Dear Philippines, you are doing fine. Joe
Analysis and Opinion
By Joe America
I posted a note on social media the other day in which I observed:
- Of 24 senators, I calculate there are five for China, five for Marcos, three for the Philippines, and 11 for themselves. I’ll have to run the calculations past my bookie for verification. He’s stoned right now. I think he had Boston.
The math is actually very encouraging. It suggests there is no totalitarian mainstream bunch of nutcases as in America’s dominant and sick MAGA movement that promotes lies, cruelty, and dumb decisions. The Philippines is a healthier democracy than the broken US.
True, it is bothersome that some senators would prefer that the Philippines subjugate herself to China. And it is worrisome that few seem to have a vision of a modern Philippines. They are reactive, always reactive. They are fluid as butterflies loyal to no flower, and seemingly conflate self interest with State policies . . . like those Villars. And the brothers and sisters who act like it is our fault for not getting an anti-dynasty law passed.
No one is created in our likeness, so we can expect the committees that run the country will be checking and balancing themselves in ways that endlessly amuse and confuse us.
One religious organization is feeling its oats, which is a cowboy expression for feeling frisky and headstrong. Oats are the catnip of the equine collective. INC now has their own obnoxious preacher in the Senate, that Marcoleta fellow. What a piece of work.. I hope Pope Leo, formerly “Bob” of Chicago, will pay a visit and fire up his flock. More religious checks and balances are always welcome. It is kind of the Muslim core in Mindanao to moderate their passions in favor of wealth-building. Atheists in the Philippines are generally scorned as heathens, but it is a soft scorn, not murderous like in Afghanistan. So it’s all good.
There are so many dynasts in the Philippines that none rules the national roost. And they do give local succor. Look it up. So it’s all good as well. After all, corruption is an industry here, rather like manufacturing but without the needless use of precious resources. Just look at the local dynastic boss as a CEO of his geography and you’ll recognize that the Philippines has the true capitalist spirit. Nevermind if Warren Buffet never pays a passing glance.
Remittances continue to paste a layer of stability over the Philippines. Just look at OFWs as the modern breed of Magellans and Columbuses who have adventured to other lands seeking to tame them by sheer force of numbers. And who ship their gold back home in a thoroughly modern electronic form.
It’s all good, by my calculation.
We should weep less, gripe less, and drink more.
The mango juice is all good.
The food is spectacular.
The landscape is magnificent.
So what if the basketball players are short.
The Philippines marches to the beat of its own drums, oil barrels cut in half.
And it’s all good.
_________________________
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
“Remittances continue to paste a layer of stability over the Philippines. Just look at OFWs as the modern breed of Magellans and Columbuses who have adventured to other lands seeking to tame them by sheer force of numbers. And who ship their gold back home in a thoroughly modern electronic form.”
Dang, Joe! This is poetry in prose. All this is true. Metaforz be with you. 🙂 🙂
Ha! Thank you, sonny. I enjoyed writing this article. It is pretty easy to love the Philippines. Metaforz be with you as well!
This is a paean to the Filipino spirit. Thanks, Joe!
My AI insecurities for PH seems ameliorate by Fintech and Techs rehring around the world. Sorry to say that the US IT professionals with high pay lose their jobs to offshore BPOs.
More room for reskilling and upskilling on the PH, but we should be wary of VN and other neighbors who might use AI to out English proficiency us in the voice BPO.
That’s true. BPOs are vulnerable, but I think the managers here are western skilled and should be able to compete. That’s my top of mind guess.
We are safe for now, because we no longer worry of India in the voice sector because they upgraded themselves. Vietnam is catching up, SG is the IT services leader but they are too small, so is Taiwan. We mustn’t only be “opportunists” ” but be a little “greedy” about our advantages
Nicely put. Greedy is indeed needed.
“but I think the managers here are western skilled and should be able to compete. “
I’m curious if these BPO managers, operations or HR or training , are in fact sharing information inspite of their corporate masters they serve to attempt to get ahead of A.I. like via professional associations or simply over coffee. and who are the politicians there, taking up this mantle?
Best if luck finding out. Let us know what you discover.
Sadly, I have no access to this stuff, Joe.
But i see the PBBM pronouncements of late and it does look like the Pinks/Yellows will be hung out to dry re impeachment. better to pivot to this issue imho. AI and BPO. cuz as of late last year, AI is nowww doing all the hiring and training. soon no more BPO. this is more serious i think than impeachment (which is more a Do Quixote expedition at this point). lots of ROI politically if Pinks/Yellows tackle this BPO/AI crisis instead and be the first to do so.
thanks, Joey. for answering my AI/BPO question on the other thread. i’m still playing around with Notebook LM. still blowing my mind the way it expresses humor and wonder. no robotic voice whatsoever. and that podcast feature, you can jump in and ask questions (like radio caller).
• Thailand has had a government policy of promoting the learning of English since the time of King Rama IV. English is a compulsory subject in Thai elementary and secondary schools. All those Filipino teachers not teaching in DepEd schools and going to Thailand instead are participating in public-private initiatives to teach English. The Thais aren’t learning English to become an English-speaking country (though that was proposed in the early 2010s), but to be able to participate in the global economy.
• Vietnam has similar government-sponsored policy of learning English, for the same reasons as Thailand. I wouldn’t be shocked if the next destination for Filipino teachers (who again are not teaching at DepEd schools) would be Vietnam in the near future.
• After Irineo shared the music video by the Indonesian group, I did more reading and was shocked to find that Indonesia also has a government policy for learning English. Certainly it is a lot different from the times I used to jaunt through Indonesia years ago, where Indonesians would apologize to me for their “bad English” because they were under the Dutch, and not the British like the Malaysians.
• Malaysians and Singaporeans of course already speak English.
It seems to me that the other SEA nations are trying to diversify their economies based on what natural resources they have. Resource-poor Singapore has heavy on services. Thailand and Vietnam got into manufacturing as farm mechanization freed up labor, and are now going into lower level services as automation frees up manufacturing labor. Indonesia and Malaysia have long had strong manufacturing economies based on good decisions made by leaders years ago. All the above choose positions in the supply chain and insert their own value-add, creating a more valuable product for export to the next step of the supply chain.
It’s really concerning that outside of modern looking cities, the Philippines is quite behind, especially the further out one goes into the rural provinces.
Totally agree with you , Joey.
I just hope Pinks/Yellows would just abandon their VP Sara retribution current tripping (given that PBBM is pro-VP Sara again),
and just focus on this. vis a vis AI & BPO as well as this competition from other ASEAN countries re English.
The Yellows and Pinks in the legislature hardly exist, so this nutso statement that they are behind Sara’s impeachment is you being a thoroughly modern turd tosser, making sure confusion and nonsense form the basis for modern thinking. A couple of leftists did stir up trouble by pointing out in hearings that stealing money is not right, and Senator De Lima is happy to provide some legal guidance. The House members get their funding from President Marcos, not Yellows and Pinks, so you completely miss the mark with your loopy ideas, detached from any reality but the fictions that increasingly consume your aging mind.
true, Joe. but Pinks/Yellows are taking center stage.
and based on PBBM’s messaging, he’s about to make amends with VP Sara.
its musical chairs wherein we all already know
Pinks/Yellows won’t have a seat, Joe. time to pivot to something more important is what am saying.
like the above. that’s why i asked which politicians are taking on this mantle? none. if none then Pinks/Yellows can take it and abandon the VP Sara impeachment.
Joey’s correct, Joe.
“The House members get their funding from President Marcos,”
I totally agree with this, Joe.
Remember I watched all the quad comm(ittees) hearings (well actually the ones where VP Sara showed up).
that’s why i said PBBM was the one to snow ball this impeachment thru the house (and you said well PBBM is compassionate etc.), PBBM ‘s hand was all over that,
then now its over at the senate wherein they will be donning their sacrosanct red robes and shit,
and notice who is talking reconciliation with VP Sara again??? that does not bode well for the Pinks/Yellows, Joe.
I’m reminded of a dung beetle I came across trekking over the barren Sahara, a red rocked wasteland with no apparent means to support such life. And yet, there it was, black and shiny about the size of a quarter, meandering casually along between this pebble or that. You are that beetle in a different dimension.
Yellows and Pinks are people who want the government to do a better job of taking care of Filipinos. The colorations are marketing, not substantive, and my guess is that the substance is growing. You can cast your vote on the future, but you cannot define it, whether Joey agrees with you or not. By my reading, he rarely does.
for sure Joey doesn’t agree with me about Pinks/Yellows pivoting to AI/BPO (and English) instead of VP Sara impeachment , Joe.
I am agreeing with Joey about the dire situation of Philippine BPO English and AI and “There is a sense of getting too comfortable in the Philippines.” — Joey
so nope, Joey will surely not agree with me; but I am agreeing with Joey, Joe.
there’s an opportunity here for Pinks/Yellows if they just abandon their roles in PBBM’s impeachment. theres still time.
— p.s. —
from A.I.
“In ancient Egyptian religion, scarab beetles were sacred because they represented the sun god Khepri, who was associated with creation and the rising sun. The beetles’ behavior of rolling dung balls, which serve as nests for their eggs, was seen as a symbol of the sun god’s daily cycle of rolling the sun across the sky. The Egyptians also believed that the young sun god was reborn each morning as a winged scarab beetle, bringing light and life to the land. “
I tend to think the beetles are living a very empty life and roll shit to keep living it.
Well i guess the main take away here re Joey’s quote is to not get too comfortable, Joe. and to keep on rolling. lol. whatever it is needs to be rolled.
They are rehiring people back LCX
https://www.hrkatha.com/news/ibm-rehires-after-ai-driven-layoffs-backfire-sparks-debate-on-automation-limits/
exhibit B
https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/news/after-firing-700-employees-for-ai-swedish-company-admits-their-mistake-and-plans-to-rehire-humans-what-went-wrong/ar-AA1F0AWf?cvid=605BC3546A0141598653E62D00CD598F&ocid=iehp#:~:text=3d-,After%20firing%20700%20employees%20for%20AI%2C%20Swedish%20company%20admits%20their,human%20workers%20with%20artificial%20intelligence.
2-3 years ago. looks like they just jumped the gun, karl. for sure voiced AI wasn’t perfected yet then. but will look for more like these stories see if theres a pattern, especially Philippines.
I still think it will be hybrid. Perfection(near) will take a very long time
IBM and Accenture have established comprehensive upskilling and reskilling programs in the Philippines, particularly targeting the BPO sector, to prepare the workforce for the evolving demands of the digital age.
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🇵🇭 Accenture Philippines: Empowering the BPO Workforce
1. Skills to Succeed (S2S) Academy
Launched in 2018 in collaboration with TESDA and various NGOs, the S2S Academy is a free online platform offering courses on soft skills, digital literacy, and job readiness. As of late 2022, over 145,000 Filipinos have benefited from this initiative, enhancing their employability in the IT-BPM sector.
2. Near-Hire Training Program
This program targets individuals who possess basic competencies but lack formal qualifications. Through a 15-day virtual training, participants are equipped with skills essential for entry-level roles in the BPO industry. Accenture collaborates with local government units in Metro Manila to reach a broader audience.
3. Continuous Employee Upskilling
Accenture emphasizes ongoing learning for its employees, offering training in areas like automation, cloud computing, data analytics, and cybersecurity. This approach ensures that the workforce remains adaptable and proficient in emerging technologies.
4. Academic Partnerships
To bridge the gap between academia and industry, Accenture has partnered with 10 universities, including Adamson University, to accelerate technology innovation and align curricula with industry needs.
