If there is one trait or value that our schools should be teaching the Filipino youth, it should be loving everything that is Filipino and Philippine-made.
Just look at the Koreans.
The Korean Wave or Hallyu, the meteoric rise in terms of international popularity of everything Korean – be it pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas and movies, food, technology, cosmetics – did not happen overnight or by accident.
An article published in The Korean Times noted how the Korean people love all things that are Korean. “Flags fill hallways, roads and office buildings. The anthem is sung with gusto before baseball games. The local food and drink are consumed with deep pleasure. Heroes are elevated. The very word ‘Korean’ brings with it a sense of pride, identity and belonging,” it said.
The same article explained how Korea has emerged from the shadows of China and Japan and finally established itself as recognized by millions of people around the world. “While the phrase ‘do you know kimchi’ was once asked in earnest, it’s now seen as bordering on offensive” (because everyone is expected to know what it is given its growing international popularity).
“The food, cities, the culture have entered the global lexicon. Mukbang, daebak, japchae, kimbap, and a whole assortment of other Korean words were added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Even the letter K is now officially defined there as ‘forming nouns relating to South Korea and its popular culture such as K-beauty, K-culture, K-food, K-style, etc,” it added.
From music to movies, technology to food, the world has fallen in love with everything South Korean.
Another article in The Guardian news website explained how after the Korean War, South Korea was ranked among the poorest nations in the world. “Later, former president Kim Dae-Jung decided that what was needed was a massive exercise in nation rebranding. Kim marveled at how much revenue the United States brought in from films and the United Kingdom from stage musicals. He decided to use those two countries as benchmarks for creating a pop culture industry in Korea,” it said.
The article emphasized how after the IMF crisis, the president threw money at a new cultural content office, supported by a multibillion-dollar public-private investment fund to promote Korean creative industries and individuals. Such effort, it said, was galvanized by a flood of cultural imports from Japan so that the drive to eclipse J-pop and J-movies with home-grown culture became a national obsession.
And such carefully thought and deliberate move by the South Korean government has paid off big time.
In the latest annual Good Country Index, South Korea placed 6th spot in terms of how effectively its culture contributes to the common good as well as in terms of how effectively it sells positive ideas of itself. This is even higher than the country’s contribution to world science and technology which ranked 50th.
In the culture category, Japan ranked 49th, the United Kingdom 23rd and the US 57th.
The Philippines ranked 110th in culture, 153rd in science and technology, 111th in prosperity and equality, 66th in planet and climate, 74th in international peace and security, 67th in health and wellbeing, a world order rank of 86th and an overall spot of 87th.
The Good Country Index ranks countries based on their contributions to the common good of humanity in five different categories.
The popularity of Hallyu has resulted in international visits to South Korea dramatically rising. Since 2009, inbound tourism to Korea has posted double-digit growth every year (except during the pandemic years). Tourists want to visit drama or movie locations or experience fan meetings with Hallyu stars. They get to try Korean dishes that they see their favorite Korean stars eating. Visitors go to shopping malls and buy Korean products, especially cosmetics and ginseng-containing food and drinks and health supplements that are featured in K-dramas and movies. Even Korean singer Psy’s global hit song “Gangnam Style” was used by the government to promote major tourist spots in Gangnam.
A report from Korea.net revealed how a third of foreign tourists in South Korea in 2023 were aged 30 or younger, and the global popularity of Hallyu is considered to have played a decisive role. A poll conducted by the Korean Culture and Tourism Institute also showed that 32 percent of those surveyed said that experiencing Hallyu was their reason for traveling to Korea.
But again, before the world loved everything Korean, the Koreans were first to love everything that is Korean.
Last February, President Marcos signed into law the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act which aims to formulate a comprehensive strategy to improve the competitiveness of Filipino products and industries locally and in the international stage.
Yes we have been proud of Filipinos who have brought global recognition for the country – the likes of Lea Salonga, Manny Pacquiao, Carlos Yulo and even our own Gilas Pilipinas basketball team. But when was the last time that we became proud of a Filipino product? When was the last time a Filipino product gained international popularity?
Under the new law, preference and priority in government procurement shall be given to Philippine products and services, be it raw materials, ingredients, supplies and fixtures. It also intends to promote and upgrade local enterprises to strengthen their presence in the global value chain through the partnership of the private and public sector.
Trade liberalization does not mean that we should import more products than we export. Importation should be resorted to only if domestic supply is not sufficient. Government should also do everything possible to make sure that local products compete on a level-playing field, and not in a market where smuggled imported products that do not pay the correct taxes and duties and are being sold at dumped prices are allowed to flourish.
But then, Filipinos cannot be forced to buy and will not buy locally made products if they are not as good as their foreign counterparts.
The move to boost the competitiveness of Filipino products is a step in the right direction. However, educating the Filipino youth about the importance of loving and being proud of everything Filipino should likewise be given priority by our government.
For comments, e-mail at maryannreyesphilstar@gmail.com.