New year, New decade

It’s a few days to go before we ring in the new year and the new decade. The excitement in the air is almost tangible. It’s a chance to start something new.

There is a great debate over when exactly the new decade starts. Does it start with the New Year or does it happen on Jan. 1, 2021?

The debate rages on, but it doesn’t matter much. What is clear is that we’ve witnessed a decade that has changed our lives in so many ways; mostly for the better, I hope.

As we usher in the New Year, let us look back at the biggest thing that has happened in this decade, how it has disrupted our world and let us reflect on the lessons we can learn from these changes.

Technological innovation

Advancements in technology, for instance, clearly marked the last 10 years.

For instance, we've seen the birth of the sharing economy – people opened their homes to strangers or rode with strangers just to save money. It’s a new model that disrupted long established businesses and which has enabled many individuals to make more money, and consumers to save more because of lower service costs.

Businesses, too, have changed the way they do things because of technology and Philippine conglomerates are no exception.

Many of the country’s sprawling business empires have embraced technology. They now have CTOs or chief technology officers aside from CFOs and CSOs or chief sustainability officers.

Fintech

In fact, many of our decades-old conglomerates have expanded into fintech.

These include the Ayala Group, the Yuchengco, Gokongweis, Aboitizes and the Lucio Tan Group. Many of these empires now have their respective fintech arms or are developing new fintech companies to serve their respective business groups or to service external clients.

The result is a rapidly growing fintech industry in the country which I hope would truly result in an economy that is more inclusive.

Technology for the common good

Indeed, I hope these positive developments would translate to better lives for Filipinos not just for the next 12 months, but for decades and decades to come.

We all deserve easier access to credit and financing. I hope the growth of fintech in the country can serve that need.

With fintech, I also hope the number of unbanked individuals will go down and MSMEs, or even the informal sector, would be able to tap loans for their businesses.

In the provinces and far-flung villages, I also hope mobile phone users will have better and faster access to the internet so they can also enjoy the benefits of technology.

Government services

I also hope to see better government service with the use of technology.

It’s a nightmare, for instance, to go the postal office to collect a registered mail. For a single package, you would need to spend at least 30 minutes to receive your mail because they would have to sort it out manually and record everything on a flimsy ledger.

If not for this outdated system, I actually don't mind going to the Postal Office. All the employees I've encountered in the office nearest our place, that decrepit building in Quezon City, are helpful and kind.

Wouldn’t it be good to see our basic government services delivered at a faster and easier pace with the help of technology? I am sure we can save so much time and effort if we can already do the application and processing of some of our requirements online. Some agencies are doing that now, but there should be more.

Public WIFIs

Wifi should also be available in many public places. Every local government building, public schools and public hospitals should also have free Wifis.

Better world

Elsewhere in the world, I hope to see technology significantly change healthcare systems especially in developing countries like ours. I hope to see telemedicine grow so that patients from the Philippines can have access to doctors and specialists from other countries at much lower costs.

2020

Indeed, the possibilities are endless. Who knows what the next decade will bring? For sure, there will be more disruptive changes in both our personal lives and in the different businesses.

But let us use technology to create a better world and not to destroy it.

The heart of a business, for instance, should still be its people, not machines. With all these changes, may we never forget how it is to be human.

I fervently wish everyone a prosperous new year and new decade!

Iris Gonzales’ email address is [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at eyesgonzales.com