—
🇵🇭 IBM Philippines: Building a Future-Ready Workforce
1. P-TECH and Open P-TECH Initiatives
IBM has introduced the P-TECH model in the Philippines, starting with Taguig City University. This program integrates high school, college, and workplace learning, enabling students to earn industry-recognized credentials. Additionally, Open P-TECH offers free digital education on emerging technologies and professional skills to learners aged 16 and above.
2. SkillsBuild Platform
Aimed at adult learners, SkillsBuild provides free courses in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, and programming. IBM collaborates with government agencies like the Department of Labor and the Commission on Higher Education to expand the platform’s reach.
3. Inclusive Learning Partnerships
IBM works with organizations such as the Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Project Inclusion Network to ensure that underserved communities, including persons with disabilities, have access to quality education and training opportunities.
—
📊 Snapshot: BPO Sector Upskilling in the Philippines
The Philippine BPO industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with a strong emphasis on upskilling to meet the demands of automation and digitalization. Programs by Accenture and IBM play a pivotal role in this transition, focusing on:
Digital Literacy: Equipping workers with skills in AI, cloud computing, and data analytics.
Soft Skills Development: Enhancing communication, problem-solving, and adaptability.
Inclusive Training: Providing opportunities for marginalized groups to participate in the digital economy.
These initiatives not only bolster the capabilities of the current workforce but also ensure that the Philippines remains a competitive hub for BPO services in the global market.
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Vietnam or other Southeast Asian countries may emerge as competitive alternatives to the Philippines in the BPO and call center industry, but replacing the Philippines as the top choice is unlikely in the near term. Here’s a breakdown:
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Why the Philippines Remains a Top Choice
1. English Proficiency and Cultural Affinity:
The Philippines has high English fluency and strong cultural alignment with Western countries, especially the U.S.
Filipino agents often have neutral accents and familiarity with American idioms, making customer service smoother.
2. Established Ecosystem:
The country has decades of BPO experience, government support (e.g., PEZA incentives), infrastructure, and a large talent pool.
3. Cost-Competitiveness with Quality:
Labor remains affordable, and quality of service is generally high compared to rivals.
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Why Other Countries Like Vietnam Are Rising
1. Diversification of Risk:
Clients are adopting a multi-country outsourcing strategy to spread geopolitical and operational risks.
2. Improving Talent and Infrastructure:
Vietnam is investing in English education and tech infrastructure.
Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand are also modernizing their service sectors.
3. Focus on IT and Non-Voice BPO:
Vietnam, for example, excels in IT outsourcing, software development, and fintech-related BPO, not just voice-based services.
—
Challenges Facing the Philippines
Overdependence on voice-based services.
Urban congestion and telecom issues.
Rising labor costs in some cities.
Brain drain and skill mismatch in tech-based BPO.
—
Conclusion
Vietnam and others will continue gaining ground in niche areas or specific verticals (IT, healthcare, finance), but the Philippines is likely to remain the global leader in voice-based BPO for the foreseeable future—if it addresses its challenges proactively, especially by shifting toward higher-value and AI-augmented services.
Would you like a comparative table of Southeast Asian countries in the BPO industry?
This is another story, LCX
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/raymond-to-form-task-force-vs-fraudulent-bpo-operations
As an otoh to my previous posts.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/americas-biggest-bank-jpmorgan-chase-to-managers-resist-hiring-remember-attrition-is-/articleshow/121289495.cms
Wonderful. The CEO tells employees that they don’t tell JP Morgan what to do. Yep. Mind your hubris.
Thanks Karl. That confirms my guess that the BPO industry here is in professional hands and able to compete with other nations.
Most welcome.
It is in foreign hands but that is OK.
Guess the time for own global players like India’s IT giants (some of which also have offices in the Philippines) hasn’t come yet.
“but the Philippines is likely to remain the global leader in voice-based BPO for the foreseeable future—if it addresses its challenges proactively, “
Guys, I’m playing around with Notebook LM and this feature they have of the podcast in which you can interject, essentially like a call center customer… and its talking like a human. and this is the free stuff offered by Google (Gemini powered)!!!
I think you guys are wrong here. Joey and gian are more realists to you guys idealist view on this.
Which in end we can have that difference we are not time travelers.
My point in all this is just for Pinks/Yellows to tackle this issue instead of ostriches in the sand no see no care don’t know re BPO, which is Joey’s “too comfortable” description. abandon the impeachment.
There is no binary choice between BPOs and impeachment for the liberal sector. BPOs are a business matter, not a political matter. Impeachment is a political matter that is NOT being driven by the liberal sector but by various political interests, including the VPs abraisive manner and apparent thieving. Liberals are engaged because it’s a big deal. There is no leadership saying “do this, do that”. It is organic. Your armchair remarks holding that Yellows and Pinks are dumbheaded are out to lunch. Clueless as to the dynamics.
loss of BPO thru A.I. is a national security issue, Joe. leadership can come from multi national corporations or local private sector, ur right, but
most importantly from public sector, as public sector is also run by oligarchial Filipinos– unlike over here (lots of businesses and industries).
PBBM is pulling out of impeachment, we both know already that nothing will come out of the impeachment. you even said it yourself, odds are slim. so why go thru the motions? just for show?!!
focus on BPO/A.I. issue. prepare for whats coming.
Joey said it best you are twisting yourself like a pretzel(paraphrased)
Your attempted analogy or whatever does not compute.
Since you have mentioned impeachment. But please quit the move away from impeachment pinks, no chance in hell focus on AI.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/05/24/2445394/bato-sara-has-numbers-senate-impeachment-trial
So 9 will turn their blind eye on all the evidence yet to be presented.
If for pete’s sake that the evidence will remove some blinders, it is still not sure ball
NOW on your focus in AI the sky is falling….
I do not see all listed closing shop within 10 years, but we will never know.
https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/07/11/23/list-best-places-to-work-in-it-bpo-sector
karl,
But PBBM himself is pulling out of it. what are the Pinks/Yellows going to do when VP Sara gets acquitted? cuz like in the House, PBBM i’m sure paid congressmen/women here and there to get the impeachment to the Senate. w/out any grease for the wheels of justice cuz change of heart due to the election results, it’s dead on arrival.
But the two issues are connected, karl. no pretzels here, more like a fork on the road. which waaay to go. that’s the question.
Lcpl, with the recent election of Pope Leo XIV, I watched a few videos on YouTube from official Vatican channels. Now when I open YouTube the algorithm slams me with tons of “Christian” conspiracy theory videos. One can quickly fall down the rabbit hole after innocently clicking on an interesting looking video. I tried to train YouTube’s algorithm by marking the bad videos as “not interested,” “don’t recommend channel” to no avail. The only solution was to completely clear my YouTube history to reset the algorithm. Such is the power of engagement algorithms that steer information consumers towards sensationalism that tries to clumsily connect disparate issues together. The birth of conspiracy theories.
That characterizes what is going on well. Click one of those sensationalist videos and suddenly similar trash becomes the main content of the feed. I think many enjoy the titillation of dirt and scandal, thus, the rise of the irrational and fall of sense. Rabbit hole culture.
The algorithms on the main social media sites are very aggressive. Facebook gets a bad rap for their rage farming algorithm, and deservedly so, but the far more dangerous engagement algorithms are those of TikTok and YouTube. YouTube is the realm of conspiracy theorists who in times past would need to write each other physical letters through mailing lists and advertisements in alt-zines. TikTok’s algorithm has the PRC and her allies heavily insulated from any criticism, while promoting loud but small groups like the Western pro-Hamas crowd over even the voices of real Palestinians in Gaza begging for a fair peace. I’m just annoyed that I spent years curating my YouTube algorithm, and now had to clear the history due to inadvertently clicking on a misleading video. Well, starting over again is better than being sucked down a conspiratorial rabbit hole I suppose.
karl,
re A.I. if you notice most of the articles you’re sharing are 2023 etc. the whole ChatGPT LLM stuff blew up just last year into this year 2025, and if you’re tracking the pace of which its developing its exponential. which makes sense that AI is already handling the hiring in BPO. so this next season of training come August 2025 those will be Filipinos hired 100% by A.I. then you have to imagine 2026, then 2027, then 2028. but 2028 election this whole A.I. stuff will have snow balled, why am surprised no one’s saying Sky is Falling. cuz it is.
Much of the present conversation around AI is a battle between the evangelists who believe in the “Singularity” (the moment AI goes AGI) and the other side who are alarmists. Both believe in AI as in the sci-fi version of it as made superficial in movies, not even the version in sci-fi novels, and interpret their movie-version understanding in what way that aligns with their prior bias.
The reality is AI will never achieve AGI because while a creation may reflect its maker, sometimes reflect even well, creation is still but a reflection. Current AI consists of out-of-touch programmers ordered to code it out by out-of-touch evangelists who misunderstood some “cool” sci-fi movie, trained on bad datasets (social media posts). The two most telling signs of the so-called AI being a failure is: 1.) The need to constantly “patch” out hallucinations and 2.) The requirement of throwing immense resources to “train” AI on something a child can easily accomplish mentally. For all the effort to patch out hallucinations, AI still can only regurgitate the datasets was given. Perhaps to an unknowledgeable person AI’s regurgitations seem amazing, but to someone with a bit of knowledge it can be seen for what it is, a clunky summarization and rewording of existing data. Nothing new was created. No new insight was gained. You see, in the sci-fi novels that these AI charlatans misunderstand is that theoretical future AI has access to an electronic version of the human brain. As humans barely have scratched the surface of understanding on neuroscience, how can humans create an artificial intelligence construct? It’s mostly a sham.
The obscene amount of money being dumped into AI is a sign of capitalist excess dedicating resources towards fads rather than towards actual things that would help facilitate positive outcomes for all humanity — food security and access to health for example. At the end of the day, we lose interest in fads and for all the money dumped on “AI” in its present form, it will just be a set of scripted processes because that’s all a computer program really is, a serious of programmed (aka scripted) processes. It seems to me that if we want to further automate stuff, we could’ve done it for much less effort and resources.
Joey, yup my youtube definitely knows me. and knows what I want. lol. but i interject different things now and then to keep it balanced. or not. love my rabbit holes.
re VP Sara and impeachment this is just a long pattern of mine re Pinks/Yellows. has nothing to do with A.I. per se,
but I’m using the A.I. and BPO issue for Pinks/Yellows to pivot to cuz impeachment will surely be balancing negative for them. now I understand that theres a lot of hype surrounding A.I.
and I’ve been talking A.I. for awhile here as well, karl knows… even got into an argument with Bill Oz (from Australia) i think he was an A.I. denier. and that was when we just had Siri out for consumers.
So although as Luddite i’m just using the free basic stuff, like Notebook LM/Gemini and Grok, I am tracking that this thing is improving like every month (daily i’m sure if i was a tech guy).
when I caught that stuff about BPO in Cebu hiring via A.I. 100%, I was like man BPO for sure is going down.
“it will just be a set of scripted processes because that’s all a computer program really is, a serious of programmed (aka scripted) processes.”
cuz at the end of the day you’re also correct here:
“the BPO industry exists solely because scripted interaction is cheaper to export overseas to cheaper labor markets — a business function that can be replaced by AI in the near future, “
so you have to balance those two conclusions, and prepare for worst case scenarios which is by 2028 lots of young unemployed people. Pinks/Yellows can offer leadership here.
I have not heard of any significant use of AI mandated by clients in Philippine BPOs, Cebu or not.
No idea who Bill Oz is. Not sure what is the value in arguing with randos on the internet.
The situation with BPOs is a private business matter, with some room for *present* elected government to provide guidance along the margins. There are other, more practical businesses that can be attracted to the Philippines. BPO requires some English knowledge, which means most DEs (who can’t speak English well, or even Tagalog/mother language well) are effectively cut out. Manufacturing can be done regardless of language skills.
