What Keep Filipinos From Moving Forward
Josh Fishy 11/12/2015

Back in the old days, the Philippines was considered one of the richest countries in Asia. But, sad to say, after more than six decades nothing seems to have changed. While majority of its people are in want, those in the neighboring countries have put them in the shade.

Many have put the blame on the politicians who run the country. However, on top of the way the nation is managed, there are many aspects which keep the Philippines from moving forward as a country at which Juan dela Cruz should point his finger.

As mentioned above, people tag corrupt politicians as the root of the Filipinos' hardship. Well, we can't blame them given that most politicians run for a position in the government to gain power, fame, and money.

It's not all about selfish public officials, after all. Ordinary citizens themselves could also be the reason why they remain poor. And talking about themselves, a myriad of things that make up a Filipino contributes to their own demise.

Yes, I am a Filipino, but sometimes it's hard to take pride in some of our traits as a people. We want to get rich, but we don't want to work hard. We want to get somewhere instantly. Both Filipinos and foreigners label us as hardworking and diligent people, but those who say so should live in slum areas in order to come up with the exact generalization.

We focus on learning the language we barely use everyday. There's no wrong in using English and to be good at it, but spending all our time doing so while failing to think of what to do to make headway as a person is preposterous. We hammer into the minds of every Filipino that to be fluent in English could turn the tide of our plight which in fact has done us more harm than good.

In connection with point number 4, job seekers could hardly land a job because of inproficiency in English. There are a lot of potential employees who can do their work extraordinarily but because of language requirement, not a single employer has ever seen their skills. It's really tough to beat the odds if a foreign language is a prerequisite in order to make it.

The Philippines is overpopulated. Any small country with 100 million population finds it hard to advance as a nation. It's just like a big family with a lot of dependent members, some of whom are building their own, yet still living under the same roof.