PH THE PROSPEROUS

CALL TO PRODUCTIVITY
Earth, where peace reigns and hatred has no home,
earth (Ph included), home of abundance. – Star Trek (Episode 10)

TREASURES IN HEAVEN
“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves
do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.” -- Mathew 6:20

The Ph community is an old adolescent -- fragile, malleable,teachable, discovering new paths to growth, maturity, resiliency, and prosperity, its God-given strengths and ebullience unseen by the naked eye, unaided by insights; it has been, the envy of Oligarchies, domestic and foreign, corporate and individuals, who can see the rich, poor man of Asia, and know better.

The Ph nation is a conundrum; it is branded one of the least developed, ranking high in global poverty ratings; yet it is potentially the most productive; it had the highest GDP growth rate in ASEAN until the Pandemic disrupted the economic settings.

In its vast territory of mountains, forests, and plains, flows the Mindanao River Basin, one of the longest and largest, that not only sustains its rich, fertile agricultural lands but also feeds the Mindanao Grid with more than 700 installed MWs of hydropower. Amid all this, lie large marshes with massive potential for fisheries development above, and massive natural gas deposits, below.

The seas along its coastlines, one of the longest in the world, and the deep seas within its Exclusive Economic Zone teem with abundant fish that feed its people and the wealthy in HK, Tokyo, and Sg and provide livelihoods to fisher folks, big and small.

On top of all these is the Filipino, its greatest resource, resilient, patient, creative, adventurous, and engaging; they may be called sleeping giants for now; but those that find their way abroad, are collectively giants in their own right -- domestics, caregivers, nurses, doctors, IT/Fintech experts, technicians, professionals, scientists – they are actual favorites among other nationalities in HK, ME, SG, Israel, Europe, the US. It is not difficult to find out why. When “POP” is done, there will be more and better jobs in our backyard; they will then have to compete for their talents and labor.

“WON and POP”. Ph, a rich nation with wealth unseen, suppressed, and deferred until now. “WON” and “POP” will start to uncover this wealth, starting now.

Bob Calida Dec. 25, 2021