undeserving filipino poverty

"the philippines has no right to be poor," so says a foreigner classmate. and i remember hearing that from some other foreigner before.

"with such a large population of educated people, you shouldn't be in poverty".

i'm amazed that i'm hearing this from a foreigner.

hmm... true true. lots of educated people. education is the best way out of poverty, it's an empowerment for life. and yet without the environment and public policy to harness that education, it may really go to waste (or go to another country).

and let's face it, our political environment and public policy whatsit just, well, sucks.

i'm not about to launch into a deep discussion about social development and all that. i'm just still amazed (and shall i be flattered?) that we are impressive to other countries despite of, or maybe because of, our poverty.

what great bullshiters then. because really,... at the end of the day, no matter how intelligent our 'population of educated people' sound (from government to civil society... and i'm not excluding myself), if we still can't get our act together enough to pull ourselves out of international debt and focus on things that matter (oh, i dunno, health and education, anyone?), then i don't think i can earn any form of praise.

see... no deep discussion.