The Philippines is widely considered as a developing country. Having a consistent GDP growth, disregarding it’s negative values during the pandemic, has it’s prospect for advancement. But there are certain areas of improvement that can be made. Here are some of them.
Healthcare
Having access to free healthcare or at the least affordable medical care should be one of the priority of any country. Specially a country such as the Philippines. Not only are we plagued by natural disasters which greatly effects the health of every Filipino. But there is also a need to evacuate during this times of danger and overcrowding in evacuation centers invite problems like spreading of sickness.
Global Health Security Index (GHS Index) 2021
Score: 45.7 / 100
Rank: #57 out of 195 countries
Source: GHS Index
Asia: Health Care Index by Country 2023
Rank: #12 out of 31 countries
Source: Numbero
Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Education
Declared as the top priority in the Philippines Constitution, it should be the focus of the state to provide quality education to all of its citizens. With such a law embedded in the constitution it should be allocated the highest budget.
The effect in improving education not only uplift society but also eliminate poverty. This will overall improve national progress as it will increase foreign relations and investments as the nation becomes competitive in terms of skill and capability.
Data Pandas Education Rankings by Country 2024
Rank: #97 out 177 countries
Source: Data Pandas
Average IQ: 81.64 (Below average)
Source: World Population Review
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
Transportation
If there one thing we would personally want improvement, it is the transportation sectors. Improved movability impacts a lot of things in the scope of individual, community and economy as a whole. Here are some of the benefits of an efficient transportation:
- Improved trade and commerce. Less time for transport equals less perishable goods to expire.
- Job creation. As more construction of roads, highways, subways, mass transit and other transpo-related infrastructure is created, then more of these jobs will be available.
- Faster commute. Reducing the travel time for everyone will allow more efficient use of saved time for other important things.
Traffic Index by Country
Rank: #15 out of 87 countries. The higher the rank, the more congested the traffic is.
Source: Numbeo
TomTom Traffic Index
Rank: #9 out of 387 country. This includes average travel time, congestion level, time lost per year at rush hours and average speed during rush hour. The higher the rank, the worse the traffic is.
Source: TomTom
The road to success is always under construction.
Lily Tomlin
Security and Stability
This does not only pertain for crime and violence but also for political stability. Having a stable country also invites more investments from foreign nation. Political stability can greatly be improved by having good governance. We need to elect people that has the nations interest at heart, and not those who not only seek to deepen their pockets. Selection of leaders should also be through meritocracy and not family ties or connections.
Global Crime Index
Score: 42.6 for Crime Index, and 57.4 for Safety Index. Moderate level of crime.
Source: Numbeo
Global Finance’s Safest Countries Index
Rank: 134th out of 134 countries. The lowest in term of financial stability.
For reference Iceland the top rank has a score of 3.9724 and the Philippines have 14.8899. This score is based on natural disaster, violent crimes, terrorism, and war.
Source: Global Finance Magazine
Stability is the foundation of success.
Infrastructure
Having a stable foundation is the cornerstone of every stable country. This includes housing, which is one of the three basic needs of every person. Another is a reliable transporation system, one that you could rely on in terms of speed and consistency. Consistency in where you could certainly say: “I’d be at the workplace certainly in 30 minutes” and things like “Life is good. I have clean water, electricity, housing, and access to a fast and reliable internet“
World Competitiveness Yearbook for Infrastructure
Rank: 61st out of 67 countries for Infrastructure. While 52nd out of 67 for overall score.
Source: lnstitute for Management Development
The infrastructure of a society reflects its values and priorities.
Jobs and Livelihood
The last but certainly not the least is a way to live our lives. Livelihood literally means what it means, it refers to the means in which we can secure basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing. Having access to a wide range of jobs improves the nation. As it brings a variety of opportunity to individuals and groups with varying skills. Having the ability to find work that you love at the same time fulfilling the basic conditions for living should be one of the objective of any state or government.
Employment Rate
Percentage of employment: 96.1%. Positive trend in the labor market.
Source: Philippines Statistics Authority October 2024
Jobs are the foundation of a healthy economy and a stable society.
While there are more areas that can be improved, these are just some that really stand out.
