Living in Cebu

In early 2006 I will be moving to Cebu, Philippines with the entire family.

Philippine
Dreams

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Corruption and Political Instability

Political stability and corruption are the two major issues facing the Philippines today and are part of the everyday Filipino landscape. This is something that has to be considered when planning any extended stay in the Philippines.

The previous President was actually impeached for corruption. The current administration that came in on the pretext of cleaning it up is now under siege for it. The President recently appeared on National Television to apologize for her “lack of Judgment” during the last election after it became known that spoke to an election official during last year's polls. She said her aim was to protect her votes and not to influence the outcome of the election but members of the opposition and civil society groups allege she cheated and have called on her to resign.

There is nothing new in the above but things just seem to get worse for the Philippines as the economy find new lows. There is no real social welfare system in the Philippines and an increasing number of people are finding themselves totally destitute.

The so called social welfare safety nets were originally introduced in the West by the conservative right of politics to subdue the masses and ward off revolt. Political stability is crucial to the well being on any state and those with out food in their bellies and unable to feed their hungry children are not interested in any explanation by the current powers that be. Desperate people are more receptive to extreme solutions.

Without political stability investors will remain nervous about the Philippines thus compounding the current economic problems which in turn lead to further political instability. It is a vicious circle in a downward spiral.

Corruption in the Philippines is institutionalized and even revered. This is not simply a personal opinion but actually the conclusion from a number of official studies by bodies such as the World Bank and Moody’s which in February 2005 downgraded the Philippines sovereign rating 2-notches from Ba2 to B1.

Despite the rhetoric of many political leaders in the Philippines I honestly doubt if they see corruption as a major problem that impedes economic growth. Their propensity for political violence and coups also suggests they do not understand the fundamental importance of political stability.

The ultimate concern for anyone living in the Philippines is an economic/political collapse resulting in a break down of law and order. The likelihood is that this will be a gradual process and the warning signs will be visible long before it gets too dangerous to remain. An exit (escape) plan is a must for every expat living in the Philippines.

Finally we need to put this apparent gloom and doom in perspective. The Philippines is still far from economic/political collapse and is a relatively safe place to live as long as simple precautions are taken (there are many no-go areas in the US today).

Posted: Wednesday 29th June 2005, 9:12 PM


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