The Asian Eagle will not leave the weak behind

MANILA, Philippines - (The following is an excerpt from an article which will be one of the chapters in the new Positive Economy book of French economist Jacques Attali.)

Last night I was deeply moved by the emotional response of the big audience at the showing of the French film (dubbed in Italian) about the early years of Gawad Kalinga (GK) and our life with the drug addicts and gangs in Bagong Silang, a squalid slum north of Metro Manila where we started this movement in 1996. They listened intently, and felt a deep connection somehow, as former addicts in a distant place in Asia narrated how they sold their bodies, robbed houses and sold shabu to cope with hunger and support their addiction.

But through unconditional love, presence and patience by volunteers of GK who simply wouldn’t give up on them, many eventually kicked their addiction, went to school or took on a job and became an inspiration and mentor to others.

The residents of San Patrignano saw the faces of former drug dependents in the Philippines who are now assets to their families and communities: Josan is a nursing professor in a big university, Jolly is a cop and Anthony and Emong are currently coordinating the re-building of the homes of survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in Central Philippines. The tears and hugs I received from the audience after the film showing were enough to convey to me how deeply they connected with our message of hope since most of them did not speak English and my Italian was just as bad.

It was the same problem of confusion and desperation for the children of the more privileged in Europe and the less fortunate in the Philippines. And the same remedy of unconditional love that gives hope and does not easily give up.

The lessons of San Patrignano and Bagong Silang give us a clear clue on how the emerged economies of Europe and the emerging economies of Asia can work together to give our disheartened young population aspiration and direction.

We can build a global partnership of hope early before they lose their way or lose heart with the growing uncertainty in the job market, as bad as the situation in Spain where 50 percent of new graduates are unemployed. I was in Madrid last week to speak at the Global Sustainability Summit and the outlook for those entering the job stream was quite bleak.

Positive energy

This has been my message to various European universities that I regularly visit – for interns and young graduates to experience the positive energy in the Philippines and discover vast opportunities in Asia.

Perhaps the Philippines can open a window for them to see that the answer to their uncertainty may be in a growing market in Asia that speaks English, has a lot of democratic space, believes in the same values and welcomes foreigners as partners in making the world better. We need them to help us develop our social enterprises as they need us to expand their career choices. So far it’s been mostly the French interns who have found the key to the GK Enchanted Farm, our hub for social entrepreneurs in Asia.

The action in the next decade is in the emerging economies of the East where investments are flowing, infrastructure are being built, new wealth is being created, career and business opportunities are being opened – where hope is high, dreams are big and the end-goal is, hopefully, lasting social impact.

Silent heroes

But Asia is still a mystery to Europeans. And many of them only know Asia as China. In fact, I am the only Filipino – and only Asian – among the 1,000 delegates in this Forum, as is often the case in the various fora I attend here in Europe. Our hardworking countrymen here, though many, are often unheard of because they have no collective public face or voice. They are here simply to work so loved ones back home can live a better life.

They are our unsung and unseen heroes who kept our economy afloat in our worst of times.

They are here because life has not been easy in our country due to natural and man-made disasters, and worst, 400 years of brain-washing as colonial slaves that we were not good and smart enough to dream our own dreams, own our own business, create jobs for our people, produce our own products and fly the quality “Made in the Philippines” brand in the world market. We were content to be workers of foreign corporations and consumers of foreign brands.

But finally, the dark clouds in our country are parting and there is bright light in our horizon. Like our journey with former drug dependents of Bagong Silang, many in our country are moving to set our people free from our addiction to poverty and dependence on charity.

The tagline in our tourism campaign that “it’s more fun in the Philippines” is not just media hype or wishful thinking. The Philippine economy is rising – the second highest GDP (next only to China) despite our recent calamity, a stable currency and stock market, several credit upgrades, increased tourism and the happiest and most resilient people in the Far East. HSBC predicts the Philippines to be the 16th biggest global economy in 30 years. We see ourselves as the soaring eagle of Asia among the emerging economies of the world. Our rapid rise is inconceivable to many who knew us as the “sick man of Asia” just a decade ago. We have the luxury of smiling now because it feels good to be in a poor economy that’s finally rising, in contrast to the depression in rich countries that are stagnating or falling. This was the simple reason why my 33-year-old daughter and her young family moved back to the Philippines last year after five years living in a foreign land.

This is good for our young people, who now see our country as a land of opportunity, where staying is a real option and a welcome reversal to the brain drain in the last half century when leaving for greener pastures abroad was the desired path for those privileged with education and expertise in various professions.

A Positive Economy as articulated by French economic guru Jacques Attali is what inspires the young to seek innovation for inclusive wealth creation, job generation and human liberation. This is our path to sustainable prosperity and peace as an emerging nation, very much aligned with the Social Progress Imperatives of Michael Porter in measuring authentic growth.