Bill of OZ was a long timer here, Joey.
i remember we agreed pretty much (he was same age as Joe i think with Filipina wife in Australia). so he was offended as to my pro-EJK stance then (as was everyone). but I remember that A.I. argument (wasn’t really that long) cuz his stance was really weird, his was that A.I. will never happen. that jobs won’t disappear that robots won’t take over manual jobs, this was before LLM when we realized A.I. was actually gunning for work like legal and medical and journalism. thus memorable.
oh there was one time also, cuz I was prone to quote Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson back then… Bill was all like nobody cares about those American forefathers!!! the rest of the world doesn’t care about them, and I was like you guys are living in an American century. etc. etc. that was a better debate i think cuz then i had to Google more about them . lol. A.I. more memorable given what we know now.
“Not sure what is the value in arguing with randos on the internet.”
This is how i learn, Joey. plus its fun. though most people who troll don’t really get how the process is done. those amateurs just have an argument one off and people are left feeling dirty. for example here, and thanks to Joe for publishing all my points and counter points, now we have list of commentaries that Pinks/Yellows can read thru and maybe actually apply into the real world.
So arguments, as in the real world, Joey, hones ideas. randos or professional or whoever, you engage in argument and you win or lose, you come out better for it. than not having undergone it. the value is in the arguing in and of itself.
“which means most DEs (who can’t speak English well, or even Tagalog/mother language well) are effectively cut out.”
You’re the one who told me that you only have to be a high school graduate, and not a good one at that too, since all you need is to speak English well (which they don’t teach in schools there, but via youtube internet etc you learn to speak English thus get a BPO job).
So I am thinking BPO is a real big industry there, so if theres this A.I. menace coming, politicians should take heed. not just as something to fix or get ahead of, but as opportunity for votes.
BPO is a big Philippines industry. Also true that many BPO jobs only require high school and English. But those who get into BPO are outlier Filipinos, who take their own initiative. If they ask for guidance to get into BPO, which they often do, that is also a form of initiative. The problem is for every BPO worker there are 2, 3, or more underemployed and unemployed adults at home. Some Filipino breadwinners are taking care of the entire “tribe.”
Now we can call those staying at home tambays, or we can also characterize them as not being confident enough (a form of diskarte) to get into BPO or even OFW. Manufacturing requires skilled labor which can be taught be foremen who know English let’s say. Manufacturing is a step towards industrialization and modernization which the Philippines cannot ignore or skip. While the factory worker might be uneducated, the job itself through being paid better and having consistent work is what brings dignity to the person. Anything is better than being a tambay or being reduced to take on inconsistent jobs like manual labor.
Since you’re very well equipped to win arguments, I am even more convinced as ever that in real life you’re very successful and a retired millionaire. I am just a common working man and do not have the time to engage in random arguments for the sake of arguing.
LCPL_X lives in his Corolla and uses the Wifi of the Korean grocery whose parking lot he is also allowed to use in exchange for being a lookout.
They allow him to use the shower once a week. OK this is all imagined.
“or we can also characterize them as not being confident enough (a form of diskarte) to get into BPO or even OFW. “
I remember talking to folks there who were employed on ships and cruise ships got in trouble for fights and or petty crimes and got sent back.
Also talked to a dude who had just come back from Iraq as a truck driver. got shot whilst delivering in convays to and fro Iraq. seemed like he was sub contracted on the run to the Iraqi invasion. (that was an interesting story).
Not sure if you were in Cebu for this incident: https://asiatimes.com/2019/05/ex-marine-dies-in-police-shootout-in-cebu/
“A Filipino-American who was a former US marine died in a shootout with the police after running amok and killing his stepson and one other man in Talisay City, Cebu in the Philippines.”
lots of Fil-Am vets (US Navy mostly) just being tambays there too. they set out to return, things didn’t quite work out. I didn’t know that dude in the article, but I met plenty like him.
My point, confidence probably has less to do with being tambay but more on luck. just something you cannot control, Joey. Like I’m a millionaire , due to God’s grace not cuz of anything i’ve done remotely competitively with other humans. its all in God’s hands, Joey.
So the element of luck has to be factored in as part of empathy. though before karl jumps in re EJK (to set me straight), sometimes tambays deserve EJK too thats also part of luck or what Filipinos know as karma. just like that US Marine in Talisay Cebu featured in that article.
But how people become tambays, that’s more a product of luck than confidence is my point. <<<<<
„LCPL_X lives in his Corolla and uses the Wifi of the Korean grocery whose parking lot he is also allowed to use in exchange for being a lookout.“
LOL! a millionaire Korean lookout, Ireneo. 😉
ps. — but doesn’t charge anyone for premiums. lol.
karl,
I watch these youtube videos of hackers (good guys their channel is about exposing online fraud) hacking into these call center illegal operations. it used to be just India. in which they’d actually hack into their cameras so you see the fraudsters in real time doing their thing. lately, its in Cebu. showing specific buildings in the IT park area. and showing Filipinos badger customers (called a hard sell here) into giving their money.
So i’m also thinking that s maybe part of the symptoms. eg. things are getting desperate. cuz it was all India before now Philippines. but then again those guys will also be out of the job because of A.I. so legal and illegal operations alike. especially those porn cameras Joey was talking about, i’ve seen A.I. porn videos and they look super real, karl. i mean i had my eyes partially closed but everything was intact to titillate. coundnt tell the difference.
Unfortunately scams are real. Solutions and resolutions should never stop but there are other problems that should be multitasked and not set aside
2 fears right now have to write somewhere.
AI will kill most low value BPO. Not enough talent to upskill as the mass promotion of students have killed learning.
Remittances will go down because of what’s happening in the US right now. The Philippines has a lot of people everywhere except Mainland. Whenever a place becomes rich we go there as workers, professionals (nurses/doctors/architects/engineers). First time this is not happening or hasn’t happened yet is mainland. If we do not have a sizeable presence in mainland China we lose out on the stabilization offered by being one of the workers of the world.
Thanks, gian! I think you and Joey have the pulse this.
Maybe the solution is what Joey (and myself) have been suggesting: move up the global food chain. India no longer offers just labor it offers full service packages. Romania as well.
The POGO experience shows that China might not need or want Philippine workers, though it was a good deal for some in terms of rent-seeking, though it leaves Filipinos who aren’t in on the deal with crumbs, even more dependent on the “datu” to use Joey’s analogy.
From what I read about POGO, they even imported Chinese or Vietnamese prostitutes, meaning not even that (being very cynical) is left as a job opportunity for Filipinos in that business. At most, they can be drivers or sell them food. So it is going down the food chain.
Even Ilocanos on Hawaiian plantations or Tagalogs on Spanish galleons had more dignity.
In Dubai, white collar qualified Filipinos can have good jobs. The Mainland Chinese outside HK might still see Filipinos like Saudis allegedly do. I wonder if too much reliance is wise.
nawala sa baba ang aking response Irineo
A Silent Gen retired engineer Filipino American (since passed) once told me when I was a high school student that “Filipinos are the Mexicans of Asia.” Of course being an idealistic youth I was very offended that he would talk down on “his own people.” Well, I had barely begun my Philippines journey at that time. This late gentleman had taken part in American-led public works projects of the Commonwealth and early Third Republic eras, but had since migrated to the US. What he meant decades ago is that the Philippines’ only export of note is human labor, just like Mexico of that time period. Well, Mexico rapidly rose into a top economy. Mexicans don’t want to migrate anymore as there is much to build at home. Big changes, either positive or negative, can happen within a generation (20 years or so) if there is a popular will to do so.
Actually the biggest problem that I’ve observed Filipinos both in government and society doing is too much comparing themselves to others, then trying to reason out the best strategy to be equal or surpass. No matter about the impossibility of coming up with a strategy with no basis in knowledge in the first place, knowledge that is gained by doing rather than strategizing. With every “rival” that passes one self or the nation up, the strategy is both shattered and wasted, now with the gap even larger. The logical step would be to analyze what the rival did to gain success then emulate that until one has experience and thus knowledge. But nope, it almost has to be reasoning out a strategy to jump in one fell swoop from the bottom to the top of the ladder, because loosing one’s footing and falling down to the bottom will sure show up those rivals! Perseverance matters a lot in building character and resilience, but is it really perseverance done, or is it performing of perseverance? Somehow it needs to be taught that action is an important part of progress.
So the concern is that, structurally, the Philippines has two pillars being weakened? BPOs and remittances? BPOs are a labor cost + English pillar with AI able to do both. Remittances are a labor cost + willingness to do service work pillar. Politics are pressuring the US and China.
I tend to think that the cost advantage is real and the Philippines will slot in as the labor provider to some extent at BPOs and to a growing extent in manufacturing, agriculture, and trade. So it won’t be a crash, just a mushing around. I think demographics will drive an increasing need for service workers in Japan, China, and elsewhere and the Philippines will be a big supplier of service workers. The Trump effect is striking everywhere so the world will adapt and move on, needing the US less, not more. Remittances from the US will likely drop as Filipinos are kicked out and remittances are taxed at 5%. Again, not a crash but a mushing about.
China and Elon Musk are racing towards a robotic future.
I will be a bit of an ass.
The future work available requires high cognitive skills. Interactions with a lot of young people makes me think if we do not fix education we are cooked.
Education is in crisis but everyone is chill. I think that is what irks me the most.
Personally I think education has been terrible in the Philippines for a long time, but the lockdowns were a convenient scapegoat to blame. Sometimes when I read the posted board passers lists in the media and see the various schools, I can’t help but chuckle a bit. Some of those private schools in fact provide a terrible education despite high tuition fees. The top notchers should be commended, but their accomplishments were despite of not because of the education they availed. Is it sustainable to ride high on the accomplishments of so few? A microcosm of the many problems that exist. I’d rather more students receive a great general education, than to pin the nation’s hopes on the personal success of too few.
I think went downhill 70s onwards. Lots of ink used by MLQ3 to drive the point of losing the generations that grew up in the Commonwealth era
Sometimes relitigating the past is like spilled milk, but I do think it’s important to have lessons learned to understand why something happened in order to begin to repair the problem. Marcos Sr. has blame, but I consider him to have been a symptom of societal crumbling rather than its outright destroyer.
My theory is as the Vietnam War wound down, American investment into SEA declined. The Philippines was probably the last country affected by the drawback due to the propensity for American leaders to feel guilty about past wrongs (the American colonial period in this instance). It could very well be that the Third Republic was not successful in having the Philippines stand straight on her own two feet, because of various domestic issues, namely lack of unity that existed during the guerrilla resistance against Imperial Japan.
Building true unity around a Filipino identity rather than Tagalog, then a Tagalog but with other ethnic flavor, identity probably will be the most important task to face. Until this day, I’m not sure if this problem is even close to having possible solutions. We Americans have it much easier because our identity is to ideals from the beginning rather than blood ties.
I agree. I think we are ready for a technocrat strong man ala LKY CKS or Deng.
Biggest baddest datu.
The support of DDS to the previous admin especially now when they are weak shows that there is power in identity politics that can be harnessed.
For sure there is an allure in a “good dictator.” I’m sure Marcos Sr. had mostly good intentions when he started as well. The problem is that absolute power has a tendency to corrupt, and LKY is an aberration to that maxim. Even those authoritarians who were sort of good like Deng or CKS, once they were gone the system swung quickly back to equilibrium. The KMT today is a fascist party, just like the CCP it shared an origin with once Sun Yat-sen died prematurely. The possible solution is to change the rest state to create a new equilibrium through democratic processes, however imperfect.
Another issue with the big datu is that especially the Filipino masses often still tend to think that one can rule the Philippines like a barangay. My semi-satirical article (one can still hear a bit of a dandy speaking there) mentioned a national village.
