If you're in the Philippines, a Filipino or someone following the news about the country, you must have seen and read today's headline: RP the most corrupt in Asia.

Personally I'm very disappointed about this survey because it only put my country in the bad light, just yet again. It's likely to assume that it could pose a setback for the improving economy. Sigh.

It's hard to accept this kind of surveys because I know--- and this is a personal conviction --- that not all Filipinos and those in the government are corrupt.

But can we prove these foreign investors wrong?

oops there was an error <br><br>Post edited by: linsi, at: 2007/03/14 14:17

hi pokkha,

as much as possible i wanted to evade topics like this specially now that i know your very good intentions to bring out the best in our country and i believe this is noble.

i have to agree that we also have our own share of &quot;best&quot; and &quot;worst&quot; as well like any country on earth. this kind of discussions really draw me closer to speak out i really find it hard to resist.

i agree to an implication that we must not believe all that is written, but we have indeces to prove that news are closest to possibility if not true.

i am not an economist nor analyst but i think we have to look deeply and scrutinize,our own GNP, GDP,taxation, currency strength, global market, investments local and international , compare it with other asian economic tigers (the most ideal is Japan/Singapore/Hong Kong) after world war 2.

I believe that a robust economy speaks about the efficiency of the government of a certain country.

outside of this is simply &quot;corruption&quot; correct me if i am wrong.

I would like to say that economic tigers in Asia were never declared as most corrupt although it does not rule out that government baskets have its own shares of rotten apples.

But if we would observe closely countries who belong to the &quot;third world&quot; categories are most likely declared as corrupt nations.

The Philippines as i previously stated was once a glorious country, now its status deteriorated so much
as we eat the dust of economic tigers in Asia. Why?

Did our government after world war 2 do their homework of efficient management?

I added a small piece about this survey in Asia Observer's blog.

READ IT HERE

John

linsi, I agree with your points. But I still believe that the corruption problem can't be totally blamed on the government.

Every Filipino is part of the problem or any problem in our system for that matter. Hence, we must be part of the solution. How about starting by making a little difference by being the change?

hello pokkha

i agree with you and for that reason, our OFW's have been the new heroes of our country by boosting our sleeping economy which in fact spiralled downward as far as i can remember.billions are flowed in by these overseas workers to our economy every year as i read in our papers.

millions amongst us are playing parts of the solutions to these chronic problems we are into, i may not go in details but surely all of us are unsung heroes doing what we can in our own little way.

i have learned that NGO's ( Non-Governmental Organizations) now mushrooms the country because they lost their faith in our government, that is the main reason, a floating banner of helping ourselves.

but inspite of these,the world sees otherwise concerning our economy, because our economy has been gripped forcefully by those who are in power and worst declarations of our economic growth seems to be rubber stamped.

i would leave you with one example of how resposibility and culpability both are imposed by the government as a major role they have to play.

when hong kong was down during the opium war, all were doped, every citizen was opiated.

majority of the people were categorically useless.

but who cares about it, hong kong rose into a world class city when the british ruled all over this place.

the british governace, efficiently did their homework
and the result was amazing. they left success and economic prosperty as legacies even when China took it back.( well it still has 40 years transition,highly autonomous due to it's basic law between china and great britain. )

i donot know what the future brings, but all i can say is,the generations after us will learn integrity and responsibility from what the british has taught
every person here.

singapore is one of the richest cities on earth.. because the government is efficient and initially the british gave the example.

i am not here to glorify any super power, i am just trying to figure out how a government becomes culpable when a nation goes down to the dogs.

I have many Filipino friends and heard about GOOD and BAD things about Philippine.
One thing we have common among Myanmar and Filipino is EATING. WE BOTH LOVE EATING.
As for the Most Corrupt country in Asia, I am not sure as the survey was not conducted all countries in Asia. The survey did not included Myanmar and other countries so I must say it is incomplete. I am not saying Myanmar is more corrupted but it should be included if it should mentioned any country to be the most corrupted in Asia.
TKM

The survey is also based on the perception of foreign business people in the region. While I am sure they have experience, it may not be the full objective truth, I would think.
Or?

John

Dear John,
I have no doubt that all the Foreign Businessmen interviewed were well known, respectable and have experience for the purpose. I also have no reason why they should lie for that.

What I am trying to say is if you should use the words THE MOST CORRUPTED IN ASIA, I think the survey should include all the countries in the regions. Don’t you think so?

English is my third language and I am not an English teacher but I think if the survey is not done on all countries, it will be more suitable to say THE MOST CORRUPTED AMONG THE SURVEYED COUNTRIES”
Correct me if I am wrong and Sorry, if my English is not up to that level.

I am not trying to point fingers at anybody but as a businessman dealing with well known international trading companies for the past thirty years (since BSPP times), I (believe) that I have more than enough experience to say about the business in Myanmar.

As a local in my country, I know more about the transactions made behind the scene.

Will you be surprise that the corruption has been so widespread that even PROCUREMENT PERSONALS from THE UN AGENCIES, INGOs, INTERNATIONAL OIL COMPANIES ARE DEMANDING SOMETHING IN RETURNS FOR THE BUSINESS MADE?
Without anything in returns, no business can be made.

YES, they may not ask money in return but they will ask to bring them THIS AND THAT and that demands are more or less equivalent to 10 percent of the transactions.

You can see people who are working/relating with procurement sending their sons and daughters for schooling in Singapore, Australia etc.

Sometimes, it is better giving the commission and forgets everything.

thakinmyo

You are right: The survey does not cover all countries. And it is a well-known fact that corruption unfortunately is widespread also in some other Asian countries, including Myanmar.

Why don't you tell us more about your own personal experiences with this in Myanmar?

John