The Philippines needs a new national obsession

Our country is poor not because Filipinos lack ambition. We are held back because too much of our energy is consumed by politics – and too little by the hard, unglamorous work of building a modern economy.

We endlessly argue about politicians, personalities, factions, scandals and elections. We dissect every statement. We fight over every appointment. We speculate about who will run in 2028 and who will support whom.

And while we are preoccupied debating who should control the country, we are not talking about how to build our country. This must change. Better soon.

Politics is necessary in a democracy. Elections matter. Accountability too. But politics should be the means to govern – not an addiction.

Jobs. Productivity. Investment. Industrialization. Infrastructure. Education. Agriculture. Energy. Competitiveness. In other words, progress.

Truth is, we cannot debate our way to prosperity. Eloquence and stage savvy will not liberate more than 20 million Filipinos from the shackles of poverty. We have to build our way to prosperity.

The country grew only 4.4 percent in 2025, below the government’s target of six to seven percent. Growth slowed further in the first quarter of 2026, with GDP expanding just 2.8 percent and 2.3 percent in the second. Industries contracted in both periods.

These are not just numbers for economists. They represent factories that were not built, investments that did not come, businesses that did not expand and jobs that were not created. We need jobs that raise income. The Philippines should not stop measuring economic success primarily by how many people are employed.

The more important question is, how productive are those jobs – and how much do they pay? We need millions of better-paying jobs in manufacturing, technology, logistics, tourism, constructions, professional services, agriculture and export industries.

A Filipino should not have to leave the Philippines to find a job that allows a family to live decently.

We need to industrialize. We need to manufacture more of what we consume and export more of what the world wants to buy. Semiconductors. Electronics. Pharmaceuticals. Food products. Machinery. Automotive components. Renewable energy equipment. Advanced services.

Every factory creates jobs. But more importantly, it creates an ecosystem of suppliers, transport companies, engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs and new businesses. Industrialization is not an old-fashioned fad. For a developing country, it remains as one of the most powerful engines of economic transformation.

We need to evolve agriculture into an industry. Our farmers must not remain among the poorest Filipinos while everyone else profits from what they produce through hard work.

Agriculture needs mechanization, irrigation, financing, technology, cold storage, drying facilities, robust logistics and direct access to markets.

A farmer should not merely sell raw products. He must profitably participate in the value chain. That is how agriculture becomes a business rather than a poverty trap. We need cheaper and more reliable infrastructure and energy.

A businessman deciding where to build a factory cares less about our political arguments. He cares more about cost of electricity. Ports. Roads. Taxes. Permits. Internet. Logistics. The reliability of government.

If it is cheaper and easier to produce in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand or Malaysia, investments will go there. No need for an advance degree in economics to comprehend this. Capital has no nationality. Investments go where the business conditions are better. The Philippines, therefore, needs to compete, not complain.

And we need an education system that is strategically designed for the economy we aspire for. We cannot continue producing graduates who have diplomas but lack the skills employers need.

We need stronger mathematics, science, engineering, technical and vocational competencies, digital skills, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and manufacturing capabilities. Education should not simply prepare young Filipinos to look for jobs. It should prepare them to create value.

Most of all, government must learn to execute. Implement well. Our country does not lack government agencies. Nor do we lack laws. We have so many versions of plans. What we desperately need is good execution. Government should be judged by results. Were permits issued faster? Is electricity cheaper? Did foreign direct investments increase? Did local companies expand? Are our farmers richer? Did our exports grow? Did infrastructure reduce logistics costs? Is school learning improving? Are government services faster and easier? These are the matters that are relevant. Not who shouted the loudest in campaigns. Not who attacked whom in social media. Not which political faction will win the next elections.

We have spent decades treating political victory as our national victory. They are absolutely not the same. A politician can win an election while the country loses another decade. A government can win a political battle while businesses lose competitiveness.

The Philippines does not need another decade consumed by political warfare. We need a decade of building – factories, businesses, farms, roads, ports, schools, institutions and, above all, opportunities for a better life. We need a new national obsession. Progress.

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