Bonifacio probably just meant Tagalogs when he spoke of Katagalugan, those who thought he meant the Philippines were likely wrong or thought the Philippines was Katagalugan Plus, but the question I asked a bit later was who really knows the Philippines.
Indonesia is de facto under Javanese rule, no single President there was not Javanese, but their culture has a sense of scale that is bigger due to having had Majapahit before. Well, Filipinos might be learning as pambarangay is used as a word for something lacking.
Duterte definitely ruled his city like a big barangay and tried to do that nationally, but that doesn’t scale well. Marcos Jr. due to his father understands national a bit better.
Budots during campaigns was simply modern Mambo Magsaysay BTW.
The ultimate fix would be federalization, but not in the way B-movie Cebuano thinkers in the Duterte camp think. Duterte’s camp thinks of federalization as more of a confederation where there will be Bisaya sphere and a Tagalog sphere, damned be every other Filipino ethnic group. There needs to be federalization along the lines of the US, Canada, Australian, or German system where each province can push for their interests.
But the Philippines is not ready for federalization. To do a federal project there needs to exist an underlying unifying idea that ties together all the states/provinces, something that barely exists in the Philippines at this point. In the US, Canada, Australia that underlying idea is identity through the respective constitutions, not blood. I can’t speak to the German underlying idea as much as previously what brought the various German micro states together was a Germanic culture (blood) per my understanding.
A federal system like any democratic idea needs nurturing. The US presently has become a bit Balkanized over the previous decades as “red” states pushed for their own identity (“Christian,” White race, two most prominent examples) over an identity to the US Constitution. This causes brittleness which needs fixing by reminding Americans of the commonalities shared with peoples of other American states. This common ideal is the emollient that softens the brittle edges of isolating identity.
The Philippines will need to find her own identity, perhaps with part acknowledgement to the past, and part acknowledgement to beneficial foreign incidences, while looking to the future. A Filipino identity that ties together all Filipinos regardless of ethnic or religious grouping would be the emollient needed.
As someone who was jeprox (certified as I watched Mike Hanopol in UP as a teen) our generation resisted the toxic competitiveness of the generation before us that had my father saying he should have been valedictorian not salutatorian only in high school – when he was already a UP Full Professor with a summa cum laude in college and a Sorbonne doctorate with a perfect grade. That toxic culture had people harping on how VP Leni repeated the bar exam as a justification for calling her boba, while praising my pet peeve (and I believe not so smart) Persida Acosta due to her being among the Top 10 in the Bar Exam. It had my uncle stop his law studies due to fear of failure as my grandfather wanted him to top the bar at all costs.
A Latina once told me that the word bobo is close to obsolete in South America. Our folks must have been called bobo so often by the Padre Damasos of old that it was engraved into us all. Probably, we should find a better way to educate and not go back to the 1950s ways.
Ireneo, over here there’s Bobatime which i think is a Korean franchise but the ones that have bought into said franchise (thus franchiseeee) are Filipino-Americans. they ask their nurse or bureaucrat (local to county to state) parent and they buy into said franchise with supply already built in. during COVID lock down when they shut down all the restaurants, drive thrus thrived but Bobatime specifically cuz they seal their drinks making it seem sanitize. Hispanics and whites as well as Asian s love it. some blacks. the customer demographics is wide. so in this case, cuz i got to talking to the owner who owned a bunch of these Bobatime establishments whose friends also did the same. Koreans seem to have streamlined this product, with Filipinos buying into it– plug and play for them.
“how VP Leni repeated the bar exam as a justification for calling her boba, “
just read x post now
https://x.com/LTF_01/status/1926348842510823698
A lot of things we take for granted is less than 150 years. Primarily education as we know it is. We need more experimentation in the space.
The more we try to put everything in a box like standardized testing introduces reactions that make things less effective for certain stuff.
Dynasties in the National Arena.
Marcos? Dutete? Brothers and Sisters in the Senate?
Solid North, Davao,Taguig, Las Pinas, wherever is Tulfolandia.
solid north has bifurcated, one road leads to bong marcos, the other road to imee. with bong marcos asking for unity as if he has not enough being his sister’s punching bag, and with his hirelings in undue self regulatory mass resignations thanks to him, that must be one weird unity bong marcos is attempting. only for him to be told later that unity does not mean putting law and order asunder just to be friendly with some politicians and writing off crimes committed by them. lawmakers made it clear that the president’s call for unity will not impede sara’s impeachment.
when duterte clan made a demand that for bong marcos to be united with them, he must bring digong back from the hague, ayan mister nice guy has apparently shot his own foot.
anyhow, the garcia dynasty in cebu has been dealt a bad blow. gwen is gone and pam is in.
BBM answer was hands off sya sa impeachment for one. .
The decision to make Digong come home is out of his hands totoo naman Di na nya madiktahan ang ICC but as to the ICC prosecution’s track record of having its cases lose when appealed or lose outright is another story.
If Leni does not run, would PH be fine with Risa?
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/946875/hontiveros-open-to-possibility-of-running-in-2028-presidential-race/story/
The Libs would, because Leni Robredo has already anointed her the woman to be in charge of the independent opposition. She’d have to have a powerful social media force to counter the lies trolls would dispense against her. But she for sure has the brains and character to be an excellent President.
Yes, she should not be too hands on on social media, she needs a force.
From a man who totally misread the mess in the 4 years Biden-era, who condemns Musk and Trump’s efforts to eradicate government financial waste and abuse, who thinks’ MAGA policies of deportation of murderers and rapists are wrong, who thinks Trump’s tariffs against China is wrong, or the effort to bring peace in Ukraine is not right, or going after the truth of the pandemic madness is also wrong, or their was no accolade deserved for Musk’s team in bringing the two astronauts abandoned by Biden in space, of the strong force used against the Houthis so that cargo ships can flow via the Red Sea and bring goods with lower transportation cost to Philippines is no good, the trillions of US$ various countries and corporations have planned to invest in US in the current admin are somehow not good, getting rid of DEI and promoting meritocracy is also somehow not good, etc etc.
He has his hearts for Philippines. Just hope he has a better vision of Philippines than he has of US.
I bet he still thinks Biden is one of the best presidents of our time, despite being warned for four years of his mental incapacity by Foxnews since 2019. I have an autopen here for sale, anyone.
Jimi, it is not me who measures presidential talents, it is historians, smart people who read a lot and read widely, and have standards and metrics to go by, and consider Fox news and conspiracy vendors to be flakes, who consider Joe Biden top 20 and Donald Trump bottom 5. Sorry for your ignorance. Condolences. Read more. Worship less.
Joe, let’s not fall into the trap many Filipinos get themselves into laughing at the misfortune of other countries to justify the lack of significant progress in the Philippines. It breeds complacency. After all, the US’s current misfortune is but temporary and I would never bet against the America in the long run. The US is a superpower not because of its military or economy; America is a superpower because America creates Americans. No matter how much migrants cling to the ways of the old country, their children become Americans bringing with them diversity of thought and experience.
I did see the report on The Inquirer the other day of “overseas Filipino remittances up 2.6% in March,” which some Filipino friends touted to me as a sign of success. Well, the next day The Inquirer ran a follow up story “overseas Filipinos’ March remittance growth slowest in 9 months,” with possible cause being the souring of the global economy. I get it that other developing nations, notably in Africa, have government bureaus that track remittance inflows as for developing nations remittances are an important contributor to economic growth. Same goes for touting the success of the BPO industry without recognizing that the BPO industry exists solely because scripted interaction is cheaper to export overseas to cheaper labor markets — a business function that can be replaced by AI in the near future, after all this would just be an evolution of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems which have existed since the 1970s. Putting so many of a country’s economic eggs into a few baskets without having alternatives seems like bad planning for the future to me. Not to mention that other countries that went through the sending workers abroad or BPO phase used the remittances to level up their economies, not engage in hyper-consumerism of imported goods sold by mega-vendors owned by oligarchical capture.
Of course, I always caveat to my educated Filipino friends that if the Philippines is happy with the status quo, then sure why not, it works most of the time. It is the educated class of Filipinos who have the education, economic and political power in order to change the Philippines into a more modern country that produces people and things to be proud of, rather than searching overseas for a Filipino connection. The problem then, is that many educated Filipinos are also comfortable with the status quo that protects their own privilege. The very basis of the democratic process and equity requires the privileged to give up (a little) power to spread good to the rest of society.
There is a difference between the Germanic people who let Roman aqueducts fall into disuse after Rome left and could never make them work again, and modern Germans who were able to rebuild their cities after WW2 bombings heavily damaged them.
Filipinos are somewhere in between that. In the midst of a Metro Manila water crisis in 2019, an engineer in pension came forward who still knew what had been built in US times and still was known back in the 1970s. See FB post.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CQyjvuhxH/
In areas of the former Western Roman Empire that kept more elements of Roman culture (the Romance language countries) they kept the aqueducts going for quite some time. There are some Roman aqueducts in Spain and France that enjoyed continued use until after WWII. There were varying reasons but mainly it had to do with retaining the knowledge to maintain the aqueduct system in areas that were not razed by the Germanic tribes, as one of the common war tactics of German tribes was to sabotage the aqueduct serving the city they were about to attack.
I have mused time and again why the Philippines has a hard time retaining knowledge, as in other instances of American colonization it did not seem to me that the US kept knowledge from the native people. My rough conclusion is the datu-barangay relationship that is still prominently underneath the surface in the Philippines where the people are taken cared of by the leader and need not know how to do things themselves. I noticed that when a Filipino unlocks knowledge and expertise to level up, that Filipino is often both expected to be somewhat like a datu and also derided as not a “pure” Filipino anymore. There is a weird obsession with “pureness” in the Philippines… I myself had been asked if I am a “pure” Filipino or a “half” Filipino many a time. At once it seemed to be a mark of legitimacy, but also kind of a put down in a way. Of course when I reply “Amerikano” that elicits an entirely different reaction.
I had some thought about the Indonesian provincial houses you mentioned in the music video, and yes, Indonesian rumah adat do look similar to bahay kubo as both probably derived from ancient Austronesian stilted houses. There’s a difference in Indonesia though. Indonesians have found a way to respect their ancient customs, somewhat like rustic nostalgia in some European countries, yet still become forward looking. In the Philippines it seems reversed where there seems a tendency to cling to the past, with modern things being more like accoutrements or trinkets layered on top without pulling things forward. I always stress that that’s fine too, if that’s what Filipinos want. But if Filipinos want what other countries, and indeed neighbors, have achieved, then they need to push the Philippines forward.
I came across a hilarious Wikipedia article:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Cultural_achievements_of_pre-colonial_Philippines
Note how this article has very little actual research in it, and very few edits in the last 16 years. Perfect encapsulation of the need to justify the “accomplishments” of Filipinos that I rarely see in other cultures. A Filipino actually went out of his/her way to make this! Btw there were sections about fake inventions like the yo-yo and fluorescent light here that were removed according to the wiki talk stub lol.
This need to have accomplished everything originally and not learned from others is a bit like the need for the datu to appear invincible and infallible. It seems almost obvious to me that it isn’t a coincidence that the first civilizations grew where three continents meet (Egypt, Sumer) and the most isolated people, those who settled Australia 40 thousand years ago, stayed at a basic level. Development is driven by contact and competition.
Those who don’t believe in learning from others stay stuck. Like the Philippines.
The pressure of living along cultural crossroads was useful to other nations for sure, something the Philippines did not have historical access to along the Austronesian migration path and contact with other peoples. But the present sobering reality is that the Philippines by way of pushing out multiple waves of OFW and diaspora by this point absolutely has access to the cultural, government and academic repository of the world *now*, probably more than any other peoples on this Earth.
