Ramos' visit: a Filipina's view

By Estoy Evangelista
More than 4 million Filipino overseas contract workers are scattered all over the world. Add the Filipinos who have permanently migrated to other countries, and this number would easily reach 10 million (out of a total population of 67 million). We Filipinos, living and working outside our homeland, suffer a lot of pain: being separated from our families and friends, trying to adjust to a foreign culture, not having our qualifications recognised, being victims of bogus employment contracts and oppressive employers and suffering various forms of discrimination and abuse. In Australia, Filipina women are second only to the Aborigines in experiencing domestic violence, almost always within the context of mixed marriages.
Why do we suffer like this? It is because of the sad state of the Philippine economy. Chronic corruption coupled with politics which is characterised by "guns, goons and gold" has meant that we are now voting with our feet.
On August 18, Philippines President Fidel Ramos arrived in Australia. He has bragged about the 5.1% GNP growth achieved in 1994. Even at this early stage, he claims that our nation is on the threshold of being a newly industrialising country.
We should be cautious about this. First, this growth is modest compared to our neighbouring countries — 12.8% in China, 8.5% in Vietnam and 8.2% in Malaysia.
Second, we are not sure if this growth is sustainable. Our 4.7% average GDP growth rate in 1992-94 is slightly higher than Bangladesh's 4.4%. For the past three years, our average annual GNP growth rate was 2.7% while our population grew at a rate of 2.39%. At this rate, it would take more than 100 years to double our per capita income.
More importantly, however, the growth does not reflect the majority's standard of living. Seventy per cent are still living in dire poverty. The nationwide minimum wage remains A$8 per day, while the daily cost of living for an average family has risen to A$16.50. In order to attract foreign business, the Ramos government has opposed any wage rises.
Filipinos continue to lack decent housing, electricity, potable water, health services and quality education. With jobs so scarce and wages so low, there are now 5 million children working to help their families survive. We have even earned the dubious distinction of being second in the world for child prostitution.
The problem of the Philippine economy is not just the lack of growth in production but, more importantly, the problem of distribution. The gap between rich and poor is wide, and getting wider still. Ramos' economic program does not address this.
The broad direction of Ramos' economic policy is the same as that of Marcos' and Aquino's, but is couched in different slogans. It continues to abide with the IMF/World Bank prescribed policies of liberalising trade and opening up the market.
Our economy continues to be based on the export of raw materials and low-value goods. It is almost wholly dependent on foreign investment, loans and aid. It continues to place the ruling elite's interests above those of the majority, making the so-called economic growth unsustainable.
Nowadays, the Philippines is experiencing a shortage in the supply of rice, our major staple food. We used to be a rice exporting country. But because the Ramos government's priority is the foreign market, prime lands are being converted to supply it.
We should also be wary of President Ramos' human rights record. He was a former general, psy-war expert and chief implementer of martial law under his cousin Ferdinand Marcos.
[Estoy Evangelista is a member of Solidarity for Philippines Australia Network.]