A DECADE of great progress starts with one day. Just like a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. The world welcomes the new decade in high spirits and with high hopes that this year will be more favorable than the previous one. 2019 seems to be a long time ago with all these feeling of optimism just waiting to escape – the kind that believes things need to change. The first days of the year were spent in reflection – about what needs to change.
By now I have listed a couple of New Year’s resolution. On top of my list is my drive to seriously work on things that will reduce my carbon and waste footprint on this planet. Everyone deserves to breathe the same fresh air I do and to occupy the safe healthy environment that I do. My passion for environmental protection will continue more aggressively this year as I wish to combine information and communications technology (ICT) with environmental projects.
Consistently, I will be spending my weekends organizing garage sales.
My second resolution is to go back to active law practice. My years in politics have affected my legal profession. A few days ago. I launched my Philippine Legal Research site – legalresearchph.com – a repository of all legal researches of my law students and my legal articles.
My third resolution is to spend more time with old friends, to reconnect with my past and arrange my schedules and activities in a way that I get to have time with them. My fourth resolution is to actively collate, process and share data to be shared for positive purposes – education, information, convenience, guidance, among other things.
Reflecting on all the things I have learned in the past decade, which is probably the most exciting, having travelled every year to a foreign country and attending various fellowships, I came up with Top 10 Paradigm Shifts for the Philippines (because it is happening elsewhere).
Some truths are painful. But don’t hate me, I am just pointing out the direction away from obsolescence. The paradigm shifts that are hard to happen or come by almost anywhere you go because of hardened traditions and close-mindedness. But they are all worth exploring. I think only when these new paradigms happen can we see big data used for good. Here are “shifts” I wish to see in this decade:
1) For business chambers and sectors to be led by entrepreneurs rather than corporate employees, and landlords; 2) For local government to be led by licensed professionals who are known in their fields of experience and exposure instead of professional politicians; 3) For enterprise organizations to be led by social enterprise and impact development professionals instead of individual business owners;
4) For universities to be led by instruction experts with years of industrial exposure instead of purely academicians; 5) For startup development and innovation initiatives to be led by innovation and business development professionals with extensive entrepreneurship experience instead of government theorists; 6) For environmental campaigns to be led by professionals knowledgeable in harnessing technology and creating green solutions aside from and together with environmental activists;
7) For arts and culture programs to be led by artistic catalysts with understanding on building creative spaces and putting together a culture of creativity and not just individual artists; 8) For media to be led by professionals with understanding of big data, data analytics, how public react to data and how data can mold public opinion for positive development instead of media trying to simply earn a living;
9) For women’s advocacies to be led by women (or men) aware and learned about mechanisms to make women more productive and contributory to the growth of their household and economy as respected members of society, and not just gender advocates shouting for equality; and 10) For youth development programs to be led by independent-minded, resourceful, creative and knowledgeable members of the new generation rather than just youth leaders of politicians.