It’s not much the exposure but what one does with that exposure. Other nations seem to attract their diaspora and students studying abroad back to build their nation with the new learnings picked up living among more advanced society. Outside of the small cadre of forward thinkers who surrounded PNoy, from what I’ve seen it’s more likely for a returning Filipino to become a datu with what they had learned. Ok I get it that there a non-zero number of returning Filipinos who want to help make change, but it seems like those are frequently crushed by other elites who want to maintain their position in society. Why effectuate change that might cause others to challenge power enabled by information learned abroad, when one can both a datu to the dependent performing what amounts to modern day magic to impress the masa?
My observation is that Filipinos from all walks of life tend to cluster too close together when abroad. What probably made Rizal realize a lot of things is that he spent time FAR from the incestuous ilustrado cliques in Spain.
The barkadahan and chismis of nearly everyone from UP Alumni associations abroad to some random Province X associations makes most Pinoys rarely realize what the lessons of the host country can really be.
Then, of course, you have the pressure of those back home or in cliques abroad who see anyone bringing in new ideas as not sufficiently Filipino anymore.
Other ethnic diaspora also form their own enclaves to feel a bit of the comfort of their missed homeland where they can have the familiar food smells and language. Here in the US there are countless examples of Italian, Irish, Mexican, Korean, and so on enclaves with each generation of immigrants creating new enclaves. The difference it seems is other ethnic groups seemed to take the new concepts they learned eventually back to their mother country.
Many of the Filipino diaspora seem to use what they learned abroad to become datus if they go back home. Even those who go back to do charity work seemed to be treated as datus, which I have felt firsthand from my own experience doing charity work in the country.
I’ve traveled extensively across Latin America and I’ve observed some trend lines that appear to go back to whether that modern country was a former center of Spanish administration or a colonial backwater. The Latin American countries that were viceroyalties and administered the backwater provinces correlate with the Latin American countries that have had the most success, such as Mexico. The outlier in the negative is what constituted the former Viceroyalty of New Grenada (Colombia, Venezuela), but even within this former Spanish Empire territory Panama does well from close association with the US despite the lack of natural resources in a small territory. Former backwaters like El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras are especially broken and ravaged by local warlords masquerading as politicians. But Costa Rica was also a former backwater that gained success as a shining example of good governance. The reality is that the Spanish Philippines was a colonial backwater.
History is a good teacher that can inform us. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” but so too does clinging to the past become a convenient excuse to the failures of today. When the past becomes warped by justification into hazy glory days that need to be returned to, whether that is some supposed great “ancient unified Filipino culture” or a supposedly perfect revolutionary movement, reality loosens and it becomes hard to progress into the future.
Well, even abroad, there can be datus, especially during early phases of migration to a new country. In Germany, the leaders of the two major Pinoy associations of the 1970s and early 1980s were the wife of a major nursing recruiter and a Filipina in a Catholic charity (!) who was professionally tasked to take care of Filipinos. As soon as Filipinos here got more savvy, local organizations or groups based on the region they came from sprung up with their own datu like personalities. Less of that now as the people are more established and the Internet makes it possible for newcomers to inform themselves better. Nurses coming here often inform each other via vlogs of those who come before them. Less chance for wannabe datus.
I tend to wonder since knowledge is power whether the datu power structures among Pinoys are due to knowledge being used to hold power, while they tend to dissolve if knowledge is used to empower like it was among Filipinos here longer, or the new internet-savvy migrants.
So things could still change as time passes.
I think a charitable observation would be that every culture went through the datu-barangay phase. Then “big datu”-state phase, while the Philippines mindset is still stuck in the datu-barangay. The paradigm change in Western Europe seemed to be the democratization of knowledge following Gutenberg’s printing press. Both Western European sphere and East Asian sphere always had a high regard for knowledge though, in the form of monastic societies in the West and legalist scholars manning the governments in the East. Though in all these examples there were still some form of gate-keeper who can interpret the knowledge despite the printing press because the masses are too easily distracted by minstrel shows, circuses and public spectacle to interpret information for themselves.
Today information is further democratized via the Internet, yet there is a tendency to lean towards the sensational spectacle which so titillates the primitive parts of the human brain. I never ceased to be amazed at how Filipinos seem to know the latest “on trend” things online. Even if the content was originally created by some Western influencer, Filipinos are often the first line consumers and imitators before a trend goes viral. It reminds me of conyos in Manila back in the day who practically had their own language that still extends in an evolved form to today — see the “what hafen vella” that has become a real life meme in the last week. Where people are so engrossed into these superfluous entertainment, datus can rule as people neither have the mental bandwidth nor the will to engage themselves. Easier to just let someone else think on our behalf.
I risk myself appearing to be an old man yelling “get off my lawn” from his front porch, but it is highly concerning that the consumption of entertainment has become so extreme in the Philippines. I’ve written before where the simplest pleasures of a Filipino family, a shared meal around the kusina, is gone now with the parents, children, even toddlers fixated on tiny glowing screens silently and mindlessly eating while the lola who cooked the meal is weighed down with sadness. I first made that observation about a decade ago, right before the release of TikTok. Now, even the lola’s eyes are glazed over with a reflected electronic screen.
A lot of things modern society takes for granted was not commonplace a century plus ago. The modern idea of modern public education did not start until the late 18th century in Prussia. In the US. In the early 19th century the idea came to and spread across the US by the late middle 19th century. Public education allowed for a population with sufficient general education to power industrialization. By the time the US took the Philippines, this system of public education was still decades young. Over time people took societal benefits that require care of management by competent government for granted; something that had always existed despite not being common a generation or two prior. Education drives innovation, and the present stagnation in the West and the always-been-there stagnation in the Philippines has all the symptoms of a generational inattention to education. Clearly there is a requirement for government intervention, but this cannot happen without visionaries with moral courage being elected.
This is my almost five year old take on education etc. in the Philippines:
Again, I interject my dear resident scholars.
Pre-Hispanic foreign influences on the Philippines shaped its culture, trade, religion, language, governance, and social structures long before Spanish colonization. Here is a concise overview of major influences from Austronesians, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam: 🌊 1. Austronesian Influence (c. 3000 BCE onward)
🕉️ 2. Indian Influence (via Hindu-Buddhist Southeast Asia)
🇮🇩 3. Indonesian Influence (Srivijaya & Majapahit Empires)
🇲🇾 4. Malaysian Influence (Malacca Sultanate, Srivijaya)
🐉 5. Chinese Influence
🇹🇭 6. Thai (Siamese) Influence
🇻🇳 7. Vietnamese Influence
Summary Table Region/Country Key Contributions Austronesians Language, seafaring, agriculture, social units India Religion (Hindu-Buddhist), epics, governance, language Indonesia Religion, trade, scripts, culture Malaysia Islam, sultanates, kris, Malay culture China Trade, settlements, food, ceramics Thailand Buddhist ideas, art styles Vietnam Maritime trade, cultural artifacts
Let me know if you’d like a visual timeline, map, or integration with current Philippine cultural traits.
The idea of Mongolian pre-Hispanic influence on the Philippines is a topic that blends historical, cultural, and archaeological inquiry. While direct Mongolian influence on the Philippines before Spanish colonization (pre-1521) is limited and not well-documented, there are indirect influences that can be traced through the broader context of Mongol expansion and regional dynamics in Asia. Here’s a breakdown of what we know and how Mongolian influence might have reached the archipelago:1. Indirect Influence via the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368)
➤ Connection to the Philippines:
2. Chinese Historical Accounts
3. Maritime Trade and Cultural Diffusion
4. Military and Political Influence through Regional Empires
5. Genetic and Anthropological Considerations
Summary of Possible Influences Area of Influence Nature Mongol Link Trade Indirect Via Yuan Dynasty’s maritime trade Diplomacy Possible Envoys to Ma-i (Mindoro) Military Indirect Influence via Java and Vietnam campaigns Cultural Minimal Limited to what was shared via trade or migration Genetic Unclear No strong evidence of direct Mongol ancestry Conclusion
There is no strong evidence of direct Mongolian colonization or lasting presence in the Philippines during pre-Hispanic times. However, indirect influences through the Yuan Dynasty’s maritime activities, regional empire interactions, and trade networks could have brought traces of Mongol culture, political structure, or technologies to early Filipino societies.
If you’re working on an academic or creative exploration of this topic, it might be helpful to frame Mongolian influence as an indirect and peripheral dynamic within the broader context of Asian maritime history and regional power politics.
Would you like suggested sources or visuals (e.g., trade route maps, cultural exchange charts)?
I was referring in particular to the 80 km aqueduct from the Eifel mountains to what is now the German city of Cologne that was Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensis in Roman times, a totally colonial place where the inhabitants probably went “what have the Romans done for us” like in Monty Python and took the dirtier water from the Rhine river once the aqueduct rotted away.
Orion Perez, who worked in IT abroad, is treated like a datu by the members of the Correct movement, which is for federal parliamentary government in the Philippines. I once asked Xiao Chua whether Pantayong Pananaw see my father as their datu and he answered yes. I said well, I learned more from arguing with him in earlier years when he still was sharp from French training, you guys have made him lazy like Pacquiao today by feeding his ego. I have also compared the Philippines to the UAE/Dubai in our (Giancarlo, Karl, me) group chat, except that it relies on Filipino labor instead of oil. So yes, does it want to be really modern?
Thanks for the birthday greetings.
What’s interesting is of course the Arabs previously had a very advanced culture that kept the light of knowledge burning during the Dark Ages in Western Europe. Somehow that was all lost due to in-fighting and the breakup of the last caliphate, until the people returned to being nomadic camel herders in the desert. The current royal families of most Arab states descended from basically desert bandits elevated by the British to go against the Hashemites who clung to the old knowledge when the Hashemites were not pliant “allies” after WWI. Well the Hashemites are confined to Jordan now.
One wonders what will happen once the Arab oil wealth dries up within our lifetime. There is a danger of having a lot of money, yet not bothering to level one self up as the current Arab leaders failed to do. No amount of money thrown at future projects will succeed when there is no foundation to build upon. Perhaps the Arabs will return to being camel herders, or exporting their labor, just like the labor they buy from Filipinos, Pakistanis, Nepalis, Indonesians and Malaysians now. I had on occasion quipped that there is a reason why so many OFW head to the Middle East… there is a familiar comfort in a government that does things just like it is done back home.
The “myth of peak oil” in the age of renewables is a provocative topic that challenges conventional narratives about resource scarcity, energy transition, and economic planning. Here’s a concise breakdown of the key themes and arguments involved: 🔍 Understanding Peak Oil
Peak oil refers to the theoretical point at which global oil production reaches its maximum rate, after which production declines. This concept gained traction in the early 2000s, driven by concerns that the world would soon run out of affordable oil, triggering economic collapse.
However, the narrative has shifted dramatically: ⚡ The Shift in Perspective: Why “Peak Oil” Is Now a Myth
🌞 Renewables Are Reshaping the Energy Narrative
⚠️ But the Myth Isn’t Entirely Dead
Despite the growth of renewables:
🧠 Conclusion: Rethinking Energy Security
The idea that we are running out of oil is largely a myth in the 21st century. Instead, the real challenge is managing the transition from oil to renewables while ensuring energy security, economic stability, and climate resilience.
Rather than fearing peak oil, the world is grappling with the decline of oil’s dominance in the energy mix—a complex, policy-driven process where renewables, efficiency, and sustainability take center stage.
Would you like this expanded into an article or presentation format?
