New wave of immigrants: More brain than brawn
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? On a recent trip to Manila, Eddie & Marita Lee paid a courtesy call on for-mer Toronto Congen, now Ambassador Susan Castrence, currently in charge of Asean affairs at her DFA Manila office. Also present were ex-Torontonians Bobby Ramos, former Consulate finance offi-cer and Consul Sylvia Marasigan.Unlike earlier waves of immi-gration to this country, the arri-vals of the last two decades or so have been admitted more for their brain than their brawn. History will tell you that back in the good old days, Canada needed hardy souls to develop this great land: people who were willing to invest muscle and sweat in the face of un-usual hardship. That in itself is exemplary.
However, it is clear that intellect was not a prerequisite then. Today, Canada needs and attracts the type of immigrant who can contribute the profes-sional and entrepreneurial skills needed to keep us abreast of the rapidly changing techno-logical world.
Canada beneficiary of transplanted talent
The majority of our new arrivals are from third world countries. They constitute a brain drain to the countries they left behind. Canada is the recipient of this transplanted talent and consequently, the beneficiary. They come here seeking an environment suit-able for their personal devel-opment and, for the economic opportunities that exist. In short, this group generates substantial entrepreneurial en-ergy. Because as researchers will tell you, becoming an im-migrant is in itself an entrepre-neurial act. The stakes involved in moving from one country to another are enormously high. One has to succeed. Failure is out of the question.
Most already trained in skills needed here
Far too often we hear of immigrants taxing the educa-tional and social service sys-tems. That’s not entirely true. The new breed of immigrants is usually better educated than their predecessors. They are therefore better equipped to fit into the scheme of things.
Many of them are highly trained professionals who learned their skills at home, at their own expense. Further-more, the concept of unem-ployment insurance and welfare is to the vast majority of these people alien and unacceptable. They came here to work, not to be wards of a benevolent soci-ety.
Immigrants have always enriched this country with their diverse cultures, skills and ca-pacity for hard work. The cur-rent wave continues to do so, only now with a raised profile, and beyond the boundaries of traditionally designated roles.
Hidden wealth
What is perhaps needed to facilitate the resolution of the Marcos wealth issue is to dis-tinguish between “hidden” and “ill-gotten.” That is, if there is a difference.
If there isn’t any, if the two words are used alternately to mean the same thing, then there is no reason for compro-mise. The wealth is stolen and the government is entitled to get it all back.
But if “hidden” merely means “secret,” as all bank ac-counts are by law, why should anyone consider a compro-mise? Bongbong Marcos has this to say: “We want to clear the matter once and for all. We want to go on with our lives.”
Truth is, the Marcoses have been getting along with their lives pretty well. Except per-haps for a legal restraint or two, the Marcoses have been free as the next Pinoy. For in-stance, Bongbong and Imee and their mother Imelda were allowed to run for elective posi-tions. Bongbong and Imee got elected as representatives of their home province in Ilocos Norte. Imelda, after a vain try for the presidency in 1992, made it to Congress in 1995.
Due process can be funny, even exasperating. A conviction by a lower court does not nec-essarily mean that the accused is already guilty. Unless or until the decision is upheld by a higher court, the accused who is out on bail is more or less free to go about his business like Bongbong and Imelda who were convicted by a lower court but have appealed their respec-tive cases.
Ironic as it may seem, that’s democracy for you. The dictator Marcos was overthrown more than a decade ago and he has been dead these past sev-eral years, but his presence is being felt to this day. His kin, cronies or close associates are much around.
Buwaya
Rep. Imee Marcos (Lamp, Ilocos Norte) clarified yesterday that her remarks calling House colleagues buwaya (crocodiles) were not meant for them but for “some journalists.”
“Nagpapatawa ako, ang binibira ko ‘yung ibang journal-ists parang naging buwaya na, she told radio host Ali Sotto. She was recounting how she spoke about buwaya during Monday’s early morning flag ceremony of House employees. Explaining the context of her buwaya remarks, she said she remembered telling her audi-ence that one did not have to befriend news hounds. “You may not like them, but certainly you have to feed them,” she told Sotto.
She denied calling her col-leagues crocodiles, although many House workers swore they heard her refer to con-gressmen as members of that reptilian specie. They said in the course of joking about re-porters, Marcos allegedly told them “Maraming buwaya diyan sa session hall. Many House members felt offended by her remarks. “She should name names,” said Rep. Benigno Aquino III (LP, Tarlac), who snubs the eldest Marcos daugh-ter whenever he chances upon her. The Aquinos are blaming the late dictator for the 1983 airport assassination of Ninoy.
Imee said she would avoid joking from now on because she was evidently not a good comedian.
IT potential most attrac-tive to foreign investors
Despite political and eco-nomic woes, the Philippines remains among the most at-tractive destinations for foreign investors, Ate Gloria told American businessmen yester-day. Speaking at the breakfast meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce, Arroyo said the Philippines would make a superior industrial base for a fast expanding and increasingly middle class Asean market.
Arroyo invited investors to take advantage of the country’s prime position in information technology, citing economic reforms and a workforce that ranks with India as the highest quality in Asia.
An adaptable and talented workforce, with superior Eng-lish proficiency, make the Phil-ippines a potential centre for information technology, ac-countancy, engineering, con-struction, architectural design and entertainment.
The Philippines now hosts 50 chip assemblers and makers of computer components, with some $6.6 billion in total in-vestment. More significantly, the industry in the Philippines is already shifting toward more sophisticated and more com-plex products – Pentium chips, laptop computers, and digital-signal processors used in cellu-lar telephones.
And it’s riding a boom that has yet to peak as the world’s chip market is expected to grow at 15 percent yearly.
Real Estate sector at a glance
Prime land in Metro Manila has become so expensive that small entrepreneurs could no longer afford to buy. With the expected real estate boom this year, the land situation in the metropolis might become worse. The price of choice real estate, for instance, in the Orti-gas area in Pasig has soared. The presence of the ADB re-gional headquarters and Shoe-mart mall was more than enough to push prices up.
A unified stand versus poverty
More than half of Filipinos today are considered living in poverty. And poverty is the root cause of many economic and health problems that afflict many of our people. Complicat-ing the many problems pose by poverty is the ongoing strife caused by anti-government groups in the rural areas, espe-cially Mindanao. The death and destruction such strife brings exacerbates the difficulties of solving the problems of poverty in our country.
Fighting poverty and free-ing our people from its manifold tentacles require determined multisectoral efforts. The gov-ernment’s call for our people to join and make a unified stand against poverty highlights the urgency of combating this age-old problem. “We can overcome our national problems through our united efforts,” President Arroyo said as she called on her countrymen to join hands with the government in realizing its anti-poverty programs.
The government has relent-lessly pursued measures to solve the problem of poverty on all fronts – health and medical care for the people, housing projects, agrarian reform, food production, etc. – show the administration’s determination to fight poverty. Peace talks with rebel groups are under way. Peace and order in the countryside is a primary pre-requisite for rural development to take off.
But the government can only do so much. The people’s active collaboration, especially against graft and corruption by abusive government officials and employees, is a critical ad-junct to such government pro-grams in order for it to suc-ceed. As the old saying goes, “United we stand, divided we fall.” Now more than ever, we must make this principle alive in the hearts and minds of every Filipino.‚