"The Philippines: A New Asian Tiger is Born"

                                  “The Philippines: A New Asian Tiger is Born” 

                              

            My friend sounded very impressed.  “A really long ad about the Philippines,” he told me, pointing to the copy of Time (Dec. 31, 2012/Jan.7, 2013) that he had placed on the front passenger seat of his car.  He had just picked up my wife and me at the airport.  I didn’t get round to reading the full fifteen-page spread for a few days.  When I did, I too was impressed, mostly.

            The ad/article catches the reader’s attention at once with a picture of the Makati skyscrapers with “THE PHILIPPINES” in bold letters just above the title, “A New Asian Tiger is Born.”  What follows is fifteen full pages appealing to tourists, people in need of hospital care, and, primarily, business investors.  Lots of pictures and people bios break up the considerable amount of print and add visual attractions and human interest.

            What makes all of this even more impressive is its appearance in the year-end issue of the magazine.  I rarely read Time, but even I am familiar with the magazine’s “Person-of-the-Year” issue and its coverage of notables who have died in the previous twelve months.  Lots of advertisers compete for space in this issue.  Brazil also had an ad/article, but of a mere seven pages. 

            I wouldn’t even want to guess how much the Philippines ad/article cost, but it is probably worth it, not that I don’t have reservations about some items.  Before I get into a few of the positives and negatives, I hasten to point out that I am not an economist or businessman.  I write, as always in this column, as an affectionate Philippines observer.  

            One of the irritants of the article is the sales and business jargon, one of the worst offenders being “business processing outsourcing” or “BPO.”  I had to go to Wikipedia on line to understand that one.  Why not simply call it outsourcing customer services?  We have all spoken to someone from India or the Philippines about how to install or operate the newest electronic gadget.  By the way the Wikipedia article revealed that in 2010 the Philippines passed India as the largest such outsourcer in the world. 

            One of the more suspicious sections of the ad/article is entitled “Energy Companies Light the Way.”  It is about energy sources mainly: “mining, oil, and gas companies” investing in the country.  The suspicious part is the emphasis on “deregulation.”  That term appears in different forms about seven times in the course of three pages, not very reassuring in regard to the environment.

            On the other hand the section on “Responsible Mining” (of precious metals) emphasizes just the opposite position: compliance with regulations that protect the environment.  It admits to past bad practices that have been corrected.  In addition the industry reaches out to some of the poor and helps them to make a living by reforesting.

            The section on tourism is both appealing and a bit disappointing.  The appeal is in the attraction of the natural wonders of the country, including, of course, bathing, beaches, and boating.  In this context, some of the typical Filipino humor shows forth.  Tourism secretary Jimenez observes: “There is a reason why we have 7,107 islands . . . .  If you don’t like this island, then you can swim to the next one!”  A downside, I felt, of the tourism section is the amount of time spent on “casino resorts.”  I also wonder if a high-rise condo in Tagaytay City is a great idea.

            One exaggerated claim, mentioned prominently twice, is that a majority of the people speak “excellent American style English” or that everyone is “fluent in English.”  I hasten to add that the claim is for the most part unnecessary.  The fifty percent that do speak wonderful English as well as Filipino and often one or two island dialects provide all the language skills needed for business and tourism.  And, as one commentator wryly adds, Filipinos and Americans have “shared interests, such as our love of basketball.”

            The overriding message of the ad/article is summed up in a line by Teresita T. Sy-Coson of SM Investment Corp, the mall and department store giant that began as a shoe store.  “This is a country that is pro-American but they have to take care of us too.”  I could not agree more.  

            Bob Boyer would love to hear from you at Robert.boyer@snc.edu.

 

This article appeared in the January 2013 VIA Times Newsmagazine