Your topic — OPEC, G7, Western support for the dollar, and BRICS’ undecided stance on de-dollarization — touches on major geopolitical and economic tensions shaping the future of global finance. Here’s a brief but nuanced breakdown that you can expand upon depending on your purpose (e.g., academic, policy, investment analysis): 🌍 1. OPEC and the Dollar: Petrodollar Continuity
🌐 2. G7 and Western Institutions: Dollar Support System
🌏 3. BRICS and the De-Dollarization Dilemma
💱 Key Insights Actor Position Actions Challenges OPEC Supports USD Oil pricing in USD; security ties with U.S. Limited diversification into other currencies G7 Strongly supports USD Controls financial institutions and infrastructure Risk of weaponizing dollar undermines long-term trust BRICS Mixed/undecided Bilateral trade in local currencies, BRICS Pay Lack of unified currency, institutional infrastructure, and trust 🔍 Conclusion
While there is momentum toward de-dollarization, particularly in BRICS discourse, the U.S. dollar remains dominant due to its institutional depth, trust, and political-military backing. BRICS lacks coherence and infrastructure to present a unified alternative at present.
If you’re interested, I can help:
Let me know your intended use.
If you’re looking for information on rich Arab families similar to the House of Saud, here’s a brief overview of some of the most prominent and wealthy Arab families or dynasties, mainly from the Gulf region: 🇸🇦 House of Saud (Saudi Arabia)
Net worth: Estimated at over $1.4 trillion (collectively).
Power: Ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia.
Assets: Oil (via Saudi Aramco), massive landholdings, sovereign wealth funds.
Notable members: King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
Influence: MBS is known for Vision 2030, diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond oil.
🇦🇪 Al Nahyan Family (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Net worth: Estimated at $300–400 billion.
Power: Ruling family of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates.
Notable member: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (President of the UAE).
Assets: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds), Etihad Airways, energy and infrastructure investments globally.
🇦🇪 Al Maktoum Family (Dubai, UAE)
Net worth: Estimated at $20–40 billion (family wealth).
Power: Ruling family of Dubai.
Notable member: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Vice President & Prime Minister of UAE, Ruler of Dubai).
Assets: Emirates Airlines, DP World, real estate, horse racing stables globally.
🇶🇦 Al Thani Family (Qatar)
Net worth: Estimated at $300+ billion.
Power: Ruling royal family of Qatar.
Notable member: Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Assets: Qatar Investment Authority (owns Harrods, Shard London, stakes in Barclays, VW, etc.), LNG exports.
🇰🇼 Al Sabah Family (Kuwait)
Net worth: Less public, but the Kuwait Investment Authority is valued at $800+ billion.
Power: Ruling family of Kuwait.
Notable member: Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Assets: Sovereign wealth fund investments in global markets.
🇴🇲 Al Said Family (Oman)
Net worth: Modest compared to others.
Power: Ruling family of Oman.
Notable member: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.
Focus: Stability, diversification of the economy under Vision 2040.
🇧🇭 Al Khalifa Family (Bahrain)
Net worth: Smaller scale, but influential regionally.
Power: Ruling family of Bahrain.
Notable member: King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Notes:
Most of these families derive wealth from oil and gas, but they’ve increasingly diversified into global finance, tech, infrastructure, and tourism.
Their sovereign wealth funds are among the largest in the world.
Many are absolute or constitutional monarchies, with major influence over national policy and business.
Would you like a breakdown of one of these families, their business holdings, or influence in geopolitics or global investment?
I do not detect any schadenfreude, Joey.
“Same goes for touting the success of the BPO industry without recognizing that the BPO industry exists solely because scripted interaction is cheaper to export overseas to cheaper labor markets — a business function that can be replaced by AI in the near future, “
Nicely put, Joey. I couldn’t agree more. What can you do about it is my next question? like can Pinks/Yellows do something to push back on A.I. buy more time then pivot to something else entirely? what can Pinks/Yellows do about this issue? because this to me should be a national emergency, and instead Pinks/Yellows are messing about with impeachment, where Marcos has already pretty much given up on it. like what’s the percentage of BPO industry in Cebu? wouldn’t this block of voters vote for Pinks/Yellows in 2028 if they address this issue now? can you game this out
Ok, let’s not focus on exact numbers like the percentage of BPO industry in Cebu, when that number will just be forgotten the next day. When tackling a problem one needs to look at the broad and long view first before drilling down to specifics.
So if you asked me what should be done to increase the economy of the Philippines, the answer is simple: attract the manufacturing that’s shifting out of PRC. Take Cebu Mitsumi for example, which started in 1989 as one of the new investments coming in from Japan and the US i the wake of EDSA. Cebu Mitsumi is not glamorous but it pays well for Central Visayas, attracting applicants as far away as Leyte, Zamboanga del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Negros Oriental.
Successive Philippine governments and Filipino elites may see manufacturing as “beneath” Filipinos who in their mind should naturally be at the top despite being near the bottom in actuality. Such is the disease of the colonial mindset. But what I’ll say is a dignified factory job is better than having one of the various service jobs catering to locals that borders on being a slave, and definitely better than no job at all. Manufacturing also doesn’t require any English language skills or a high education, unlocking access to the traditionally underserved and marginalized to become upwardly mobile.
Now we’re talking , Joey. this is something Pinks/Yellows can use instead of putting all their eggs in that one impeachment basket.
My only issue would be re Trump who wants all those manufacturing jobs back in the USA, which manufacturing jobs would be immune to that?
Plus robotics/A.I. in manufacturing? lets hone in on this pivot from BPO.
“Manufacturing also doesn’t require any English language skills or a high education,”
And this. cuz if English isn’t necessary no more, then why not go to Indonesia or Thailand? how to be competitive. thats probably more an infrastructure and taxation issue. on top of education and training. just remembered you mentioned Indonesia and Thailand on the other thread, Joey. thanks.
You’re misunderstanding why voiced-based services went to the Philippines. English skills by the top fraction of high school graduating population is one part of the equation, but the majority of the business calculus is because the Filipinos are cheaply hired in a business that doesn’t require much infrastructure built aside from a stable internet connection. So the main question should be: “Does the Philippines want to remain known as a source of cheap labor?” Indonesia and Thailand have long surpassed the Philippines.
Indonesia and Thailand don’t speak English, Joey. and why you said it yourself Filipinos go to Thailand as teachers of English. at the end of the day, it’s still cuz of English otherwise why not move BPO to Madagascar? but my point is A.I. (see karl and Joe’s reaction below) now speaks English good too. thus no more need for Filipinos.
Thais speak English much better than you think. Probably better than the average Filipino bukid dweller or informal settler who make up the bulk of DEs. English is a compulsory subject in Thai primary and secondary schools since the time of King Rama IV in the mid-19th century before English was even taught in the Philippines. I even considered relocating to Thailand during my 20s for work (I went to Japan and South Korea instead, interrupted by stays in Eastern Europe). Indonesians have rapidly leveled up their English skills in the last generation. English is the trade language of the modern world so that makes sense those two respective governments intervened. Let’s not get stuck on bias and let our love for the Philippines cloud reality.
Well granted my experience is just Phuket and Pattaya. and my sampling is sex workers mostly, Joey. no lady boys though! (before karl dings me for that) but Filipinas totally beat Thais in English. hands down!!!
It is a bit sad that rather than helping, or trying to understand the underclasses, you chose to exploit their desperation. I guess that’s why plenty of men go to the Philippines to feel like a datu.
c’mon, Joey. don’t be too judgmental now. but i did some digging. here:
AI Overview
The Philippines boasts the highest English proficiency among the three countries, with a strong score of 570 in the EF English Proficiency Index (EPI). Thailand, on the other hand, has a considerably lower score of 415, placing it in the “very low” proficiency band. Indonesia falls in between, with a score of 468, which is considered “low proficiency”.
Philippines:
The Philippines is recognized for its high English proficiency, with approximately 55% of adults able to speak English and 80% able to understand it. This proficiency is further reflected in its global ranking of 22nd out of 113 countries, and second in Asia, according to the EF EPI.
Thailand:
Thailand has experienced a decline in English proficiency over the years. Its score of 415 in the EF EPI places it in the “very low” proficiency band and a global ranking of 101st.
Indonesia:
Indonesia’s English proficiency is also relatively low, with a score of 468 in the EF EPI, placing it in the “low proficiency” band. Its global ranking is 80th out of 113 countries.
In summary: The Philippines is significantly higher in English proficiency than both Thailand and Indonesia. Thailand and Indonesia share similar “low proficiency” levels, but with Indonesia slightly outperforming Thailand.
You depend on the regurgitations of AI. I depend on reality and experience. In the real world, metrics speak for themselves. Judging by the fact that the successive Philippines governments constantly squander opportunities to move ahead, I’d say the reality speaks for itself.
The reality is at worst Filipinos just quoting Bible verses without understanding, at “best” it is sophistry in argumentation that is beside the point. Might be true that other SEA countries have less English speakers, but they seem to have a better comprehension of English than many Filipinos who just memorize. They might be more able to apply their knowledge to real-world solutions than a lot of Filipinos, notable exceptions notwithstanding.
I’ll use the example of the Cebu-Cordova CCLEX bridge. The bridge was architected, designed, and the lead engineering firm were all foreign (Spanish, Danish). The Filipino “engineering” firms involved (First Balfour, DCMI) were basically labor providers. Capital to build the expressway was put up by local banks, not foreign aid this time, but the banks only provided the capital since they knew they can rent seek. MPTC also rent seeks in operating and maintaining the finished expressway. The cities of Cebu and Cordova each get 1% of the profit. Seems sad that the early stretches of the Luzon expressways built in 1960s had mostly Filipino designers and engineering (with American help), yet today there is little local expertise to embark on major engineering projects. As far as I know most of the latter Luzon expressway extensions were also foreign engineered.
I once was introduced to a DOTr civil engineer. Very smart woman on paper who had a double masters in engineering. She also acted quite mighty and would constantly try to belittle me (though she was also hoping I’d court her?) by boasting her great accomplishments or being a sophist to my minor remarks to try to prove herself my better. I’m a patient person but I can be a bit savage if pushed enough. I quipped that for all her education and high position in DOTr, she was still basically a maintainer of potholes (basically, sarcastically). All of her projects had foreign designers, engineers, etc. She was incandescent, and that was the end of our date lol.
The Spanish also had British firms with British engineers build the Manila-Dagupan train line. Rizal’s cousin Leonor Rivera married a British railway engineer, for instance. If the movie Heneral Luna is accurate, British also ran the railway. Engineering is manual labor. Why should anyone worth their salt do it. True senyoritos and senyoritas let others do the dirty work. 😉 seriously, the late Byzantine empire had outsourced both its trade and defense to Genuese. Farming out everything is a sign of decadence, not vitality.
From my observation the only time in recent history that the Philippines sought to import foreign expertise AND learn from that foreign expertise was during the PNoy administration. PNoy really did attempt to make the Philippines more self resilient. Other than that period it seemed like foreign expertise was paid for with public funds or even better yet taken as a charity, while the national politician or business tycoon takes the credit for “building” something. Datu behavior runs deep it seems, like how local politicians will engrave their names on the back of public school desks despite the desks were furnished with taxpayer money. The people eat up propaganda as if it’s the truth. “This politician helped us, we should elect him again.”
the premise was simple. BPO is in India and Philippines cuz that’s where English is spoken (and cheap labor).
Now sure GDP other metrics will Thailand and Indonesia surpass Philippines of course, cuz you don’t really need English to be an economic power house.
As to personal feelings vs. facts & figures. My extrapolations of Phuket/Pattaya vs. Mango Ave won, that s bcuz if working women of the night speak better English. and I’m not talking about memorization here for proficiency tests I am talking about shared English culture as in movies and songs and expressions thus communication. then you go further up in social strata you’ll have even less.
I didn’t really need A.I. or any studies to verify this (although here it is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EF_English_Proficiency_Index#2024_country_rankings ), its simple one plus one, equals Philippines is more adept at English than Thailand and Indonesia.
