Why We Filipinos Need to Stay in the Philippines

I agree in Prof. Monsod's "last lecture" to her students which centered on the initial steps to help in the development of the country. She told her students that if they are going to help this country, they've got to be in the country. There's also a published opinion by Dr. Marcaida which says Prof. Winnie can be wrong in generalizing that Filipinos going to abroad are traitors. For a country to develop, the economy and living conditions should improve. It means money should circulate and industries should develop. This is achievable when there are people trying hard to make it happen. There are some reasons which I think make Prof. Monsod's argument valid, and why Filipinos should be in the country.

1. We need Filipinos with purchasing power to stay and spend their money in Philippines especially on products created using materials in the Philippines or by companies wholly-owned by Filipinos. For imported products and other activities, they still mean additional tax collection.


2. We need Filipinos to start their new businesses to create more job opportunities.


3. We need Filipinos to use their talent and strength in helping the Filipino people (doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc.).


4. We need experts to invent and innovate new things here so that we can be direct beneficiaries of their work or their services. Foreign institutions will have to negotiate with us to access our research and inventions. They have to import our products and they need our services.


5. We need Filipinos to make Philippines proud and known which may also lead to greater confidence for investors and tourists. A Filipino working with a foreign group in a foreign company gets his/her credit in his/her company, but it's still the foreign country being known for whatever product or idea a Filipino has contributed to.

Prof. Monsod thinks that majority of UP students have the capability of doing the five things above, and they have a stronger obligation given that it is the tax payer's money which financed their education. Are they just applicable to UP students? No, but to every Filipino citizen. Like what she said, we can all do something. Given my five reasons above, I'm outlining my own criteria in determining whether a Filipino abroad should be called a traitor or not.

1. He/She must: (a) spend his/her money in the Philippines, either by sending money to relatives and friends in the Philippines, or buy imported Filipino products in the foreign country; or (b) work for Filipinos either in the embassy or in a Filipino-owned company abroad (where the money earned by the company is likely to go back to the country); or (c) represent the Filipino people in an organization like U.N. or in an official event or contest; or (d) intend to work for the welfare of the Filipinos like those studying abroad or involved in researches, to be able to bring what they've learned to the country.


2. He/She must be proud of being a Filipino (culture, language, people etc.) and he/she is making the Philippines proud of him/her as well.


3. He/She only resides outside the Philippines temporarily (within a known span of time), but intends to go back soon to help the country.

In my opinion, a Filipino residing outside the country is a traitor, unless he/she passes ALL three criteria above. This means, majority of OFWs working as domestic helpers and seamen are not traitors at all because they are bringing dollars to the country which helps make peso stronger. They are able to pass criteria #2 and #3. Dr. Marcaida certainly passes #1 and #2, but is she planning to go back to our country, and to serve as a Filipino doctor for Filipinos (#3)? Note that I placed in #3, "intends to go back soon to help the country". There may be some who only plans to go back to the country when he/she is old, poor, sick, or perhaps disabled. They see the country as a place for their retirement where cost of living is cheap. Will they still be able to serve the country and the people?

I'm writing these things not only for other people to know my opinion/reaction, but also for myself. Some day, I may also need to decide on these things. I hope these criteria and this post will serve as my standards that will judge me in the near future.