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Thursday, October 30, 2003
Ng: Real wealth
By Wilson Ng
Wired Desktop
PLANE HORROR. Last week, I read a news item that could be comical if it were not serious. Apparently, there was an official of President Arroyo’s delegation in the plane who, during the trip back home, became so drunk he went to the exit door, thought it was the comfort room and relieved himself to the utter horror of the other delegates.
The topic appeared in the news, and the official acknowledged that it was a serious lapse of judgment on his part, and offered his apologies.
What is refreshing about it is that this is one of the very few situations where there was a problem, and the person who created it acknowledged the problem and offered his apologies.
I think this is becoming a rare trait of the Filipino nowadays. Rather, as I have written in columns back, it is almost natural to expect the Rashomon like attitude of the people to create their own versions of the story and peddle it like gospel truth, said with a straight face. After this, of course, there is a contest on whose versions prevails, and before long an impasse is created. Everybody wants to appear not only faultless, but also squeaky clean and honest.
If you see how we are trudging along with issues like the mutiny, the Jose Pidal case, the impeachment, the election computerization, the graft cases or the lifestyle checks, you will find out more often than not that we have become experts at inventing “truths” and sowing confusion. We continue to debate and squabble with different versions and never get anything resolved.
We all want to develop our country economically and eliminate poverty. I think that is the area we have been very poor in addressing. But there is more to reducing poverty than having money.
Real wealth cannot be measured by money alone. In a sense, we would still be poor even if all the overseas Filipinos started to double their money remittances.
Money cannot teach your children. Teachers can. Money cannot bring electricity to your home.
Engineers can. Money cannot cure sick people. Doctors can.
So it is actually our nation’s human capital that can be converted into real wealth. Sadly, the process of generating wealth for this country from human capital has been very poor.
For sure, talent flows where the money is.
Sadly instead of opening small businesses or being gainfully employed in productive endeavors, half of the nation’s human capital is moving out of the country for perceived greener pastures. The other half of the best human capital is involved in the political arena, or get-rich-quick or dishonest schemes, which do not in any way generate the intended result—an increased gross domestic product.
(Wilson welcomes comments at Wilson@esprint.com.)
(October 30, 2003 issue)
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