RZL10 A6

Ortega, Jayne Kazandra P.

June 16, 2014 Prof. Dr. Melba Bergado

Looking Forward
We can say that the Philippines experienced quite a few downfalls, but it has its
moments of glory. At the rate were going, one cannot be sure for whats in store for
our country and many have different views about it, and heres mine.
Economically, the Philippines can sustain its above-trend growth in the next 10 years
provided that government reform continues. Reduced risk of external crisis,
improvement in the fiscal position, healthy demographics, reform-minded government,
and developing manufacturing sector will be the five factors working in the Philippines
favor. Among the most important reforms undertaken by the government are a
crackdown on corruption, new legislation to control population growth, public-private
finance initiatives aimed at improving the countrys infrastructure, and a peace
agreement with Islamic insurgent groups. With less money now being spent on debt
repayment, the government has more resources to spend on infrastructure, education
and healthcare, which raise productivity and drive long-term growth. Moreover, a rapid
increase in the working age population can boost growth by increasing the productive
potential of the economy, provided jobs can be found for these people. The number of
dependents relative to workers -- the so-called dependency ratio -- continues to fall.
This means the savings rate, which is unusually low, should start to rise. The lack of
dependence on foreign financing, meanwhile, limits the countrys vulnerability to
sudden capital outflows, thus allowing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to keep rates low.
The Philippines is expected to become one of the worlds 30 biggest economies, buoyed
by improving macroeconomic fundamentals and a continued global reordering.

In politics, voiceless growth will cease to exist. Citizens, the true subjects of democracy,
have real voice in the affairs of the state. Political dynasties discontinue reigning
supreme in Philippine politics. Traditional politicians in the executive, legislative and
judicial branches of government do not anymore violate laws and regulations left and
right and discontinue justifying these violations as their defense of law and order. The
upper levels of the military are not corrupted. Government officials at all levels
discontinue stealing hundreds of billions every year from the national budget. When
citizens protest government wrongdoing and abuses, citizens are met with
consideration and justice. Citizens do not become victims of unresolved extrajudicial
killings anymore. On top of it all, the justice system is increasingly becoming
uncorrupted, letting citizens obtain relief from the harm done to them. Everyone
receives justice and upholds him or herself with dignity.
Socially, we become united as a nation, achieving mutual goals and planning for the
development of the whole community.
Personally, I will become an engineer with my own family and living a quiet life in the
Philippines where all the challenges then are now conquered and our nation is at peace
and continue to strive for excellence.
The only thing we know about the future is that we cannot predict it, but we can try.
Times are hard. More Filipinos are going hungry now than ever before. While many
others manage to survive, they feel the pinch. Many are pessimistic about the countrys
prospects and think that the future, if there is one, is elsewhere, not here. For some, the
prospects for the country a decade hence are grim. For others, the future looks
promising. Whatever point of view may they take, however, whether they see the glass
as half-empty or half-full, the future is in our hands and we are the only ones who can
change it, for better or for worse.