Question

Write a 500-word essay on what you think will happen to the Philippines fifty years from now.

Answer 1

Answer:

The Philippines is forecast to become a highly developed country in the next 50 years (2069) as its economy is projected to continue growing at least 6% per year. If so, the PH would have a GDP of $7.423 trillion in 2069. The population of the Philippines is expected to grow to about 160 million people in 2069 and if the Philippines has a GDP of $7.423 trillion, the GDP per capita would be $46,395, which would qualify it as a highly advanced economy by today's standards. And with this advanced economy, Filipinos would assumingly enjoy a very high standard of living (according to the HDI).

Of course, this scenario for the year 2069 will only be true if the Philippines conducts major reforms in our infamously weak governance system to increase the effectiveness of administration and reduce corruption. Filipinos need to remove the current system of patronage and family loyalties and instead impose a system of meritocracy, similar to that in Singapore.

Economic reforms are also highly needed such as continued spending in infrastructure to make transportation easier, easing the process for establishing businesses and encouraging people to start their own ventures in all fields, reducing barriers for investment (especially foreign), strengthening and prioritizing our manufacturing, creative and technology sectors, making our agricultural sector more productive and resilient to the predicted effects of climate change, etc.

There is also need for cultural reform, maybe even revolution amongst us Filipinos as well, such as the removal of our laid-back attitude to life, restriction of the influence of Catholicism and Islam on our attitude to modern thinking, more willingness to take risks to improve our chances rather than being afraid to do so, value secular education, value intellectualism, be willing to help those who struggle to meet the standards of modern society rather than punish them for struggling, discipline our behavior and attitude, make ourselves tougher people, amongst many other things.

But if, and only if the Philippines is able to pull off such societal and administrative changes and maintain its economic performance through economic reform and restructuring during this period, only then can I be confident that the Philippines can be an advanced nation in 2069