Everyone who agrees that the Philippines needs some serious changes, raise your hand!
It’s not like people haven’t been trying to be the change they want to see in the world. They most certainly have, but their attempts weren’t enough, obviously.
We thought we’d never be as successful as other nations (we still aren’t), but after some of the most prominent youth leaders came to SM Aura last September 1 for the Forward Pilipinas conference, it became clear that there were just a few ingredients missing from our solution.
The Philippines isn’t in its best shape right now, but with all the words of wisdom that were passed on during the conference, positive change would surely be conquerable if we give it one more shot.
Use Technology for Innovation.
Almost everyone has a smartphone. Each household has an iPad. Practically everyone has either data or wireless Internet. So, yeah. I’d say we’re pretty caught up. So how come some countries are already at the peak of success while we’re still stagnantly sitting in the middle?
I think it’s because we use technology for a lot of things, except for innovation. For instance, blockchain and bitcoin have already contributed a great deal of change in most countries. Yet, we’re still contemplating whether these things would be any benefit to our country and its people.
The blockchain isn’t just about switching from paper money to cryptocurrency by the way. The subject goes up to the application. For instance, we can use blockchain to implement a more secure and reliable payment system for business owners and buyers. Not only does it make the transaction safe for both parties, it also allows people to establish a buyer-seller relationship.
The blockchain system is just one example. The keyword here is innovation. We need to learn to be innovative. The Philippines have always been a conservative country. We’re used to contributing simple changes. Nothing wrong with that, but if we want big changes to happen, we need to do big steps, as well.
Cultivate Agriculture.
Getting a job in Manila has always been the dream for kids studying in the provinces. Sure, one might say this is because of the abundance of job opportunities, but provinces have job opportunities, too.
The problem with opportunities in the Metro is that you usually have little chance of getting the part. There could be 500 applicants aiming for a particular role and the company is looking for only one. That’s 1:500 in ratio.
Meanwhile, countries breathe agriculture. If your place has good agriculture, financial capability won’t be a problem. Agriculture, it will feed your nation.
Even though, getting into agriculture is one of the best opportunities anyone can ever have, you don’t see Filipinos going crazy about acing an agriculture course. They’re more interested in courses that will land them a good job in the Metro after graduation.
That’s because farmers don’t really earn as much as they’re supposed to. The Philippines is the perfect place for agriculture. The reason most farmers don’t make as much is that we don’t place much emphasis on data.
We ought to find out what crops would benefit the farmers the most. The moment we get our fellow Filipinos interested in agriculture, we’ll start seeing changes in the Philippine economy.
Work Smarter.
What’s wrong with working on a fixed schedule? What’s wrong with working in an office? Nothing, absolutely nothing, but it doesn’t necessarily give us what we want, either.
You might sit on your desk for hours, but how many of those hours did you actually dedicate to working? These days, it’s not just about working hard anymore. You also need to learn how to work smart. Working smart doesn’t necessarily mean that you move out of the office and work in a home setting, like what most people are doing nowadays (although that’s not a bad idea either). Working smart means being flexible, flexible with the hours you work and simply everything. The moment you start working towards a goal instead of your required hours, you’ll see results almost immediately.
Always Ask Questions.
In this time and age, it’s more important than ever to keep on asking questions. Some information may look legit, but that can’t always be the case. We can’t keep on assuming that everything we see on the internet is the absolute truth.
Skepticism can be a good thing sometimes. Before believing the things that you see on the internet, take the time to see if they are from legit sites. The information we see online doesn’t seem to have an effect on us individually, but it has an impact on us as a nation.
Cris is a journalist, content writer, and a novelist by heart. She supports an alternative way of thinking. You can talk to her about anything, except for small talk. She's still working on that. She's a friend for keeps. If you feel the world is against you, she'll hang around.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cris.fabreagecheverria
Email: echeverria.crisanta@gmail.com
Forward Pilipinas: What Does It Take to Move Forward?
