwide and have had
experiences on how things are run everywhere else. We can share our
experiences and points of view with the object of finding solutions to
the problems. While not all solutions in other countries may be feasible
in the Philippines, nevertheless knowledge is gold. And gold is around
US$1,683.12 an ounce at the time of writing.
8. Invest in the Philippines - investments create jobs for our
countrymen and generate tax revenue for our government. If we are
business savvy, we can put up a small enterprise which will create a
small profit for us. If we are not business savvy, we can invest in
Philippine real estate or the stock market.
9. Fight and resist the cynicism and negativity - Cynicism is
counterproductive. Cynicism destroys hope and progress. How does it help
if we call the President of the land ABNOY? Whether we like it or not,
he is still the duly elected leader of the country. If we don't approve
of a policy or course of action, then by all means we should voice our
views. It is so easy to criticise. But we can do more by also offering
solutions or alternatives. If we are not part of the solution, I'm
afraid we may also be part of the problem.
Disclaimer: I am not running for public office.
Source: Pinoy Exchange (my_2_cents)
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