But remember my whole point all along isn’t for dick measuring here, but about how that all doesn’t matter, cuz A.I. now speaks better English. now will factory work be better for Filipinos? hell no. look at China burning down factories cuz of Trump’s tariffs.
theres gotta be a better way going forward, post-globalization. but thats another issue. i’d like to debate that tho’. as to English proficiency its all moot not because of your world experiences , Joey. which am thinking now is more flawed than my Mango Ave experience of SE Asia,
thus your conclusions off,
but because of A.I. and whatever comparative advantage the Philippines has is gone. economically speaking theres no back up plan. thus a national emergency squandered by this stupid impeachment which will go nowhere. thats been my point all along.
BUT Joe is on to something in the newest blog. The Filipino fiesta culture will be its saving grace. Culturally Thailand and Indonesia i think (my feeling, this where you can introduce your facts & figures , Joey) is that they’re more precariously situated because they bought into the whole globalism model hook line and sinker,
thanks to Filipino ineptitude both economically and politically it’ll be shielded from all this post-Trump upheaval. start building from there, Joey.
I disagree on all points.
Weep less. Gripe less. Drink more.
Sir, you have touched my very soul.
Cheers buddy!
Go Knicks.
You are the inspiration for that line, a muse of sorts I suppose, able to bring together in one glass the peace to be found in the Philippines for those of us who detached from the norms of regular US living. Watching you give up your albums was hard, as I did not even bring mine over, and departing with them, my bicycle, camping gear, and coin collection was akin to losing a chunk of who I used to be. But no matter, there are new things to collect here, and they are a delight. Cheers!
We will always need optimists to temper a society.
Personally I think the Philippines is fine as is. Not too shabby but not reaching so high as well. If that’s what Filipinos want as well then all the better. But if the government wants to elevate the Philippines, clearly much more work needs to be done at the government level in terms of guidance.
Happy birthday Irineo
Another trip around the sun. Happy Birthday, Ireneo. “Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!”
Thanks for the birthday greetings everybody.
Happy birthday young whippersnapper. heh heh I don’t record mine anymore. Well, I wish you’all well every day, and congratulate myself for knocking out another one if I wake up in the morning.
Happy birthday Irineo!
I think WPS fishing is still hard, how do you tell the fishermen that be strong and brave and show the Chinese that business is business as usual when it is not.
Do you tell them fish at other places? no because that is never easy.
Based on data from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), there were approximately 12,254 overseas Filipinos residing in mainland China as of 2021. These individuals are primarily concentrated in major urban centers, including: Beijing: 2,492Chongqing: 164Guangzhou: 4,564Shanghai: 4,264Xiamen: 7,707 The Filipino community in China comprises a mix of professionals, domestic workers, and expatriates. Many are employed in sectors such as household services, education, and hospitality. Notably, Filipino domestic workers have been in demand due to their English proficiency and reputation for providing quality household services. In addition to mainland China, significant Filipino populations are present in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. As of December 2023, there were approximately 140,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong and around 28,800 in Macau, many of whom are employed in the hospitality, gambling, and construction industries. The Philippine government, through its embassies and consulates, continues to provide support and assistance to overseas Filipinos in China, ensuring their welfare and addressing any concerns related to their employment and residency.
https://www.philstar.com/news-commentary/2018/03/07/1794457/deployment-ofws-china-opportunities-and-potential-pitfalls
moving up the value chain is what almost everybody wants. but few succeed at. it is always a question of how and who.
crumbling education, barely literate graduates. what value chain to climb?
if Remittances and BPOs fall it would take with it Real Estate, Malls (super weakened by online shopping), F&B, Education (OFWs allowed the relatively insane tuition fees of most private schools here).
We are largely a consumption economy powered by the productivity of other nations. We grow people and afterwards send them overseas where they automatically shed the Philippines productivity and adapt the productivity of the host nation. that may be ending soon.
@irineo this was supposed to be a response to your comment
I have been ranting about anything that impacts BPO and OFWs should be considered a national security issue.
If you remember Airbnb . They pulled out because a BPO gang was supposedly selling ratings for Airbnb hosts. These people should have been charged with economic sabotage.
Recently Coinbase was compromised by bribing outsourced BPOs. I was praying that it wasn’t Philippine BPOs.
I agree policing and justice in the Philippines is woefully weak. They are bopping little guys on the head and letting impunity roam free among the powerful. As for national security, I’d put a higher emphasis on people willing to promote China’s interests over Philippine interests. But gangs should not be allowed to work in BPOs or anywhere else.
LCX,
If the sky is falling we need sky catchers.
My Darwinian answer goes with the tune, we will survive.
Like what this journalism professor told his students about AI.
https://manilastandard.net/opinion/314593643/no-room-for-slop.html
Well. yeah i agree, karl. i think humanity at one point was at around 1,000 reproducing pairs and now we’re at 8 billion. so that’s another way of looking at this too.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2025/05/17/2443594/will-i-be-replaced
“Yes, some roles will evolve or disappear. But entirely new careers will emerge – especially for those who learn to manage AI systems effectively.
History reveals the following:
• The first assembly line didn’t destroy jobs – it created the field of industrial management.
• The rise of the internet didn’t eliminate work – it led to digital marketing, cybersecurity and e-commerce.
AI will do the same, introducing roles like AI managers, AI ethicists and AI-driven business strategists.
The future doesn’t belong to those who fear AI.
It belongs to those who embrace, adapt and lead it.
So, how do we prepare for this shift?
• Learn how AI works. You don’t need to become a programmer, but you should understand the basics of AI logic and decision-making.
• Develop critical thinking. AI is powerful but not perfect. The best AI managers will not blindly trust AI – they will know when to challenge it.
• Be adaptable. The most successful professionals see change as an opportunity, not a threat.”
LCX,
What will the ai bot do when an irate caller asks for a human manager?
This will replace the line of I want to talk to an american supervisor.
Karl, the assumption is that the critical thinking is there. Unfortunately, Pisa scores and anecdotal evidence suggests we have a few cognitively stunted generations.
Prepare for a lot of NEETs locally.
yes, we suck at PISA, we are all a chain that is strong as the weakest link.
Not in school not employed not in voc school, is that T shirt sold in SM?
The NEET phenomenon in Japan was a consequence of the post-WWII expectation of a single-income family anchored by a salaryman going away. Young Japanese in the late 1990s and 2000s were not able to adapt, and the government did not yet acknowledge the problem. My time working in Japan for Japanese corporations was me being brought in as an outside expert to make up for the lack of native Japanese workers.
From my time in the Philippines, I’ve observed that a NEET-like phenomenon has always existed out in the provinces and inner city informal settlements. A family, sometimes even the extended family, latching onto a few breadwinners while the rest of the family has no desire to have a job, education, etc. In effect those poor unfortunate OFWs (mostly women) who clearly love their family so much become like modern day slaves to their own family. The problem exists under the surface. Once the OFWs and BPO workers can’t support their families anymore the problem may explode. The Philippines needs some form of a national jobs program, and soon.
We call them tambays
I’m just basing all this voice AI with my interactions using Notebook LM (Google Gemini powered and FREE), but the way its interacting with my queries is very human. I’m thinking you’ll not need a manager or supervisor at all, karl. things will get resolved. optimization and all.
Wear your customer and consumer hat, lcx
Joey’s right there is a script and BPO work for the most part is repetitive , then theres irate customer and consumer and this is where the human touch occurs. why much of the voice BPO happens in the Philippines whilst the chat/email BPO is in india. But see a call agent can and will appease say an old lady whose husband just died and the call agent will speed up on her other calls to make up for the quota. and AI won’t have to rush. just like in that movie Her, a call can handle a sad old lady who just needs someone to talk to, whilst all other calls are optimized. thus everything is optimized. every call bespoke. each call is handled and given appropriate time necessary for it to be resolved, how ever long. and that is key , karl. the element of time.
Sam Altman fundamentally misunderstood his favorite movie, Her. Elon Musk fundamentally misunderstood his favorite movie, Bladerunner. When these characters failed to understand the cautionary lesson in the basis of their obsessions, and choose to gloss over to the superficial details, we have a problem. When they willfully try to rebrand their pre-existing biases into a frame of reality that clashes with preconceived notions, well that is what’s called a bullshit artist.
I used “Her” as example because “she” gave Joaquin Phoenix’s character all her time (and love), but that same A.I. (voiced by Scarlett Johansen) was in every device. also giving her “time” to millions of people.
That’s the component here I am thinking A.I. will play in Philippine BPO, Joey. optimization thru time. why i was telling karl no need to ask for a supervisor or manager now cuz that one A.I. (just one) till take on all those roles.
Just as I’m talking to Grok now about UFOs/aliens, others are doing their own interactions with it but its still just Grok. one A.I. interacting with thousands of humans, til like 50 questions or queries then it tells you to get the premium version. lol. per day.
as to Musk and Altman’s interpretations, they are not necessarily wrong Joey. you have yours they have theirs, i have mine (which am using now as analogy to BPO Philippines here). its what you end up birthing into the world due to these interpretations. from your mind.
which brings us to this Steve Jobs quote:
“Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.”
I should also charge a premium version of myself where above a certain number of replies, you’d need to pay me for continued engagement lol.
Remember the end scene of Her was with Amy Adams. So Scarlett Johansson was able to rewire Joaquin Phoenix’s character’s mind (and heart?) where he’s able to have a productive human relationship with Amy Adams at the end.
The meaning of the Her ending scene is what I alluded to. Sam Altman got from Her “perfect girlfriend who will obey everything” and that’s the BS behind OpenAI. Altman went as far as trying to steal Johansson’s voice for his AI. He didn’t understand the moral story of the film, which is in an increasingly disconnected world we should focus on human connection.
Elon Musk got from Bladerunner “cool futuristic cars” and didn’t understand the allegory regarding the meaning of our humanity where mega corporations reduced humanity to the same as replicants. In a way the replicants remind humanity of its own soul. But rather than that lesson, Musk seeks to become the mega corporation Tyrell playing god.
That’s the problem in a nutshell.
specific to Philippine BPO and Her and Altman’s interpretation. though i’ve not been keeping up with Altman vs. Scarlett Johansson , but let’s say his interpretation and rhetoric for promoting his A.I. is that he wants there to be interaction (A.I. which develops to human interaction). then that is exactly what we’re seeing in BPO when older Americans call and just want someone to talk to, which many Filipinos being Filipinos oblige but due to quotas will eventually have to cut the call. lets say BPO goes 100% A.I. now, wouldn’t that old lady or old guy get the connection in that phone call they so desire. so in a way Altman’s interpretation becomes valid. now sure you’re right too, Joey, that ideally human to human contact is the ideal, but we both know why those old people from USA are wanting to talk a bit longer with Cebu, its cuz they’re lonely. and for sure they’re not getting that any time soon over here, thats just reality, but with voice A.I. to talk to they really can just stay on the phone all day and talk (hopefully without having to pay premium, lol).
This affects the PH as it affect all.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2025/05/24/2445487/trump-expands-apple-tariff-threat-all-smartphones
In 2020-2021, the United States awarded approximately 437,302 STEM bachelor’s degrees and 146,573 STEM master’s degrees. While many STEM graduates find employment in non-STEM fields, some 10.7 million people worked in STEM occupations in 2023, with a projected 10.4% growth by 2033. Many STEM graduates also pursue higher-paying jobs outside of their field.
Key Statistics:
Steve Jobs famously stated that iPhone manufacturing would never return to the U.S. due to the lack of a suitable manufacturing ecosystem and skills, citing China’s superior scale and expertise. He expressed this view in 2011, explaining that the necessary infrastructure, including factories and specialized labor, was already well-established in China. While some have suggested tariffs could push Apple to manufacture in the U.S., the cost and complexity of shifting production remain significant.