Everyone who agrees that the Philippines needs some serious changes, raise your hand!
It’s not like people haven’t been trying to be the change they want to see in the world. They most certainly have, but their attempts weren’t enough, obviously.
We thought we’d never be as successful as other nations (we still aren’t), but after some of the most prominent youth leaders came to SM Aura last September 1 for the Forward Pilipinas conference, it became clear that there were just a few ingredients missing from our solution.
The Philippines isn’t in its best shape right now, but with all the words of wisdom that were passed on during the conference, positive change would surely be conquerable if we give it one more shot.
Use Technology for Innovation.
Almost everyone has a smartphone. Each household has an iPad. Practically everyone has either data or wireless Internet. So, yeah. I’d say we’re pretty caught up. So how come some countries are already at the peak of success while we’re still stagnantly sitting in the middle?
I think it’s because we use technology for a lot of things, except for innovation. For instance, blockchain and bitcoin have already contributed a great deal of change in most countries. Yet, we’re still contemplating whether these things would be any benefit to our country and its people.
The blockchain isn’t just about switching from paper money to cryptocurrency by the way. The subject goes up to the application. For instance, we can use blockchain to implement a more secure and reliable payment system for business owners and buyers. Not only does it make the transaction safe for both parties, it also allows people to establish a buyer-seller relationship.
The blockchain system is just one example. The keyword here is innovation. We need to learn to be innovative. The Philippines have always been a conservative country. We’re used to contributing simple changes. Nothing wrong with that, but if we want big changes to happen, we need to do big steps, as well.
Cultivate Agriculture.
Getting a job in Manila has always been the dream for kids studying in the provinces. Sure, one might say this is because of the abundance of job opportunities, but provinces have job opportunities, too.
The problem with opportunities in the Metro is that you usually have little chance of getting the part. There could be 500 applicants aiming for a particular role and the company is looking for only one. That’s 1:500 in ratio.
Meanwhile, countries breathe agriculture. If your place has good agriculture, financial capability won’t be a problem. Agriculture, it will feed your nation.
Even though, getting into agriculture is one of the best opportunities anyone can ever have, you don’t see Filipinos going crazy about acing an agriculture course. They’re more interested in courses that will land them a good job in the Metro after graduation.
That’s because farmers don’t really earn as much as they’re supposed to. The Philippines is the perfect place for agriculture. The reason most farmers don’t make as much is that we don’t place much emphasis on data.
We ought to find out what crops would benefit the farmers the most. The moment we get our fellow Filipinos interested in agriculture, we’ll start seeing changes in the Philippine economy.
Work Smarter.
What’s wrong with working on a fixed schedule? What’s wrong with working in an office? Nothing, absolutely nothing, but it doesn’t necessarily give us what we want, either.
You might sit on your desk for hours, but how many of those hours did you actually dedicate to working? These days, it’s not just about working hard anymore. You also need to learn how to work smart. Working smart doesn’t necessarily mean that you move out of the office and work in a home setting, like what most people are doing nowadays (although that’s not a bad idea either). Working smart means being flexible, flexible with the hours you work and simply everything. The moment you start working towards a goal instead of your required hours, you’ll see results almost immediately.
Always Ask Questions.
In this time and age, it’s more important than ever to keep on asking questions. Some information may look legit, but that can’t always be the case. We can’t keep on assuming that everything we see on the internet is the absolute truth.
Skepticism can be a good thing sometimes. Before believing the things that you see on the internet, take the time to see if they are from legit sites. The information we see online doesn’t seem to have an effect on us individually, but it has an impact on us as a nation.
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About The Author
Cris is a journalist, content writer, and a novelist by heart. She supports an alternative way of thinking. You can talk to her about anything, except for small talk. She's still working on that. She's a friend for keeps. If you feel the world is against you, she'll hang around. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cris.fabreagecheverria Email: echeverria.crisanta@gmail.com