Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine about the rigors of business traveling. I told him how I didn’t enjoy traveling so much — especially now with all the hassles that go with it, i.e., the tedious safety inspections, the long lines, the long waits, the grappling at the luggage concourse (not to mention those air bumps caused by turbulence which I totally can’t stand). I told him that while I do enjoy visiting other countries and experiencing other cultures, I preferred just staying put. He told me that in his job, he didn’t get to travel that much and he said that given the chance, he’d like to be in my shoes. But then he said something that struck me. He said, “Actually, it’s not so much that I want to see other countries. I just wanna get the hell outta here.” He then shared with me how he felt about the Philippines, how stifled he felt with the traffic jams and the crowds, and why he’d rather be in any other place than here. “There seems to be nothing for me here,” he moaned. He then bewailed “the system” in the country, how bad the government is, how bad the infrastructure is, and how undisciplined we are, etc.
While I could totally relate to my friend’s feelings (sometimes, living in this country, especially in Metro Manila, can be quite frustrating), I couldn’t help but feel disturbed by his “anywhere-but-here” attitude. It seemed like he viewed the country as a “dead-end” spot — like he had nowhere to go, and that there were no more opportunities left for him here. He felt that the only solution to all this misery was to escape.
I have to admit, I’ve had the same sentiments before. One time I got stuck in a four-lane traffic jam on South Superhighway. I was furious. The next day, I wrote my family in the States and I told them I wanted to get out of here. But eventually, I cooled down. It was just one of those days. Nowadays, whenever I get stuck in traffic, I just try to be patient. I try to say a silent prayer — or meditate. Fact is, I could be in some remote, God-forsaken, plague-ridden village in Africa — or a war-torn town in Iraq — or a sinking boat in the Pacific. When I think of those other possibilities, I say to myself, “Being stuck here ain’t so bad.”
Not a dead-end place
For some of us, being stuck in traffic is somewhat symbolic of our “being stuck” in this country. We sometimes feel it’s hopeless — like nothing good is ever going to happen in the end. We feel we will never see a green light. We sometimes feel that if we stay here, we will never get to where we want to go. A good number of people — like my friend, for example — feel that the greener pastures lie outside of the country. The way they bash the country, it seems like this is hell — and that heaven is anywhere but here.
On one hand, I guess you can blame it on human nature. People are basically discontented wherever they are. I have spoken to people who live in Singapore — and the US — and, despite the great system there, they sometimes complain about how imperfect things are. They certainly have their own issues.
You know what I think? I think that people who continuously rant about how bad things are in the country are just not trying hard enough. Because if you really open your eyes, there are a lot of exciting things going on here. This country offers countless opportunities — from small business opportunities and education, to real estate development and trading. A lot us just don’t see it. Ironically, people from outside do see it. And some are taking full advantage.
Recently, I met two Australians — Jonas Marcelo and Alesya Folley. They both work for a company called CEO — Corporate Executive Offices. Jonas, who is half-Filipino, is the general manager, while Alesya is the manager. CEO was started by Alesya’s mom in Australia in 1987. From a single office operation, CEO is now one of the world’s leading providers of quality, competitively priced, professionally staffed value-for-money serviced offices and business centers. Since its inception, Corporate Executive Offices has been establishing business centers with a friendly and functional business environment, offering world-class facilities to start-up companies and BPOs. Jonas and Alesya said that CEO is a leader in industry innovation — and they continually research the business center market for emerging trends. One of the trends they saw was the booming Philippine market. After several visits here, they noted the number of BPOs and start-up companies that needed full-service office centers. After a lot of research, they got started with the spadework. They are now about to set up their first business center at the 12th floor of the Robinsons Summit Center along Ayala Avenue.
What struck me about Jonas and Alesya was their bullishness about the Philippines. I mean, on one hand, I had this friend of mine, ranting and venting about how “dead-end” this place is — and here come Jonas and Alesya, all fired up and excited by the opportunities here. Jonas and Alesya are from the Gold Coast, Australia, arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Gold Coast is where a lot of very rich people are buying property — because one day, they’d like to retire there. It’s that beautiful. I haven’t been there myself, but from what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen in pictures, it’s an amazing place. Jonas and Alesya grew up there — so they practically lived in paradise. And yet, they’re here.
I had to find out what drew Jonas and Alesya here, so I asked: “Can I ask you guys something? Why are you here? Gold Coast is beautiful. It’s paradise!” Jonas said something that struck me: “Rod, there’s something about the Philippines. It has a soul. Gold Coast is nice. It’s beautiful. But that’s it. The Philippines has a rhythm to it — a vibrant mood that I don’t see in other countries.”
Jonas and Alesya then told me that they see the future of their company here. “There’s so much going here in the Philippines,” said Alesya. “So many businesses are starting up their operations here. The fact that practically everyone speaks good English here is fantastic. Certainly, for us Australians, that really helps. There’s not much adjustment that we have to do. And as you know, there’s a call-center boom. Based on our research, there’s not enough office space with good communication facilities. New companies are sprouting every day. We’re here precisely because we can see how our corporate offices can help other companies in their operations. We definitely see a bright future here — not just for us, but also for the companies that we will service.”
Jonas and Alesya’s excitement over the Philippines was infectious. Seeing the situation from their point of view, I began to appreciate the good things we have here. I asked Jonas how they felt about the political problems and issues that were going on. He said, matter-of-factly, “Political issues happen everywhere. The Philippines is no different.” And that was that. I guess we Pinoys have become too “ZTE’d.” There’s certainly more going on out there other than the ZTE issue.
After that conversation with Jonas and Alesya, I looked at the Philippines in a different light. Sometimes it takes the point of view of people from the outside to realize what you have. And we all have to realize that while the everyday drudgery in this country may sometimes be a hassle, it’s also good to take into account the good things that are going on. CEO is one of them.
The Philippines can be a land of opportunity — if only we start believing it.
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Thanks for your letters, folks! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com.
