GRPundit

" Why is your country so poor despite the fact that you - as a people - have the greatest potential to lord it over the rest of Southeast Asia: you're talented, you're skilled, you use English, you're creative, etc???? " -Orion Pérez D. getting "the big question" ad nauseam by Singaporeans One word: Mediocrity. Mediocrity rules everything in Da Pinas. From manufacturing "standards" to education to government on all levels, mediocrity reigns supreme. Even the entertainment is half class. I used to think it was the hot weather, but if that was the case, all of SE Asia would be in slow motion. The time for people that care is long overdue; they must come out of their foxholes, their abominable silence, and switch on the lights for the rest of the country. We must show the world that we are more than the world's maids, au pairs, teachers, and nurses. We must show we have abilities beyond singing, dancing, breeding, and acting retarded in the ...

A minor epiphany while waiting to pick up my daughter from her grade one class this afternoon: Schools in the Philippines do not have bells. In other parts of the world, children are conditioned to follow schedules by the helpful - if somewhat Pavlovian - reminder of the school bell marking the beginning and end of classes. Could the lack of this simple bit of training develop adults who think 9:25 is a reasonably accurate time to show up to a 9:00 meeting? Interesting thought.