Elaboration:
Labor intensive manufacturing will never come back to the US. The US is an information economy.
Here’s an interesting window into the affect of a good industrial policy though, via India:
https://my.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prAP53185725#:~:text=India%20became%20the%20fourth%20largest,time%20with%20a%2010%25%20share.
Since India got Apple to shift manufacturing to their country, iPhone market share has shot up significantly with Android brands declining. Samsung declined in market share due to South Korea declining to let manufacturing shift from South Korea to India. The two Chinese brands that gained marketshare also had brought factories to India btw. Better salaries means Indians can afford to buy more upmarket products, locally made. Something the Philippines government can learn from, as Indonesia has gotten into this game as well. Vietnam already started a decade ago.
Say again, re Samsung in India?
https://news.samsung.com/in/samsung-inaugurates-worlds-largest-mobile-factory-in-india
🏭 Major Manufacturing Facilities
In 2018, Samsung inaugurated what it termed the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturing plant in Noida. This facility boasts an annual production capacity exceeding 120 million smartphones, catering to both domestic and international markets . Beyond smartphones, the Noida plant has diversified its production line to include tablets, refrigerators, and, starting in 2024, laptops . Recent reports also indicate that Samsung has commenced manufacturing its latest Galaxy S24 and S25 series smartphones at this facility .
Established in 2007 near Chennai, the Sriperumbudur plant focuses on producing consumer electronics such as televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines. This facility contributes approximately 20–30% to Samsung’s annual revenue in India and employs around 1,800 individuals .
🔬 Research and Development Centers
. 🇮🇳 Commitment to ‘Make in India’
.
We are making efforts in the expansions plans of Taiwan and of course India.
Here’s a more structured and detailed write-up you can use for an article, report, or briefing based on the provided summary:PEZA Taps Indian Investment to Boost Philippine Economic Zones
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is intensifying efforts to attract Indian investments, focusing on strategic sectors such as pharmaceuticals and business process outsourcing (BPO). This move is part of a broader strategy to diversify the Philippines’ economic zone landscape and strengthen economic resilience through international partnerships.Strategic Promotion and New Ecozone Models
PEZA is actively promoting the Philippines as a smart investment destination for Indian companies by expanding the scope of economic zones. New types of ecozones under development include:
These initiatives align with PEZA’s push for a more innovation-centered investment ecosystem and reflect a long-term strategy to reposition the country in regional supply chains.Key Sectors of Interest
Incentives for Indian Investors
PEZA offers a range of benefits designed to attract and support foreign investors, including:
These incentives position the Philippines as a competitive alternative in Southeast Asia for Indian companies looking to diversify their operations or enter new markets.Current Indian Business Presence
Several Indian companies are already registered and operating under PEZA, spanning industries such as:
This existing presence provides a strong foundation for expanding bilateral economic ties.Boosting Bilateral Trade and Connectivity
To further enhance economic collaboration, PEZA supports efforts to revive direct flights between India and the Philippines, which would significantly improve logistics, trade, and investor mobility. Such connectivity could play a crucial role in accelerating bilateral trade and investment flows.Outlook
PEZA’s outreach to Indian investors is a strategic pivot toward high-value, innovation-driven investments. By creating specialized ecozones and improving investor facilitation, the Philippines aims to position itself as a regional hub for pharmaceuticals, tech innovation, and service excellence. The growing synergy between Indian business strengths and Philippine development goals signals a promising trajectory for future economic cooperation.
Let me know if you’d like a version tailored for a presentation, policy brief, press release, or something more analytical.
LCX
AI might screw up the projections.
Hahahahahaha… that’s true too, karl. I just finished watching Travelers (Netflix) all three seasons of it. and the premise is basically A.I. affecting the internet and baby A.I.’s now. so like Joey says theres a funding frenzy for A.I. maybe its just future A.I. ensuring its own existence thus screwing up projections but then again at the end of 3rd season it was looking quite like The Peripheral (Amazon Prime series) where in branches of reality are spun off. both are time travel shows. but with A.I.
I still continue to love and support the Philipines warts and all.
Joe keep on reminding us that we are on the right track, slowly but surely.
Sure, the challenges remain and there will be new challenges everyday, we will rise and fall but the most important part is we will keep on rising.
I do not want to call it cockroach resilience just an old boxers resilience is enough.
Farts and all
A Notebooklm play by play of the comment thread.
Wow!
https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/dd25a979-47dd-4453-b7b0-13f799e1fd35/audio
I’m totally gobsmacked. Terrific analysis of the blog and discussion, and great concluding lessons and action steps. The dialogue is near humanistic with natural interplay. Amazing.
the sky is falling, Joe. lol.
I was telling JoeJr this morning that the jobs I spent 30:years doing are not needed today. It’s incredible. He is contemplating what his job prospects might be. I offered screwing in the screws on Iphones, or rock guitarist. He corrected me and said “blues”. He knows what the future will need.
Is capitalism unrestrained and fat off government subsidized monopolies allowing for the pursuit of rent-seeking behavior which crushes emerging competition really capitalism anymore? Perhaps it is instead “capitalism with communist characteristics for the rich.” We are in a stagnant period, like dogs chasing our own tails and congratulating ourselves for the effort. One wonders why citizens in advanced societies of the world are so upset with resentment at impenetrable systems that don’t allow advancement then lashing out blindly by choosing horrible leaders in an attempt at system reset. When even CEOs can be replaced, what are we even doing here?
https://www.theverge.com/news/673194/tech-ceos-zoom-klarna-replace-earnings
Insightful question. I think greed is good but needs to be restrained. There seem to be two problems to me. 1) Greed is not being properly managed, and the rich are loving their power, and 2) people have lost meaning in their lives after getting material stability and losing their religion, or sense of purpose. The authoritarians project a sense of purpose, even if outcomes are punitive.
That’s what I’m alluding to. The antidote to the present problems Western/Western-adjacent society is facing is increased human physical connection, rather than the false promises of virtual connection online. There seem to be two ways to solve this problem. One would be government intervention. The other would be by building civil society. Ideally, we’d have both, but more likely we’d need to focus on the latter to bring impetus to the former.
Makes good sense to me.
Amazing!
Re some discussions of Joey and myself here, I asked Google Gemini to expound..
Idolatry and insularity are often cited as cultural and societal factors that can hamper the progress of the Philippines. While these are complex issues with deep historical roots, here’s a breakdown of how they can manifest and their potential impact:
Idolatry (Political and Social)
In the Philippine context, “idolatry” often refers to the excessive and unquestioning devotion to political figures, celebrities, or even abstract concepts, rather than a critical assessment of their merits, policies, or the collective good. This can have several detrimental effects:
Erosion of Democracy and Accountability: When political figures are idolized, it can lead to blind loyalty and an unwillingness to criticize or hold them accountable. This undermines democratic principles, allowing leaders to make unchallenged decisions and potentially engage in corruption or abuse of power with little public backlash. This is particularly evident in personality-based politics, where voters often choose candidates based on charisma or popularity rather than their qualifications or platforms.
Suppression of Critical Thinking and Dissent: Idolatry discourages independent thought and analysis. When a leader’s word is taken as gospel, innovative solutions and constructive criticism are stifled. This can hinder the development of diverse perspectives and limit the collective ability to address complex societal problems effectively.
Polarization and Division: The “us versus them” mentality that often accompanies political idolatry can deepen societal divisions. Debates become personal attacks rather than discussions of issues, making it difficult to achieve consensus or compromise for national progress.
Dependency and Irresponsibility: If people believe their “idols” will solve all their problems, it can foster a sense of dependency and discourage individual or collective action. Citizens might become less inclined to participate actively in governance, demand good services, or take responsibility for their own roles in societal improvement.
Perpetuation of Incompetence: When popularity trumps competence, unqualified individuals may rise to positions of power, leading to poor governance, inefficient public services, and misguided policies that ultimately impede national development.
Insularity
Insularity, in this context, refers to a tendency towards being inward-looking, isolated, or resistant to external influences and new ideas. This can manifest on various levels:
Geographic Insularity: As an archipelago, the Philippines naturally faces challenges related to connectivity and infrastructure development between its many islands. This can lead to disparities in development, difficulty in distributing resources, and limitations in national integration. While natural, if not actively addressed, this can hinder economic and social cohesion.
Cultural and Intellectual Insularity:
Resistance to New Ideas and Best Practices: An insular mindset can make a society resistant to adopting new technologies, innovative policies, or global best practices that could accelerate progress. There might be a preference for traditional methods even when more efficient or effective alternatives exist.
“Colonial Mentality”: Paradoxically, a form of insularity can also be seen in the “colonial mentality” which, while appearing outward-looking, actually reflects an inward-looking preference for foreign goods and values over local ones. This can stifle local industries, creativity, and national pride, perpetuating economic dependency.
Lack of Global Competitiveness: If a nation remains isolated from global trends, intellectual exchange, and economic opportunities, it risks falling behind in terms of innovation, competitiveness, and attracting foreign investment.
“Crab Mentality” (Ningas Cogon, Bahala Na, Filipino Time): While not purely “insular,” these cultural traits often intertwine with an inward-looking perspective. “Crab mentality,” where individuals pull others down to prevent their success, hinders collective progress. “Ningas Cogon” (initial enthusiasm that quickly fades) and “Bahala Na” (fatalistic acceptance of fate) can lead to a lack of sustained effort and accountability. “Filipino Time” (disregard for punctuality) can lead to inefficiency.
Economic Insularity: Historically, protectionist policies or a lack of openness to international trade and investment can limit economic growth. While some level of protection is necessary for nascent industries, excessive insularity can reduce competition, innovation, and access to larger markets.
In summary, both idolatry and insularity, in their various forms, can create significant barriers to Philippine progress by:
Undermining good governance and accountability.
Stifling critical thinking and innovation.
Fostering division and hindering collective action.
Limiting economic competitiveness and global integration.
Perpetuating inefficient practices and a sense of dependency.
Addressing these deeply ingrained issues requires sustained efforts in education, promoting critical thinking, strengthening democratic institutions, fostering a culture of accountability, and encouraging a more outward-looking yet proud national identity.
Grok, how is the Philippines better situated in a post Trump world than is Thailand and Indonesia currently are?
“The Philippines is better situated in a post-Trump world compared to Thailand and Indonesia primarily due to its relatively lower exposure to U.S. tariffs, stronger U.S. defense ties, and economic structure less reliant on manufacturing exports. Below is a detailed comparison based on available information:
[then it listed these in details, so i asked it to do so in 200 words due to TL;DR]
The Philippines is better positioned than Thailand and Indonesia in a post-Trump world due to lower U.S. tariffs (17% vs. 36% and 32%), a stronger U.S. defense alliance, and an economy less reliant on vulnerable manufacturing exports. Its strategic alignment with the U.S. and potential as a manufacturing and renewable energy hub further enhance its resilience. However, addressing infrastructure and investment gaps is critical to fully leveraging these advantages. Thailand’s economic stagnation and high tariff exposure, and Indonesia’s commodity reliance and non-aligned stance, leave them more exposed to Trump’s trade and foreign policy shifts.
In conclusion, the Philippines’ lower tariff burden, strong U.S. security ties, and diversified economy provide a comparative edge over Thailand and Indonesia.”
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Not sure about more diversified economy, but that is my feeling that the Philippines post-Trump will fair better. the question now is will Pinks/Yellows be able to run with this advantage. probably not, but I am not betting (as a millionaire) on Thailand and Indonesia any time soon, Ireneo. no waaaay. certainly not on Joey’s advice.
Thanks. This optimism is essentially what fueled my blog article. The Philippines is not chopped liver. It has things going for it.