No pain - no gain

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” — Helen Keller

Without doubt, certain sectors of agriculture and tourism have started to experience the tiny retaliatory forms of harassment being meted out by China and meant to punish President Noynoy and the entire nation for having the impudence to stand up to the dragon and expose it for the territorial bully that it is.

The truth of the matter is that China wants to make an example of the Philippines to the ASEAN and the rest of the world just to make sure that no one supports the Philippines and follows suit. So now we are feeling the squeeze and I’m sure some people are beginning to worry or are wishing P-Noy never got us into this mess.

On the other hand we could think about the Chinese proverb that teaches us: “In every disaster there is opportunity,” or we can borrow one from the Americans who say “No Pain — No Gain.” Instead of moaning or fretting about the Sino squeeze, lets consider how to make the best of the situation.

Lesson 1 would be: Address the problem and don’t pass the buck.

Right now, exporters and some media have hyped up suspicions and concern about China’s rejection or strict implementation of rules on imported agricultural products. Unfortunately that simply sensationalizes the problem but won’t resolve it. At the very least only the exporter is in a real position to address the problem, because it is their products and their business.

Lesson 2: We suffer, they suffer.

Assuming China is in fact imposing restrictions, that is their prerogative and presently their weapon of choice. Just because it hurts our business does not mean the solution is in the hands of the Philippine government. Come to think of it, we are not the sole victims here, because the ban or harassment also affects the business of people on the receiving end of our products in China. What we can’t send, they can’t sell.  

Lesson 3: Level up or don’t give them an excuse.

As far as exports go, I think it would be safe to say that much of our export “quality” is based on the “puede na” or “will do” standard. In the interest of expediting matters and cutting costs most people think it impractical to go above and beyond what is acceptable. Even my wife who is familiar with the matter of export products has long lamented the fact that “rejects” or “send back” is more common than should be, for a myriad of reasons.

Very common among them is the lack of proper processing resulting in fungus, discoloration, non-uniform sizing etc. Another mortal sin is failure to meet delivery or shipping schedules and, finally, poor quality packaging or shipping and handling.

The strict processing of agricultural exports now comes as a challenge to upgrade the local processing, packaging and delivery of our exports to all countries and not just China. Just because no one else is playing hardball does not mean no one else will in the future.

Lesson 4: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

As already stated by President Noynoy, the situation also teaches us not to depend on China alone, or any country for that matter. As a former resort owner and developer, I learned early in the game not to rely on foreign or in-bound tourists only. We worked at a healthy balance and when kidnappings started to take place in Mindanao, we easily shifted to local tourists when the foreigners stopped coming.

Aside from finding other markets, one interesting and valid input comes from Secretary Greg Domingo of the Department of Trade and Industry. In a recent meeting with representatives of the garment industry, Domingo encouraged them to go beyond the level of being mere manufacturers or sub-contractors who simply meet orders of foreign companies. Instead, “we” should start creating our own brands, go to the next level where we create products that make us owner of our intellectual properties.

If we can create “Jollibee,” “Yellow Cab,” “Bayo,” “Bench,” why then can’t we do the same for the rest of our exports? When you think about it, why be content with exporting our “raw” materials when we can export processed foods etc. As Secretary Domingo pointed out, the level of skill and knowhow of Filipinos is already advanced, if not superior to their counterparts in the region, so why stay in the same league or level of competition.

In like manner, we should also look into product development or alternative applications. Cassava was not in the food manufacturers’ radar until a decade or so ago, but with the high cost of wheat, corn etc., companies now consider cassava a blessing. We only use to think of “buko” as a treat for guests at our “mini farm,” but now we use them all up for feeding our chickens and native pigs, which keeps them healthy and reduces our feed costs.

Finally, Lesson 6: BUY FILIPINO.

China is restricting the entry of Philippine products merely as a retaliatory tactic for political purposes. This will not profit them in anyway except to maybe scare ASEAN nations.

On the other hand, if Filipinos learn to BUY FILIPINO, we will directly help Pinoy companies to succeed; we will insure jobs and perhaps create more jobs as they expand. Instead of buying or selling consumer products made in China, it’s time we patronize products made in the Philippines. As they say; two can play in this game.

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